Illmatic was a critically acclaimed bestseller and is widely considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He married R&B singer Kelis in 2005, they have one son together, and she filed for divorce on the 29th of April 2009. Nas was also a part of hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.
In the years following the release of Illmatic, Nas pursued a more commercial direction, which resulted in wider success but decreased artistic credibility among critics and hip-hop purists. Furthermore, Nas' increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out". Nevertheless, the LP Stillmatic is often credited for restoring Nas' credibility among fans. Since the success of Stillmatic, Nas continues to maintain a high profile within the hip hop community, and has pursued a decidedly progressive and personal aesthetic. While Nas' current artistic direction differs greatly from his most successful work, it has ensured that he remains one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary rappers.
1973–1992: Childhood and early career
Nas was born in Brooklyn, New York, as the elder of Olu Dara and Fannie Ann Jones's two children; his brother Jabari (nicknamed "Jungle" because he was born in the Congo) is the younger of the two. The family lived for a time in Brooklyn, before moving to Queensbridge, the largest public housing project in the United States. Olu Dara left the household in 1986, when Nas was 13, and Ann Jones raised her two boys on her own. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began selling drugs on the streets of New York. He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, the Qur'an, the Bible and the Five Percent Nation. He also studied the origin of hip hop music, taping records that played on his local radio station. As a child, Nas had wanted to be an instrumentalist (at the age of three, Nas played his father's trumpet on the step of their Brooklyn home) and also a comic book artist. Shortly after his parents separated, Nas began to write short stories as he immersed himself deeper into hip-hop culture.
By his preteen years, he had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willie "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. Nas and Graham soon met hip-hop producer and Flushing Queens resident Large Professor, who introduced Nas to his group, Main Source. In 1991, Nas made his on-record debut with a verse on "Live at the BBQ", from Main Source's LP Breaking Atoms. Despite the substantial buzz for Nas in the underground scene, the rapper was rejected by major labels and was not signed to a recording deal. Nas and Graham continued to work together, but their partnership was cut short when Graham was shot and killed by a gunman in Queensbridge on May 23, 1992.
1992–1995: The recording and release of Illmatic
In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead. The single increased the buzz surrounding Nas and when MC Serch’s solo album is released later in the year, Nas’ standout appearance on "Back To The Grill" only intensified interest in his upcoming album, amid immense anticipation. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim, his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community. However, many were concerned that Columbia, being a major label, would try to dilute his New York based style.
In 1994, Nas' debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the premier rap albums ever created, Illmatic featured lyrics that portrayed stunning visual imagery and production courtesy of several producers . The album featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara on the song "Life's a Bitch", Illmatic was immediately hailed as a masterpiece by critics, and is still highly regarded as one of the definitive hip-hop albums of all time. Notable songs on the album included "NY State of Mind" (produced by Premier), "The World Is Yours" (produced by Pete Rock), "One Love" (produced by Q-Tip) and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (produced by Large Professor and featuring a sample of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson). However, due in part to extensive bootlegging, the record sales fell below expectations.
Following Illmatic, Nas appeared on AZ's Doe Or Die album, and collaborated with his Queensbridge-associates, Mobb Deep, on their album, The Infamous. One notable achievement during this period was Nas' verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. After this appearance, Nas received a Source Quotable as he had the distinction of being the only non-Wu-Tang Clan member to be featured on one of the group's solo albums.
1996–1998: From It Was Written to The Firm
Columbia began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics like the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Poke and Tone of Trackmasters Entertainment, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" (a remix features R. Kelly) were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. Other notable tracks on the album included "The Message" and "I Gave You Power," which tells a story from the perspective of a gun. It Was Written also featured the debut of The Firm, a supergroup consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also introduced Nas's Mafioso-inspired character "Nas Escobar", who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Tony Montana and the theatrical hit featuring Al Pacino, was more about Nas' life as a teenager in the projects, hustling and smoking marijuana.
The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega therefore became one of Nas' most vocal opponents, releasing a number of underground hip-hop singles dissing Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who was Cormega's replacement in The Firm. The Firm's The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and lackluster sales and the members of the supergroup went their separate ways.
At about this time, Nas became a spokesperson for the Willie Esco urban clothing line, but had no other connection with the clothing line. He stopped promoting Willie Esco in 2000, dissatisfied with the company's operations. During the same period, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly, which also featured DMX, Taral Hicks, and T-Boz of TLC among its cast.
1998–2000: I Am... to Nastradamus
In 1998, Nas began work on a double album to be entitled I Am...The Autobiography, which he intended as the middle ground between the extremes of Illmatic and It Was Written. The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, Nas Is Like, produced by DJ Premier and featuring vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell". However, much of the LP was leaked in MP3 format onto the Internet, and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.
The second single for I Am was "Hate Me Now," featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs (now "Diddy"), was used as an example by Nas' critics for moving towards commercial themes. Hype Williams shot an allegorical video for the single, which featured Nas and Puffy being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; After the video was completed, Combs, a Catholic, requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV, and was premiered on April 15, 1999 on TRL. A furious Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.
Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am under the title Nastradamus during the latter half of 1999, but, at the last minute, decided Nas should record an entirely new album for release. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, the Timbaland-produced "You Owe Me," featuring R&B singer Ginuwine. The only pirated track from I Am... to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. A number of the other bootlegged tracks later made their way onto The Lost Tapes, a collection of underground Nas songs that was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.
2000–2001: The Nas vs. Jay-Z rivalry and Stillmatic
The highly publicized rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z began as a rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z's protege, Memphis Bleek. On his debut album Coming of Age, Bleek made a song entitled "Memphis Bleek Is", which was similar in concept to Nas' single "Nas is Like". On the same album, Bleek recorded "What You Think Of That" featuring Bleek's mentor Jay-Z, which contains the refrain, "I'ma ball 'til I fall/what you think of that?". In retaliation, "Nastradamus", the title track from Nas' second 1999 album, featured a reference to "What You Think Of That". The lyrics state, "You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef? I could let a slug melt in your hat." Memphis Bleek perceived the reference on "Nastradamus" as a diss, and therefore dissed Nas on the lead single for his The Understanding LP, My Mind Right".
QB's Finest was a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Littles, The Bravehearts (which included Nas' younger brother Jungle among its members), and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001", which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge". "Da Bridge 2001" also featured a response from Nas to Memphis Bleek, in which Nas called out most of the Roc-A-Fella Records roster, including Bleek, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel, and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z responded to Nas' songs with an onstage swipe during the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert in New York City, when he premiered his song "Takeover." Initially, the song was to only be a Mobb Deep diss, only including one line about Nas near the end. Nevertheless, Nas recorded the "Stillmatic Freestyle," an underground single which sampled Rakim and Eric B.'s "Paid in Full" beat, and attacked Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label. On his 2001 album, The Blueprint, Jay-Z rewrote "Takeover," dedicating half of the song to dissing Nas, claiming that he had a "...one hot album every ten year average" record (referring to Illmatic) that his flow was weak, and that he had fabricated his past as a hustler.
Nas responded with "Ether", the track begins with gunshots and a repeated, slowed-down sample of Tupac rapping "Fuck Jay-Z." (taken from Tupac's "Fuck Friends") In "Ether," Nas accuses Jay-Z of stealing ("biting") lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. and brown-nosing Nas and other rappers for fame. Ether was included on Nas' fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. Stillmatic managed to be not only a critically-acclaimed comeback album, but a commercial success as well, albeit not on the level of It Was Written and I Am...; the album debutted at #7 on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic." In terms of commercial success, Jay's The Blueprint was certified double-platinum, while Stillmatic went platinum.
Jay-Z responded to "Ether" with a freestyle entitled "Supa Ugly." going into detail about how he had sex with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny. Nas dismissed the track by claiming that he was no longer with Bryan during the time the affair took place. In a recent interview, however, New York radio station Hot 97 settled the battle taking votes comparing "Ether" and "Supa Ugly," and Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. By 2005, the two rappers had eventually ended their feud without violence or animosity. During Jay-Z's I Declare War - Power House concert, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!" Nas then joined Jay-Z onstage, and the two then performed "Dead Presidents" together, which Jay-Z had sampled from Nas' song "The World is Yours."
2002–Present: From God's Son to Street's Disciple and beyond
In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album. and its lead single, "Made You Look". The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard charts despite widespread internet bootlegging. Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe Magazine gave it 4 stars and The Source gave it 4 mics. The second single, the inspirational "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Fur Elise", became Nas' biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas' mother, who died of cancer in 2002. In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from KoЯn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP.
Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. The album's first singles were "Thief's Theme" and "Bridging the Gap", which features his father Olu Dara on vocals. The album also includes "These are Our Heroes", which accuses prominent sports stars and actors such as Kobe Bryant, Lenny Henry, Tiger Woods, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. of neglecting their heritage and background in favour of white values. The videos for "Bridging the Gap" and "Just A Moment" received moderate airplay on MTV and BET. Although the album went platinum, its commercial profile was relatively low compared to the rapper's previous releases.
Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". West said the song was Jay-Z's favorite on the album, but West was unable to get Jay-Z to record a vocal for the final mix of the song. He also appeared on Damian Marley's song "Road to Zion" (which also featured newcomer The Game in the video, widening Nas' still growing universally appreciated raps) and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill). In addition, Nas was most recently married to the R&B singer Kelis, who is mostly known for her work internationally, but nonetheless released great hits in the U.S. The couple wed on Jan. 8, 2005 in Atlanta, GA, after a two-year engagement.
During this time, Nas announced that his next album would be entirely self-produced and feature no other rappers, and would be titled Nasir, and later that the project would feature other producers after all and would be called Nasdaq: Dow Jones. Neither of these albums ever materialized.
At a free concert in Central Park, New York, Nas made a statement regarding the quality of 50 Cent's music. "this is the real shit, not that 50 Cent shit!" In response, 50 Cent included a stab at Nas by speaking negatively of his wife Kelis on his single "Piggy Bank," implying that Kelis was promiscuous and calling Nas a "sucker for love." Nas was quoted as saying that he feels no obligation to retaliate, remarking "[50 has] got a good five to six more albums before I can really respond to him." Nas eventually decided to retaliate, and in July 2005 released "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)", a song which taunts 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew, stating that 50 was "a sucka for death if I'm a sucka for love." However, despite all of this, Nas still claims to "have a lot of love towards 50," claiming 50 didn't understand his moves when they both were together at Columbia Records.
In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Jay-Z's Def Jam, further emphasizing the Jay-Z/Nas truce and raising expectations for a collaboration even higher. His album due in fall of 2006 will come out in a joint deal with this imprint and Columbia Records. He recently announced to MTV News that his album is to be named, "Hip Hop is Dead...the N," the N being a play on the word the "end." The title is supposed to reflect what some would term the current low quality of rap music. The highly anticipated album is due out in December 19th, 2006.
Musical style and Technique
Nas has long been famed for his creativity and storytelling prowess, which has earned him acclaim from both the hip-hop community and critics. In his early stages, from his first appearance on the Main Source's Breaking Atoms and throughout the recording of Illmatic, he was perhaps best known for his street-oriented topics, complex lyrical schemes (which often incorporated multi-syllabic internal rhymes), and witty phrasing and imagery. As he progressed and matured, Nas began to branch out into different subjects and developed a richer voice and slower rapping technique.
Following Illmatic's release, Nas developed a penchant for hyper-visual storytelling and topical creativity. For instance, "Undying Love" (featured on I Am...) is a tale of his wife's betrayal told in first person, "Rewind" (featured on Stillmatic) is a narrative in which a story is recited backwards, while on "I Gave You Power" (featured on It Was Written), Nas assumes the role of a gun who recounts brutal tales of murder and violence. Over the years Nas' style has changed significantly. In contrast to his previous work, Nas’ most recent material is distinctively socially aware and often politically inflammatory. Songs such as "I Can" (featured on God's Son) convey moral messages of black youth empowerment, while "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)" accuses several African-American celebrities of being Uncle Toms. Furthermore, controversial songs such as "My Country" and "A Message to the Feds (Fuck The Police II)" (which are featured on Stillmatic and Street's Disciple, respectively) question the conduct of the American government. Nas' views in his lyrics throughout his career have made references to Islam and the Five Percent Nation..
Escobar '97
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honies cash weed cars
ghetto celebrities 'hood movie stars
gat slingers now rap singers are who we are
went from Nasty to Nas to Nas to Escobar
The path we all walk starts out long it's like a boardwalk
monopoly some make it around some go down it's prophecy
hoppin' in v's knowin' some day I got to lead properly
high up in a five realizing the price paid
for this life laid in the light shade
one might say, top of the world's two whips, a crib and a girl
quick to celebrate it, poppin' corks like they made it
pretentious, arrogant niggas is senseless
pro ball players with white wives, peep they night lives
while you could catch me in a crisp white five
dark tinted, dijon-scented, with Al Green on
my theme song, love and happiness, how can it seem wrong
I mean before this, I used to rock a taurus with the donuts
now I grown up, got it chromed up
got the rap game sewn up, sho-nuff
niggas acting cool, but it's really no love
I feel a slow buzz, off the dutch
this is everyday, every second
got to make it pay, every lesson I learnt
got me open while most of these rappers'll stay burnt
Chorus 2x (the second time "Honies" changes to Money")
With so much drama in QBC, it's kinda hard being Escobarro
Elderado Red, sippin' Dom out the bottle
my life is like a Donald Goines novel
we wave glasses like bravo
drunk niggas with mad problems, and shot pockets
my niggas from the block rock this,
box cocaine, cook it and chop it
looking to profit, in different ways
goin' through this difficult stage, called life
but each year my physical's praised
some fell beyond the reach of help
cut in the street, thinkin' they could teach theyself
when all we wanted was a piece of wealth
and randomly, feed our family
the streets are insanity
amply, living in ths thug's fantasy
richest nigga in show biz is what I plan to be
heavy chain and my QB sway, living this king's life
magazines write about me, in this dream it's all tight
Chorus 2x (The Second time "Honies" changes to "Money")
Now the main thing that boggle my brain be all the bottles of pain
iced the chain and all the followers came
they tried to throw me off track, but I caught that
they thought I lost that
but I'm continuing to make more stacks
halftime, new york state of mind, it was written was hittin'
trips overseas, southeast, diamond and riches
sleepin on the plane, wake up when we land feelin' real scared, on the
ground
rollie flush, princess cuts, and large rounds
the crews up, findin time to shine rocks
it's real, you violate, be in a pine box
if it go there, I lay you before you lay me, it's crazy
I didn't make the game, the game made me
records for the babies so they raised up in mansions
haters keep hating, and ladies'll keep glancing
y'all know the routine out this muthafucka.... word up
In "Escobar '97," Nas reflects on his personal journey of overcoming adversity in his impoverished upbringing and emerging as a successful rapper. The chorus alludes to the material possessions that come with success in the entertainment industry, from "honies," "cash," "weed," and "cars," to the "ghetto celebrities" and "hood movie stars" that have become "rap singers." Nas remarks that he has gone through various name changes, from "Nasty" to "Nas" to "Nas to Escobar," signifying his growth and evolution as an artist.
