Text: Jay-Z. The Blueprint 3. So Ambitious.

The motivation for me was them telling me what I couldn't be, oh well

I felt so inspired by what my teacher said
Said I'd either be dead or be a reefer head
Now sure if that's how adults should speak to kids
Especially when the only thing I did was speak in class
I'll teach his ass

Even better's what my uncle did
I pop my demo tape in start to beat my head
Peaked out my eye, see if he was beating his
He might as well say beat it, kid, he's on the list

It's like I'm searching for kicks like a sneaker head
He gon' keep pushing me until I reach the ledge
And when I reach the ledge I'll tell 'em all to eat a dick
Take a leap of faith and let my eagle wings spread, spread, spread

Motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be, oh well

I'm so ambitious I might hit two sisters
Hey, I'm on a mission no matter what the conditions
Forget personal issues when you gone what I been through
Hey, if you believe it then you can conceive it

I had to lace up my boots even harder
Father is too far away to father
Further more of the kids either smoke reefer
Or either move white, there's few writers in my cipher

So they made lighter, my type of dreams seem dumb
They said wiser, how many guys you see making it from here
The world don't like us, is that not clear?
A riper

I'm different, I can't base what I'm gonna be
Off a what everybody isn't
They don't listen, just whispering behind my back
No vision, lack of ambition so wack

Motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be, oh well

I'm so ambitious I might hit two sisters
Hey, I'm on a mission no matter what the conditions
Forget personal issues when you gone what I been through
Hey, if you believe it then you can conceive it

Had a couple of meetings no office yet
Maybe I ain't good enough for these offices
Back to the drawing board ducking officers
It's all good 'cause the streets is A&R'ing this

So with or without any of your involvement
We coming for all of this, respect my conglomerate
I went from pauper to the president
'Cause every deal I made set president

Niggas thought I'd fall without old buddy
Oh buddy, what I do is make more money
Dear teacher, you're probably somewhere near a speaker
I'm balling outta control, can you hear my sneakers? Fuck y'all

Motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be, oh well

I'm so ambitious I might hit two sisters
Hey, I'm on a mission no matter what the conditions
Forget personal issues when you gone what I been through
Hey, if you believe it then you could conceive it, you see

The motivation for me is them telling me what I could not be