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.
1973β1992: 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.
1992β1995: 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 Serchβs solo album is released later in the year, Nasβ 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.
1996β1998: 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.
1998β2000: 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.
2000β2001: 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."
2002βPresent: 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 KoΠ―n'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, Nasβ 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..
Get Down
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And Pappy Mason, gave the young boys admiration
Prince from Queens and Fritz from Harlem
Street legends, the drugs kept the hood from starving
Pushing cars, Nicky Barnes was the 70's
But there's a long list of high-profile celebrities
Worldwide on the thorough side of things
Livest kings, some died, one guy, one time
40-side of Vernon, I turned well he asked me
"What you up to, the cops gon' bust you"
I was a teen drunk off brew, stumbled I wondered
If God sent him, cause two squad cars entered the block
And looked at us, I ain't flinch when they watched
I took it upstairs, the bathroom mirror, brushed my hair
Staring at a young disciple, I almost gave my life to what the dice do
Yeah man, throwing them bones
Hoping my ace get his case thrown
His girl ain't wait for him, she in the world straight hoeing
While he looking at centerfolds of pretty girls
Showing they little cooch, gangstas don't die he's living proof
The D.A. who tried him was lying
A white dude, killed his mother during the case
Hung jury, now the D.A. is being replaced
Pre-trial hearing is over, it's real for the soldier
Walks in the courtroom, the look in his eyes is wild
Triple-homicide, I sit in the back aisle
I want to crack a smile when I see him
Throw up a fist for black power, cause all we want is his freedom
He grabbed a court officer's gun and started squeezing
Then he grabbed the judge, screams out, nobody leaving everybody
Some niggas fuck they enemies in they ass when they catch 'em
Weird-ass niggas are dangerous, so don't test 'em
They make you, disappear, this a year that I won't forget
Sold CD's double platinum, met mo' execs
Southern niggas, independent label, real killers
Know the business, ran Tennessee for years, now they chilling
They had the coke game something crazy
Sold music out the trunk of they car, that shit amazed me
Put me onto heron blunts, sherm or something
Took a puff, what the fuck, I turned to punch them
Southern niggas ain't slow, nigga tried to play me
I left from around them dudes, they cool but they crazy
Now I'm back around the old school that raised me
New York gangstas, we lounging, out in L.A. see
A dude wrote my dawg from Pelican Bay
The letter say, "Nas I got your back, the fools don't play"
I rolled with some Crips down to a Crenshaw funeral
Never saw so many men slaughtered and I knew the ho responsible
The nigga still alive in a hospital
Midnight they crept in his room and shot the doctor too
See my cousin's in the game, thugging and things
He plugged me with a dame who was half-Mexicano
Gave the ass up, I'ma mack daddy Soprano
She passed me the indigo, but the imbecile
Should of never tippy-toed, thought my eyes were closed
Opening the hotel room do', to let her goons in
But I moved in a manner, on some Jet Li shit
I let the hammers blow, wet three kids
See honey thought I had something to do, with all the drama
Cause I was with a crew, that had her people killed
Called up my cousin, told him I ain't fucking with you
He responded cool, but told me out here this how motherfuckers
All I really gotta say is that
If that's how our people gon' get down, how we ever gon' get up?
How we ever gon' get up if that's how we get down?
A shame when you ain't look at it
My folk is yo' folk, but we all kinfolk
Somebody gotta make a change
The lyrics of Nas's song Get Down revolves around the theme of street life in New York City. The song is about the harsh realities of the inner city and the violence that comes with the drug trade. Nas paints a vivid picture of the streets of New York and the individuals that inhabit them. He talks about the high-profile drug dealers of the past and the present and how the game they played influenced those around them. More importantly, he discusses his own struggles with the game and the choices he has made.
The first verse of the song is a history lesson on the drug dealers of the past. Nas mentions names like Pistol Pete and Pappy Mason, who were notorious figures in New York City's drug trade. He also talks about how drugs helped keep the hood from starving and how it created street legends like Nicky Barnes. Nas then moves on to the present, talking about the worldwide thorough side of things and the lives of the "livest kings" who sometimes die. In the second verse, Nas talks about his own struggles with the game, his brief run-in with the cops, and his close brush with death.
One of the interesting things about the song is how Nas uses a sample from the Jackson 5's hit song "I Want You Back" as the chorus. It's a catchy and upbeat melody, which works well with the darker and more serious lyrics of the verses. Another interesting fact is that the song samples a track from Isaac Hayes called "Hung Up On My Baby." The beat is slowed down and chopped up to create a gritty and ominous sound that fits perfectly with Nas's lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
New York streets where killers'll walk like Pistol Pete
The streets of New York are dangerous and filled with murderers who are just as well-known as the legendary killer Pistol Pete.
And Pappy Mason, gave the young boys admiration
Pappy Mason, a notorious drug dealer, was respected and admired by young boys growing up in the area.
Prince from Queens and Fritz from Harlem
Prince and Fritz were legendary figures from Queens and Harlem.
Street legends, the drugs kept the hood from starving
These street legends were able to maintain their status as such by dealing drugs, which often provided a means of survival for people living in poor neighborhoods.
Pushing cars, Nicky Barnes was the 70's
Nicky Barnes, who was known for dealing drugs and involved in criminal activity, defined that period of time in the 70s.
But there's a long list of high-profile celebrities
Aside from these street legends, there are many more famous people who have risen in notoriety over time.
Worldwide on the thorough side of things
These people have become known throughout the world as powerful and influential figures.
Livest kings, some died, one guy, one time
These drug lords were powerful and influential, but some passed away, such as one guy who died during a specific event.
One day grabs me, as I'm about to blast heat
One day, as I was preparing to use my gun, someone approached me.
40-side of Vernon, I turned well he asked me
I turned to see who approached me, and it was someone from the Vernon area of the 40-side quadrant of New York City.
"What you up to, the cops gon' bust you"
The person who approached me questioned my actions, warning me that the police would catch me.
I was a teen drunk off brew, stumbled I wondered
I was a teenager, drunk and unsure of what to do next.
If God sent him, 'cause two squad cars entered the block
I wondered if this person was sent by God because two police cars entered the block we were on at the same time.
And looked at us, I ain't flinch when they watched
The police observed us, but I didn't react to their presence.
I took it upstairs, the bathroom mirror, brushed my hair
I went upstairs to a bathroom, looked in the mirror, and began grooming myself.
Staring at a young disciple, I almost gave my life to what the dice do
As I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized that I could have easily become a follower of someone who made their living through gambling.
Yeah man, throwing them bones, hoping my ace get his case thrown
I was hoping that my friend would win his case through a game of craps.
His girl ain't wait for him, she in the world straight hoeing
His girlfriend didn't wait for him and instead began sleeping around with other men.
While he looking at centerfolds of pretty girls
Her boyfriend was still looking at pictures of beautiful women.
Showing they little cooch, gangstas don't die he's living proof
I saw pictures of women exposing themselves, but despite the dangerous lifestyle he'd led, this man was still alive, proving that gangsters don't die as easily as people think.
The D.A. who tried him was lying
The prosecutor who tried his case was not honest in his statements.
A white dude, killed his mother during the case
A white man killed the defendant's mother during the trial.
Hung jury, now the D.A. is being replaced
The jury could not reach a verdict, and the prosecutor who tried the case was replaced.
Pre-trial hearing is over, it's real for the soldier
The trial is about to begin, and things are becoming more serious for the defendant.
Walks in the courtroom, the look in his eyes is wild
The defendant walked into the courtroom with a crazed look in his eyes.
Triple-homicide, I sit in the back aisle
The defendant was responsible for three killings, and I sat in the back of the courtroom to observe the proceedings.
I want to crack a smile when I see him
I almost couldn't help but smile when I saw the defendant.
Throw up a fist for black power, cause all we want is his freedom
I put my fist up in a show of solidarity with my fellow black man. All we wanted was for him to be free.
He grabbed a court officer's gun and started squeezing
The defendant managed to get hold of a gun belonging to a court officer and began firing it wildly.
Then he grabbed the judge, screams out, nobody leaving everybody
He then took the judge hostage and screamed that nobody was allowed to leave.
Some niggas fuck they enemies in they ass when they catch 'em
Some people engage in homosexual rape when they catch their enemies.
Weird-ass niggas are dangerous, so don't test 'em
These strange people are dangerous, so it's best not to mess with them.
They make you, disappear, this a year that I won't forget
These dangerous people can make you disappear without a trace, an event that I won't soon forget.
Sold CD's double platinum, met mo' execs
I was able to sell many of my CDs, earning them double platinum status. I also met many record executives.
Southern niggas, independent label, real killers
I met some independent label artists from the South who were real killers.
Know the business, ran Tennessee for years, now they chilling
These artists were knowledgeable about the music industry and were able to run their operation in Tennessee for a long time. Now they are taking a break.
They had the coke game something crazy
These artists were heavily involved in the cocaine trade.
Sold music out the trunk of they car, that shit amazed me
I was impressed to learn that these artists were able to sell their music out of the trunk of their car.
Put me onto heron blunts, sherm or something
These artists introduced me to heron blunts, as well as sherm, or PCP.
Took a puff, what the fuck, I turned to punch them
I tried it and immediately regretted it, turning to punch the people who introduced me to it.
Southern niggas ain't slow, nigga tried to play me
I learned that these artists from the South were not to be underestimated, especially after someone tried to trick me.
I left from around them dudes, they cool but they crazy
After that experience, I decided to leave the group of people, realizing that they were cool but also crazy.
Now I'm back around the old school that raised me
I returned to the old school that I grew up around and that shaped me.
New York gangstas, we lounging, out in L.A. see
I was with some New York gangsters, kicking back and enjoying ourselves in Los Angeles.
A dude wrote my dawg from Pelican Bay
Someone wrote a letter to my friend who was serving time at Pelican Bay prison.
The letter say, "Nas I got your back, the fools don't play"
The letter expressed that this person had my back and that the other people were not to be messed with.
I rolled with some Crips down to a Crenshaw funeral
I went with some members of the Crips gang to a funeral in Crenshaw.
Never saw so many men slaughtered and I knew the ho responsible
I witnessed a great deal of violence, and I knew who was responsible for all of it.
The nigga still alive in a hospital
The perpetrator was still alive and in a hospital for treatment.
Midnight they crept in his room and shot the doctor too
In the middle of the night, someone snuck into his hospital room and killed not only the perpetrator but also the doctor who was treating him.
See my cousin's in the game, thugging and things
My cousin was involved in the gang lifestyle and other criminal activities.
He plugged me with a dame who was half-Mexicano
My cousin introduced me to a woman who was half Mexican.
Gave the ass up, I'ma mack daddy Soprano
She gave up her body to me, and I felt like I was some sort of big-time player like Tony Soprano.
She passed me the indigo, but the imbecile
She handed me the marijuana, but she was foolish for doing so because I wasn't to be trusted.
Should of never tippy-toed, thought my eyes were closed
She shouldn't have been sneaky around me, assuming that I wasn't paying attention.
Opening the hotel room do', to let her goons in
When she opened the hotel room door, her associates entered.
But I moved in a manner, on some Jet Li shit
I moved quickly and deftly, as if I were Jet Li in a movie.
I let the hammers blow, wet three kids
I pulled out my guns and began shooting, killing three people.
See honey thought I had something to do, with all the drama
She thought that I was somehow involved in all of the chaos that had ensued.
Cause I was with a crew, that had her people killed
She linked me to a group of people who had killed some of her associates.
Called up my cousin, told him I ain't fucking with you
I called my cousin and told him that I was no longer interested in being associated with him.
He responded cool, but told me out here this how motherfuckers
My cousin was understanding, but warned me that this was the way things worked in this world.
All I really gotta say is that
In conclusion...
If that's how our people gon' get down, how we ever gon' get up?
If this is the kind of behavior that we continue to engage in, how will we ever be able to rise up and better ourselves?
How we ever gon' get up if that's how we get down?
Can we really expect to improve our situation if we keep engaging in this kind of behavior?
A shame when you ain't look at it
It's a shame when people refuse to see the truth of a situation.
My folk is yo' folk, but we all kinfolk
Despite our differences, we are all part of the same community and should treat each other as such.
Somebody gotta make a change
We can't continue to live like this; someone needs to step up and make a change.
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fred Wesley, Charles Bobbit, James Brown, Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind