Just a Moment
Nas Lyrics


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Can we please have a moment of silence?
That's for my niggas doin' years in confinement
And for my soldiers who passed over, no longer living
That couldn't run whenever the reaper came to get 'em
Can we please pour out some liquor?
Symobolizin', let's take in time to consider that
Though our thugs ain't here, the love is here
And we gon' rep 'til slugs kill us here
This for my dawgs stuck in the struggle tryin' to gain
Smokin' trauma, sniffin' Ra while sellin' cocaine
Trapped in the game, not knowin' how to stop and get by
To live it alive, so instead they live it to die
Can we please have a moment of peace?
For every G that fell for his flag in the streets
Bloodin' and thuggin', folkin' and lokin'
Crypin' and creepin', Latin and kingin'
Or just for poor righteous teachin'

As days comes and nights falls
For the rest of our life we'll miss y'all
And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
While wishin' y'all were home

As days comes and nights falls
For the rest of our life we'll miss y'all
And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
While wishin' y'all were home

Yeah, and can we have another moment of silence?
For brothers who died from black-on-black violence
From here to the Dark Continent were rebels sell diamonds
To clients allover the world, got little Black girls dyin'
And can we please pour some more liquors?
For Will, Bokeem, Bar, Pappy, my niggas
Here's another Warrior Song from Nasty and Quan
It's to him I pass the baton to carry this on
Street's Disciple, salute to those who's gone with bullets
And I promise through rhymin' Quan gon' rep his life to the fullest
And can we please have a moment of truth?
For soldiers and troops away with helmets and boots
And families back home who pray they make it home safe
Hopin' that they don't get hit with a stray or missiles
This is just a moment to let you all know that we miss you
Mommy I'm still here, wishin' I was there with you
Let's take 'em home

As days comes and nights falls
For the rest of our lifes we'll miss y'all
And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
While wishin' y'all were home

As days comes and nights falls
For the rest of our lifes we'll miss y'all
And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
While wishin' y'all were home

And can we please have a moment to mourn?
For Pac, Biggie and Pun 'cause through us they live on
Jam Master Jay, Freaky Ty and Aliyah
Big L and Left Eye, when we die we wish to see ya
Can we please have a moment for children?
Who got raped or murdered, or trapped in the system
Who never knew their father, never learned to dream
But was guided by drug dealers, killers and crack fiends
For single mothers that's forced to play mom and dad
Bustin' her ass to give her kids shit she never had
For my niggas in the pen hopin' rhymes'll get 'em signed
So when released, they can say bye to a life of crime
For every mother that held a son in the street bleedin'
Cryin' a song of sorrow to dark and deep for speakin'
Just a moment outside the day to day struggle
To let the ones we really care about know that we love 'em

As days comes and nights falls
For the rest of our life we'll miss y'all
And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
While wishin' y'all were home

As days comes and nights falls
For the rest of our life we'll miss y'all




And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
While wishin' y'all were home

Overall Meaning

The song "Just A Moment" by Nas is a heartfelt tribute to all those who have passed away, from friends lost to the violence of the streets to soldiers and troops who sacrificed themselves on the battlefield. The lyrics give a voice to the pain of those left behind, who continue to mourn the loss of loved ones despite the passage of time. Nas pays homage to the struggles of the black community and highlights the injustice and suffering faced by many. The lyrics also touch on themes of survival and perseverance, as people struggle to make it through life despite the hardships they face.


Line by Line Meaning

Can we please have a moment of silence?
Can we please take a moment to pay our respects?


That's for my niggas doin' years in confinement
We honor and remember those who are serving time in prison.


And for my soldiers who passed over, no longer living
We honor and remember those who died serving in the military.


That couldn't run whenever the reaper came to get 'em
They could not escape death when it came for them.


Can we please pour out some liquor?
Can we please make a symbolic gesture of respect by pouring out some alcohol?


Symobolizin', let's take in time to consider that
This gesture is a symbol, and we should take a moment to reflect on its meaning.


Though our thugs ain't here, the love is here
Even though our loved ones are not here with us, our love for them remains.


And we gon' rep 'til slugs kill us here
We will continue to represent and honor our loved ones until the day we die.


This for my dawgs stuck in the struggle tryin' to gain
I dedicate this to my friends who are struggling to succeed.


Smokin' trauma, sniffin' Ra while sellin' cocaine
They are coping with their struggles by using drugs while also selling drugs.


Trapped in the game, not knowin' how to stop and get by
They feel stuck in their situation and do not know how to escape and succeed.


To live it alive, so instead they live it to die
They feel like they are just surviving and not truly living, which leads them to destructive behaviors.


For every G that fell for his flag in the streets
We honor and remember every gang member who died for their gang.


Bloodin' and thuggin', folkin' and lokin'
We remember gang members who were involved in violence and gang activities.


Crypin' and creepin', Latin and kingin'
We remember gang members who were affiliated with different gangs.


Or just for poor righteous teachin'
We also remember those who tried to spread positivity and good teachings in their communities.


As days comes and nights falls
Time goes on and life continues.


For the rest of our life we'll miss y'all
We will always miss those who are no longer with us.


And even though life must go on, we'll still mourn
We must continue living our lives, but we will still feel sadness and grief.


While wishin' y'all were home
We wish our loved ones who have passed away were still here with us.


For brothers who died from black-on-black violence
We remember the lives lost due to violence within the black community.


From here to the Dark Continent were rebels sell diamonds
We remember those who have died in the diamond trade in Africa.


To clients allover the world, got little Black girls dyin'
The diamond trade has led to the exploitation and harm of young black girls around the world.


Here's another Warrior Song from Nasty and Quan
This is another song dedicated to honoring those who have passed away.


It's to him I pass the baton to carry this on
We will continue to honor and remember those who have passed, passing the responsibility on to the next generation.


Street's Disciple, salute to those who's gone with bullets
We salute those who have been killed by gun violence.


And I promise through rhymin' Quan gon' rep his life to the fullest
We promise to keep our loved ones' memories alive through music and other forms of art.


For soldiers and troops away with helmets and boots
We honor and remember the soldiers who are serving their country overseas.


And families back home who pray they make it home safe
We also remember the families of soldiers who are waiting for their loved ones to return home safely.


Hopin' that they don't get hit with a stray or missiles
We hope that our soldiers do not get injured or killed during their service.


This is just a moment to let you all know that we miss you
We want our soldiers to know that we miss them and are thinking about them.


Mommy I'm still here, wishin' I was there with you
Some soldiers may want to be home with their families but are unable to be.


For Pac, Biggie and Pun 'cause through us they live on
We remember and honor iconic rappers who have passed away.


Jam Master Jay, Freaky Ty and Aliyah
We also remember other notable musicians who have passed away.


Big L and Left Eye, when we die we wish to see ya
We hope to see those who have passed away when we die.


For children who got raped or murdered, or trapped in the system
We remember and recognize the innocent lives lost and those who are victims of systemic issues.


Who never knew their father, never learned to dream
We remember children who grew up without positive role models and opportunities for success.


But was guided by drug dealers, killers and crack fiends
Sadly, some children are influenced by negative and harmful individuals in their communities.


For single mothers that's forced to play mom and dad
We recognize the challenges faced by single mothers who are responsible for raising their children alone.


Bustin' her ass to give her kids shit she never had
These mothers work hard to provide for their children and give them the opportunities they never had.


For my niggas in the pen hopin' rhymes'll get 'em signed
We remember those who are incarcerated and hope that their musical talents will lead to success and a better life.


So when released, they can say bye to a life of crime
We hope that these individuals can turn their lives around and leave their criminal past behind them.


For every mother that held a son in the street bleedin'
We remember the pain and heartbreak experienced by mothers who have lost their children to violence.


Cryin' a song of sorrow to dark and deep for speakin'
The grief and sorrow felt by mothers is often too overwhelming and difficult to put into words.


Just a moment outside the day to day struggle
This song is a moment of reflection and remembrance outside of the daily struggles of life.


To let the ones we really care about know that we love 'em
Through this song, we want to express our love and appreciation for those who are important to us.




Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards, Nasir Jones, Leshan Lewis, Clifford Peacock, Nile Gregory Rodgers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@janepatton8100

The worth and dignity of a soul is measured by what it delights in! And delight/happiness is our highest desire.

Men have killed to have it. Kings have gone mad trying to find it. Wars have served it. Affairs have worshiped it. We all seek it.

Sadly, billions have died without discovering its secret... namely, that joy is not an it, but a He.

The Gospel is the good news that sinners can delight in a Holy God. It's the good news that all of our deepest desires are satisfied in the ONE who sent His Son to bring us to Him.

God is so valuable and so satisfying that the most loving thing he could do for us is to make Himself gloriously indispensable. He is the only being in the universe for whom self-exaltation is the highest virtue.

Therefore, God's commitment to be glorified and our goal to be satisfied are not at odds but come to simultaneous consumation in the worship of His Son... who took upon Himself the Wrath that God had towards us in our sinful disregard of Him. A wrath that could never be appeased through man-made religion.

Jesus didn't die to turn the world into a paradise, he died so that we could stop seeking paradise in the world...

Temporal things such as beauty, popularity, money, sex, racial identity, gender reassignment... can never truly satisfy. BECAUSE WE WERE MADE FOR SO MUCH MORE!

We were made to gaze intently into the Eternal Beauty of a majestic King, Father, and God... meet Jesus the Christ.

Life is hard, God is good, Glory is coming

God Bless!



All comments from YouTube:

@southside.sp914

who’s still here with me in 2024

@rashaudscott2170

For life

@hadders83

Just a moment though

@julianograbano

Real will always find real.......classic song wanna play rough NAS 777

@king_jjudah

💯💯💯💯

@ariellerobinson1991

Me 🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️

9 More Replies...

@loyisosijaji5387

Moment of Silent for Kobe Bryant, His Daughter and all those who passed on in that tragic copter

@ramathauguste8056

Loyiso Sijaji 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🕯🕯🕯😢😢😢

@yktv.tv.selfmadegeneration8030

💔💔💔👈🏾

@kareemcarrington1382

🙏🏾🙌🏽

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