A Ballad for the Fallen Soldier JAY-Z

[Intro: Jay-Z]
This here's a ballad for all the fallen soldiers (This ain't music)
I'm 'bout to show you how a hustler's life (This is life man)
And a soldier's life parallel
And the one thing they got in common is a mother's pain
(Forget about music for a second)
Picture a split screen (Forget musicians)
On one side, you got a hustler getting ready for the block
(Human beings)
Other side, you got a soldier getting ready for boot camp
(People, it's life)
They're both at war, stay with us

[Chorus: Marc Dorsey]
Did you ever notice, before you blink
Life goes fast?
So don't you worry, about what you see
It will pass

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
You lost him mama, the war's calling him
Feel it's his duty to fall in line with all of them
He's a soldier
Rose through the ranks as the head of your household
Now it's time to provide bank, like he's supposed to
Now just remember why he's gone 'til November
It's part of him growing up
His shirt soaks up your tears as he holds ya
Your heart beating so fast, speeding his pulse up
Yeah, I know it sucks, life ain't all rosebuds
A couple of speed bumps, you gotta take your lumps
Off to boot camp, the world's facing terror
Bin Laden been happening in Manhattan
Crack was anthrax back then, back when
Police was Al'Qaeda to black men
While I was out there hustling, sinning with no religion (Damn)
He was off to war, killing for a living