Jay-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” [Audio, Lyrics]

Throwback to Jay-Z’s Kanye West-produced “Izzo (H.O.V.A.” song off the album, ‘The Blueprint’. Stream, read the lyrics, buy, mp3 download.

Jay Z Izzo (h.o.v.a.)

“Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” (often referred to as “H to the Izzo”) is the first single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles. This was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track “Takeover”, but the lead single from it. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It was Jay-Z’s first top 10 single as a lead artist.[1]

The song, produced by Kanye West, prominently features a sample of “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5, the second major hit in 2001 to sample that song (after “My Baby” by Lil’ Romeo).

Jay-Z premiered the song live, at the inaugural BET Awards on June 19, 2001.

The song was later mashed up with Linkin Park’s “In the End” for their collaborative EP, Collision Course.

Jay-Z – Izzo (H.O.V.A.) (prod. Kanye West)

Lyrics

[Intro]
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s put our hands together for this dynasty
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
Welcome, ladies and gentlemen
To the eighth wonder of the world
The flow of the century
Always timeless
Hov
Thanks for coming out tonight
You could’ve been anywhere in the world
But you’re here with me
I appreciate that
Uh

[Verse 1]
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
For shizzle, my nizzle, used to dribble down in VA
Was herbing ’em in the home of the Terrapins
Got it dirt cheap for them
Plus if they was short with cheese, I would work with them
Brought in weed, got rid of that dirt for them
Wasn’t born hustlers, I was birthing ’em
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
For sheezy, my neezy, keep my arms so breezy
Can’t leave rap alone, the game needs me
Haters want me clapped in chrome, it ain’t easy
Cops want to knock me, D.A. wants to box me in
But somehow, I beat them charges like Rocky
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
Not guilty, he who does not feel me
Is not real to me, therefore he doesn’t exist
So poof, vamoose, son of a bitch

[Chorus]
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
For shizzle, my nizzle, used to dribble down in VA
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
Not guilty, y’all got to feel me
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up (Holla at me)

[Verse 2]
I do this for my culture, to let ’em know
What a nigga look like when a nigga in a roaster
Show ’em how to move in a room full of vultures
Industry shady, it need to be taken over
Label owners hate me, I’m raisin’ the status quo up
I’m overcharging niggas for what they did to the Cold Crush
Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hoed us
We can talk, but money talks, so talk more bucks

[Chorus]
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
For shizzle, my nizzle, used to dribble down in VA
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
Not guilty, y’all got to feel me
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up

[Verse 3]
Yeah, Hov is back, life stories told through rap
Niggas acting like I sold you crack (Yeah)
Like I told you sell drugs, no, Hov did that
So hopefully you won’t have to go through that
I was raised in the projects, roaches and rats
Smokers out back sellin’ they mama’s sofa
Lookouts on the corner focused on the ave
Ladies in the window focused on the kinfolk
Me under a lamppost, why I got my hand closed?
Crack’s in my palm, watching the long arm of the law
So you know I seen it all before
I’ve seen hoop dreams deflate like a true fiend’s weight
To try and to fail, the two things I hate
Succeed and this rap game, the two things that’s great
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
What else can I say about dude? I gets busy

[Chorus]
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
For shizzle, my nizzle, used to dribble down in VA
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
Not guilty, y’all got to feel me
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
That’s the anthem, getcha damn hands up

[Outro]
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A
H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A