Throughout the song, Nas acknowledges the harsh realities of life, from the "life's atrocities" to the "difficult stage" of growing up in the streets. However, he remains determined to succeed, both financially and artistically, despite the challenges he has faced. Nas describes his ascension to success in vivid detail, from driving a beat-up car to cruising in a "crisp white five" with a "dark tint" and Al Green playing on the stereo. He acknowledges that some of his peers may be "pretentious" or "arrogant," but he remains focused on his own growth and development as an artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Honies cash weed cars
We enjoy the luxuries of life such as beautiful women, money and fancy cars.
ghetto celebrities 'hood movie stars
We are the stars of the ghetto, just like the ones you see in movies about the 'hood.
gat slingers now rap singers are who we are
We are the ones who used to sell guns on the streets, but now we have become successful rappers.
went from Nasty to Nas to Nas to Escobar
I have changed my stage name from Nasty Nas to Nas to now Escobar, depicting my growth and transformation as an artist.
The path we all walk starts out long it's like a boardwalk
Life's journey begins with a long and uncertain path, similar to a boardwalk.
monopoly some make it around some go down it's prophecy
Life is like a game of Monopoly where some succeed while others fail, it's almost like an inevitable prophecy.
happy days balancing with life's atrocities
Happy moments coexist with life's atrocities and challenges.
hoppin' in v's knowin' some day I got to lead properly
I drive fancy cars, but I'm aware that someday I would have to become a responsible leader.
high up in a five realizing the price paid
I am driving a luxurious BMW 5-series car, but I am aware of the price I had to pay for it.
for this life laid in the light shade
My life may seem perfect on the surface, but I have gone through struggles and pain.
one might say, top of the world's two whips, a crib and a girl
Some might say that I have everything I need in life, from fancy cars to a beautiful girlfriend and a luxurious home.
quick to celebrate it, poppin' corks like they made it
People are quick to celebrate their success, often without acknowledging the hard work behind it.
pretentious, arrogant niggas is senseless
People who act pretentious and arrogant are usually senseless and foolish.
pro ball players with white wives, peep they night lives
Professional athletes who are married to white women are often judged and their personal lives are scrutinized.
while you could catch me in a crisp white five
While others are being judged, I am driving my white BMW 5-series car, which is in perfect condition.
dark tinted, dijon-scented, with Al Green on
My car windows are dark tinted, and it smells like Dijon mustard, but I am listening to Al Green's classic love song Love and Happiness.
my theme song, love and happiness, how can it seem wrong
Al Green's Love and Happiness is my theme song and it is impossible for it to be wrong.
I mean before this, I used to rock a taurus with the donuts
Before I became successful, I used to drive a Ford Taurus car that had donuts for wheels.
now I grown up, got it chromed up
Now that I am grown up, I have upgraded my car and added chrome to it.
got the rap game sewn up, sho-nuff
I am dominating the rap game and have it under control.
niggas acting cool, but it's really no love
People may act cool and act like they care, but in reality, there is no genuine love or respect.
I feel a slow buzz, off the dutch
I feel a mild high from smoking a blunt.
this is everyday, every second
This is a part of my everyday life, every second of it.
got to make it pay, every lesson I learnt
I need to make every lesson I've learned in life pay off and be profitable.
got me open while most of these rappers'll stay burnt
These lessons have opened my eyes to new experiences, while other rappers remain stagnant.
With so much drama in QBC, it's kinda hard being Escobarro
There is a lot of drama and struggle in Queensbridge, making it hard for me to maintain my alias as Escobar.
Elderado Red, sippin' Dom out the bottle
I am drinking expensive champagne from the bottle known as Dom Perignon while driving my Eldorado Red car.
my life is like a Donald Goines novel
My life is like a novel by Donald Goines, filled with crime, struggle, and triumph over adversity.
we wave glasses like bravo
We cheer and raise our glasses like people do on the Bravo television network.
drunk niggas with mad problems, and shot pockets
Drunk people with personal problems and loaded guns exist in my environment and circle of acquaintances.
my niggas from the block rock this
My friends from the streets are representing and succeeding in the world of music.
box cocaine, cook it and chop it
We package, cook, and sell cocaine for a living.
looking to profit, in different ways
We are looking for ways to make money and become financially successful.
goin' through this difficult stage, called life
We are going through the difficult stage of life, where one needs to work hard to earn a living.
