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..
I shot my way out
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want all my niggas to come journey with me
My name is Nas, and the year is 1973
Beginning of me, therefore I could see
Through my belly button window who I am
I existed in a womb, just like an abyss
Came straight from spirit land
Punching my mom's stomach
Kicking on her cervix
Twitching 'cause I'm nervous
Though my intended purpose
Was to be born to reign, not in scorn or vain
But to take on a name
That my pops chose for me
Bloodstream full of indo, developing eyes
Looking out my belly button window
My father sighs
On his face he wears a frown
And I'm wondering
If they even want me around
As I go back to spirit town
So I could rest longer before I
Come back down the chute again
In the near future when
Mom and pops could agree on this
Was here before
But my mom saw her gynecologist
He dumped me off first they want me
Then turn around and say they don't
You got 120 days, do what y'all want
But as for me, coming back
This be the last time
Abort me, keep me or give me away
Make up your minds
I shot my way out my mom dukes
They must wanna keep me
'cause 4 months passed, i'm still alive
Guess I got what they call
Ill Will to survive when I look hard
The lights is killing my eyes
I know when mom's laying down, I get bored
Start to get live
Move side to side, hear loud music and vibe
All black babies are born with rhythm
That's no lie
Solar energize, mineralize food
Flowing through my mother's tube
I'm covered in this thick layer of goo
Month two was the least most comfortable
My umbilical cord choking me
But month 3 was closer, see
That's when pops took moms to see
The doc at the clinic but I was saved
He changed his mind in the last minute
Watching 'em yell, heard my mom's voice well
Feared fist fights, so terrified when we fell
While they broke up furniture and
Smashed plates on the wall
I wondered if I am born
Will I be safe at all
This place they call the world though
My view was so large
Couldn't wait to get out
And grow up and take charge
Month 5, Month 6 went by
Hoping I'm born in July
But the Lord already figured out
A date and time septemeber 14th, '73
Get ready world
Doctors in the front waiting for me
Arms open 'cause they know when I drop
A lot of shit's gonna stop
See how the goverment will
Start re training cops
Month 9, I'm a week overdue
The labor induced pops told my moms "Push
And take deep breaths, too"
"Stay calm, " holding her arm
I'm trying to hold on
Surgical gloves touching my scalp
My head pops out everything is blurry
My first breath screamed out
Tears pouring down my pop's face
He's so proud
Wanted to hold me, but I was so bloody
They washed me off and he said
"At least that nigga ain't ugly!"
Placed me in his arms snuggly
Laid me on my mother
Finally, I got to see who
Held me in her body, she loved me
And, yo, I plan to over throw the devil
And y'all bout to see this world in trouble
Motherfuckers
In Nas's song "I Shot My Way Out," the lyrics tell the story of Nas reflecting on his journey from being conceived to being born. The song begins with Nas introducing himself and stating that it is the year 1973, the year of his birth. He describes his existence in the womb, comparing it to an abyss, and acknowledges his spiritual origins.
Nas then reflects on his time in the womb, expressing nervousness and wondering if his parents truly want him. He contemplates resting longer in the spiritual realm before coming back into the world. He reveals that his mother considered aborting him but ultimately decided to keep him. The lyrics suggest a sense of rebelliousness and survival instincts as Nas declares, "I shot my way out my mom dukes." This line could be interpreted symbolically, representing his will to survive and overcome any obstacles he faced.
Throughout the song, Nas reflects on his early experiences, such as feeling bored when his mother rested and moving to the rhythm of music. He also highlights the tensions between his parents, with furniture being broken and plates smashed. Nas questions his safety in the outside world but expresses his eagerness to grow up and take charge. As he finally is born on September 14th, 1973, there is a sense of triumph and pride in his father's tears and the realization that he is not "ugly."
Overall, "I Shot My Way Out" is a reflective and introspective song where Nas contemplates his journey from conception to birth, acknowledging the challenges and uncertainties he faced along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Expressing affirmation or agreement
I want all my niggas to come journey with me
I desire all of my friends and companions to accompany me on this journey
My name is Nas, and the year is 1973
Introducing myself as Nas and stating the current year as 1973
Beginning of me, therefore I could see
The start of my existence, enabling me to perceive
Through my belly button window who I am
Gaining self-awareness and understanding of my identity
I existed in a womb, just like an abyss
I existed within a womb, resembling a deep and vast emptiness
Came straight from spirit land
Emerging directly from a spiritual realm
My hands balled in a fist
My hands curled tightly into a fist shape
Punching my mom's stomach
Striking my mother's abdomen with force
Kicking on her cervix
Thrusting and impacting against her cervix
Twitching 'cause I'm nervous
Experiencing involuntary muscle contractions due to anxiety
Though my intended purpose
Despite my predetermined objective
Was to be born to reign, not in scorn or vain
I was destined to be born and exert authority, not filled with anger or vanity
But to take on a name
But to assume a given name
That my pops chose for me
That my father selected on my behalf
Bloodstream full of indo, developing eyes
Having a bloodstream filled with marijuana, while my eyes grow and mature
Looking out my belly button window
Observing the world outside through my belly button
My father sighs
My father lets out a deep sigh
On his face he wears a frown
He displays a facial expression of unhappiness
And I'm wondering
And I am contemplating
If they even want me around
If they truly desire my presence
As I go back to spirit town
While returning to the realm of spirits
So I could rest longer before I
So I can have a longer period of rest before I
Come back down the chute again
Descend through the birth canal once more
In the near future when
During an upcoming time when
Mom and pops could agree on this
When my mother and father can reach an agreement on this matter
Was here before
I existed in this world before
But my mom saw her gynecologist
However, my mother consulted her gynecologist
He dumped me off first they want me
The doctor terminated my existence initially, but now they desire me
Then turn around and say they don't
Yet, they suddenly express that they do not want me
You got 120 days, do what y'all want
You have a period of 120 days to make a decision, do as you wish
But as for me, coming back
But regarding my situation, returning
This be the last time
This shall be the final occasion
Abort me, keep me or give me away
Terminate my life, retain me, or surrender me to someone else
Make up your minds
Decide firmly and conclusively
They must wanna keep me
They probably wish to retain me
'cause 4 months passed, i'm still alive
Since four months have elapsed, I am still living
Guess I got what they call
I suppose I possess what they refer to as
Ill Will to survive when I look hard
An intense desire to endure and thrive when I reflect deeply
The lights is killing my eyes
The brightness of the lights is causing great discomfort to my eyes
I know when mom's laying down, I get bored
I am aware that I become bored when my mother is lying down
Start to get live
I begin to feel lively
Move side to side, hear loud music and vibe
I sway from side to side, listen to loud music, and feel the rhythm
All black babies are born with rhythm
All African American infants possess an innate sense of rhythm
That's no lie
That statement is absolutely true
Solar energize, mineralize food
Being nourished by food that is infused with solar energy and minerals
Flowing through my mother's tube
Passing and circulating through my mother's fallopian tube
I'm covered in this thick layer of goo
My body is coated with a dense and slimy substance
Month two was the least most comfortable
The second month was the least pleasant and relaxing
My umbilical cord choking me
My umbilical cord constricting and suffocating me
But month 3 was closer, see
However, the third month was drawing nearer, you see
That's when pops took moms to see
At that point, my father accompanied my mother to visit
The doc at the clinic but I was saved
The doctor at the clinic, but fortunately, my life was spared
He changed his mind in the last minute
He had a change of heart at the final moment
Watching 'em yell, heard my mom's voice well
Observing them shouting, I could clearly hear my mother's voice
Feared fist fights, so terrified when we fell
Fearful of physical altercations, I was extremely frightened when they tumbled
While they broke up furniture and
While they destroyed the furniture and
Smashed plates on the wall
Shattered plates against the wall
I wondered if I am born
I contemplated if I will be brought into this world
Will I be safe at all
Will I be secure and protected in any way
This place they call the world though
However, this realm referred to as the world
My view was so large
My perspective was so vast
Couldn't wait to get out
I couldn't wait to be born
And grow up and take charge
To mature and assume responsibility
Month 5, Month 6 went by
The fifth month, the sixth month passed
Hoping I'm born in July
Wishing that my birth would occur in July
But the Lord already figured out
However, God had already determined
A date and time september 14th, '73
A specific date and time, September 14th, 1973
Get ready world
Prepare yourselves, world
Doctors in the front waiting for me
Doctors positioned in the front, ready to receive me
Arms open 'cause they know when I drop
With open arms, as they know that when I am delivered
A lot of shit's gonna stop
Many things are going to come to a halt
See how the goverment will
Observe how the government will
Start re training cops
Commence the process of retraining police officers
Month 9, I'm a week overdue
In the ninth month, I am one week past the due date
The labor induced pops told my moms "Push
Labor was induced, my father instructed my mother to "push"
And take deep breaths, too"
And also take deep breaths
"Stay calm, " holding her arm
"Remain calm," he said, while grasping her arm
I'm trying to hold on
I am attempting to hold on
Surgical gloves touching my scalp
Surgical gloves making contact with my scalp
My head pops out everything is blurry
My head emerges, and everything appears blurred
My first breath screamed out
I let out a cry with my first breath
Tears pouring down my pop's face
Tears streaming down my father's face
He's so proud
He is filled with immense pride
Wanted to hold me, but I was so bloody
He desired to embrace me, but I was covered in blood
They washed me off and he said
They cleaned me up, and he uttered
"At least that nigga ain't ugly!"
"At least that child is not unattractive!"
Placed me in his arms snuggly
He gently held me in his arms
Laid me on my mother
He placed me on my mother's body
Finally, I got to see who
Finally, I had the opportunity to see who
Held me in her body, she loved me
Carried me within her body, and she had deep affection for me
And, yo, I plan to over throw the devil
And, hey, I intend to overthrow the devil
And y'all bout to see this world in trouble
And all of you are about to witness this world in chaos
Motherfuckers
Derogatory term used to express anger or disdain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind