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..
Firm Fiasco
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in the Firm
I can remember when I first met Sosa, it was a glorious time
There were wise guys everywhere, we were around
Twenty one, twenty two at the time
Yeah every place we go, every party
People would stop and stare when we walked in
Sosa would give the bartender two hundred dollars just for keeping
The ice cold, yeah we were legends and we still are
Two hundred fallen angels, we balling from every angle
Heavy bag gold, panamania changed angle
Let's tangle, tabernacles
Ill lukiens coming at you, fuck Parus
A billion years B.C., originally black Jews
Cashsews honey now roasted, let's kill the colprate
He owe us shit, toe toe toe with that four four bit
Fuck the hoe shit, mercury back tax ?birth? for me
Personally I existed when Earth was in need, indeed
Human lifeform transformed from light storms, poltrons
Electrons nuetrons, iced long
Nights long, repltilaians I'll see ya'll in the next millennium
What world are we really in, amphibians moved to the Caribbean
Underwater force, placed under the court of law
Usually sport Warlaw, my mind stay core raw
Fill of ambiants, love fine carats and cars that launch
Nonchalaunt, usually there are Jimmies up in the palms
Play low style, Guteians change my whole profile
Left the dope pile, bet the guard be around for awhile
Firm Islamic, hit the croner of the Earth just like a comet
Verse Two: AZ the Vizuliza, Nas Escobar
See I like Esco, he knew everybody and everybody knew him
He was the type of guy who routed for the bad guys in the movies
But hey
Die for this Firm, live for this Firm
Niggas learn, never should come before your fam
From ki's to ported grams, these are corners in the blue van
E's upon on us, cause of warrants
While we smoke hash cheese enormous, stack cheese
Travel the world like Taurus, went half with Sosa for four bricks
Down in Camdon, we handlin' to D.C.
Chips on fights with China White's by they tight PP
Wanting PC but all they get is good dick or four clips
For loose lips, by the jungle flise
Suck the pearl tongue juices, off you fly misses
Take her out to the Spark's stakehouse, gentelmen style
Coincidental, family's here
Meet fem fatale, French connection
Persian wet don, let's get this "F" on
The Ebony queen, Fox you grab my left arm
Dre made a QB the conton, BK and so on
Family strong ???? Nature, make sure we all get this millionaire's paper
What a sweet site for sour eyes, may we rise
Hope for now on we never cross sides
Veres Three: Foxy Brown
You know what, most hoes would have left these cats a long time ago
I mean if your man gave you a gun to hide, what would ya'll hoes do?
But you know, the shit kinda turned me on
Black Madonna, hoes kill for they popals
Never seen a bitch like this, queen misses
Rock BDS's on the left wrists, trick check this
Respect this, Firm's niggas lie knee deep in this bitch
want to need bitch and have my pussy bleed, swear for 'em
Fuck and take the chair for 'em, whoever dare cross us
The thoughts that thoughts across a bitch's minds, pops the nine
Leave 'em resting in peices, while my thorough bitches peep this
Death before decid-a, screw me on the dick-a
Lace me in Gabanna, peep dat
Think I'm flippin' on these three cats,
Set yo clown ass right up with my down ass
Bitch to hold the cash and G's, stash the guns for 'em
And the icedy E Berkee, breathe the the sun for 'em
Long dick style, swallow the enemies cum for 'em
Pretty ass hoe, bitches fuck 'em and I dumb on 'em
When Nas pop the Crist, Fox cops the fifth
Make my doe up for OZ's, now hoes that's real uhhh
The song "Firm Fiasco" by Nas, AZ, and Foxy Brown is a vivid description of the Firm, which was an American hip-hop supergroup formed in the 1990s. The lyrics aim to set the scene during the early days of the Firm when they were in their prime as young, talented rappers. Nas begins the song with a nostalgic reflection on his desire to be in the Firm, recalling how he met Sosa and how they became legends, drawing attention everywhere they went. AZ then follows with his verse, describing how the Firm's money and power were built from the drug trade, and how they traveled the world conducting illegal transactions. Finally, Foxy Brown completes the song with her braggadocious and sexually explicit verse in which she describes her role as a female member of the gang who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the Firm on top.
Line by Line Meaning
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in the Firm
I've always wanted to be a part of the Firm from a young age.
I can remember when I first met Sosa, it was a glorious time
I remember the first time I met Sosa, it was memorable.
There were wise guys everywhere, we were around
We were always surrounded by wise guys.
Twenty one, twenty two at the time
We were 21 or 22 years old at the time.
Yeah every place we go, every party
Wherever we went, people knew us and respected us.
People would stop and stare when we walked in
People would be amazed when we entered the room.
We would give the doorman a hundred dollars just for opening the door
We were so wealthy that we would give the doorman $100 just for opening the door for us.
Sosa would give the bartender two hundred dollars just for keeping
The ice cold, yeah we were legends and we still are
Sosa would give the bartender $200 just for keeping the ice cold. We were legends then and we still are now.
Two hundred fallen angels, we balling from every angle
We were like two hundred fallen angels, balling from every angle.
Heavy bag gold, panamania changed angle
We had heavy bags of gold, and the panamania changed our perspective.
Let's tangle, tabernacles Ill lukiens coming at you, fuck Parus
Let's fight, Ill lukiens are coming at you, we don't care about Paris.
A billion years B.C., originally black Jews
The black Jews were originally from a billion years ago.
Cashsews honey now roasted, let's kill the colprate
Let's destroy the corporations and make money.
He owe us shit, toe toe toe with that four four bit
We want what we're owed and we'll fight with guns to get it.
Fuck the hoe shit, mercury back tax ?birth? for me
I don't care about women, I want my money back.
Personally I existed when Earth was in need, indeed
I was there when the Earth needed me.
Human lifeform transformed from light storms, poltrons
Humans were formed from light storms and cowards.
Electrons nuetrons, iced long
Electrons and neutrons are iced cold.
Nights long, repltilaians I'll see ya'll in the next millennium
The nights are long and I'll see you all in the next millennium.
What world are we really in, amphibians moved to the Caribbean
What world are we really living in? Amphibians have moved to the Caribbean.
Underwater force, placed under the court of law
Usually sport Warlaw, my mind stay core raw
Underwater force is placed under the court of law. I usually play sports and my mind stays focused.
Fill of ambiants, love fine carats and cars that launch
Nonchalaunt, usually there are Jimmies up in the palms
I'm surrounded by people who love money, fine jewelry, and fast cars. There are usually bugs in the palms of my hands.
Play low style, Guteians change my whole profile
I play it low-key, but the Guteians change my entire image.
Left the dope pile, bet the guard be around for awhile
I left the drug game and plan to be around for a long time.
Firm Islamic, hit the croner of the Earth just like a comet
As part of the Firm and Islamic, we will hit the corner of the Earth like a comet.
See I like Esco, he knew everybody and everybody knew him
I like Esco because he knew everyone and was well-known himself.
He was the type of guy who routed for the bad guys in the movies
But hey
Esco was the kind of person to support the villains in movies, but that's just who he is.
Die for this Firm, live for this Firm
Niggas learn, never should come before your fam
I'd die for the Firm, and I'll live for the Firm. Nothing should come before your family.
From ki's to ported grams, these are corners in the blue van
From kilos to small amounts of drugs, we distribute them in the blue van on street corners.
E's upon on us, cause of warrants
While we smoke hash cheese enormous, stack cheese
The authorities are after us because of outstanding warrants while we smoke large amounts of hash and make money.
Travel the world like Taurus, went half with Sosa for four bricks
Down in Camdon, we handlin' to D.C.
We travel the world and made money, and went half with Sosa for four bricks of drugs. We also handled business in Camden and D.C.
Chips on fights with China White's by they tight PP
Wanting PC but all they get is good dick or four clips
We fight against those wanting China White's drugs even though they are well-protected. They want a good relationship but all they'll get are good sex or bullets.
