America
Nas Lyrics


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Yo
Its like waking up from a bad dream
Just to figure out you weren't dreaming in the first place

If all I saw was gangsters
Coming up as a youngster
Pussy and money the only language I clung ta
Claim ta, unrolled myself up to become one
Ain't ya happy I chose rap
I'm amongst the
Streets deceiving
Can't believe my achievements
Cultural strata
Persona's that of a non-needer
Because I don't need nada except for Prada beaver
For cold winters, tattoos got my summer's sleeveless
To my g's on the flee from the coppers
Stiff bodies on freeze in funeral parlors
From the slums I come up a phoenix
Caked up, trying to take what I'm eating
Came up a dismissive kid
You lucky if you allowed to witness this
Savvy mouth
Wild, hardly
A man's man
Who woulda knew the beach houses and wild parties
Jezebel's and Stella McCartney's
For years, all that
How could I not be dead
This old German
Said I was a thug with a notty head
Looked at my Benz and called that a Nazi sled
With a face like he wonder where I got my bread
Probably all these stones he see
From my shows overseas
From crime to rhyme
My stories is I'm from the home of the thieves

Blessed
The lord is a g, he gotta be
Who's the God of suckers and snitches
The economy
Lipstick from Marilyn Monroe
Blew a death kiss to Fidel Castro
He'd want me to spit this
Only the strong survive
Nas bear witness
The hypocrisy is all I can see
White cop acquitted for murder
Black cop cop a plea
That type of shit make me stop and think
We in chronic need of a second look of the law books
And the whole race dichotomy
Too many rappers, athletes, and actors
But not enough niggas in NASA
Who give you the latest dances, trends, and fashion
But when it comes to residuals, they look past us
Woven into the fabric, they can't stand us
Even in white tee's, blue jeans, and red bandannas

Assassinations
Diplomatic relations
Killed indigenous people
Built a new nation
Involuntary labor
Took a knife split a woman naval
Took her premature baby
Let her man see you rape her
If I could travel to the 1700's
I'd push a wheelbarrow full of dynamite
Through your covenant
Love to sit in on the Senate
And tell the whole government
Y'all don't treat women fair
She read about herself in the bible
Believing she the reason sin is here
You played her, with an apron
Like bring me my dinner, dear
She the nigga here
Ain't we in the free world
Death penalty in Texas kill young boys and girls
Barbarity, I'm in the double-R casually
Bugging how I made it out the hood, dazzle me




How far we really from third world savagery
When the empire fall, imagine how crazy that'll be

Overall Meaning

In Nas's song America, the rapper reflects on his life growing up surrounded by gangsters and violence. He talks about the cultural strata that he finds himself in as a successful rapper, and how he feels like a non-needer, except for the finer things in life, like Prada and tattoos. Nas also discusses the hypocrisy that he sees in America, from the racial dichotomy to the lack of representation of black people in institutions like NASA. He also calls out the atrocities that white Americans have committed against indigenous people and women, and the barbarity of the death penalty in Texas.


Line by Line Meaning

Yo
Hey everyone, listen up


Its like waking up from a bad dream
It's like realizing a harsh reality


Just to figure out you weren't dreaming in the first place
To realize the world is worse than one thought


If all I saw was gangsters
Growing up, I only saw violence and crime


Coming up as a youngster
Growing up as a child


Pussy and money the only language I clung ta
Sex and money were the only things that mattered


Claim ta, unrolled myself up to become one
I claimed the image and became a gangster


Ain't ya happy I chose rap
Aren't you glad I chose to become a rapper


I'm amongst the
I'm with the people who


Streets deceiving
Are not to be trusted


Can't believe my achievements
I'm surprised by what I've accomplished


Cultural strata
Different social classes


Persona's that of a non-needer
I act like I don't need anyone or anything


Because I don't need nada except for Prada beaver
All I need is expensive things like a Prada beaver coat


For cold winters, tattoos got my summer's sleeveless
I have tattoos even when it's cold outside


To my g's on the flee from the coppers
To my friends running away from the police


Stiff bodies on freeze in funeral parlors
Dead bodies are frozen in funeral homes


From the slums I come up a phoenix
I rose from the ashes of poverty


Caked up, trying to take what I'm eating
People envy my success and try to take it from me


Came up a dismissive kid
I grew up not taking anything seriously


You lucky if you allowed to witness this
You're lucky to be able to see what I've accomplished


Savvy mouth
I have a clever way with words


Wild, hardly
I'm rough and fearless


A man's man
I'm a masculine and dominant figure


Who woulda knew the beach houses and wild parties
Who would've thought I'd end up living a luxurious lifestyle


Jezebel's and Stella McCartney's
I associate with women and fashion designers


For years, all that
I've been living that lifestyle for a long time


How could I not be dead
It's surprising that I'm still alive given the dangerous lifestyle I lead


This old German
Referring to an older man from Germany


Said I was a thug with a notty head
He insulted me by calling me a criminal with unkempt hair


Looked at my Benz and called that a Nazi sled
He insulted my expensive car by comparing it to a Nazi vehicle


With a face like he wonder where I got my bread
He looks at me like he's wondering how I could afford my wealth


Probably all these stones he see
He thinks my wealth is due to my jewelry


From my shows overseas
My success from concerts outside of the US


From crime to rhyme
From a life of crime to a career in music


My stories is I'm from the home of the thieves
I come from a place where crime is common


Blessed
I am fortunate


The lord is a g, he gotta be
God is great


Who's the God of suckers and snitches
Referring to a lesser god who represents deceitful people


The economy
The financial state of a country


Lipstick from Marilyn Monroe
Referring to a famous actress's makeup


Blew a death kiss to Fidel Castro
She showed her contempt for Fidel Castro by blowing him a kiss


He'd want me to spit this
He would want me to share this message


Only the strong survive
Life is tough


Nas bear witness
I swear by Nas


The hypocrisy is all I can see
I notice the hypocrisy in society


White cop acquitted for murder
A white police officer was found not guilty of killing someone


Black cop cop a plea
A black police officer pleaded guilty to a crime


That type of shit make me stop and think
This kind of issue makes me ponder


We in chronic need of a second look of the law books
We need to re-evaluate our legal system


And the whole race dichotomy
And how race affects the world


Too many rappers, athletes, and actors
Not enough people pushing for scientific advancement


But not enough niggas in NASA
There aren't enough black people in science


Who give you the latest dances, trends, and fashion
Black culture is often appropriated for entertainment purposes


But when it comes to residuals, they look past us
They overlook us when it comes to financial benefits


Woven into the fabric, they can't stand us
Our culture and existence are a part of society, yet they still discriminate against us


Even in white tee's, blue jeans, and red bandannas
Even in casual clothing, black people face discrimination


Assassinations
Murders of important figures


Diplomatic relations
Relationships between countries


Killed indigenous people
Colonizers killed native people


Built a new nation
Created a new country


Involuntary labor
Enslavement


Took a knife split a woman naval
Violent, sexual assault


Took her premature baby
Kidnapping or child theft


Let her man see you rape her
Forcing a man to watch his wife get raped


If I could travel to the 1700's
If I could go back in time


I'd push a wheelbarrow full of dynamite
I'd cause a violent explosion


Through your covenant
Through your agreement or pact


Love to sit in on the Senate
I would like to hear lawmakers' discussions


And tell the whole government
I would use my voice to speak to those in charge


Y'all don't treat women fair
Women are not treated fairly


She read about herself in the bible
Women were often portrayed negatively in religious texts


Believing she the reason sin is here
Women were often blamed for causing sin


You played her, with an apron
Women were seen as subservient and expected to do housework


Like bring me my dinner, dear
Women were often instructed to serve men


She the nigga here
Women are treated like second-class citizens


Ain't we in the free world
Aren't we in a society that values freedom


Death penalty in Texas kill young boys and girls
Capital punishment in Texas often results in young people being executed


Barbarity, I'm in the double-R casually
I'm driving around in luxury while people are unjustly killed


Bugging how I made it out the hood, dazzle me
I'm amazed at my own success


How far we really from third world savagery
How different are we from a primitive, uncivilized society


When the empire fall, imagine how crazy that'll be
The downfall of a society will be chaotic




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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