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..
Blunt Ashes
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got blazed before they told stories
Well, I'ma get blazed before I tell y'all stories
I saw on TV today, this man lost his son, his son died
So he had him cremated, took his ashes
And then made it into a diamond ring
Now he watch his son shine every day
I just thought about that
The makin' of a mad band
The intricate stories of DeVante Swing
Ava Gardner, the crashin' of James Dean
Bobby Brown influenced by Rick James, it goes
Prince wanted Alexander O'Neal to be Morris Day or Jerome
But Alex was puttin' coke in his nose, nigga wildin'
Could be a myth but I swear that the source was close
Phyllis Hyman killed herself, it was crazy
Mommy was bad they say
Donny Hathaway free-fall from a balcony, he swings
As the blunt ash falls into the ashtray
I could see my whole life fly past me (did I?)
Did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?
And will the money and fame ou last me?
The blunt's ash falls down in the ashtray
Will I see my whole life fly past me?
I'm askin' did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy? (Did I?)
Anything else you wanna know, just wanna ask me
Sam trusted Womack with his main lady
He tossin' in the grave, like, "This is how you repay me"?
A change gon' come, wish you didn't trust me so much
Marvin said, "No mountain's high enough," fly stuff
David Ruffin was punchin' Tammi Terrell, gave her concussions
While the Funk Brothers was layin' down the percussion
When Flo from the Surpremes died, Diana Ross cried
Many people said that she was laughin' inside (it's wild)
As the blunt ash falls into the ashtray
I could see my whole life fly past me (did I?)
Did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?
And will the money and fame ou last me?
The blunt's ash falls down in the ashtray
Will I see my whole life fly past me?
I'm askin' did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy? (Did I?)
Anything else you wanna know, just wanna ask me
John F. Kennedy's, enemies dealt with treachery
It interests me, Judy Campbell in Gucci sandals
She's what a temptress be
The death of Ennis Cosby, what a mystery
Or the Chicagoan Harold Washington, someone is sabotaging them
Watch out for the traps
Larry Troutman killed his brother Roger Troutman
Then he killed himself, that's the end of Zapp
And I wouldn't change a thing, mistakes of the greats
This is what came from they pain
From their hurt we gain, an unfair exchange
(As the blunt ash falls into the ashtray)
I could smell old bogey cigars
Lauren Bacall's perfume smelling just as sweet
Me and my wife K
Flyin' in a drop-top like Ruby and Ottis Davis, baby
Nah I mean?
Yo, man, I get smoked out, and start thinkin' about
Hattie McDaniels got a Oscar for playin' Mammy in "Gone With The Wind"
And she didn't even get allowed, wasn't even allowed to go to the premier
Believe that?
Couldn't go to premier to her joint
Man
You know they were strong back then, man
Blunt ash fall in the ashtray
Uh, ah, let it past me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
In Nas's song "Blunt Ashes," he reflects on the lives and deaths of various musicians and icons throughout history. He wonders about Langston Hughes and Alex Haley, two notable writers, and whether they got "blazed" (high on marijuana) before telling stories. Nas then speaks about a man who lost his son, had him cremated, and then made his ashes into a diamond ring so that he could "watch his son shine every day." Nas contrasts the transient nature of life with the everlasting quality of a diamond made from the ashes of someone who has passed away. Simultaneously, he smokes and reflects on past figures.
Nas then shifts his focus to prominent musicians, such as DeVante Swing, James Dean, and Bobby Brown. He contrasts Prince's desire to work with Alexander O'Neal with Alex's alleged cocaine use. Additionally, Nas tells a few tragic stories of musicians such as Phyllis Hyman, who committed suicide, Donny Hathaway, who fell from a balcony, David Ruffin, who battered Tammi Terrell, and Flo from The Supremes, who died. He also brings up other historical icons such as John F. Kennedy and Larry Troutman, ending with some personal memories.
Overall, Nas's "Blunt Ashes" is a reflective piece on life, death, history, and personal memories. The song speaks about mortality and the legacy that people leave behind in their work and relationships with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, I wonder if Langston Hughes and Alex Haley
I'm curious if renowned African American authors Langston Hughes and Alex Haley used drugs as a means of writing their amazing literature
Got blazed before they told stories
I wonder if the authors used marijuana as a way to relax or enhance their creative minds
Well, I'ma get blazed before I tell y'all stories
I'll smoke marijuana before telling my own stories and experiences
I saw on TV today, this man lost his son, his son died
I recently watched a television program about a man who lost his son to death
So he had him cremated, took his ashes
The father had his son cremated and kept his ashes in his possession
And then made it into a diamond ring
The father had his son's ashes turned into a diamond ring, which he now wears as a symbol of his son's memory
Now he watch his son shine every day
He now feels like his son is always with him and shining bright
I just thought about that
After hearing and observing the father's story, I began to reflect on my own life
While I sit here ashing in this ashtray, yeah
As I sit here smoking marijuana and reflecting, I notice the ashes from my blunt falling into the ashtray
The makin' of a mad band
This next section is about how bands and musicians can have a wild and crazy history
The intricate stories of DeVante Swing
DeVante Swing, a member of the band Jodeci had a tumultuous life and career
Ava Gardner, the crashin' of James Dean
This line references Hollywood icons Ava Gardner and James Dean, both of whom died in car crashes
Bobby Brown influenced by Rick James, it goes
Bobby Brown was greatly inspired by the musician Rick James
Prince wanted Alexander O'Neal to be Morris Day or Jerome
Prince wished Alexander O'Neal would take on the roles of Morris Day or Jerome Benton in Purple Rain
But Alex was puttin' coke in his nose, nigga wildin'
Unfortunately, Alex was consuming cocaine and greatly struggled with addiction
Could be a myth but I swear that the source was close
While there may be speculation, the source I heard this from was someone I trust and was close to the situation
Phyllis Hyman killed herself, it was crazy
The famous singer Phyllis Hyman took her own life in a tragic event
Mommy was bad they say
Phyllis Hyman's mother had a contentious relationship with her, which is thought to have contributed to her depression
Donny Hathaway free-fall from a balcony, he swings
Donny Hathaway, a talented musician, fell to his death from a balcony due to depression and suicidal ideation
As the blunt ash falls into the ashtray
Returning to the present moment, the blunt ash continues to fall into the ashtray
I could see my whole life fly past me (did I?)
Reflecting on my experiences, I'm questioning if I lived my life to the fullest
Did I keep it gangsta or keep it classy?
I'm questioning whether I prioritized living the street life or a more polished lifestyle
And will the money and fame ou last me?
Given my past experiences and current lifestyle, I'm concerned whether my wealth and status will last
Sam trusted Womack with his main lady
This section discusses infidelity and trust issues in relationships
He tossin' in the grave, like, "This is how you repay me"?
In this situation, Sam was betrayed by his closest friend, and now his friend has passed away with that guilt on his conscience
A change gon' come, wish you didn't trust me so much
With the theme of a Sam Cooke classic, this line speaks of the inevitability of change and how Sam wishes he didn't put that much trust in his friend
Marvin said, "No mountain's high enough," fly stuff
Referencing the lyrics of the song "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," this line is about the late Marvin Gaye and his amazing talent
David Ruffin was punchin' Tammi Terrell, gave her concussions
Tammi Terrell was physically abused by David Ruffin, who was her singing partner in the late 1960s
While the Funk Brothers was layin' down the percussion
Meanwhile, the Funk Brothers were making hits with many popular artists of the time, including Tammi Terrell
When Flo from the Surpremes died, Diana Ross cried
Flo Ballard, a former member of the Supremes passed away, and Diana Ross responded with deep sadness
Many people said that she was laughin' inside (it's wild)
However, there was speculation that Diana Ross was actually happy to outlast Flo Ballard and become the most prominent member of the group
John F. Kennedy's, enemies dealt with treachery
The next section shifts to the realm of politics and the treachery involved in President John F. Kennedy's assassination
It interests me, Judy Campbell in Gucci sandals
This line shifts from discussion of assassination to Judy Campbell, a British actress who was known for her dramatic roles
She's what a temptress be
Judy Campbell was often cast as a seductive woman, and was considered alluring in her roles
The death of Ennis Cosby, what a mystery
The line references the unsolved murder of Ennis Cosby, son of comedian Bill Cosby
Or the Chicagoan Harold Washington, someone is sabotaging them
Harold Washington, the first Black mayor of Chicago, was subject to many conspiracies and potential sabotage attempts during his time in office
Watch out for the traps
Nas is using these examples to warn listeners to be careful of unexpected dangers or deceit in their lives
Larry Troutman killed his brother Roger Troutman
Larry Troutman, musician and producer, infamously killed his brother Roger Troutman, also a successful musician
Then he killed himself, that's the end of Zapp
After killing Roger and attempting to kill others close to the two brothers, Larry tragically committed suicide, effectively ending the musical group Zapp
And I wouldn't change a thing, mistakes of the greats
Despite the tragic events Nas has discussed, he ultimately celebrates the perseverance and creativity of those he's referenced
This is what came from they pain
Nas believes that great art can come from pain and suffering
From their hurt we gain, an unfair exchange
Although it is unfair that people experience pain, the art that results often inspires and heals others
I could smell old bogey cigars
Returning to the present moment and his smoking habit, Nas describes the aroma of old cigars
Lauren Bacall's perfume smelling just as sweet
Nas references famous actress Lauren Bacall and how her perfume still smells pleasant, even long after her death
Me and my wife K
Nas mentions his wife Kelis by the nickname K
Flyin' in a drop-top like Ruby and Ottis Davis, baby
Ruby Davis and her husband Ottis were the first African American couple to win Olympic gold medals in 1960
Nah I mean?
Nas is using this colloquialism to signify that he's almost done with his song
Yo, man, I get smoked out, and start thinkin' about
Nas is letting listeners know that he spent this entire song reflecting on some of history's most intense moments while high on marijuana
Hattie McDaniels got a Oscar for playin' Mammy in "Gone With The Wind"
Hattie McDaniel, an African American actress, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film "Gone with the Wind"
And she didn't even get allowed, wasn't even allowed to go to the premier
Despite her prestigious win, McDaniel had to sit in a separate section of the theater from her white co-stars during the movie premiere
Believe that?
Nas is emphasizing the absurdity of this situation
Couldn't go to premier to her joint
Once again, Nas is highlighting the racism and segregation that existed during the time McDaniel won her award
Man
Nas concludes the song with this simple exclamation
Blunt ash fall in the ashtray
As the song comes to an end, Nas once again mentions the falling ashes from his blunt
Uh, ah, let it past me
Nas is letting go of the final worries and concerns he reflected on throughout the song
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Nas ends his song with these repeated affirmations
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Nasir Jones, Mark Andrew Webber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind