Swagga Like Us Lyrics
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
[Chorus: M.I.A.]
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Mr. West is in the buildin'
Swagger on a hundred thousand trillion
Ayo I know I got it first
I'm Christopher Columbus, y'all just the Pilgrims
Thanksgiving, do we even got a question?
Hermès, Pastelle, I pass the dressin'
My attitude is tattooed
That mean it's permanent, so I guess we should address it, huh?
My swagger is Mick Jagger
Every time I breathe on a track, I asthma attack it
"Why you so mad for? Why you gotta have it?"
'Cause I slaved my whole life, now I'm the master
Naaaaa-na-naaaaa
How it feel to wake up and be the shit and the urine
Naaaaa-na-naaaaa
Tryna get that Kobe number, one over Jordan
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
[Verse 2: JAY-Z]
(No one on the corner) got a bop like this
Can't wear skinny jeans, 'cause my knots don't fit
No one on the corner got a pocket like this
So I rock Roc jeans, 'cause my knots so thick
You can learn how to dress just by checkin' my fresh
Checkin' checkin' my fresh, checkin' checkin' my fresh
Follow my steps is the road to success
Where the niggas know you're thorough when the girls say yes
(Yes…) But I can't teach you my swag
You can pay for school, but you can't buy class
School of hard knocks, I'm a grad
And that all-blue Yankee is my graduation cap
It's Hooooovaaaa
Dippin' different Rovers, whippin' with the soda
Hooooovaaaa
Did you even have any doubt? After Doubt it was over
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
[Verse 3: Lil Wayne]
No one on the corner has swagger like moi
Church, but I'm too clean for the choir
I require what I desire, I got stripes, Adidas
Mami scream "¡Papí, no más!"
Run up in your shit, just me, no mask
Runnin' this shit like I got four thighs
No one has swagger like these four guys
Now when it comes to styles, I got several
Sharper than the swag or dagger all metal
And my jewels blue and yellow
The type of shit that make 'em call you Carmelo
Rules as follows: stay true to the ghetto
Write your name on the bullet, make you feel special
Ha! What the fuck you boys talkin' 'bout?
I know it's us, 'cause we the only thing to talk about
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (And I'm gone)
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (Wow!)
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (Yeah)
No one on the corner has swagger like us (Ha! Ya think)
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (That's right!)
[Verse 4: T.I.]
Aye, you can go see Weezy for the wordplay, Jeezy for the bird play
Kanyeezy for diversity, and me for controversy
All my verses picture perfect, only spit to serve a purpose
You ain't livin' what you kickin', then you worthless
Lookin' from the surface
It may seem like I got reason to be nervous
Then observe my work to see that my adversity was worth it
Verses autobiographical, absolutely classical
Last thing I'm worried about is what another rapper do
Ain't nobody hot as me
Even if they rap they ass off, blast off and have outstandin' quality
Sell a lot of records, I'll respect it and salute that
But spittin' real life on hot beats I'm the truth at
You kick it like me, no exaggeration necessary
Livin' revolutionary, nothin' less than legendary
Gangsta shit, hereditary, got it from my dad
Flow colder than February with extraordinary swag
[Chorus: M.I.A., T.I.]
No one on the corner has swagger like us (Okay)
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (Yeah, That's right)
No one on the corner has swagger like us (Okay)
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (Yeah, so you notice, huh?)
No one on the corner has swagger like us (Ha! Yeah!)
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (Okay, tell'em for me shawty)
No one on the corner has swagger like us (Yeah, that's right)
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us (Yeah!)
[Outro: M.I.A.]
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
No one on the corner has swagger like us
Swagger like us, swagger-swagger like us
About
West produced the track, building the beat around a sample from M.I.A.’s critically-acclaimed single “Paper Planes.” It was his first production since the untimely passing of his mother Donda West.
Peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Swagga Like Us” has been certified Platinum by the RIAA with sales of over one million in the United States. This song was number 22 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.
It was nominated for “Best Rap Song” and “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” at the 51st Grammy Awards, winning the latter. All four performed the track alongside a heavily-pregnant M.I.A. at the ceremony:
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“Swagga Like Us” was slated to appear on JAY’s 2009 album, The Blueprint 3, but was scrapped due to Kanye and Wayne’s heavy use of auto-tune.
Originally a T.I. track featuring Kanye, Tip had written two verses before deciding to turn it into an “event record” by sending it to JAY and Wayne. Once they sent back their demos, he wrote a further two verses, picking the last of the four to feature on this track.
“Swagga Like Us” peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week ending of September 27, 2008.
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