Adam and Eve
Nas Lyrics

The ghetto, Othello, the moor
Nas reflects on his background and the stereotypes and racial profiling he has faced as a black man.

Oh my God, they speak venomous on the boy
He feels targeted by people who speak negatively about him.

Oh my Lord, my enemy is fear, and I'm sure
Nas recognizes fear as an obstacle in his life and understands that he must overcome it.

Oh my God, they want the end of me 'cause I'm pure
Because of his purity and honesty, he feels that people want to bring him down.

Oh my Lord, discipline for the win, I just go for it
Nas recognizes discipline and hard work as a key to success and uses it to his advantage.

It's a trend for these men to die on their own sword
Nas observes a trend of men bringing about their own downfall due to their actions and words.

Journey far, learn who you can be
He encourages people to go on a journey of self-discovery and realize their true potential.

But you can learn who you are when you around family
Family is important to Nas as he believes that being around them helps you understand who you truly are.

Chip off their shoulders and soldiers, on they grizzle
He is inspired by the toughness and strength exhibited by people in his community who carry a chip on their shoulder.

My granddaddy Mac Little married Dandy Little
Nas pays tribute to his grandparents, who have passed down wisdom and blessings.

They passed down wisdom, blessings were given
He emphasizes the importance of receiving wisdom and blessings from those before you.

Pray my sins don't get passed to my children
Nas acknowledges his past mistakes and wishes to prevent his children from making the same ones.

I made a killin', I'm alive like the morning star
He reflects on his success and acknowledges the blessing of still being alive and thriving in his career.

Court Jordan's for the price on stock, so what the Hornets are?
Nas demonstrates his power and success by boasting about spending money on expensive shoes regardless of the team they are associated with.

I need evaluations, I'm savvy y'all
He acknowledges the importance of self-evaluation and the ability to adapt and make intelligent decisions.

Eatin' foie gras and caviar—listen!
He asserts his success and status by revealing his ability to indulge in luxurious food.

The ghosts of gangsters dance
Nas reflects on how the shadows of past gangsters from his community still haunt them.

Chinchillas shake on the hanger, the force of this banger
He describes material possessions like chinchilla coats shaking on hangers as a metaphor for the power of his music.

Yeah, my language advance, my cadence amazin'
He points out his exceptional skills in rap, including poetic language and captivating cadence.

The voice triggers somethin'
Nas acknowledges the power of his voice and lyrics to trigger emotions in listeners.

What is this conundrum?
He leaves the listener wondering about the complexity and depth of the message he's trying to convey.

The clouds scurry, your spirit rumble, a boyish smile
He uses descriptive language to paint a picture and evoke strong emotions in the listener on the power of his music.

Still puff the loud, it's nothin' less than a quarter pound
Nas boasts about his love for smoking marijuana and the high quantity he partakes in.

Savage narrative, every verse that I write bursts light
He asserts that each of his lyrics is a powerful and truthful message that will enlighten the listener.

Brings awareness to my personal life
Nas shares personal experiences in his music to bring awareness to his life and the struggles he has overcome.

After my morning walk, Havana cigar, the ganja spark
He shares a glimpse of his daily routine and how he enjoys smoking cigars and marijuana.

See my doctor more, sweatin' the sauna or the spa
He takes his health seriously and visits the doctor frequently, and also takes care of himself by relaxing in saunas or spas.

Spendin' fifty large at the Bellagio
He reflects on his financial success by revealing that he spends fifty thousand dollars at the Bellagio resort.

Spent twenty on a bad bitch I hardly know
He is open about spending money on women, even though he doesn't have a significant relationship with them.

New girl every night, two girls was every other night
He boasts about his sexual endeavors with different women every night or every other night.

Sexual addiction, gangster tradition
He acknowledges that the culture of the gangster lifestyle includes having sex with many women.

They wanna fuck me, have me under they belt, slightly offended
He admits to being slightly offended that women only want to have sex with him to add him to their list of conquests.

Yeah, that's how I felt, that's how it ended
He reveals that he cut things off with a woman who only wanted to have sex with him to add him to her list.

I'm just good at existin', existed in my truth
He acknowledges that he is good at simply existing and being himself in his truth.

As long as I enjoy the fruit, yeah
As long as he is happy and enjoys the fruits of his labor, that is all that matters to him.

What come first, peace or the paper?
He poses a question of whether people prioritize money or inner peace in their lives.

Before I had a piece of paper, peace was in my favor
He reveals that before he obtained money and financial success, he had inner peace, which was a valuable asset.

Before I sat to eat at the table it had leeches and traitors
He reflects on the people in his life who were only interested in taking advantage of him when he was broke.

Cut the fat from the meat, extract the weak, bon appetit
He advises people to cut toxic people and relationships out of their lives to avoid being held back by them.

No bacon, brothers is swine
He plays on the metaphor of pork products to reflect on how some people are like pigs, unworthy of his time.

It's so hard to trust 'em 'cause my hustle is mine
He acknowledges that it is hard for him to trust people because he doesn't want others interfering with his business.

It's evident they all the same
He makes it clear that most of the people who try to enter his life are all the same and do not add any value.

With gray hair and still mean muggin'
Nas subtly disrespects older men who glare at him or look at him with disapproval.

Gray hairs of wisdom, that means you seen somethin'
He acknowledges that older men may have wisdom and experience, but still finds their negative attitudes towards him disrespectful.

Say somethin', you stay frontin'
He calls out people who talk big but do not follow through on their promises or claims.

But these clowns got false crowns, fictional kings
He calls people out who pretend to have power or importance but really don't.

You broke my heart, Fredo
He alludes to the famous quote from the Godfather movie and how someone he trusted turned out to be untrustworthy.

You bring this thing of ours down to a fable
He acknowledges that people have let him down in the past and caused his business or relationships to fail.

Be advised my guys dryin', enterprisin' at the boss's table
He warns people that his team is becoming wary and fed up with being let down, and they are stepping up to take charge.

There's always room at my table
Despite the negative experiences he's had with some people, he still makes room for others, showing generosity.

Insecurities is keepin' you disabled
He observes that people's insecurities hold them back from their potential and make them less effective.

All this money to get, is it less time?
He reflects on the fact that the pursuit of money might come at the cost of time, which is something that cannot be bought or earned back.

They ain't stopped printin' money, 'cause they made mine
He acknowledges the power of the government to print more money and shows that his wealth is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

I learned to stretch time, these are the best times
He has learned that time is a valuable and limited resource, and he optimizes it to make the most of it.

I'm in my neighborhood in stadiums, the Mets' kind
He boasts about how he has become so successful that he can enjoy luxurious aspects of life in his own neighborhood.

With restaurants and Carbone, spicy rigatoni
He shares the experiences he has enjoyed in life, such as dining at famous restaurants like Carbone and enjoying fine Italian cuisine.

Go hard, a red Bordeaux, oh God!
He demonstrates his love of good wine by indulging in a high-quality red Bordeaux and expressing how much he enjoys it.

Adam and Eve
The title of the song is referenced here.

Don't fall too far from the apple tree, ay
He reminds listeners to stay true to their roots and not become too consumed with wealth or success.

Apple tree
The metaphor of the apple tree from the song title is used here again.