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.
1973โ1992: 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.
1992โ1995: 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 Serchโs solo album is released later in the year, Nasโ 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.
1996โ1998: 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.
1998โ2000: 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.
2000โ2001: 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."
2002โPresent: 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 Koะฏn'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, Nasโ 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..
In His Own Words
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
Jah told you, in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
Two steps away from death, a vest and a holster
I detest detectives arresting us over
Weapons possession, they was checking the Rover
Inspecting the tattoos on my neck and my shoulder
How many times I'm one of six coffin-holders
Or I'm sitting with goons in a visiting room
Flip it, I could've been you
Behind state walls bidding
These are the things that a G pray for, acquit us
A little stash in the safe or a little shorty to wait for 'em
Or a shorty to take the weight for him
What really did I escape from?
Thought I saw God's face on the design on my vintage Claiborne
Swear I see 'em every day in the bus or the train
Or the billboards out there that hang tall
I still give thanks for him, have faith for him
No matter what his name's called
Jah told you, in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
Hey can you think of a color that you've never seen?
Can you reminisce on places you've never been?
Well is many are called
But them never deemed
Worthy for the cause
{Cause them never clean
Help who help themselves
Jah nuh raffle dream
That's why me chummy with Jah Jah
Like a Cherubim
Keep us strong through the winter like an Evergreen
And all of us are more connected than it ever seems
All things are related and creation is a package
Generate together and we increase the wattage
A how them a go manage?
Tell Babylon them can't do Rasta damage
Nor stop we through the passage
Jah did make a promise, God is always honest
Always keep his word, don't care what the plan is
Don't be astonished
Stumbling bocks vanish
One day the meek gonna live inna di palace, whoa!
Jah told you, in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
Jah told you, in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
Yo, yo
Some ask me if I feel the Zionists are real
And in my songs do I plan to expose and reveal
Word to the curb that's under these chrome wheels
My homies is only ones I'm taking care of
But severe reality starts to become more clear
And these know-it-all rappers have become more weird
As if they were superior and fans are inferior
How I balance between the streets and the theories of
Collegiate literature, I hold mirrors up
Give combination's of pain, joy, fear, and love
Through my perspective I can see Jah reflection
In the highest definition getting high with my brethren
Could've asked us why Africans dying from circumcision
They lack proper surgeons, suffer malnutrition
Underestimate the wealth of their own wisdom
It's like it's been exchanged for this penicillin
Jah told you, in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
Jah told you, in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
The lyrics of Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley's song In His Own Words speak of the guidance and protection that Jah (God) provides amidst the cold and unforgiving world that they live in. The artists share their personal experiences and struggles, including brushes with death, encounters with law enforcement, and the constant threat of violence. They also touch on broader social and political issues, such as disparities in access to medical care and the exploitative practices of pharmaceutical companies. Throughout the song, Nas and Damian seek solace and strength in their faith, thanking Jah for his constant presence in their lives.
The repeated phrase "Jah told you, in his own words And I'll see you through To guide you through this cold world And I'll see you through" acts as a reassuring reminder to listeners of the power of faith and divinity in their lives. Through their lyrics, Nas and Damian depict the harsh realities of life, but also emphasize the importance of hope, perseverance, and relying on Jah to guide them through the trials and tribulations of life.
Overall, the song's lyrics serve as a reflection on the artists' personal experiences and larger social and political issues, ultimately emphasizing the power of faith and the importance of relying on Jah to provide strength and guidance.
Line by Line Meaning
Jah told you, in his own words
God spoke to you directly and personally.
And I'll see you through
I'll support you and help you overcome obstacles.
To guide you through this cold world
To help you navigate through the difficulties of life.
Two steps away from death, a vest and a holster
I'm always in danger of being killed, and I'm armed for self-protection.
I detest detectives arresting us over
I hate it when police officers arrest us for no reason.
Weapons possession, they was checking the Rover
Police searched my car for weapons.
Inspecting the tattoos on my neck and my shoulder
Police were looking closely at the tattoos on my neck and shoulder for identifying marks.
How many times I'm one of six coffin-holders
I've buried too many friends and family members who have died.
Or I'm sitting with goons in a visiting room
I've spent time in jail, visiting prisoners who are my friends.
Flip it, I could've been you
It could have easily been you in my place.
Behind state walls bidding
I'm in jail bidding my time.
These are the things that a G pray for, acquit us
When you're a gangster, you pray to God to protect you and keep you out of jail.
A little stash in the safe or a little shorty to wait for 'em
Gangsters want a little money in the bank and a girlfriend waiting for them when they get out of jail.
Or a shorty to take the weight for him
Gangsters want a girl who will take the blame for their crimes and go to jail for them.
What really did I escape from?
What did I narrowly avoid or leave behind?
Thought I saw God's face on the design on my vintage Claiborne
I think I saw a sign from God in the pattern of my clothing.
Swear I see 'em every day in the bus or the train
I see signs of God's presence every day on my commute.
Or the billboards out there that hang tall
I see signs of God's message on billboards.
I still give thanks for him, have faith for him
I'm grateful for God's presence and have faith in his guidance.
No matter what his name's called
Regardless of the name you call him, I have faith in God.
Hey can you think of a color that you've never seen?
Can you imagine something that doesn't exist?
Can you reminisce on places you've never been?
Can you remember things that have never happened to you?
Well is many are called
A lot of people say they're called by God.
But them never deemed
But they're not considered worthy.
Worthy for the cause
Worthy to serve God.
{Cause them never clean
Because they're not pure in their intentions and actions.
Help who help themselves
God helps those who help themselves.
Jah nuh raffle dream
God doesn't play games with people's dreams.
That's why me chummy with Jah Jah
That's why I'm close to God.
Like a Cherubim
Like an angel.
Keep us strong through the winter like an Evergreen
God keeps us strong and enduring through difficult times, like a tree that stays evergreen in winter.
And all of us are more connected than it ever seems
We're more connected to each other and to God than we realize.
All things are related and creation is a package
Everything in the world is interconnected and part of a larger whole.
Generate together and we increase the wattage
By working together, we can achieve more and have a greater impact.
A how them a go manage?
How are they going to handle us?
Tell Babylon them can't do Rasta damage
Tell our oppressors they can't destroy our culture and beliefs.
Nor stop we through the passage
They can't prevent our progress or journey.
Jah did make a promise, God is always honest
God made a promise and always keeps his word.
Always keep his word, don't care what the plan is
God always stays true to his promises, regardless of the circumstances.
Don't be astonished
Don't be surprised.
Stumbling bocks vanish
Obstacles will disappear.
One day the meek gonna live inna di palace, whoa!
One day the humble and downtrodden will live in a palace, a place of honor and respect.
Some ask me if I feel the Zionists are real
Some people ask me if I believe in the Zionist movement.
And in my songs do I plan to expose and reveal
And if I'm going to reveal the truth in my music.
Word to the curb that's under these chrome wheels
I swear to the streets that I'm driving on.
My homies is only ones I'm taking care of
I only care about my friends and family.
But severe reality starts to become more clear
As life gets harder, the truth becomes more apparent.
And these know-it-all rappers have become more weird
And these arrogant rappers have become stranger and more unrelatable.
As if they were superior and fans are inferior
As if they're better than their fans and dismissing their struggles.
How I balance between the streets and the theories of
How I reconcile the lifestyle of the streets with academic theories.
Collegiate literature, I hold mirrors up
I use academic theories to reflect on the realities of the streets.
Give combinations of pain, joy, fear, and love
My music explores a spectrum of emotions.
Through my perspective I can see Jah reflection
Through my experiences, I can see God's influence.
In the highest definition getting high with my brethren
With my close friends, I'm experiencing the highest level of spiritual experience.
Could've asked us why Africans dying from circumcision
We should be asking why we allow dangerous circumcision practices in Africa.
They lack proper surgeons, suffer malnutrition
Because they don't have access to proper healthcare and nutrition.
Underestimate the wealth of their own wisdom
They don't recognize the value of their own traditions and knowledge.
It's like it's been exchanged for this penicillin
Their traditional knowledge has been devalued in favor of modern medicine.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMIAN ROBERT NESTA MARLEY, NASIR JONES, STEPHEN MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@an.ignacio314
For all!
Chorus - Jr. Gong]
Jah told you in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
Jah told you in his own words
And I'll see you through
To guide you through this cold world
And I'll see you through
[Verse 1 - Nas]
Two steps away from death, a vest and a holster
I detest detectives arresting us over
Weapons possession, they was checking the Rover
Inspecting the tattoos on my neck and my shoulder
How many times I'm one of six coffin-holders
Or sitting with goons in a visiting room
Flip it, I could've been you
Behind state walls bidding
These are the things that a G pray for, acquit us
A little stash in the safe or a little shorty to wait for
Or a shorty to take the weight for him
What really did I escape from?
Thought I saw God's face on the design on my vintage Claiborne
Swear I see em every day in the bus or the train
Or the billboards out there that hang tall
I still give thanks for him, have faith for him
No matter what his name's called
[Chorus - Jr. Gong]
[Verse 2 - Jr. Gong]
Hey can you think of a colour that you've never seen?
Can you reminisce on places you've never been?
Well is many are called
But them never deemed
Worthy for the cause
Cause them never clean
Help who help themselves
Jah nuh raffle dream
That's why me chummy with Jah Jah
Like a Cherubim
Keep us strong through the winter like an Evergreen
And all of us are more connected than it ever seems
All things are related and creation is a package
Generate together and we increase the wattage
A how them a go manage?
Tell Babylon them can't do Rasta damage
Nor stop we through the passage
Jah did make a promise, God is always honest
Always keep his word, don't care what the plan is
Don't be astonished
Stumbling bocks vanish
One day the meek gonna live inna di palace, Woah!
[Chorus - Jr. Gong]
[Verse 3 - Nas]
Some people ask me if I feel the zionists are real
And in my songs do I plan to expose and reveal
Word to the curb that's under these chrome wheels
My homies is only ones I'm taking care of
But severe reality starts to become more clear
And these know-it-all rappers have become more weird
As if they were superior and fans are inferior
How I balance between the streets and the theories of
Collegiate literature, I hold mirrors up
Give combinations of pain, joy, fear, and love
Through my perspective I can see Jah reflection
In the highest definition getting high with my brethren
Could've asked us why Africans dying from circumcision
They lack proper surgeons, suffer malnutrition
Underestimate the wealth of their own wisdom
It's like it's been exchanged for this penicillin
[Chorus - Jr. Gong]
@kingNcaged
2022 and im still convinced that this is the greatest album of all times
@GoldCrownENT
๐ฏ from The Kingdom of Axum
@r3b3lvegan89
Greatest hiphop collab next to Fugees Red n Meth, Blackstar and Dead Prez
@r.l.9797
Love the album but I personally skip all the Nas verses, would love to hear this song with just Damian.
@kaboom3611
Make that 2023 ๐ฅ
@katxuribeiro1054
Mi ejemplo es...
If we need to keep right temperatura...grados in our wine....why not think in negocios give US a real future
@tinashemakura7945
2023 and still getting that divine feel from this powerful masterpiece!!....
@Don.M.
โThrough my perspective I can see Jah reflection..โ โค
@nathanluyengo9323
This album will always be the greatest ever...!
It directly hits the soul.
@agyapongantwidavid535
Why didnโt album win a Grammy. Nas is best dead or alive thank you Nas and Damien. Naming my next son Nasir or Damien