[Intro: Jay-Z]
What's—
We gonna go through a couple of things tonight
We gon' go—We gon' party, of course
Gonna be some emotional songs
We're gon' take it all the way back for y'all
Then we gon' keep it in the truest essence of hip hop
The battle!
We gotta keep it in the battle, right, y'all?
Y'all ready for that?
Alright
Let's do it
Let me hear y'all

[Hook: Jay-Z]
R-O-C, we running this rap sh—
Memphis Bleek, we running this rap sh—
B. Sigel, we running this rap sh—
Ugh, ugh, ugh, yeah!
Freeway, we running this rap sh—
O and Sparks, we running this rap sh—
Chris and Neef, we running this rap sh—
Watch out! We run New York

[Verse 1]
The takeover, the break's over, homie
God MC! Me! (Jay-Hova)
Hey, lil' soldier, you ain't ready for war
R-O-C too strong for y'all
It's like bringing a knife to a gunfight, pen to a test
Your chest in the line of fire with your thin-ass vest
You bringing them boys to men, how them boys gon' win?
This is grown man B-I-, get you rolled in the triage, bi-atch
Your reach ain't long enough, dunny
Your peeps ain't strong enough, uh-uh
Roc-A-Fella is the army, better yet the navy
Sure, we will kidnap your babies, spit at your lady
We bring knife to fistfight, kill the grammar
We kill you itty-bitty ants with a sledgehammer
Don't let me do it to em, dunny, 'cause I overdo it
So he won't confuse it with "just rap music"
[Hook: Jay-Z]
R-O-C, we running this rap sh—
B. Sigel, we running this rap shit
M-Easy, running this rap shit
Get zipped up in plastic; when it happens, that's it
Freeway, we running this rap sh—
O and Sparks, we running this rap sh—
Chris and Neef, we running this rap shit!
Watch out! We run New York!

[Verse 2]
I don't care if you Mobb Deep, I hold triggers to crews
You little *—*, I got money stacks bigger than you
When I was pushing weight, back in '88
You was a ballerina, I got the pictures, I seen ya
Then you dropped "Shook Ones," switched your demeanour
Well, we don't believe you, you need more people
Roc-A-Fella, students of the game, we passed the class
'Cause nobody can read you dudes like we do
Don't let em gas you, like, "Jigga is ass, and won't clap you"
Trust me on this one, I'll detach you
Mind from spirit, body from soul
They'll have to hold a mass, put your body in a hole
Oh no, you're not on my level; get your brakes tweaked
I sold what your whole album sold in my first week
You guys don't want it with Hov
Ask Nas—he don't want it with Hov, no!
[Hook: Jay-Z]
R-O-C, we running this rap sh—
B. Sigel, running this rap shit
M-Easy, running this rap shit
Get zipped up in plastic; when it happens, that's it
Freeway, we running this rap sh—
O and Sparks, we running this rap sh—
Chris and Neef, we running this rap shit
Watch out! We run New York

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
I know you miss it, Nas—the (Faaaame!)
But along with celebrity
Comes 'bout 70 shots to your frame, homie
You's a (Laaaame!)
Naww, you's the fag model for Karl Kani, Esco ads
Went from Nasty Nas to "Esco's trash"
Had a spark when you started, but now, you're just garbage
Fell from "Top Ten" to "not mentioned at all"
To your bodyguard's "Oochie Wally"'s verse better than yours
Matter of fact, you had the worst flow on the whole entire song
But I know: the sun don't shine if son don't shine
That's why your (Laaaame!) career's come to an end
It's only so long fake thugs can pretend
Homie, you ain't live it; you witnessed it from your folks' pad
You scribbled it in your notepad, created your life
I showed you your first TEC, on tour with Large Professor
Then, I heard your album about your TEC on the dresser
So yeah, I sampled your voice; you was using it wrong
You made it a hot line; I made it a hot song
And you ain't get a coin, homie, you was getting plugged then
I know who I paid, God: Serchlite Publishing
Use your (Braaaain!)
You said you've been in this ten
I've been in it five—smarten up, Nas
Four albums in ten years, homie? I can divide
That's one every... hmm, two; two of them things was due
One was (Ehhhh), the other was Illmatic
That's a one-hot-album-every-ten-year average
And that's so (Laaaame!)
Homie, switch up your flow
Your shit is garbage—what, you tryna kick knowledge?
You cats gonna learn to respect the king
Don't be the next contestant on that Unplugged screen
Because you-know...
Did you-know-what with you-know-who
Let's just keep that between me and you, ma
[Hook: Jay-Z]
R.O.C., we running this rap sh—
B. Sigel, running this rap sh—
M-Easy, running this rap sh—
Get zipped up in plastic; when it happens, that's it
Freeway, we running this rap sh—
O and Sparks, we running this rap sh—
Chris and Neef, we running this rap shit
Watch out!! We run New York!

[Outro: Jay-Z]
R-O-C!