| From the big big big big smoke to the big big big big apple
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| Whether you drink drink drink drink coke or sip sip sip sip Snapple
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| From capital to capital Im trying to get that capital
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| Until my name’s up in bright lights and capitals
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| In the big big big big city, it’s a bit bit bit bit crazy
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| Where babies are having babies that grow up and rob old ladies
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| I’ve been on the hustle daily trying to get rap to pay me
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| Cause working in gap or Sainsbury’s ain’t gonna get that Mercedes
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| Born in the 80's in London but African raised
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| And I’ve dreamed of packing them raves
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| Since back in the days, it’s dreams
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| In the classroom banging on tables till the teacher says
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| ''Derek, sit back and behave!''
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| It seems in my 22 years so much has happened
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| But I’m still progressing, bank balance going up per annum
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| But when you’re doing rapping Charlie
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| Seems to take a shooting or
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| Stabbing to go platinum Charlie
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| I ain’t gonna let that happen Charlie
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| City life I love you
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| Even though the skies are grey
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| I’ll never place no place above you
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| People trying to hustle every night and day
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| Some are living the high life
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| Under the bright lights
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| While others get high and throw their life away
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| And every night I pray that I don’t go insane
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| And end up just a product of the city
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| It’s a bit bit bit bit crazy up in the big big big big smoke
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| If you’re a lil lil bit bit lazy you’ll end up a lil lil bit bit broke
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| Overseas it seems British folk are known for sniffing coke
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| Being quick witted, and wicked rich and sitting in boats
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| So every time I travel abroad I’ve got to set the records straight
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| And represent for all the people who can’t afford to flipping go
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| I’m just an ordinary bloke amongst all these different strokes
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| Trying to stay afloat without doing a fraud or dealing dope
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| Street lights, street life, all a flipping joke
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| But I’ve come up a bit, had a good heart that toughened up a bit
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| When I looked in the mirror to kiss the good guy good bye
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| Then exchanged my pucker-up lips for a stiff upper lip
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| Little Rob is jacking, watch him hold’em up with arms
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| Kids are getting killed round these sides
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| And certain role models ain’t doing jack but holding up their arms
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| And that’s just to do peace signs-these times are crazy
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| City life I love you
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| Even though the skies are grey
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| I’ll never place no place above you
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| People trying to hustle every night and day
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| Some are living the high life
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| Under the bright lights
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| While others get high and throw their life away
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| And every night I pray that I don’t go insane
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| And end up just a product of the city
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| No place for the weak
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| Every race is chasing paper seven days of the week
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| And the streets just sound like music
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| Cause kids are recording criminal records- the police are the beat
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| The stakes are high and everybody wants to eat
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| Youths use weapons as ladders to step up on these high streets
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| Equals violence, then comes the violins
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| Then comes the sirens, then comes the silence
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| Life’s the best teacher and I’m trying to study hard
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| So I can graduate up into the upper class
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| Front line like Queen Latifah in Set It Off
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| Take notes like a bank robber with a rubber mask
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| Frontline like Chiefer, we take while others ask
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| Duct tape the rap game, rape the pop world
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| Make off take another path, maybe politics
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| No mate don’t take that for another laugh
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| City life I love you
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| Even though the skies are grey
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| I’ll never place no place above you
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| People trying to hustle every night and day
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| Some are living the high life
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| Under the bright lights
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| While others get high and throw their life away
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| And every night I pray that I don’t go insane
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| And end up just a product of the city
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| Just a product of the city |