Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas an… Read Full Bio ↴Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas and Escobar), born September 14, 1973 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, is a prominent American MC. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was raised in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects in Queensbridge, New York. According to the Nasty Songfacts, as a teenager rapper, Nasir first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. By the time he released his landmark solo debut album Illmatic in 1994, Jones was known as Nas.
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..
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..
Beautiful Life
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peace y'all, yeah
This one right here, goes to my most loyal, loyal, loyal ones
You for me and me for you
We see things alike
We live alike, in truth
The craziest things already happened, get me
Could tell you 'gon be laughing at me or you laughing with me?
My baby's mom made a book about me, she tried to out me
In Barnes & Nobles new release section she's confessin'
Now the streets guessin' the beefin' started over some woman
Couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth
Was she looking for fame, yo I hope she got it
Since then I been the object, gossip people tried to target
All women should bid
For keeping real fathers away from their kids
These rappers talkin' real shit I lived
How many been married, divorced, their ex lady wildin'
Hires a lawyer, judge awards 'em monthly eighty thousand
Stevie Wonder sent me word that he was in my corner
Blind but still sees the pain of a young performer
Used to be my rib thought it was 'til death do us
She married again and I'm wishin' all the best to her
Got me looking for my mother, all I see is suckers
She lookin' over me now sayin' don't trust 'em
Come on I'm livin', I don't need many to pray for me
Her bad, she wanna keep the kids away from their dad
Tell you lames something, spit some game
Planes carry me to Madrid, Spain, so why complain?
When you place blame, then you're defective
When you take blame, then you're respected
You gotta give me credit
Woah
Life is good, I must admit it
Woah
Ups and downs, we've all been through it
Woah
Ain't no other way to do it
Woah
Life is good, it's good, it's good
Uh
The craziest things just happened to me, get me
So now whatever happens next it probably won't affect me
How many people owe the feds, keep it real especially
If you an artist in this music game, the smartest ones get abused for their change
And my life is sex, super stardom, and stupid cash
So unpredictable not aware you could lose it fast
I signed my own checks, swore we paid the IRS
Somebody's stealin', I swear to God
Tsk, for now, I invest
To my incarcerated team who got life
It's not right but you still got your life
Rest in peace to Gil Scott from the kill or be killed blocks
Not from Philly but a nigga done hustled them hilltops
Commercial pop artists get all the accolades
I give a million cash away to be revered like Donny Hathaway
Probably not as half as paid as I should be
But I stay in some cars and stay in some pussy
It's a beautiful life
Woah
Life is good, I must admit it (Yeah)
Woah (Beautiful life)
Ups and downs, we've all been through it
Woah (Life's still good)
Ain't no other way to do it
Woah (Yeah, yeah)
Life is good, it's good, it's good
A thin line from this gangsta life and rap stuff
I can say I never been punked, robbed, or smacked up
Proud to say I never been chased, jumped, or backed up
Or extorted for my pay stubs
Lucky or blessed from what prayer does
'Cause hey, I was riding in caravans with AK's and gloves inside 'em
And if I should spare that man who violated my trust
I gave him a pass
My man called and I value his judgement
I let it ride and thought no more of it, it's over
So if it's my turn to be on the other side of the gun
I'm granted my four leaf clover, no one's leaving me colder
'Cause I chilled and let you breathe, yes
Let's go our own ways and let the beef digress
I done seen insanity close up, schizophrenia shows up in most us
My younger brother knows this
Not Jungle, got another brother in PA
Spazzed on' em, hurt me to put hands on 'em 'til this day
I gotta say I got some fam across the USA
Cackalack to Kansas but my mans around the way had contacts
They was Spanish coppin' grams and cooking 'ye
Willie, Bo, blowing haze, Mayo next door
Joe, Martin, Slade, I'm solo these days
It wasn't my fault
I never knew the time of death and maturity would sever my crew up in New York
Barely survived
Large, I thank you for teaching me not to pop my letter P's in the booth
How to control my vocals and spit poetically smooth
I could nail it, you knew
I was your brother 'til death
Back when you put me on to NiQuay from Lefrak
You was a dime, we was nobodies
Say what's up to Shameek, send my love to Yadi
I pray we all get old if I never again go gold and sell tickets
We could all still kick it
It's a beautiful life
Beautiful life, beautiful life
Rest in peace to my brother Talik
Gone too soon
God bless your soul brother
He was wild
Some things we just can't explain
Life
It's messed up how much time get wasted that you can't get back
With your kids at an early age
First steps, first words
I can't see 'em cause you mad
Don't put yourself before the babies
Don't say crazy things to hurt that man
You hurt him enough
The good times outweighed the bad
When it was good, it was great
But because I could see him now through the courts, you mad
Okay that's how it is out here
That's life huh
You see we can't be selfish out here
We gotta live, and let love
Let the light in
To the beautiful mothers of my kids
And all the mothers around the world
Night, destiny
Life is good
This one right here, goes to my most loyal, loyal, loyal ones
You for me and me for you
We see things alike
We live alike, in truth
The craziest things already happened, get me
Could tell you 'gon be laughing at me or you laughing with me?
In Barnes & Nobles new release section she's confessin'
Now the streets guessin' the beefin' started over some woman
Couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth
Was she looking for fame, yo I hope she got it
Since then I been the object, gossip people tried to target
All women should bid
For keeping real fathers away from their kids
These rappers talkin' real shit I lived
How many been married, divorced, their ex lady wildin'
Hires a lawyer, judge awards 'em monthly eighty thousand
Stevie Wonder sent me word that he was in my corner
Blind but still sees the pain of a young performer
Used to be my rib thought it was 'til death do us
She married again and I'm wishin' all the best to her
Got me looking for my mother, all I see is suckers
She lookin' over me now sayin' don't trust 'em
Come on I'm livin', I don't need many to pray for me
Her bad, she wanna keep the kids away from their dad
Tell you lames something, spit some game
Planes carry me to Madrid, Spain, so why complain?
When you place blame, then you're defective
When you take blame, then you're respected
You gotta give me credit
Woah
Life is good, I must admit it
Woah
Ups and downs, we've all been through it
Woah
Ain't no other way to do it
Woah
Life is good, it's good, it's good
Uh
The craziest things just happened to me, get me
So now whatever happens next it probably won't affect me
How many people owe the feds, keep it real especially
If you an artist in this music game, the smartest ones get abused for their change
And my life is sex, super stardom, and stupid cash
So unpredictable not aware you could lose it fast
I signed my own checks, swore we paid the IRS
Somebody's stealin', I swear to God
Tsk, for now, I invest
To my incarcerated team who got life
It's not right but you still got your life
Rest in peace to Gil Scott from the kill or be killed blocks
Not from Philly but a nigga done hustled them hilltops
Commercial pop artists get all the accolades
I give a million cash away to be revered like Donny Hathaway
Probably not as half as paid as I should be
But I stay in some cars and stay in some pussy
It's a beautiful life
Woah
Life is good, I must admit it (Yeah)
Woah (Beautiful life)
Ups and downs, we've all been through it
Woah (Life's still good)
Ain't no other way to do it
Woah (Yeah, yeah)
Life is good, it's good, it's good
A thin line from this gangsta life and rap stuff
I can say I never been punked, robbed, or smacked up
Proud to say I never been chased, jumped, or backed up
Or extorted for my pay stubs
Lucky or blessed from what prayer does
'Cause hey, I was riding in caravans with AK's and gloves inside 'em
And if I should spare that man who violated my trust
I gave him a pass
My man called and I value his judgement
I let it ride and thought no more of it, it's over
So if it's my turn to be on the other side of the gun
I'm granted my four leaf clover, no one's leaving me colder
'Cause I chilled and let you breathe, yes
Let's go our own ways and let the beef digress
I done seen insanity close up, schizophrenia shows up in most us
My younger brother knows this
Not Jungle, got another brother in PA
Spazzed on' em, hurt me to put hands on 'em 'til this day
I gotta say I got some fam across the USA
Cackalack to Kansas but my mans around the way had contacts
They was Spanish coppin' grams and cooking 'ye
Willie, Bo, blowing haze, Mayo next door
Joe, Martin, Slade, I'm solo these days
It wasn't my fault
I never knew the time of death and maturity would sever my crew up in New York
Barely survived
Large, I thank you for teaching me not to pop my letter P's in the booth
How to control my vocals and spit poetically smooth
I could nail it, you knew
I was your brother 'til death
Back when you put me on to NiQuay from Lefrak
You was a dime, we was nobodies
Say what's up to Shameek, send my love to Yadi
I pray we all get old if I never again go gold and sell tickets
We could all still kick it
It's a beautiful life
Beautiful life, beautiful life
Rest in peace to my brother Talik
Gone too soon
God bless your soul brother
He was wild
Some things we just can't explain
Life
It's messed up how much time get wasted that you can't get back
With your kids at an early age
First steps, first words
I can't see 'em cause you mad
Don't put yourself before the babies
Don't say crazy things to hurt that man
You hurt him enough
The good times outweighed the bad
When it was good, it was great
But because I could see him now through the courts, you mad
Okay that's how it is out here
That's life huh
You see we can't be selfish out here
We gotta live, and let love
Let the light in
To the beautiful mothers of my kids
And all the mothers around the world
Night, destiny
Life is good
The song "Beautiful Life" by Nas is an introspective track about the ups and downs of life. The opening lines of the song is an ode to loyal friends who have stood with him through thick and thin. Nas then goes on to recount some crazy things that have happened to him in life, including his ex-girlfriend releasing a book about him and the struggles he had to go through. He then touches on the lives of other people, including fathers who have been kept away from their kids and incarcerated individuals. The song ends with a message of love and positivity.
One of the key themes in the song is loyalty. Nas acknowledges the people who have stood by him, and he speaks for people who are loyal to their friends and loved ones. He also speaks about the importance of living in the truth, especially in the face of adversity. Additionally, the song highlights the problems that artists face in the music industry, including being taken advantage of and dealing with the IRS.
Overall, "Beautiful Life" is a personal and introspective song that showcases the complexity of life in all its ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
Peace y'all, yeah
I greet all with peace and positivity
This one right here, goes to my most loyal, loyal, loyal ones
This song is dedicated to my most loyal and steadfast supporters
You for me and me for you
We have a mutual and reciprocal relationship
We see things alike
We share similar perspectives and understandings
We live alike, in truth
We live authentic lives, staying true to ourselves
Life
Life is unpredictable and unexplainable
It's messed up how much time get wasted that you can't get back
It's unfortunate how much time is wasted and cannot be recovered
With your kids at an early age
Missing out on precious moments with your children when they are young
First steps, first words
Important milestones in a child's development
I can't see 'em cause you mad
Not being able to witness these moments due to anger and conflict
Don't put yourself before the babies
Prioritize the well-being of the children over personal feelings
Don't say crazy things to hurt that man
Avoid saying hurtful things to the father of your children
You hurt him enough
Already causing enough pain and damage
The good times outweighed the bad
Despite the difficulties, the positive moments were more significant
When it was good, it was great
During the good times, they were truly amazing
But because I could see him now through the courts, you mad
Due to legal issues, anger and resentment arise
Okay that's how it is out here
Acknowledging the reality of the situation
That's life huh
Such is life, right?
You see we can't be selfish out here
It's important not to be self-centered
We gotta live, and let love
We should embrace life and let love guide us
Let the light in
Allow positivity and brightness into our lives
To the beautiful mothers of my kids
Acknowledging the wonderful mothers of his children
And all the mothers around the world
Honoring all mothers globally
Night, destiny
Wishing peace and blessings to all
Life is good
Overall, life is positive and worthwhile
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ernest Wilson, Nasir Jones, Reginald Brown, Richard Davis, Stafford Floyd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@trizzmatic413
Every Nas album speaks to me like a chapter in a book or a movie. His catalog got me through life: school, the streets, prison, relationships, parenting, etc. Nas helped me to grow up from a kid to a man. Shit's that deep with his music.
Anyone who's a real Nas fan, knows exactly what I mean.
That early to mid 90s street shit, had that knowledge & spirituality mixed with it... and that's what made Nas, WuTang, Pac, Big Pun, DMX etc. special. I call that crop of emcees: "The Sacred Community" (Big L, Gangstarr, Black Thought, Black Star & many more are included (think 1990 to 96, when it was strong, after Pac & BIG, it was dying out, with the exception of new cats like Pun & DMX. By 99-2000, shit was weak, as a whole). "The Sacred Community" elevated the game to its peak.... the Bling, Bentleys, Mogul era, with Diddy, JayZ, Birdman, etc. ruined it. Our values & traditions were comprised. The streets lost control of the culture, and they steered Hiphop wrong, for the dollar.
And, Pac warned us to watch out for them snakes, and take em out the game (Don Killuminati:The 7 Day Theory). If you listen to Pac's interviews & things, he had a lot of love for Nas, and it felt like he chose him to be Hiphop's next leader, and Nas let Biggie, JayZ, etc. pass him, until Stillmatic & Ether. But, it was too late because the commercialism & watered down musical content, pushed real Hiphop to the back.
That's why every time Nas drops a project, it's a spectacle, a big fkin' deal, cause these kind of gems are rare. Ain't too many real ones left. Nas always saves Hiphop. In my opinion & assessment, Nas is the capstone to Hiphop's pyramid (because of Pac's absence). #SoldiersOfTheSameStruggle
#QueensbridgeMusicRaisedMe
#YouWokeUpThe2PacSpirits
@16bitworld2
[Nas:]
Peace y'all, yeah
This one right here goes to my most loyal, loyal, loyal, loyal ones
You for me and me for you
We see things alike
We live alike, in truth
The craziest things already happened, get me
Could tell you 'gon be laughing at me or you laughing with me?
My baby's mom made a book about me, she tried to out me
In Barnes & Nobles new release section she's confessin'
Now the streets guessin' the beefin' started over some woman
Couldn't be the furthest thing from the truth
Was she looking for fame? yo I hope she got it
Since then I been the object, gossip people tried to target
All women should bid
For keeping real fathers away from their kids
These rappers talkin' real shit I lived
How many been married, divorced, their ex lady wildin'
Hires a lawyer, judge awards 'em monthly eighty thousand
Stevie Wonder sent me word that he was in my corner
Blind but still sees the pain of a young performer
Used to be my rib thought it was 'til death do us
She married again and I'm wishin' all the best to her
Got me looking for my mother, all I see is suckers
She lookin' over me now sayin' don't trust 'em
Come on I'm livin', I don't need many to pray for me
Her bad, she wanna keep the kids away from their dad
Tell you lames something, spit some game
Planes carry me to Madrid, Spain, so why complain?
When you place blame, then you're defective
When you take blame, then you're respected
You gotta give me credit
[RaVaughn:]
Woah
Life is good, I must admit it
Woah
Ups and downs, we've all been through it
Woah
Ain't no other way to do it
Woah
Life is good, it's good, it's good
[Nas:]
Uh
The craziest things just happened to me, get me
So now whatever happens next it probably won't affect me
How many people owe the feds, keep it real especially
If you an artist in this music game, the smartest ones get abused for their change
And my life is sex, super stardom, and stupid cash
So unpredictable not aware you could lose it fast
I signed my own checks, swore we paid the IRS
Somebody's stealin', I swear to God
Tsk, for now, I invest
To my incarcerated team who got life
It's not right but you still got your life
Rest in peace to Gil Scott from the kill or be killed blocks
Not from Philly but a nigga done hustled them hilltops
Commercial pop artists get all the accolades
I give a million cash away to be revered like Donny Hathaway
Probably not as half as paid as I should be
But I stay in some cars and stay in some pussy
It's a beautiful life
Beautiful life, beautiful life
[RaVaughn, (Nas):]
Woah
Life is good, I must admit it (Yeah)
Woah (Beautiful life)
Ups and downs, we've all been through it
Woah (Life's still good)
Ain't no other way to do it
Woah (Yeah, yeah)
Life is good, it's good, it's good
[Nas:]
A thin line from this gangsta life and rap stuff
I can say I never been punked, robbed, or smacked up
Proud to say I never been chased, jumped, or backed up
Or extorted for my pay stubs
Lucky or blessed from what prayer does
'Cause hey, I was riding in caravans with AK's and gloves inside 'em
And if I should spare that man who violated my trust
I gave him a pass
My man called and I value his judgement
I let it ride and thought no more of it, it's over
So if it's my turn to be on the other side of the gun
I'm granted my four leaf clover, no one's leaving me colder
'Cause I chilled and let you breathe, yes
Let's go our own ways and let the beef digress
I done seen insanity close up, schizophrenia shows up in most us
My younger brother knows this
Not Jungle, got another brother in PA
Spazzed on' em, hurt me to put hands on 'em 'til this day
I gotta say I got some fam across the USA
Cackalack to Kansas but my mans around the way had contacts
They was Spanish coppin' grams and cooking 'ye
Willie, Bo, blowing haze, Mayo next door
Joe, Martin, Slade, I'm solo these days
It wasn't my fault
I never knew the time of death and maturity would sever my crew up in New York
Barely survived
Large, I thank you for teaching me not to pop my letter P's in the booth
How to control my vocals and spit poetically smooth
I could nail it, you knew
I was your brother 'til death
Back when you put me on to NiQuay from Lefrak
You was a dime, we was nobodies
Say what's up to Shameek, send my love to Yadi
I pray we all get old if I never again go gold and sell tickets
We could all still kick it
It's a beautiful life
Beautiful life, beautiful life
Rest in peace to my brother Talik
Gone too soon
God bless your soul brother
He was wild
Some things we just can't explain
Life
It's messed up how much time get wasted that you can't get back
With your kids at an early age
First steps, first words
I can't see 'em cause you mad
Don't put yourself before the babies
Don't say crazy things to hurt that man
You hurt him enough
The good times outweighed the bad
When it was good, it was great
But because I could see him now through the courts, you mad
Okay that's how it is out here
That's life huh
You see we can't be selfish out here
We gotta live and let love
Let the light in
To the beautiful mothers of my kids
And all the mothers around the world
Night, destiny
Life is good
@DPrime215
"When you place blame, you're defective. When you take blame, then you're respected. You gotta give me credit."
That's deep. Salute to the King Nas.
@screamingeagle11b
He's giving us life lessons on these tracks, salute to the God.
@danjackson7673
Tru
@AK-rj7zv
he’s corny lol
@sonicthehedgehog1723
@@AK-rj7zv u are a poopie
@keithjoyner2986
Nas is that dude
@rondelltefrazier3557
STEVIE WONDER SENT ME WORD THAT HE WAS IN MY CORNER, BLIND BUT STILL SEES THE PAIN OF A TRUE PERFORMER!!!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥
@kayodeodusanya5751
Deep
@Snakeeyes757
Danm dat shit went above my head 4 a sec
@domnel3981
God bars #ermacinmortalkombat