Family
Nas/Mobb Deep Lyrics

Dunn you fam to me, and only family
You are like family to me, and only my family is allowed to be this close to me

That can get that close to me
No one else is allowed to be as close to me as my family

Keep it type strong
Stay resilient and strong

Blowing green that's keeping us going
Smoking marijuana to help us cope and keep going

Allah Havoc getting right, on them 747
Havoc getting in the right mindset, inspired by Allah, while on a flight on a 747 airplane

Unconditional love showing
Expressing love without any conditions or expectations

Forty decide, on the First side right
Representing Forty-second Street on the First side, showing pride in their neighborhood

Me and my Dunns come from the slums
My close friends and I come from impoverished areas

You can't take the slums out my Dunns
The difficult circumstances we grew up in have shaped who we are, they can't be erased

And that's how it is, that's how we live
This is our reality and how we navigate through life

Sometimes I find myself wearing the same shit for days
Occasionally, I don't care about my appearance and wear the same clothes for multiple days

Not caring, bout what they gon' think or say
I don't worry about the opinions or judgments of others

I got that, 'I don't give a fuck' in me, it's stuck in me
I possess a strong disregard for others' opinions, and it's deeply ingrained in my personality

That's how I 'vantage over y'all niggas, y'all too pretty
This is how I have an advantage over other people, as they care too much about their appearance

We too gritty, like Sanford and Son
We are rough and tough, just like the characters from Sanford and Son

Too grimy like Pigpen with jewels on
We are dirty and unrefined, similar to the character Pigpen, even when wearing expensive jewelry

See we the top rap niggas, the Q-Dogs
We are the best in the rap game, representing the Q-Dogs fraternity

You got a lot of nerve, putting out them songs
You have audacity to release those songs

Knowing that my niggas come strong, so let's get it on
Knowing that my friends bring their best, let's start a confrontation

We just getting warm, Operation 'Quiet Storm'
We are just starting to heat up, referring to their album 'Quiet Storm'

Silent wars or we silence the fours
We engage in discreet conflicts or suppress those who oppose us

Half P and I's got it in the smash for sure
Half P and I have complete control and dominance

Now it's movies and soundtracks
Now we are involved in making movies and soundtracks

This is where your career stop at
This is the peak of your career

Hey yo I drink to that
I toast to that

I'm like a dictionary, y'all rappers exam me
I am knowledgeable and well-versed in the rap game, rappers test my skills

You ballet? They read your obituary, in front your family
If you try to challenge me and fail, it's like your death is announced before your loved ones

You should idolize Nas in the flesh
You should look up to me, Nas, while I'm still alive

Don't wait til I'm dead, to say I was the best, no doubt
Don't wait until I'm gone to acknowledge that I was the greatest without any doubt

We shot hoops with coat hangers, got loot with dope-slangers
We made the best with what we had, playing basketball with improvised equipment and earning money with drug dealers

Sold soap to strangers, joked with danger
We engaged in illegal activities and found humor in risky situations

Rob prostitutes, dodge cops in hot pursuit
We committed robbery against sex workers and evaded capture in high-speed chases with the police

Bought weight from rosters, travel hot routes
We purchased drugs from well-connected individuals and took fast routes to avoid getting caught

O.T. commute back and forth
We regularly traveled between different areas to conduct illegal activities

Tell shorty get that package off
Instructing someone to deliver a package of drugs

Fuck being trapped up North, being told where to eat and shit
We don't want to be locked up in prison, being controlled and limited in our choices

Caught a case then I beat the shit
I got arrested, but then successfully defended myself in court

Thieves on the block flash badges, nylon jackets
Corrupt cops on the street display their badges and wear nylon jackets

Big white boys with guns yelling, 'Freeze black kids!'
White police officers, armed with firearms, aggressively ordering black kids to stop

Got my niggas in the pen, eating octopus
My friends are in prison, surviving on unconventional and limited food

Wishing they was on the blocks with us
They wish to be back on the streets with us

To watch me and P do it, put the heat to it
To witness and experience our actions firsthand, which involve using firearms

Put it out, first day, the whole street knew it
We made our presence known immediately, and the entire neighborhood became aware

Bitches, hold they pussies and bop to the music
Women, excited by the music, hold their genitals and dance energetically

And think deep to it, now who the truest?
Reflecting deeply on the meaning of the music and questioning who is the most authentic

Dirty fingernails, reachin in my pocket pullin knots out
Having unclean fingernails while searching in my pocket and extracting a wad of money

I daydream of better days, in different ways
I fantasize about a brighter future through various means

Out this lifestyle we live, iced out with the big fifth
Escaping the current dangerous lifestyle we are in and having extravagant jewelry and a powerful firearm

That's why the burnt leather lean to the left
That's why my worn-out leather jacket slightly leans to the left side

Even though we gained cash on fish
Despite accumulating wealth illegally

I'm trapped on reason bein we ain't all rich
I'm stuck because the reason for our predicament is the lack of financial stability

And I'ma be that same nigga for the door
And I will remain true to myself until the end

And I'ma still walk the same path, we soon clash
I will continue on my chosen path, even though conflicts are likely to arise

We get stacks, you do the math
We accumulate large sums of money, while you can calculate the amount

We pound niggas out, walk away and laugh
We brutally beat people and walk away, finding pleasure in their suffering

Fresh from out the lab, P and Nastradamus kid
Freshly released from the recording studio, Prodigy and Nas, the clairvoyant

Rap niggaz shit they drawers
Other rappers become terrified of us

Yo they probably did
Yes, they most likely did

I air condition y'all niggas, my prediction is you rewind this
I cool down and dominate you all, and I predict that you will rewind and replay this verse

Your highness, Q-Boro's finest
Addressing himself as royalty, Nas is the best from Queensbridge

Click your Timbs three times, the wizard is Nas
Click your Timberland boots three times, and Nas, the talented artist, will appear

Grant you a wish, you get rich while listening hard
Granting a wish to get rich if you pay close attention to his lyrics

To my thugs in the prison yard, bench-pressing 200 pounds and up
Dedicated to his friends in prison who are working out and building their strength

Feeling like you down on your luck
Feeling unlucky and hopeless

Raise up, I feel your pain, hit the law library
Rise above and stay strong, as Nas empathizes with their struggles and suggests they study legal materials

Appeal the game, all eyes on me
Challenge the system and the game, as everyone's attention is focused on Nas

Restrained from, being looked at, as uncivilized
Prevented from being seen as uncultured or barbaric

We epitomize thug song, y'all niggas get mad
We are the embodiment of gangster music, causing other people to become angry

Jealous rappers is puss, ain't got no style
Envious rappers are weak and lack uniqueness in their rap style

No heart and no look, shook
They lack courage and confidence, easily intimidated

Get stole on, my niggas move right in the moonlight
They get punched and ambushed by my friends, who operate effectively in the darkness

Y'all niggas get done, I pee on them son, they a small issue
You all get defeated, and I dismiss you as insignificant problems

We too official, blue steel pistols
We are highly legitimate and carry powerful guns

Teflon vests, it's no contest we hit you
Wearing bulletproof vests, it's not a competition as we will shoot and harm you

Are you fam to me, and only fam to me
Are you like family to me, and only family has this status

That can get that close to me
Only those considered family can be this close to me

Keep it type strong
Stay mentally and physically strong