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..
Car #85
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, (uh), ah, oh
Ooh-ooh (yeah), oh, ooh-ooh (Hit-Boy)
They called me "Babyface" in eighty-eight
On 40th and Broadway they made me stay and wait
Cab service, car eighty-five
Not safe to drive, narcos are lookin' (woop, woop, woop)
No secret compartments in the ride, so keep pushin'
We get stopped, hide it between the seat cushion
Either that, or just tuck it inside your boot
Don't throw it out the window yet, son, that's all our loot (not yet)
See? They turned, they wasn't after us, my nigga with me laughin' (yeah)
He clutchin' his gold Lazarus, made it home and he baggin' up (what up?)
I'm just a lil' nigga smokin' weed (fried)
I'm just tryna figure out who to be (Nas)
Horse and Dula touchin' paper (uh-huh)
Plus, Spud and Wallet Head, a lot of bread
And I was talkin' to Tia
I went to her block, I was just happy to see her
And low was how she did me (ooh)
She moved from Queens to Co-Op City (ooh-wee)
She said, "Visit me, that's if you really miss me" (I did), show proof
Ten niggas outside her buildin', that's what I go through (damn)
1989, my baby mind was advancin' (yeah)
Nike Air Trainer 3's, two fingers on her hand, son (ooh)
I'm losin' her slowly (uh)
Plus my other girl is startin' to move on the homie
Hop in eighty-five, roll with me (oh-oh)
When I used to slide
I used to call car eighty-five
Don't want no other driver on the job (nah)
Only car eighty-five
Yo, take me Uptown to that smoke shop I like (ooh)
Car eighty-five
All blacked out tint (running for my life)
Everywhere we went, we took car eighty-five (yeah, yeah)
We gon' ride
Put that tape on I like
You know that tape I like, turn that shit up (oh, yeah)
We gon' smoke and ride (ooh-ooh)
Go to Times Square, we take it from there
Just ride (ridin' with car eighty-five)
It's Friday
It woulda been a good night to pick up shorty, but she on some other shit (ooh-wee, ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah)
In my peripheral view
Nothin' trivial 'bout me, just witness the truth, I'm certified
That's been verified
My mere presence got other guys terrified (whoa, ooh)
Slap oxygen out your esophagus (ooh-ooh)
I survived with stick up kids, was droppin' shit (ooh-ooh)
The rotten apple's the tabernacle
That's NY, White Castles at midnight
Fish sandwiches, forty ounces and fistfights (oh, ooh-wee)
They even used car eighty-five to pull robberies
Use 'em as a getaway car and paid him properly
Next year the whole town strung out
Swept the block where they hung out
Look how far we've come now (amen)
Grab the duffel and run out
Seven fiends in one house, hustle sun up to sundown
What up? Summertime in NY
In the back seat of car eighty-five (oh-oh, oh)
The whole hood was tryna call car eighty-five
Any car like that, any number that had that system
Or that cool ride (yeah)
You know that'd make your whole day
Just bein' able to get up and go
To this day, I just like to ride
Lot of thoughts come to mind (ooh-wee, oh, oh, ooh)
Nas's song Car #85 tells the story of the rapper's life growing up in Queens, New York in the late 1980s. He refers to a specific car, car #85, which became an important symbol of his life during that time. Nas talks about how he used to call car #85 whenever he needed to go somewhere, and how this car became an important part of his life. The song is filled with vivid details of Nas's life during this time period, including descriptions of his friends, his neighborhoods, and the struggles he faced growing up in poverty.
One of the most interesting aspects of this song is how it showcases Nas's incredible gift for storytelling. Through the use of vivid imagery and powerful lyrics, he paints a picture of life in Queens during the late 1980s that feels both authentic and deeply personal. The song also provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of New York hip-hop during this time period, and the traditions and values that were central to this community.
Line by Line Meaning
They called me "Babyface" in eighty-eight
In 1988, people used to refer to me as "Babyface."
On 40th and Broadway they made me stay and wait
On 40th and Broadway, someone forced me to wait.
Cab service, car eighty-five
I would always call the taxi service and request car #85.
Ten minutes, they back in the car
After ten minutes of waiting, the taxi service would arrive in car #85 and I would get in.
Not safe to drive, narcos are lookin' (woop, woop, woop)
It wasn't safe to drive around because the police were looking for me.
No secret compartments in the ride, so keep pushin'
There weren't any hidden compartments in the car, so we had to keep moving forward to evade the police.
We get stopped, hide it between the seat cushion
If we ever got pulled over, we would hide everything between the seat cushions.
Either that, or just tuck it inside your boot
Another strategy was to hide things inside our boots.
Don't throw it out the window yet, son, that's all our loot (not yet)
We couldn't afford to throw anything away since it was all that we had.
See? They turned, they wasn't after us, my nigga with me laughin' (yeah)
We were relieved when the police stopped chasing us and laughed about it together.
He clutchin' his gold Lazarus, made it home and he baggin' up (what up?)
My friend made it back with his gold Lazarus and immediately started packaging drugs.
I'm just a lil' nigga smokin' weed (fried)
I'm just a small-time guy smoking weed.
I'm just tryna figure out who to be (Nas)
I'm still trying to figure out my identity.
Horse and Dula touchin' paper (uh-huh)
Horse and Dula are making a lot of money.
Plus, Spud and Wallet Head, a lot of bread
Spud and Wallet Head are also making a lot of money.
And I was talkin' to Tia
I was having a conversation with Tia.
I went to her block, I was just happy to see her
I went to her neighborhood and was happy to see her.
And low was how she did me (ooh)
She treated me badly.
She moved from Queens to Co-Op City (ooh-wee)
She moved to Co-Op City from Queens.
She said, "Visit me, that's if you really miss me" (I did), show proof
She said I should visit if I really missed her, and I did visit to prove it.
Ten niggas outside her buildin', that's what I go through (damn)
There were ten guys hanging around her building and I had to confront them.
1989, my baby mind was advancin' (yeah)
In 1989, I was growing up and learning new things quickly.
Nike Air Trainer 3's, two fingers on her hand, son (ooh)
She had Nike Air Trainer 3's and was holding up two fingers.
I'm losin' her slowly (uh)
My relationship with her is slowly falling apart.
Plus my other girl is startin' to move on the homie
My other girl is starting to move on to my friend.
When I used to slide
When I used to go around town.
Yo, take me Uptown to that smoke shop I like (ooh)
Take me uptown to the smoke shop that I like.
All blacked out tint (running for my life)
The windows are tinted black and I feel like I'm running for my life.
Everywhere we went, we took car eighty-five (yeah, yeah)
We always took car #85 wherever we went.
We gon' ride
We're going to go for a drive.
Put that tape on I like
Put on the music that I like.
You know that tape I like, turn that shit up (oh, yeah)
You know the music that I like, turn it up.
We gon' smoke and ride (ooh-ooh)
We're going to smoke and drive around.
Go to Times Square, we take it from there
We'll go to Times Square and take it from there.
It's Friday
It's Friday night.
It woulda been a good night to pick up shorty, but she on some other shit (ooh-wee, ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah)
It would have been a good night to pick up a girl, but she's not interested.
In my peripheral view
Out of the corner of my eye.
Nothin' trivial 'bout me, just witness the truth, I'm certified
There's nothing inconsequential about me, I'm telling the truth and I'm verified.
That's been verified
It's been verified.
My mere presence got other guys terrified (whoa, ooh)
The fact that I am there scares other guys.
Slap oxygen out your esophagus (ooh-ooh)
I can knock the breath out of you.
I survived with stick up kids, was droppin' shit (ooh-ooh)
I gained survival skills from being around robbers.
The rotten apple's the tabernacle
New York City is a city of sin and debauchery.
That's NY, White Castles at midnight
This is what New York is like: we eat at White Castle at midnight.
Fish sandwiches, forty ounces and fistfights (oh, ooh-wee)
We eat fish sandwiches, drink 40-ounce beers, and get into fights.
They even used car eighty-five to pull robberies
People even used car #85 to commit robberies.
Use 'em as a getaway car and paid him properly
They used the car as a getaway car and paid the driver well.
Next year the whole town strung out
The whole town will be addicted to drugs next year.
Swept the block where they hung out
The police swept the neighborhood where they hung out.
Look how far we've come now (amen)
Let's reflect on how much progress we've made.
Grab the duffel and run out
Grab the bag of money and escape.
Seven fiends in one house, hustle sun up to sundown
Seven drug addicts live in one house and hustle all day.
The whole hood was tryna call car eighty-five
Everyone in the neighborhood was trying to get car #85.
Any car like that, any number that had that system
Any car that looked like that, with a similar numbering system.
Or that cool ride (yeah)
Or any other cool ride.
You know that'd make your whole day
You know that would make your whole day if you got to ride in it.
Just bein' able to get up and go
Being able to leave and drive around is liberating.
To this day, I just like to ride
To this day, I still enjoy driving around.
Lot of thoughts come to mind (ooh-wee, oh, oh, ooh)
I have a lot of thoughts that come to my mind when I drive.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Nasir Jones, Charles Kent Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@randymcpherson2578
Big congrats to Nas winning his first Grammy. Long overdue much deserved.
@mannytaylor6923
2021 VISION BIG FACTS...BUT YOU KNOW HOW THIS SHADY WICKED MUSIC BIZ WORKS. 🤔
@sullivancullen2589
i know Im asking the wrong place but does someone know of a trick to log back into an instagram account?
I somehow lost the login password. I would love any tips you can offer me!
@antoniochris524
@Sullivan Cullen Instablaster =)
@sullivancullen2589
@Antonio Chris thanks for your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm trying it out now.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@sullivancullen2589
@Antonio Chris It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy!
Thanks so much you really help me out!
@deathrow8286
Give Nas his flowers people!!! We will never get a purest lyrical rapper ever again. Nas pushing almost 50 is causing problems. Crazy!!!! GOAT period!!!
@motlhokomedikebasentse3147
and lookin 25,amazing
@saghar4831
Facts
@deshondarenfro8648
I agree wholeheartedly with you.