For loose lips, by the jungle flise
Suck the pearl tongue juices, off you fly misses
If you have loose lips, you'll be taken care of. You will be punished by having to orally pleasure someone and then you'll disappear.
Take her out to the Spark's stakehouse, gentelmen style
Coincidental, family's here
Take her out to the Spark's steakhouse, like gentlemen. It's a coincidence that our family is also there.
Meet fem fatale, French connection
Persian wet don, let's get this "F" on
Meet the dangerous female, part of the French connection. She's ready to do business.
The Ebony queen, Fox you grab my left arm
Dre made a QB the conton, BK and so on
Fox, grab my arm. Dre made Queensbridge the center of attention and he also had a connection to Brooklyn.
Family strong ???? Nature, make sure we all get this millionaire's paper
Our family is strong and determined to get rich.
What a sweet site for sour eyes, may we rise
Hope for now on we never cross sides
It's a pleasant sight for sore eyes, we hope to continue rising. We hope to never disagree.
You know what, most hoes would have left these cats a long time ago
I mean if your man gave you a gun to hide, what would ya'll hoes do?
Most women would have left these men a long time ago. But if your man gave you a gun to hide, what would you do?
Black Madonna, hoes kill for they popals
Never seen a bitch like this, queen misses
Women would kill for these men's riches. They've never seen a woman like this, a queen misses.
Rock BDS's on the left wrists, trick check this
Respect this, Firm's niggas lie knee deep in this bitch
I have a BDS rock on my left wrist, look at it. Respect the Firm's niggas who own a lot of money.
want to need bitch and have my pussy bleed, swear for 'em
Fuck and take the chair for 'em, whoever dare cross us
I want and need men who will make me wet and then show their loyalty by harming whoever crosses us.
The thoughts that thoughts across a bitch's minds, pops the nine
Leave 'em resting in peices, while my thorough bitches peep this
A woman's thoughts can be deadly, and they'll kill with guns. They will kill their enemies while their other friends watch.
Death before decid-a, screw me on the dick-a
Lace me in Gabanna, peep dat
Death before disloyalty. Don't try to trick me. Buy me designer clothes and appreciate it.
Think I'm flippin' on these three cats
Set yo clown ass right up with my down ass
Don't think I'm turning on these three men. I'll have my back ready in case they need it.
Bitch to hold the cash and G's, stash the guns for 'em
And the icedy E Berkee, breathe the the sun for 'em
I'm the one holding the money and drugs, and I also hide the guns. I even breathe the sun as well.
Long dick style, swallow the enemies cum for 'em
Pretty ass hoe, bitches fuck 'em and I dumb on 'em
Long dick style to swallow and humiliate our enemies. Use pretty women to lure and kill people.
When Nas pop the Crist, Fox cops the fifth
Make my doe up for OZ's, now hoes that's real uhhh
When Nas opens the Cristal champagne, Fox gets her gun. We're making money and we're real about it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTHONY S CRUZ, NASIR JONES, INGA D MARCHAND, CHRIS B TAYLOR, ANDRE ROMELL YOUNG, INGA "FOXY BROWN" MARCHAND, ANTHONY CRUZ, CHRIS TAYLOR, ANDRE YOUNG, ANTHONY S. CRUZ, CHRISTOPHER "GLOVE" TAYLOR, INGA MARCHAND, CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TRLegendas
[Intro 1: Nas]
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be in The Firm
I can remember when I first met Sosa, it was a glorious time
There were wise guys everywhere
We were around twenty-one, twenty-two at the time
Yeah, every place we go, every party
People would stop and stare when we walked in
We would give the doorman a hundred dollars
Just for openin' the door
Sosa would give the bartender two hundred dollars
Just for keepin' the ice cold
Yeah, we were legends
Yeah, and we still are legends
[Verse 1: AZ]
Two hundred fallen angels, we ballin' from every angle
Heavy bag gold, Panamanian chains dangle, let’s tangle
Tabernacles, Elohim’s comin' at you
Fuck parables, a billion years B.C., original black Jews
Cashews honey now roasted, let’s kill the culprit
He owe shit, toe-to-toe or let .44 spit
Fuck the whole shit, mercury back-tax the birth of me
Personally, I existed when Earth was in need, indeed
Human life form transformed from light storms
Protons, electrons, neutrons, iced long
Nights long, reptilians, I’ll see y'all in the next millennium
What world are we really in?
Amphibians moved to the Caribbeans
Underwater force, placed under the court of law
Usually sport velour, my mind stay core raw
Fill of ambience, love fine fabrics and cars to launch
Nonchalant, usually there are jimmies up in the Bronx
Play low style, through the years, changed my whole profile
Let the doe pile, bet the God be around for a while
Firm Islamic, hit the core of the Earth just like a comet
[Intro 2: AZ]
See, I liked Esco
He knew everybody and everybody knew him
He was the type of guy that rooted for the bad guys in the movies
But, hey
[Verse 2: Nas]
Die for this Firm, live for this Firm, niggas learn
Nothin' should come before your fam from keys to quarter grams
D’s on corners in the blue van, E’s upon us
'Cause of warrants, while we smoke hashish enormous
Stack cheese, travel the world like tourists
Went half with Sosa for four bricks
Down in Camden, we handlin’ to D.C
Chicks on flights with China Whites by they tight PP
Wantin' PC, but all they get is good dick
Or full clips for loose lips by this young ruthless
Suck the pearl tongue juices off your fly missus
Take her out to the Spark’s Steakhouse
Gentleman style, coincidental
Family’s here, meet femme fatale
French connection, Persian wet don, let’s get this ep. on
The Ebony queen, Fox, you grab my left arm
Dre made it QB to Compton, BK and so on
Family strong, consigliere Nature
Makin' sure we all get this millionaire paper
What a sweet sight for sour eyes, may we all rise
Hope for now on, we never cross sides
[Intro 3: Foxy Brown]
You know what?
Most hoes would’ve left these cats a long time ago
I mean, if your man gave you a gun to hide
What would y'all hoes do?
But you know, the shit kinda turned me on
[Verse 3: Foxy Brown]
Black Madonna, hoes kill for they papos
Ever seen a bitch like this? Queen missus
Rocks the VVS's on the left wrist
Trick, check this, respect this
Firm niggas lie knee-deep in this bitch
When you need, bitch’ll have my pussy bleed
Swear for ‘em, fuck and take the chair for ‘em
Whoever dare cross us, distort the thoughts across a bitch mind
Pops the nine, leave 'em restin’ in pieces
All my thorough bitches, peep this: Death before dishonor
School me on the dick game, lace me in Gabbana
Peep dat, think I’m flippin’ on these three cats?
Set yo' clown ass right up with my down ass
Bitch to hold the cash and G’s
Stash the guns for ‘em in the icy E-bikini
Breed a son for ‘em
Long dick style, swallow the enemy’s cum for 'em
Pretty-ass ho, bitches fuck 'em and I dumb on 'em
When Nas pops the Crist, Fox cocks the fifth
Make my doe off of Oz’s and hoes that strip, uh
@FLAWLESS154
Black Madonna! Sorry but Foxy went bananas on this!
@yeneva1983
2022.....Foxxy Brown better get her flowers!!!!!!!!!!!
@bwheel2962
My man Az was spitting some ancient future shit on here!!!
@moscokidd3813
Always thought he bit Sunz of Man/Killarmy style on this... AZ never really spit like that before...
@godamar948
@@moscokidd3813 nah listen to az we can't win. He always spit knowledge if you can catch it
@bwheel2962
More like half a mil
@godamar948
@@bwheel2962 not even listen to we can't win
@bwheel2962
Virtil Ruff I know but it’s said half a mil brought a lot of knowledge to the group... Az been that dude tho
@AIRJAVITUBE
A-Z killed it.
@reymondmiramontes8916
This album was heavily underrated in my opinion