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..
Just Another Day In Projects
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A gangster, drinkin' Moets, holdin' Tecs
Makin' sure the cash is correct, then I step
Investments in stock
Sewin' up the blocks to sell rocks
Winnin' gun fights with the cops
Custom made suit's
Hands full of ice and gold
The dice I rolled
Girls workin' night patrol, the whore market
When I walk
Niggas is rollin' out the red carpet
Now, how good could a black man have it?
Livin' like a king is a habit
I keep a automatic
The whole crew's life is love above word
Rumors about the way we
Make niggas well heard
Nicknamed the "Killa Clan"
Soon to kill a man
If there's still a gram, I shake my left hand
And not do a minute on the rock
'Cause if I do a minute on the rock
The jury's gettin' knocked
About girls I kept braggin'
'Cause I owned all the runner-ups
In every state's beauty pageant
Inside my Lamborghini, pour you a Martini
Little kids in the streets, they wanna be me
I'm livin' in a mansion
Hold a nigga's wife for ransom
I'm like a rich Charles Manson
A view, backyard, about 40 acres
You read about me in the papers
I hit the jackpot every night
From all my crack spots
We attack cops for props
I got sons with guns, they all done crimes
They so wild
They even scare my ass sometimes
Other niggas on the blocks is so corny
I got my dime
I'm lookin like someone smoke for me
Bad bitches kissin' my ass
I got a few mill in the
Stash with beds made of cash
But on my head was a price
I made the bad-guys in Miami-Vice look nice
All of a sudden, I got raided
My crib was invaded
But the Nas still made it to the getaway car
And now my drivin' skills gotta be up to par
The cops caught the car and sprayed
Till it was smoked up that's when I woke up
Yeah Nas, nigga word life, kid
The whole thing was a nightmare
I fell asleep watchin' Scarface
Layin' in the chair standin' on the block
It was flooded with cops
Through the parks was the D's and the Narcs
Watchin' me walkin' out my building
Starin' and hawkin' shit, but I as fortunate
I usually be goin' out with the 9
Instead, I had 10 bucks to buy a dime
Bag of weed, never cracks, I ain't with that
I bought Buddha, some Phillies and a Kit-Kat
Now I'm walkin' back through
The drug infested area
Which was filled with hysteria
When a cop yelled, "Come here, black"
I thought to myself
"What part of the game is that?"
I didn't do no crime for you
To be wastin' your time
With your antagonistic mind
He said that I was bein'
Smart and I better run
He looked like a Klansman with a gun
So, I started floatin'
Police in Queensbridge, they don't be jokin'
I ran up my crib, in the nick of time
Rolled up a Phillie and stashed the 9
Police later left
I was outta breath and what not
Somebody got shot, that why it's hot
I called my man and told him the adventure
And later, I meet him at the community center
I need a six pack of Beck's
It's Just Another Day in the Projects!
In "Just Another Day in The Project," Nas paints a vivid picture of his dream where he imagines himself as a successful gangster living a luxurious lifestyle. He describes drinking expensive champagne, carrying firearms, and ensuring that his finances are in order. Nas fantasizes about being powerful and respected, as he walks through his neighborhood and is greeted with admiration. He revels in his wealth, boasting about his custom-made suits, expensive jewelry, and high-stakes gambling. The women are drawn to him, and he owns the runners-up of beauty pageants across the country. He lives in a mansion and holds others' wives hostage for ransom. Nas sees himself as an untouchable figure, feared by others and constantly on the run from the law. However, as the dream progresses, Nas's world begins to crumble. His mansion is raided by the police, and he narrowly escapes, illustrating that even in his dream, his criminal activities have consequences.
This song showcases Nas's ability to capture the grit and allure of life in the projects while also critiquing the glorification of a criminal lifestyle. Through his lyrics, Nas highlights the dangers and instability inherent in the pursuit of wealth and power through illegal means. He questions the idea of success in a society that often overlooks the struggles faced by those living in impoverished neighborhoods.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream I was
I fantasized about being
A gangster, drinkin' Moets, holdin' Tecs
A tough guy, sipping expensive champagne, carrying weapons
Makin' sure the cash is correct, then I step
Ensuring my money is counted accurately before leaving
Investments in stock
Putting money into the stock market
Sewin' up the blocks to sell rocks
Controlling and monopolizing the drug market in the neighborhood
Winnin' gun fights with the cops
Emerging victorious in shootouts with the police
Custom made suit's
Wearing high-end tailored suits
Hands full of ice and gold
Having expensive jewelry
Makin' thousand dollar bets on
Gambling significant amounts of money on
The dice I rolled
The outcome of the dice I threw
Girls workin' night patrol, the whore market
Prostitutes patrolling during the night, involved in the sex trade
When I walk
Whenever I walk by
Niggas is rollin' out the red carpet
People showing me great respect
Now, how good could a black man have it?
Reflecting on the luxury and success I, as a black man, could experience
Livin' like a king is a habit
Being accustomed to living a lavish lifestyle
I keep a automatic
Carrying a fully automatic firearm
The whole crew's life is love above word
My entire crew values loyalty more than anything
Rumors about the way we
Speculation about how we
Make niggas well heard
Spread fear and make others aware of us
Nicknamed the 'Killa Clan'
Called the 'Killa Clan'
Soon to kill a man
Likely to murder someone
If there's still a gram, I shake my left hand
If there's even a small amount of drugs remaining, I dispose of it
And not do a minute on the rock
Avoid serving time in prison
'Cause if I do a minute on the rock
Because if I serve a minute in jail
The jury's gettin' knocked
The jury will be bribed or influenced
About girls I kept braggin'
Boasting about the women I had
'Cause I owned all the runner-ups
Because I possessed all the second-place winners
In every state's beauty pageant
In beauty contests held in each state
Inside my Lamborghini, pour you a Martini
In my luxurious Lamborghini, I'll serve you a Martini
Little kids in the streets, they wanna be me
Children in the neighborhood aspire to become like me
I'm livin' in a mansion
Residing in a large, extravagant house
Hold a nigga's wife for ransom
Taking someone's wife hostage for money
I'm like a rich Charles Manson
I resemble a wealthy version of the notorious criminal Charles Manson
A view, backyard, about 40 acres
Having a scenic backyard spanning approximately 40 acres
You read about me in the papers
News about me is featured in newspapers
I hit the jackpot every night
I consistently become extremely successful
From all my crack spots
Through profits from my locations selling crack cocaine
We attack cops for props
We confront and challenge the police for respect
I got sons with guns, they all done crimes
I have children armed with firearms who have all committed crimes
They so wild
They are extremely reckless and uncontrollable
They even scare my ass sometimes
They even manage to frighten me occasionally
Other niggas on the blocks is so corny
Other men in the neighborhood are unoriginal and dull
I got my dime
I have my attractive girlfriend
I'm lookin like someone smoke for me
I appear disheveled and intoxicated as if someone smoked marijuana on my behalf
Bad bitches kissin' my ass
Desirable women showing me extreme flattery
I got a few mill in the
I possess a few million dollars in
Stash with beds made of cash
My hidden money is stacked and used as a mattress
But on my head was a price
My life was at risk
I made the bad guys in Miami-Vice look nice
I made the villains in the show Miami-Vice appear pleasant in comparison
All of a sudden, I got raided
Unexpectedly, a law enforcement raid was conducted on me
My crib was invaded
My residence was forcefully entered
But the Nas still made it to the getaway car
However, I managed to escape to the vehicle used for escape
And now my drivin' skills gotta be up to par
Now I must be an exceptional driver
The cops caught the car and sprayed
The police pursued the car and shot at it
Till it was smoked up that's when I woke up
Until the car was filled with smoke, which is when I woke up from my dream
Yeah Nas, nigga word life, kid
Yes, Nas, my friend, that's the truth
The whole thing was a nightmare
The entire experience was a frightening dream
I fell asleep watchin' Scarface
I drifted into slumber while watching the movie Scarface
Layin' in the chair standin' on the block
Reclining in the chair, positioned on the street corner
It was flooded with cops
There were an overwhelming number of police officers present
Through the parks was the D's and the Narcs
The detectives and undercover police were patrolling the parks
Watchin' me walkin' out my building
Observing me exit my residence
Starin' and hawkin' shit, but I as fortunate
Intently staring and scrutinizing me, but I was lucky
I usually be goin' out with the 9
I typically carry a 9mm handgun
Instead, I had 10 bucks to buy a dime
Instead, I only had ten dollars to purchase a small amount of drugs
Bag of weed, never cracks, I ain't with that
A package of marijuana, never crack cocaine, I don't engage in that
I bought Buddha, some Phillies and a Kit-Kat
I purchased marijuana, cigars, and a Kit-Kat chocolate bar
Now I'm walkin' back through
Now I'm returning through
The drug infested area
The region heavily impacted by drug use
Which was filled with hysteria
Which was characterized by extreme fear and panic
When a cop yelled, 'Come here, black'
A police officer shouted, 'Come here, black person'
I thought to myself
I contemplated internally
'What part of the game is that?'
'What aspect of life is this?'
I didn't do no crime for you
I didn't commit any offense for you
To be wastin' your time
For you to be squandering your time
With your antagonistic mind
With your confrontational mindset
He said that I was bein'
He stated that I was being
Smart and I better run
Intelligent and that I should flee
He looked like a Klansman with a gun
He resembled a member of the Ku Klux Klan holding a firearm
So, I started floatin'
So, I began to run quickly
Police in Queensbridge, they don't be jokin'
The police in the Queensbridge neighborhood are serious and not to be underestimated
I ran up my crib, in the nick of time
I hurried back to my home just in time
Rolled up a Phillie and stashed the 9
I prepared a marijuana-filled cigar and concealed the 9mm handgun
Police later left
The police officers eventually departed
I was outta breath and what not
I was short of breath and fatigued, among other things
Somebody got shot, that's why it's hot
Someone was shot, which is the reason for the tense atmosphere
I called my man and told him the adventure
I contacted my friend and informed him about the eventful incident
And later, I meet him at the community center
And later, I will rendezvous with him at the local community center
I need a six pack of Beck's
I require a six-pack of Beck's beer
It's Just Another Day in the Projects!
It's another typical day in the housing projects
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zuskwaf9294
I had a dream, I was a gangster drinking Moets, holding Tecs
Making sure the cash is correct, then I stepped
Investments in stock, sewing up the blocks
To sell rocks, winning gun fights with the cops
Custom-made suits, hands full of ice and gold
Making thousand dollar bets on the dice I rolled
Girls working night patrol, the whore market
When I walk, niggas is rolling out the red carpet
Now how good could a black man have it?
Living like a king, is a habit I keep an automatic
The whole crew life is love above word
Rumors about the way we make niggas well heard
Nicknamed the "Killa Clan"
Soon to kill a man
If there is still a gram
I shake my left hand
And not do a minute on the rock
Cause if I do a minute on the rock
The juries getting knocked
I'm 'bout girls, that kept braggin'
Cause I own all the runner-ups in every state's beauty pagent
Inside a lamborgini, called the Martini
Little kids in the streets, they wanna be me
I'm living in a mansion, hold a niggas wife for ransom
I'm like a rich Charles Manson
A view, backyard, about 40 acres
You read about me in the papers
I hit the jackpot
Every night from all my crack spots
We attack cops for props
I got sons with guns, they all done crimes
They so wild, they even scare my ass sometimes
Other niggas on the blocks is so corny
I got my dime, I'm lookin like someone smoke for me
Bad bitches kissing my ass
I got a few mill. in the stash
With beds made of cash
But on my head was a price
I made the bad-guys in Miami-Vice, look nice
All of a sudden, I got raided
My crib was invaded
But, the Nas still made it...
To the getaway car
And now my driving skills got to be up to par
The cops parked the car
And sprayed till it was smoked up
That's when I woke up
[Hook: Piano hook]
[Jungle]
Yea Nas, nigga
Word Life Kid
[Verse 2: Nas]
The whole thing was a nightmare
I fell asleep watching Scarface
Laying in the chair
Standing on the block
It was flooded with cops
Through the parks... Was the D's and the Narcs
Watching me walking out my building
Staring and hawkin shit
But I as fortunate
I usually be going out with the 9
Instead, I had 10 bucks to buy a dime...
Bag of weed
Never cracks I ain't with that
I bought buddha, some phillies, and a Kit-Kat
Now I'm walking back, through the drug infested area
Which is filled with hysteria
When a cop yelled, "Come here black."
I thought to myself, "what part of the game is that? "
I didn't do no crime, for you to be wasting your time
With your antagonistic mind
He said that I was being smart and I better run
He looked like a Klans-man with a gun
So I started floating
Police in Queensbridge, they don't be joking
I ran up my crib, in the nick of time
Rolled up a philly and stashed the 9
Police later left, I was outta breath
And what not
Somebody got shot, that why it's hot
I called my man and told him the adventure
And later, I meet him at the community center
I need a six pack of Beck's
It's Just Another Day in the Projects!
@silky1700
He had that Kool G. Rap flow.
@johnkeem103
True
@namename123
the beat is also similar
@traviscarter1023
Was this the summer of 1993.
@kisuryouri334
na he had his own shit Kool G Rap is not Nas lol
@paysandekinshasa3513
@@kisuryouri334 This is Kool G rap flow on this song.
@metroboomin6913
By far the best rapper alive... Even dead or alive he's still top 2 all time and will always be the King Of New York
@AJandWrmyinitials
What dead rapper is in the top two with Nas? I can think of some living ones that could rank up there, but no dead ones.
@davadreviewer5509
Adam Waldorf big and pac
@justn2718
@@davadreviewer5509 big and pac donโt compare to Nas