Jay-Z - This Can't Be Life (2000)

See, I was born in sewage, born to make bomb music
Flow tight like I was born Jewish
Used the streets as a conduit
I kept arms --38 Longs-- inside my mom's Buick
At any given moment Shawn could lose it, be on the news
Iron cuffs, arms through it -- or stuffed with embalming fluid
Shit, I'm going through it; Mom Dukes, too
Tears streaming down her pretty face; she got her palms to it
My life is gettin' too wild
I need to bring some sort calm to it

Thematically, The Blueprint marked a turning point for Hov. Which makes sense  -- at some point you have to decide: you can either continue rapping about dealing drugs or you can do stuff like this. Not both... at least not with any credibility.

This song isn't from The Blueprint, but it's a fitting send-off to all the dark days in Jay-Z's previous life.