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..
Got Ur Self A..
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got yo'self a gun (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Got yo'self a gun
Yo, I'm livin' in this time behind enemy lines
So...
I got mine, I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You want beef? I hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
And when I see you I'ma take what I want
So, you tried to front, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
You ain't real, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
My, first album had no famous guest appearances
The outcome: I'm crowned the best lyricist
Many years on this professional level
Why would you question who's better? The world is still mine
Tattoos real with "God's Son" across the belly
The boss of rap, you saw me in "Belly" with thoughts like that
To take it back to Africa, I did it with Biggie
Me and Tupac were soldiers of the same struggle
You lames should huddle, your team's shook
Y'all feel the wrath of a killer, 'cause this is my football field
Throwin' passes from a barrel, shoulder pads apparel
But the Q.B. don't stand for no quarterback
Every word is like a sawed-off blast, 'cause y'all all soft
And I'm the black hearse that came to haul y'all ass in
It's for the hood by the corner store
Many try, many die, come at Nas if you want a war, get it bloody, uh
I got mine, I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You from the hood I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You want beef? I hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
And when I see you I'ma take what I want
So, you tried to front, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
You ain't real, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
Yo, I'm the N the A to the S-I-R
And If I wasn't, I must've been Escobar
You know the kid got his chipped tooth fixed
Hair parted with a barber's preciseness; Bravehearted for life
It's the return of the Golden Child, son of a blue's player
So who are you playa? Y'all awaited the true savior
Puffin' that tropical, cups of that Vodka too
Papi chu', tore up, wake up in a hospital
Throw up? Never, 'member I do this through righteous steps
You Judists thought I was gone, so in light of my death
Y'all been all happy-go-lucky, bunch of sambos
Call me "God's Son", with my pants low
I don't die slow, put them rags up like Petey Pablo
This is Nasdaq dough, in my Nascar with this Nas flow
Flip the beat back, now it's all reppin'
Hit the record sto', never let me go, get my whole collection, yo
I got mine, I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You from the hood I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You want beef? I hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
And when I see you I'ma take what I want
So, you tried to front, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
You ain't real, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
It's, the, return of the Prince, the boss
This is real hardcore, Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit's soft
Sip Cris', get chips, wrist gliss, I floss
Stick shift, look sick up in that Boxter Porsche
With the top cut off, rich kids go and cop The Source
They don't know about the blocks I'm on
And everybody want to know where the kid go? Where he rest at?
Where he shop at and dress at?
Know he got dough, where does he live? Is he still in the bridge?
Does he really know how ill that he is?
Got all of y'all watchin' my moves, my watch and my jewels
Hop in my coupe, dodge interviews like that
It's not only my jewels, ice anything, plenty chains
Look at my tennis shoes, I iced that
Who am I? The back-twister, lingerie-ripper
Automatic leg-spreader, quicker brain-getter
Keepin' it gangsta wit' ya, uh
I got mine, I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You from the hood I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You want beef? I hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
And when I see you I'ma take what I want
So, you tried to front, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
You ain't real, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
I got mine, I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You from the hood I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
You want beef? I hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
And when I see you I'ma take what I want
So, you tried to front, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
Nas's song "Got Ur Self A.." is a message to anyone against him, stating that he is ready for any challenge that comes his way. Nas talks about the importance of owning a gun in the environment he lives in, where violence and deception prevail. He implies that in this game of survival, owning a gun is essential to survival. The lyrics state that Nas has already got his gun and asks the listener if they have one too. The violence that surrounds Nas and his peers is highlighted through the song's lyrics and the necessity to stay protected.
Nas describes himself as an elite in rap history, referring to his success and longevity in the industry. He states that he has no competition, and the world is still his, and he is still the best lyricist. Through his lyrics, it is clear that he has taken the lyrics as his way of life, and he incorporates them into his everyday existence. Nas is proud of his beliefs and the ways he lives his life, and these lyrics were used to promote his unique and authentic lifestyle.