but each year my physical's praised
Despite the struggles of life, people are praising my physical well-being and appearance each year.
some fell beyond the reach of help
Some people fall beyond the help and support of others.
cut in the street, thinkin' they could teach theyself
People who are killed on the streets often decided to teach or learn on their own, without formal education or guidance.
when all we wanted was a piece of wealth
All we wanted was a piece of the American Dream, which is financial success.
and randomly, feed our family
We are trying to provide food for our families, often in spontaneous or unpredictable ways.
the streets are insanity
The streets are filled with chaos and madness.
amply, living in this thug's fantasy
Many of us are living in a fantasy-like world of thugs, where the lines between reality and fiction are blurred.
richest nigga in show biz is what I plan to be
My aspiration is to become the richest person in show business.
heavy chain and my QB sway, living this king's life
I am living a luxurious life, wearing a heavy gold chain, and have a confident sway typical of a king.
magazines write about me, in this dream it's all tight
I am the subject of articles published in magazines and everything seems perfect in this dreamlike state.
Now the main thing that boggle my brain be all the bottles of pain
The main thing that bothers me is the idea of numbing emotional pain through drinking alcohol.
iced the chain and all the followers came
I got a diamond chain, and now everyone wants to imitate and follow me.
they tried to throw me off track, but I caught that
People have tried to derail me, but I was able to detect and overcome it.
they thought I lost that
They believed that I had lost my way and was no longer on track to success.
but I'm continuing to make more stacks
Despite the obstacles, I am still working hard and making more money.
halftime, new york state of mind, it was written was hittin'
I am reflecting on my classic albums halftime, New York State of Mind and It Was Written, which were critically acclaimed.
trips overseas, southeast, diamond and riches
I am traveling abroad, specifically Southeast Asia, to acquire diamonds and other riches.
sleepin on the plane, wake up when we land feelin' real scared, on the ground
I am sleeping on the plane during the flight but am frightened upon landing and arriving in a foreign place.
rollie flush, princess cuts, and large rounds
I have a fancy Rolls Royce car, diamond cuts called princess cuts, and large diamond rounds.
the crews up, findin time to shine rocks
Our crew is becoming successful, and we are taking the time to celebrate our achievements.
it's real, you violate, be in a pine box
We are living in a dangerous and violent world, where violators could end up in a coffin.
if it go there, I lay you before you lay me, it's crazy
If a dangerous situation arises, I will defend myself even if it means killing the other person. The situation is crazy.
I didn't make the game, the game made me
I did not create the rap game; it created me and gave me an opportunity to become successful.
records for the babies so they raised up in mansions
I am creating music that will provide me wealth and create a better future for my family and children.
haters keep hating, and ladies'll keep glancing
There will always be people who hate on me, but at the same time, I am receiving attention from women who admire me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AARON SCHROEDER, JERRY RAGOVOY, NASIR JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kavienjay8
One of Nas' strongest records in his legendary catalog & a lot of people dont even know it exists....definitely on my driving on the interstate while high as fuck playslist
@everbackwards4122
That's dangerous
@lynneacevedo6641
Facts
@32natglizzyyyyyy44
@@everbackwards4122 shut up square
@rideout963
Now mine. Darne !! I'm ready to hit the highway
@jmi84
"High up in a 5, realizing the price paid, for this life laid in a light shade" Amazing.
@flipgood89
one of his most underrated tracks.....this goes too tough.
@makaveliithadon
the escobar era from 95-97 is the nas in his prime!!
@paysandekinshasa3513
Yep, at least technically. His flow and delivery were sharp.
@fairplayterrific147
Nah You Trippin' Then Explain N.Y. State Of Mind Pt.2, Rewind, Last Words, Get Down, Streets Disciple, Talk Of New York, Loco-Motive, America, You're Da Man, Purple, Black Zombies, Undying Love, Blaze A 50, The Cure...... Nas Still Reppin' Lyrically..... Sharper Than Ever....