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..
Doo Rags
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Youngest gorillas up to bat at home plate
That was a uncanny era, guns in my pants
Yeah X-Clan hair, with dreads at the top of my fade
Homicide and feds on the blocks where I played, b-ball
That's when I wondered was I here for the cause, or be-cause
'Cause Ray Charles could see the ghetto
Was told to stay strong and I could beat the Devil
Watching niggas swing razors in the front row, then out in the streets
The car show, 560's, chemical Afros
Acuras pumping Super Lover Cee and Casanova
Live chicks be, asses busting out of they clothes
Wearing lip gloss, big door knockers pealing they earlobes
So where them years go? Where the old gold beers and cheers go?
But now them shorties here doe, so
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, one mo' time
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, right?
Political thugs in shark suits persuade us to pull triggers
In army boots, yelling "Join the armed forces!"
We lost the Vietnam War, intoxicated poisons
Needles in arms of veterans instead of bigger fortunes
There's still a lot of naked crawling in the corporate offices
War in the ghetto, we crabs in a barrel, they torture us
They won't be serving the beast too long
The murderers wearing police uniforms, confederate flags I burn
Beat Street breakers were dancing to the music I chose
And Peachtree Atlantic crackheads was tootin' they nose
In frozen corners of Chicago, loaded up Llama's children
With fo'-fo's, and double-revolvers
We devil incarnates, headed for jail
Where Shell gas company in South Africa be having us killed
Your paper money was the death of Christ
And all these shorties coming up just resurrect your life
It's like a cycle
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, one mo' time
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, right?
Niggas used to wear rags on they hair when it was fried up
That's when we were lied to, buying hair products
Back before my generation, when our blackness started disintegrating
'Til awareness started penetrating
The styles come from prison, they used potatoes making liquor
Just to prove we some creative niggas
Turning nothing into something, is God work
And you get nothing without struggle and hard work
War is necessary to my niggas in chains
From Greene to Sing-Sing, I'm wanting y'all to know one thing
The hardest thing is to forgive, but God does
Even if you murdered or robbed, yeah it's wrong, but God loves
Take one step toward him, he takes two toward you
Even when all else fail, God support you
I done it, got God sun on my stomach
My heart and my lungs was affected from Henny's and getting blunted
Do your body right and it loves you back
You only get one life, and yo because of that
I'm still blazing, going out for the 'cause
Still rocking stocking caps, not for the waves, obeying no laws
And it's like that
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, one mo' time
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, right?
The song "Doo Rags" by Nas is a reflection of his experiences growing up in the 80s and witnessing the socio-political struggles of the time. He begins by reminiscing about the 80s, a time of innocence for him where he used to watch niggas swing razors at Apollo balcony seats and basketball was everything. But he is also aware of the harsh realities of gun violence and federal interference in the neighborhoods where he played basketball. The chorus is a reflection of the cyclical nature of societal issues, with the doo rags, and fitted hats representing a throwback to the past of oppression and struggles that still persist in his community.
Nas’ lyrics go on to detail the political thuggery that pervaded life in his community, where the authorities urged young people like him to join the armed forces, promising them economic opportunities. But with the aftermath of the Vietnam War, broken promises, and the need for escapism, self-destruction became a prevalent coping mechanism. The crack epidemic was taking hold in America, and gangs were rising to power, forcing young Black men to choose between jail time or their safety. Nas believes that society has regressed, with many of the Black neighborhoods being torn apart by violence and poverty. But he’s still optimistic, going out for the cause, still rocking stocking caps, and hoping for change one day.
Line by Line Meaning
Pushing drop-tops, Stacy Lattisaw tapes, the 80's had us all apes
Cruising around in convertibles, listening to Stacy Lattisaw tapes, the 80s made us all behave like animals
Youngest gorillas up to bat at home plate
The youngest and toughest kids in the neighborhood played baseball
That was a uncanny era, guns in my pants
The times were strange, and I carried a firearm for protection
Yeah X-Clan hair, with dreads at the top of my fade
I had a hairstyle that combined elements of X-Clan and dreadlocks
Homicide and feds on the blocks where I played, b-ball
There were frequent murders and police activity where I played basketball
That's when I wondered was I here for the cause, or be-cause
I questioned whether I was in the neighborhood to make a difference, or simply because I had no other options
'Cause Ray Charles could see the ghetto
The poverty and hardship of the neighborhood were obvious to everyone, even the blind
Was told to stay strong and I could beat the Devil
I was advised to stay resilient and overcome the challenges of life
'Cause yo, I used to play Apollo balcony seats
I used to watch shows at the Apollo Theater from the balcony seats
Watching niggas swing razors in the front row, then out in the streets
I witnessed people fighting with knives at the Apollo, then carrying that violence to the streets
The car show, 560's, chemical Afros
The car show featured trendy cars like the BMW 560, and the popular hairstyle was a chemical Afro
Acuras pumping Super Lover Cee and Casanova
People played Super Lover Cee and Casanova loudly from their Acuras
Live chicks be, asses busting out of they clothes
Girls dressed provocatively, revealing their curvy figures
Wearing lip gloss, big door knockers pealing they earlobes
Girls wore lip gloss and large hoop earrings that jangled against their earlobes
So where them years go? Where the old gold beers and cheers go?
I wonder where the good times and cheap beer went
But now them shorties here doe, so
But now there are new generations of young people
Political thugs in shark suits persuade us to pull triggers
Politicians dressed in business suits encourage us to use violence
In army boots, yelling "Join the armed forces!"
Soldiers in military boots aggressively recruit young people to enlist
We lost the Vietnam War, intoxicated poisons
The US lost the Vietnam War, and many veterans are now struggling with drug addiction
Needles in arms of veterans instead of bigger fortunes
Veterans are getting addicted to drugs instead of receiving the great financial gain they were promised
There's still a lot of naked crawling in the corporate offices
There's still a lot of corruption and deceit in corporate workplaces
War in the ghetto, we crabs in a barrel, they torture us
The struggles of the ghetto lead to infighting among ourselves, which makes it easy for others to oppress and exploit us
They won't be serving the beast too long
The corrupt leaders in power will eventually fall
The murderers wearing police uniforms, confederate flags I burn
The police force is filled with murderers who wear uniforms, and I protest their use of Confederate symbols
Beat Street breakers were dancing to the music I chose
Dancers were breaking to the beat of the music I picked out
And Peachtree Atlantic crackheads was tootin' they nose
Drug addicts on Peachtree Atlantic were snorting cocaine
In frozen corners of Chicago, loaded up Llama's children
In Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods, children as young as teenagers are carrying loaded firearms
With fo'-fo's, and double-revolvers
Carrying powerful firearms like .44 and double-action revolvers
We devil incarnates, headed for jail
We are seen as demonic figures and are inevitably going to end up in prison
Where Shell gas company in South Africa be having us killed
The Shell gas company is having activists in South Africa killed for protesting their actions
Your paper money was the death of Christ
Money and capitalism are so corrupt and destructive that Jesus would have been killed because of it
And all these shorties coming up just resurrect your life
Seeing young people growing up reminds me of the need to fight for a better future
It's like a cycle
The struggles of life and society just repeat themselves
Niggas used to wear rags on they hair when it was fried up
Black people used to wear rags on their hair when styling it with chemicals
That's when we were lied to, buying hair products
We were deceived into thinking that buying hair products was necessary
Back before my generation, when our blackness started disintegrating
Before my time, my community was losing its sense of pride in being black
'Til awareness started penetrating
Until people became more conscious and began to wake up to the issues facing our community
The styles come from prison, they used potatoes making liquor
Many popular styles and cultural practices originated in prison, such as making alcohol from potatoes
Just to prove we some creative niggas
We are so creative that we can make something out of nothing, even in prison
Turning nothing into something, is God work
Creating something valuable from nothing is miraculous and godly
And you get nothing without struggle and hard work
Nothing worthwhile comes without effort and difficulty
War is necessary to my niggas in chains
My fellow black people who are oppressed and imprisoned need to fight back in order to gain their liberation
From Greene to Sing-Sing, I'm wanting y'all to know one thing
From Greene Correctional Facility to Sing-Sing prison, I want people to understand something
The hardest thing is to forgive, but God does
Forgiving others is incredibly difficult, but God is capable of it
Even if you murdered or robbed, yeah it's wrong, but God loves
Even people who have committed horrible crimes are loved by God
Take one step toward him, he takes two toward you
If you take a step towards God, he will meet you halfway
Even when all else fail, God support you
Even when everything else falls apart, God will still provide support
I done it, got God sun on my stomach
I have accomplished things, and I have a tattoo of the sun on my stomach that represents life and growth
My heart and my lungs was affected from Henny's and getting blunted
My heart and lungs have been damaged from drinking Hennessy and smoking weed
Do your body right and it loves you back
Take care of your body, and it will reward you
You only get one life, and yo because of that
You only have one life, and that's why it's so valuable
I'm still blazing, going out for the 'cause
I'm still smoking weed, and I'm fighting for a greater purpose
Still rocking stocking caps, not for the waves, obeying no laws
I'm still wearing hats, not to get waves in my hair, but because I don't follow anyone's rules
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
People are wearing doo rags, fitted hats, jackets with snorkels, and fur coats
Riker's Island busting, still packed, what's the word?
The prison on Riker's Island is still overcrowded - what's new?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffin they herb
People who drink and smoke weed will continue to do so
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, one mo' time
And I'm still living life to the fullest, one more time
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride, right?
And I'm still enjoying life's journey, am I right?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LARRY R. GATES, MICHELLE LYNN BELL, NASIR JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind