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..
Executive Decision
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gats and holsters, MAC's and four-fifths
Two plagued veracious
We smoke spliffs when the dro's lit hoes get hit
Have them blow dick, blow the whole clique
Jeeps, Tahoe, shoes be Salvatore Ferragamo
Catch a homo, guns long like Mutombo
From Atlanta Hawk, rap fans I'mma stalk y'all
The god sports all dejoun, four wheel
Push the Range all year, vision a war near
I lay it out for y'all, its money and ice
That's how I'm running your wife
Stay whipping that Vipe
Clip in your life, down to pint size
Firm slice pies, couple of trife guys in tinted up white 5
Who's the first to set it?
At times my thirst's pathetic
Nature one of The Firm, our word's phonetic
At seven digits, first class trips to some I'll never visit
Outlook, remain pessimistic
Used to jostle in hostile environments buying whips
Cheating life out of its requirements
Psychics predict that I'll be dying rich
Until then catch me chilling, flying in a giant six
On some next shit, went from humble, now it's hectic
Reminiscing when they use to call me desperate
Minor drawbacks, I had to learn not to fuck with small cats
And fake cartier and straw hats
Stick them on a mixtape, they think they're all that
But just speeding through, never sounding reasonable son
Whatever's the cause I know it's feasible
Bought your way in the game, the rates is seasonable
If we keep going hard, we're gonna take this money
Take money money take take money money
Take money take take money money
If we just play our part, we're gonna make this money
Make money money make make money money
Make money money make make money
You know how we're living, Firm shit nigga
Yo, circle through the orbit
Stock bonds, I own corporate
Rock velour shit
Filthy rich from Coke endorsements
You must've lost sense
My whole Firm we walk with offense
I push a Porsche bent
Fuck your main bitch of your expense
Laws intense, high ways
Death throughout the tri-state
Who violate? '98 Lex, NY plates
Well modernized, wide body cup with foreign eyes
You far behind, I'm rock the reptiles, it's still Karl Kani's
Guard your eyes, mystical movements hard to size
We harmonize and blew force that's way beyond the skies
Love position, parlaying, ducking drug convictions
Thug intentions every few months of this mission
Its principles, master my square, no identicals
Invisible, I've figured you wise so play it sensible
If we keep going hard, we're gonna take this money
Take money money take take money money
Take money take take money money
If we just play our part, we're gonna make this money
Make money money make make money money
Make money money make make money
If we keep going hard, we're gonna take this money
Take money money take take money money
Take money take take money money
If we just play our part, we're gonna make this money
Make money money make make money money
Make money money make make money
Yo you see, yo see what we're doing son
You stick 20 and we're making 40 (See how's going down)
And 40 gon' make 80 and 80 gon' 60 son
We're entre-preneuring right now, (It's simple arithmetic)
Grossing development man (Corporate world)
You know what I mean? (I hope they're ready for the Firm niggas)
(They're ready for the Firm niggas?) Man, I don't think so
Son, hold up, pull that, pull that
(I don't think there's no other) They're mosquitoes right now
(I don't think there's no other families out there) The allegiance
(That has the strength to survive in today's game, fo'real?) Ha ha ha
Playing with big boys now, man
You will recognize or feel what we're trying to do
(Millionaires behind bitches) Or either feel what we're trying to do
(Word up)
The lyrics to Nas ft. AZ & Foxy Brown's song Executive Decision depict a luxurious lifestyle that comes with the wealth that the artists have accumulated through their music. The song overflows with references to guns, money, cars, and luxury brands like Salvatore Ferragamo. The artists also touch on the struggles they faced growing up and how they had to endure hostile environments to make it to where they are now. The artists approach the subject matter with a sense of confidence and swagger, emphasizing their status as influential figures in the music industry. The repetition of the lines "If we keep going hard, we're gonna take this money" and "If we just play our part, we're gonna make this money" reinforces the idea that their success is a result of their persistence and hard work.
Line by Line Meaning
Diamond cut vocals carved sculptures
Our vocals are so sharp and refined that they cut through like diamonds and create masterpieces.
Gats and holsters, MAC's and four-fifths
We carry guns and are always ready to use them, whether it's a MAC or a 45.
Two plagued veracious
The two of us are always honest and truthful, no matter what.
We smoke spliffs when the dro's lit hoes get hit
When we smoke weed, women flock to us and we hook up with them.
Have them blow dick, blow the whole clique
We engage in oral sex and share the women with our group of friends.
Jeeps, Tahoe, shoes be Salvatore Ferragamo
We drive fancy cars like Jeeps and Tahoes and wear expensive shoes from Ferragamo.
Catch a homo, guns long like Mutombo
We have guns so long they're like Dikembe Mutombo, and we will use them against anyone who tries to mess with us.
From Atlanta Hawk, rap fans I'mma stalk y'all
Like a hawk, we keep a watchful eye on our fans and will pursue them relentlessly.
While we ban the pork, thought Farrak taught y'all
We follow the teachings of Farrakhan and don't eat pork.
The god sports all dejoun, four wheel
We wear expensive designer clothes and drive fancy cars like a four-wheel drive.
Push the Range all year, vision a war near
We drive a Range Rover all year round, anticipating a future where war might break out.
I lay it out for y'all, its money and ice
We make it clear that our lifestyle is all about wealth and luxury.
That's how I'm running your wife
We are seducing and stealing other men's wives with our riches and charm.
Stay whipping that Vipe
We love driving our Viper sports car and showing off our wealth.
Clip in your life, down to pint size
We will swiftly take away your life no matter how small or insignificant you may be.
Firm slice pies, couple of trife guys in tinted up white 5
We're all about cutting up and distributing drugs and the Firm gang is made up of a few shady characters in a white car with tinted windows.
Who's the first to set it?
Who's the first to step up and take on the challenge?
At times my thirst's pathetic
Sometimes my desire for money and success is overwhelming and sad.
Nature one of The Firm, our word's phonetic
As a member of The Firm, everything we say is true and valid.
At seven digits, first class trips to some I'll never visit
We make so much money that we can afford to travel in first class to places we might never even get to visit.
Outlook, remain pessimistic
Even with our wealth and success, we maintain a negative outlook on life.
Used to jostle in hostile environments buying whips
We grew up in rough neighborhoods and had to work hard to earn the money to buy luxury cars.
Cheating life out of its requirements
We're able to succeed in life by cutting corners and not following the rules.
Psychics predict that I'll be dying rich
Even fortune tellers predict that we will die wealthy and successful.
Until then catch me chilling, flying in a giant six
In the meantime, we can be found relaxing and flying around in a luxurious private jet.
On some next shit, went from humble, now it's hectic
We've moved on from our humble beginnings and are now living an expensive and chaotic lifestyle.
Reminiscing when they use to call me desperate
We remember a time when people used to think of us as desperate and struggling to make ends meet.
Minor drawbacks, I had to learn not to fuck with small cats
We've had a few minor setbacks but have learned not to mess with low-level hustlers.
And fake cartier and straw hats
We had to deal with fake jewelry and fashion accessories in our early days.
Stick them on a mixtape, they think they're all that
Some people think they're hot stuff just because they're featured on a mixtape.
But just speeding through, never sounding reasonable son
They have no substance and are just trying to get ahead by putting out low-quality music.
Whatever's the cause I know it's feasible
We know that any goal we set can be achieved with hard work and determination.
Bought your way in the game, the rates is seasonable
Some people are only able to succeed in the music industry by paying their way in, and the prices are reasonable.
Yo, circle through the orbit
We're moving through the music industry with precision and control.
Stock bonds, I own corporate
We're investing in stock bonds and owning our own corporations.
Rock velour shit
We wear velour clothing as a symbol of our wealth and status.
Filthy rich from Coke endorsements
We're earning a lot of money from endorsements related to cocaine.
You must've lost sense
You're not thinking clearly if you're doubting our success and wealth.
My whole Firm we walk with offense
All members of The Firm are ready to defend themselves and take aggressive action if necessary.
I push a Porsche bent
We drive around in a Porsche with a bent shape or design.
Fuck your main bitch of your expense
We're not afraid to hook up with someone else's girlfriend or wife and spend their money while doing it.
Laws intense, high ways
The laws we break are no joke, especially on the highways.
Death throughout the tri-state
There is a lot of danger and death throughout the tri-state area where we operate.
Who violate? '98 Lex, NY plates
We'll go after anyone who violates us, and we drive around in a 1998 Lexus with New York license plates.
Well modernized, wide body cup with foreign eyes
We've modernized our lifestyles and now drive a big car with foreign features.
You far behind, I'm rock the reptiles, it's still Karl Kani's
We're way ahead of the game and still wearing expensive clothing, including the famous Karl Kani brand.
Guard your eyes, mystical movements hard to size
Be careful and watch what we do, as some of our actions are beyond comprehension and explanation.
We harmonize and blew force that's way beyond the skies
We work well together and create a powerful force that reaches far beyond the sky.
Love position, parlaying, ducking drug convictions
We're always in love and partying, and we're skilled at avoiding getting caught for any drug-related offenses we commit.
Thug intentions every few months of this mission
We always approach our goals with thug-like determination, no matter what obstacles we face.
Its principles, master my square, no identicals
We live by certain principles and have mastered our craft, making us stand out from anyone else who tries to imitate us.
Invisible, I've figured you wise so play it sensible
We're invisible and hard to detect, but if you're smart, you'll behave sensibly when dealing with us.
You stick 20 and we're making 40 (See how's going down)
If you invest $20 into our operation, we'll make you $40 easily.
And 40 gon' make 80 and 80 gon' 60 son
Each investment made through our operation doubles very quickly, resulting in a lot of money.
We're entre-preneuring right now, (It's simple arithmetic)
We're currently starting new business ventures that make use of simple and effective math skills.
Grossing development man (Corporate world)
We're growing our business and grossing a lot of money, as if we were in the corporate world.
I hope they're ready for the Firm niggas
We're not sure if people are ready for the intense and powerful group that is The Firm.
They're mosquitoes right now
Our opponents are like insignificant and annoying mosquitoes compared to us.
The allegiance
Our group's allegiance and loyalty to each other is very strong.
That has the strength to survive in today's game, fo'real?
Is there any other group that can survive and thrive in today's music industry like us?
Playing with big boys now, man
We're no longer just messing around or playing games, we're now competing at the highest level with other successful and wealthy people.
You will recognize or feel what we're trying to do
You'll eventually realize the magnitude of what we're trying to accomplish and be impressed by it.
Millionaires behind bitches
We're becoming millionaires by hanging out with women and using them to our advantage.
Or either feel what we're trying to do
Alternatively, you might not understand what we're doing but still feel and appreciate our aura of power and success.
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9
Written by: NASIR JONES, RICHARD PIMENTEL, JERMAIN ANTHONY BAXTER, ANTHONY S. CRUZ, SAMUEL J. BARNES, JEAN CLAUDE OLIVIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Keke & Smooth
Yo circle through the orbit
Stock bonds, I own corporate
Rock velour shit
Filthy rich from Coke endorsements
You must've lost sense
My whole Firm we walk with offense
I push a Porsche bent
Fuck your main bitch off your expense
Laws intense, high rates
Death throughout the tri-state
Who violate? '98 Lex, NY plates
Well modernized, wide body cup with foreign eyes
You far behind, I'm rocking reptiles, you still in Karl Kani's
Guard your eyes, mystical movements hard to size
We harmonize and blew force that's way beyond the skies
Love position, parlaying, ducking drug convictions
Thug intentions every few months of this mission
Its principles, master my square, no identicals
Invisible, I've figured you wise so play it sensible
Mobius Xavier
I can listen to Az's verse 20 times and never get bored of it, his flow is unique like no other
Hairy Asshole
Mobius Xavier he's rather unique have you forgotten?
Keke & Smooth
Yo circle through the orbit
Stock bonds, I own corporate
Rock velour shit
Filthy rich from Coke endorsements
You must've lost sense
My whole Firm we walk with offense
I push a Porsche bent
Fuck your main bitch off your expense
Laws intense, high rates
Death throughout the tri-state
Who violate? '98 Lex, NY plates
Well modernized, wide body cup with foreign eyes
You far behind, I'm rocking reptiles, you still in Karl Kani's
Guard your eyes, mystical movements hard to size
We harmonize and blew force that's way beyond the skies
Love position, parlaying, ducking drug convictions
Thug intentions every few months of this mission
Its principles, master my square, no identicals
Invisible, I've figured you wise so play it sensible
nomar manuel-munoz
Can we all not only acknowledge how hes theee most underrated emcee but quite possible top 10 as a lyricist...
I think so...
As far as his flow being one of a kind...in most ways yes but he still sounds like another kool g rap protege like nas with a much smoother flow....
Alex G
Mobius Xavier hes on some other shit
Young Skyler
I always thought AZ was more slick in clever then Nas was with the lyrics
MOTORCYCLES ANDGUNS
THIS WHOLE ALBUM IS FIRE 💥💥💥 CLASSIC!!!!!
Jumah Brady
Facts 💯
James Jones
Nas first verse is incredible 🤯
da wesct zulu
No matter how many times i rewind it, it always sounds addictive and fresh. Hands up. THE FIRM. ASE