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..
Drunk by Myself
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where am I?
Yo, it's ill
Yo, my wife's tired of fucking me
Life tries ducking me
Luckily I find 'em just at the right time
MAC in my right arm
Watching my life go
Can't do myself in
Wolves in the night yo, Hell's men
Two revolvers, I can let twelve spin
Hop in my Benz, push it to the limit
Buck-sixty who wit' me?
My Cris', two L's, twisted blunts and inner conscience
Telling me that I ain't shit
No matter how much cash I sit with
Still gotta ask the Lord for forgiveness
My precious baby girl came like forty nights of rain
To replenish my adolescent brain
Blessed be her name, before her birth I was insane
So I drive to cool the pressure down, delay the pain
I ate from these poisonous, fucked up streets
Tasted larceny, it was sweet, I starved for more to eat
Though I took, that was to live, hope God will forgive
As odd as it is, the more I gain the harder it is
To maintain, bitches playin' games
Niggas snitchin'
I ain't saying names
But y'all niggas better watch how y'all slang
Lost so many close niggas
Drunk, almost crashed
I'm going too fast
Highway patrol will just flash
Lights in my rearview
If they stop me I hope they lock me
Instead they speed ahead
Yo nigga watch me
I'm drunk by myself, gun under my seat
I don't want none of my peeps caught up in none of my beef
I'm a ride to the end of the road if I have to
Praying no car speeds by for me to crash to
Steering wheel in my hand
Trying to hold it steady
Anything in my way is dead
'Cause that's the way I feel, I am already
When I'm drunk by myself alone in the zone
Drunk by myself
Heard niggas hate me, but I hated too once
Been in the shoes of a Wolf in the night when he hunts
For every shell niggas bust, we bust at ourselves
Can't tell them niggas nothing though
Bullets wake 'em up well
Take them to hell
Stick up niggas once ran up on me
My decadent lifestyle attracted sharks on me
I ain't your mark homey
It's hard to look straight
My foot on the brake
Spilling my bottle not even shook of the Jakes
Could hardly look both ways
Put out the haze blurry vision
Think about the time in my life before I was in television
Hella women
Jealous niggas up in my vision
Since we all hood niggas expect kilos
For what they not seeing is police expect Rico
Only if I could take care of everybody, intoxicated
Windows up blasting A/C going wherever instinct takes me
I hate it when I'm like this
The bottle's my accomplice
I'm drunk by myself, gun under my seat
I don't want none of my peeps caught up in none of my beef
I'm a ride to the end of the road if I have to
Praying no car speeds by for me to crash to
Steering wheel in my hand
Trying to hold it steady
Anything in my way is dead
'Cause that's the way I feel, I am already
When I'm drunk by myself alone in the zone
Drunk by myself
The reason that I want to be alone
Tired of all the things that went wrong
That would have went right if I would have did it on my own
Take another swig
The more I drink, the more I think bad thoughts
Fake friends who hung around who wanna bring you down
Not knowing who to trust, rumors about niggas coming through
Supposedly to shoot at us, not knowing what was true
Or what to believe, that's why I'm on the low lately
Choosing a Henny bottle over a friend, driving again
To keep my mind off that weak shit
There's love through it all
Things to live for
I swerve, almost crash into a wall
Think about the good
Find myself laughing
Turn the cell off, no way to be reached
Know I'm near my crib
Tryna see my way through the streets
Reminded of the positive, I take my drunk ass home
Start feeling out of it, can't wait to get out of this whip
Bring my ass to the crib
I'm tired
I'm drunk by myself, gun under my seat
I don't want none of my peeps caught up in none of my beef
I'm a ride to the end of the road if I have to
Praying no car speeds by for me to crash to
Steering wheel in my hand
Trying to hold it steady
Anything in my way is dead
'Cause that's the way I feel, I am already
When I'm drunk by myself alone in the zone
Drunk by myself
Nas's song "Drunk by Myself" explores the rapper's inner demons and struggles with fame, success, and the past. The song starts with Nas rapping about his marital problems and how he turns to alcohol to cope with the stress. He sings about how he is in possession of a MAC (gun) in his right arm and a tequila bottle in his left arm, all whilst watching his life go by. He acknowledges that no matter how much money he has, he still needs to seek the Lord's forgiveness.
The chorus of the song reveals that Nas is driving drunk and alone. He has a gun under his seat but doesn't want to involve any of his friends in case something happens. He is driving as fast as possible but is also hoping that no cars cross his path because he might crash. The artist is surrounded by negativity and fake people, which leaves him feeling lonely and alienated. However, he finds solace in his baby girl, who saved him from himself and his destructive lifestyle.
Overall, "Drunk by Myself" is a cautionary tale of the dangers of succumbing to inner demons such as addiction, depression, and paranoia. Nas's ability to be vulnerable and introspective about his problems is what makes this song an important one within the rap genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, uh, where am I going
Feeling lost and unsure of my direction in life
Where am I?
Complete confusion and lack of understanding about my current situation
Yo, it's ill
Expressing the overwhelming complexity and difficulty of my circumstances
Yo, my wife's tired of fucking me
My spouse is exhausted with dealing with me and our relationship
Life tries ducking me
Life continuously avoids providing me with the happiness and fulfillment I seek
Luckily I find 'em just at the right time
Fortunately, I come across moments of happiness and satisfaction at the perfect moment
MAC in my right arm
Holding a gun in readiness for self-protection and defense
Tequila bottle in my left arm, like Christión
Using alcohol as a crutch and escape from my problems, like the R&B duo Christión used music
Watching my life go
Observing my life pass by without any control or purpose
Can't do myself in
Refusing to commit suicide due to my strong will to survive
Wolves in the night yo, Hell's men
Dangerous individuals lurking in the darkness, representing the evil and negativity in my surroundings
Two revolvers, I can let twelve spin
Having so much firepower that I could shoot twelve bullets at once
Hop in my Benz, push it to the limit
Getting into my luxury car and driving recklessly to escape from my problems
Buck-sixty who wit' me?
Speeding at 160 miles per hour with no concern for the consequences
My Cris', two L's, twisted blunts and inner conscience
Having a mix of champagne, marijuana, and my inner thoughts as companions
Telling me that I ain't shit
My inner voice constantly belittles and undermines my self-worth
No matter how much cash I sit with
Even though I have wealth, it doesn't change the negativity I feel about myself
Still gotta ask the Lord for forgiveness
Seeking forgiveness from a higher power for my sins and mistakes
My precious baby girl came like forty nights of rain
My daughter's birth brought immense joy and redemption to my troubled life
To replenish my adolescent brain
Her arrival rejuvenated and healed the wounds of my past
Blessed be her name, before her birth I was insane
Expressing gratitude for my daughter and acknowledging the positive impact she has had on my mental state
So I drive to cool the pressure down, delay the pain
Using reckless driving as a temporary escape from my emotional turmoil and to numb my pain
I ate from these poisonous, fucked up streets
I have experienced the negative consequences and influences of the dangerous environment I grew up in
Tasted larceny, it was sweet, I starved for more to eat
Getting involved in criminal activities provided a sense of thrill and satisfaction, and I craved more
Though I took, that was to live, hope God will forgive
Even though I engaged in illegal activities, I did so to survive, and I hope for divine forgiveness
As odd as it is, the more I gain the harder it is
Paradoxically, the more success and wealth I acquire, the more difficult it becomes to maintain and find happiness
To maintain, bitches playin' games
Struggling to maintain stability and sanity while dealing with manipulative women
Niggas snitchin'
Being betrayed by people I once trusted, who are now cooperating with the authorities
I ain't saying names
Refusing to publicly identify the individuals who have betrayed me
But y'all niggas better watch how y'all slang
Warning others to be cautious and mindful of their actions
Lost so many close niggas
Having experienced the deaths of many close friends
Drunk, almost crashed
Being inebriated and nearly causing a car accident
I'm going too fast
Feeling like my life is moving too quickly and uncontrollably
Highway patrol will just flash
Expecting to be pulled over by the police for my reckless driving
Lights in my rearview
Seeing the flashing lights of a police car in my rearview mirror
If they stop me I hope they lock me
Preferring to be arrested and incarcerated rather than face the challenges and dangers of my current life
Instead they speed ahead
Surprisingly, the police car continues driving past me without stopping
Yo nigga watch me
Feeling a sense of invincibility and defiance towards authority
Heard niggas hate me, but I hated too once
Being aware of the hatred others have towards me, but also acknowledging that I have experienced similar emotions
Been in the shoes of a Wolf in the night when he hunts
Understanding the predatory nature of survival and the need to be ruthless in certain situations
For every shell niggas bust, we bust at ourselves
Realizing that the violence and harm inflicted by others is ultimately harming ourselves as a community
Can't tell them niggas nothing though
But despite this knowledge, it's impossible to convince others to change their ways
Bullets wake 'em up well
The threat and danger of gun violence serves as a rude awakening for those involved
Take them to hell
The consequences of their actions will lead them to a life of suffering and regret
Stick up niggas once ran up on me
Experiencing a robbery by armed individuals at some point in my life
My decadent lifestyle attracted sharks on me
My extravagant and flashy lifestyle made me a target for those seeking to take advantage of me
I ain't your mark homey
Asserting my strength and resilience, refusing to be an easy victim
It's hard to look straight
Struggling to maintain focus and clarity in my life
My foot on the brake
Trying to slow down and regain control of my life
Spilling my bottle not even shook of the Jakes
Accidentally spilling my alcohol, but not even concerned about the police being nearby
Could hardly look both ways
Finding it difficult to be cautious and considerate of my surroundings
Put out the haze blurry vision
Trying to clear my mind and regain clarity despite being under the influence of drugs
Think about the time in my life before I was in television
Reflecting on a simpler time in my life before fame and success changed everything
Hella women
Being surrounded by numerous attractive women
Jealous niggas up in my vision
Becoming aware of the envy and hostility from other men who covet what I have
Since we all hood niggas expect kilos
Due to stereotypes, people assume that I am involved in drug dealing and criminal activities
For what they not seeing is police expect Rico
What they fail to realize is that the police are watching closely and anticipate my involvement in criminal organizations
Only if I could take care of everybody, intoxicated
Dreaming of being able to provide for and support everyone I care about, even though I am currently under the influence
Windows up blasting A/C going wherever instinct takes me
Closing the car windows and blasting the air conditioning as I drive aimlessly, following my gut feelings and natural impulses
I hate it when I'm like this
I dislike myself when I am in this state of mind and under the influence of alcohol
The bottle's my accomplice
Acknowledging that alcohol is both my partner and enabler in my destructive behavior
The reason that I want to be alone
Desiring solitude as a result of wanting to escape from negative influences and emotions
Tired of all the things that went wrong
Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed by the constant disappointments and failures in my life
That would have went right if I would have did it on my own
Believing that if I had relied solely on myself, I could have achieved better outcomes
Take another swig
Having another drink of alcohol to cope with my frustrations
The more I drink, the more I think bad thoughts
Alcohol intensifies my negative thinking and emotions
Fake friends who hung around who wanna bring you down
Being aware of the presence of fake friends who pretend to support me but actually wish for my failure
Not knowing who to trust, rumors about niggas coming through
Feeling confused and uncertain about who I can rely on, as there are rumors of people plotting against me
Supposedly to shoot at us, not knowing what was true
Unsure if the rumors of an impending attack are factual or just hearsay
Or what to believe, that's why I'm on the low lately
Given my distrust and uncertainty, I have been keeping a low profile and avoiding unnecessary interactions
Choosing a Henny bottle over a friend, driving again
Preferring to isolate myself and resort to alcohol rather than seeking companionship or support from friends
To keep my mind off that weak shit
Using alcohol as a distraction to avoid thinking about my problems and negative emotions
There's love through it all
Despite the challenges and difficulties, there is still love and positivity to be found
Things to live for
Finding reasons to continue living and fighting through the hardships
I swerve, almost crash into a wall
Losing focus and almost causing a car accident due to my distracted state
Think about the good
Reflecting on the positive aspects of my life and finding solace in those thoughts
Find myself laughing
Experiencing moments of joy and amusement amidst the chaos and pain
Turn the cell off, no way to be reached
Disconnecting from the outside world and avoiding communication with others
Know I'm near my crib
Realizing that I am close to my home
Tryna see my way through the streets
Navigating through the challenges and obstacles of life, both figuratively and literally
Reminded of the positive, I take my drunk ass home
Recalling the positive aspects of my life, I decide to go home despite being intoxicated
Start feeling out of it, can't wait to get out of this whip
Feeling disoriented and eager to escape from the car
Bring my ass to the crib
Heading home after a night of chaos and introspection
I'm tired
Feeling exhausted and emotionally drained
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9
Written by: Samuel Barnes, Jean Olivier, Al West, Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind