Heaven
Jay Z feat. Nas Lyrics

Have you ever been to heaven?
Have you ever experienced the feeling of being in an ethereal, divine place?

Have you ever seen the gates?
Have you ever witnessed the magnificent entryway to paradise?

Have you bowed unto your highness?
Have you paid your respects to the Almighty Being and acknowledge their greatness?

And do you know how heaven taste?
Do you have any idea about the wondrous and delightful experience that heaven offers?

Arm, leg, leg, arm, head, this is God body
Referring to the Five Percent Nation philosophy, the line states that each body part represents a certain aspect of God's divine nature

Knowledge, wisdom, freedom, understanding we just want our equality
The desire for all human beings to have equal access to knowledge, wisdom, freedom, and understanding, as a means of achieving social justice

Food, clothing, shelter help a nigga find some peace
The basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, and shelter bring peace to an individual's life

Happiness for a gangsta, ain't no love in these streets
The life of a gangsta is filled with danger and violence, where finding happiness is rare and love is non-existent

Conspiracy theorist screaming Illuminati
People who believe in conspiracy theories often blame the Illuminati group for the world's problems

They can't believe this much skill is in the human body
Some people are in awe of human abilities and skills

He's 6'2, how the fuck he fit in a new Bugatti?
A hyperbole that expresses how difficult it is to fit a tall person in a sports car

Question religion, question it all
Encouragement to question and examine all aspects of religious beliefs

Question existence until them questions are solved
The importance of exploring the mysteries of existence and continuing to seek answers

Meanwhile this heretic I be out in Marrakesh Morocco smoking hashish with my fellowship
The artist describes himself as a heretic and relates his experience of smoking hashish in the company of like-minded people in Marrakesh

Y'all dwell on devil shit, I'm in a Diablo
While others focus on negative things, the artist is driving a Lamborghini Diablo

Yellow shit, color of Jell-O shit
A reference to the yellow-colored Lamborghini that the artist drives, comparing it to the color of Jell-O

Hello bitch, it's me again Fresh in my Easter clothes feeling like Jesus
The artist is confident in himself and his style, and feels like Jesus dressed in his Easter clothes

That's me in the corner That's me in the spotlight Losing my religion
The artist feels misunderstood and not in control of his own narrative, losing his faith in religion in the process

Getting ghost in the Ghost
The artist is driving a Rolls Royce Ghost (a luxury car) and leaving quickly

Can you see me? Can you see me?
A rhetorical question that emphasizes the artist's questions about his own visibility and how he is perceived

Have mercy on a Judas, angel wings on the 'ghini
A plea for mercy, with a reference to Judas (the betrayer of Jesus) and angel wings on his Lamborghini, continuing the subversive religious metaphor

Y'all religion creates division
Religious beliefs can be divisive and cause conflict among people

Like my Maybach partition, and God is my chauffeur
The partition in his Maybach car creates separation for privacy, while the concept of God being in control of his life is emphasized through the metaphorical representation of God as his chauffeur

Boy they love Hova From the south side of Chi To Brooklyn where I growed up
The artist is known as Hova (swapping the letters in the name Jehovah - another religious reference), and he is respected and loved, from the South Side of Chicago to Brooklyn where he was raised

I confess, God in the flesh Live among the serpents Turn arenas into churches
The artist confesses his faith, stating that God is embodied in himself, and that he has the power to spread his message in arenas, converting them into religious spaces

I'm like Michael, recycle, these are not 16's
A comparison to Michael Jackson's dance moves - highlighting the artist's ability to recycle material and make it fresh, with a reference to a '16 bar' verse

These are verses from the Bible
The words of the rapper are inspired by the Holy Scripture

Tell that preacher he's a preacher I'm a motherfucking prophet
A statement of self-confidence, where the artist declares that he is a prophet, while reducing a preacher's role to just preaching

Smoke a tree of knowledge Drink from a gold chalice, you gotta love it
Enjoying his position as a prophet, the artist indulges in the pleasures of life like smoking hash and drinking from a gold chalice. He is essentially saying that this is what the knowledge and power feels like.

I arrive at the pearly gates, I had luggage Meaning I had baggage
Arriving at the gates of heaven, the artist had some weight from his past on his shoulders

Niggas asking me questions, I don't answer to these busters Only God could judge us, motherfuckers
The artist is not willing to respond to haters and questions from irrelevant people, as only God can judge him

Heaven or Hell The cards we been dealt Are the cards that we play
The artist is playing the life game where distress is a part of both heaven and hell. And they believe that the cards they are dealt with are to be played as they come.

Die for what you believe Only one God recedes When the shots spray
A message that standing for your beliefs is important no matter what happens, and in the end, the only God stands in the face of death

Knock me down
A phrase repeated throughout the song, metaphorically meaning that even when faced with adversity, the artist will rise again