Despite its controversial message, "Got Ur Self A.." is a significant and successful single for Nas. The song was released on April 10th, 2001, as a part of his album "Stillmatic," which was his fifth studio album. Produced by Salaam Remi, the song samples the themes from "Never Gonna Stop" by Linda Clifford.
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up this mornin', (yeah)
I woke up this morning and I'm ready to face the day ahead.
You got yo'self a gun (yeah, yeah, yeah)
You better protect yourself with a gun because we're living in dangerous times.
Got yo'self a gun
I'm emphasizing the importance of having a gun for self-protection.
Yo, I'm livin' in this time behind enemy lines
I feel like I'm living in a dangerous world where people can't be trusted.
So...
I'm setting the stage for what's to come next in my lyrics.
I got mine, I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
I have a gun to protect myself and I hope you have one too.
You from the hood I hope you (got yo'self a gun)
If you're from the same neighborhood as me, you should definitely have a gun for safety.
You want beef? I hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
If you're looking for a fight, you should be ready to defend yourself with a gun.
And when I see you I'ma take what I want
If I encounter someone who is a threat, I'll do whatever I need to protect myself.
So, you tried to front, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
If you try to act tough or intimidate me, I hope you have a gun because you'll need it.
You ain't real, hope ya (got yo'self a gun)
If you're fake or phony, you better have a gun to back up your words and actions.
My, first album had no famous guest appearances
I became successful on my own without relying on other famous people to boost my career.
The outcome: I'm crowned the best lyricist
As a result of my success, I'm recognized as the best rapper and lyricist in the game.
Many years on this professional level
I've been in the rap game for a long time and have built up my skills and reputation.
Why would you question who's better? The world is still mine
I am confident in my abilities and don't see the need to prove myself to anyone. I am still on top of the rap game.
Tattoos real with "God's Son" across the belly
I have a tattoo that says "God's Son" to represent my faith and identity.
The boss of rap, you saw me in "Belly" with thoughts like that
I'm the boss of the rap game and people saw that in my performance in the movie "Belly".
To take it back to Africa, I did it with Biggie
I made a tribute to our African heritage in my song with Biggie, "N.Y. State of Mind".
Me and Tupac were soldiers of the same struggle
Me and Tupac were fighting for the same cause and were united in our efforts.
You lames should huddle, your team's shook
You fake rappers should band together because you're too afraid to face me alone.
Y'all feel the wrath of a killer, 'cause this is my football field
You'll experience the full force of my talent and skill because I am in charge here, like a quarterback on a football field.
Throwin' passes from a barrel, shoulder pads apparel
I'm using my gun like a football in a game, protected by my tough outer appearance and armor.
But the Q.B. don't stand for no quarterback
I'm not just a quarterback, I'm the best of the best, the boss of the rap game.
Every word is like a sawed-off blast, 'cause y'all all soft
My words pack a powerful punch and will tear down anyone who tries to come at me with weak rhymes and lyrics.
And I'm the black hearse that came to haul y'all ass in
I'm like a hearse coming to collect and bury all of the fake rappers who can't compete with me.
It's for the hood by the corner store
My music is for the people in my neighborhood who relate to my experiences growing up.
Many try, many die, come at Nas if you want a war, get it bloody, uh
Many rappers have tried to compete with me and failed. If you want to challenge me, be prepared for a bloody battle.
Yo, I'm the N the A to the S-I-R
I'm introducing myself as Nas, the king of the rap game.
And If I wasn't, I must've been Escobar
If I wasn't the king of rap, I would've been a notorious drug lord like Pablo Escobar.
You know the kid got his chipped tooth fixed
I fixed my chipped tooth, a symbol of my rough upbringing, to show that I've moved past my struggles.
Hair parted with a barber's preciseness; Bravehearted for life
My hair is perfectly groomed and I have the courage and strength of a Braveheart warrior.
It's the return of the Golden Child, son of a blue's player
I'm back and better than ever, and my father was a blues musician.
So who are you playa? Y'all awaited the true savior
I'm asking who my competition is and reminding everyone that I am the true savior of the rap game.
Puffin' that tropical, cups of that Vodka too
I'm smoking weed and sipping vodka like a true rap kingpin.
Papi chu', tore up, wake up in a hospital
I'm so messed up on drugs and alcohol that I might end up in the hospital.
Throw up? Never, 'member I do this through righteous steps
I won't ever throw up from drinking because I handle everything with a righteous approach.
You Judists thought I was gone, so in light of my death
People thought I was dead or out of the game, but I'm still here and stronger than ever.
Y'all been all happy-go-lucky, bunch of sambos
My competition has been too relaxed and carefree, like a bunch of foolish sambos.
Call me "God's Son", with my pants low
I'm referred to as "God's Son" and wear low-riding pants as a symbol of my street style.
I don't die slow, put them rags up like Petey Pablo
I don't fade away or die slowly, like Petey Pablo once rapped about.
This is Nasdaq dough, in my Nascar with this Nas flow
I'm making Nasdaq-level money, rapping in my own style in a fast car.
Flip the beat back, now it's all reppin'
I'm changing up the beat and now it's all about representing myself and my music.
Hit the record sto', never let me go, get my whole collection, yo
My fans should always be on the lookout for my music and never forget about my entire discography.
It's, the, return of the Prince, the boss
I'm back and reigning as both the Prince and the Boss of the rap game.
This is real hardcore, Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit's soft
My music is true hardcore rap, unlike the softer styles of Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit.
Sip Cris', get chips, wrist gliss, I floss
I drink champagne, make money, wear flashy jewelry, and show off my wealth.
Stick shift, look sick up in that Boxter Porsche
I drive a manual Boxster Porsche and look cool while doing it.
With the top cut off, rich kids go and cop The Source
I'm driving with the top off my Porsche while rich kids go out and buy The Source magazine to read about me.
They don't know about the blocks I'm on
People don't know about the dangerous neighborhoods I grew up in and still visit.
And everybody want to know where the kid go? Where he rest at?
People are curious about where I go and where I sleep at night.
Where he shop at and dress at?
People also want to know where I shop and where I get my fashion.
Know he got dough, where does he live? Is he still in the bridge?
People know I have money, but they're not sure where I live or where my roots are.
Does he really know how ill that he is?
People wonder if I'm aware of my own talent and success.
Got all of y'all watchin' my moves, my watch and my jewels
Everyone is watching me and paying attention to my every move, including what I wear and the jewelry I own.
Hop in my coupe, dodge interviews like that
I get in my car and avoid interviews, showing that I'm in control of my own image and words.
It's not only my jewels, ice anything, plenty chains
I'm not just flashy with my jewelry, but with everything I own, including cars, clothes, and more.
Look at my tennis shoes, I iced that
Even my tennis shoes are iced out with diamonds and other jewels.
Who am I? The back-twister, lingerie-ripper
I'm Nas, a rapper known for my dangerous and sexy personality.
Automatic leg-spreader, quicker brain-getter
I'm so good in the bedroom that girls automatically spread their legs, and also smart and quick-witted.
Keepin' it gangsta wit' ya, uh
I'm always keeping it real and gangster with my fans and everyone else.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CHESTER SP ACCT. BURNETT, JAKE BLACK, N. JONES, P. MARSH, S. EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@suinegCarter
If You are listening to this in 2024. You have an impeccable music taste.
@rs-28sarmat49
I got mine I hope you got yourself
@user-rz6lg6ms5c
Every Year:)
@katzumihanzo5471
🙌🏼🙌🏼
@lonnmutta2073
am listening
@1FanofTHEECOSYSTEM
I came here SPECIFICALLY coz K-Dot woke up on some "woke up this morning! you got yourself.." HISTORY on repeat.
@wadzorwachirashi3961
This Guy deserves a statue....this is Rap Music....Timeless
@rwarren4637
Bruh! Preach!✊🏿
@lexg3607
Facts!!!!!
@SheepdogColumbus
hip hop...