Jay-Z - Where I'm From (1997)

I'm from the place where the church is the flakiest
And n-ggas been praying to God so long that they atheist
Where you can't put your vest away and say you'll wear it tomorrow
Cause the day after we'll be saying, "Damn, I was just with him yesterday"
I'm a block away from hell, not enough shots away from stray shells
...
Where we call the cops the A-Team
Cause they hop out of vans and spray things
And life expectancy so low we making out wills at eighteen
Where how you get rid of guys who step out of line, your rep solidifies
So tell me, when I rap, you think I give a fuck who criticize?
If the shit is lies, God strike me
And I got a question: are you forgiving guys who live just like me?

Jay's second release, In My Lifetime, was criticized by some critics for embracing a more commercial sound (see, e.g., Sunshine), but his street sensibilities still shone through. As vivid as it is bleak, Where I'm From stands out as one of Hov's grimiest tracks ever.