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..
Life's a Bitch
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's keep it real, son, count this money
You know what I'm sayin'? Yeah, yeah
Ayo, put the Grants over there in the safe
You know what I'm sayin'?
'Cause we spendin' these Jacksons
The Washington's go to wifey, you know how that go
I'm sayin' that's what this is all about, right?
You know what I'm sayin'?
Yo, then what, man, what?
Visualizin' the realism of life and actuality
Fuck who's the baddest, a person's status depends on salary
And my mentality is money-orientated
I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it
'Cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as Five Percenters
But somethin' must of got in us 'cause all of us turned to sinners
Now some restin' in peace and some are sittin' in San Quentin
Others, such as myself, are tryin' to carry on tradition
Keepin' this Schweppervescent street ghetto essence inside us
'Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us
Even though we know, somehow we all gotta go
But as long as we leavin' thievin'
We'll be leavin' with some kind of dough
So, until that day we expire and turn to vapors
Me and my capers will be somewhere stackin' plenty papers
Keepin' it real, packin' steel, gettin' high
'Cause life's a bitch and then you die
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff lye
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff lye
I woke up early on my born day, I'm 20, it's a blessing
The essence of adolescence leaves my body, now I'm fresh and
My physical frame is celebrated 'cause I made it
One quarter through life, some godly-like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual, plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I pus from
My skull 'cause it's pain in my brain vein, money maintain
Don't go against the grain, simple and plain
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard
Robbin' foreigners, take they wallets, they jewels and rip they green cards
Dipped to the projects, flashin' my quick cash
And got my first piece of ass, smokin' blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance
Niggas I used to run with is rich or doin' years in the hundreds
I switched my motto, instead of sayin', "Fuck tomorrow"
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back
Time is illmatic, keep static like wool fabric
Pack a 4-matic that crack your whole cabbage
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff lye
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff lye
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
In Nas's song Life's A Bitch, the lyrics depict the harsh realities of life, the importance of money and the need for people to make the most of their time while they are alive. In the first verse, Nas talks about the importance of money and how it determines a person's status. He mentions how his mentality is focused on money and how he wants to live the dream for his peers who never made it. He then talks about how they all turned to the life of sinners even though they were beginners in the hood as Five Percenters. The second verse talks about how life is unpredictable and how people should enjoy it while they can. Nas says he woke up early on his born day, which he considers a blessing. He then talks about his experiences growing up where he used to rob foreigners, take their wallets, jewels and green cards. Now, it is all about cash in abundance, and the people he once ran with are either rich or doing years in the hundreds.
In essence, Life's A Bitch is a reflective song that reminds us that life is short, and we should make the most of it. It talks about the importance of enjoying life while being aware of the harsh realities of the world. The song also highlights the importance of money and how it determines a person's position in society, while at the same time cautioning against being too greedy.
Line by Line Meaning
Ayo, what's up, what's up?
Hey, how's it going? Let's be honest and count this money, you know what I'm saying?
You know what I'm sayin'? Yeah, yeah
Do you understand me? Yeah, yeah.
Ayo, put the Grants over there in the safe
Put the larger bills in the safe over there, you know what I'm saying?
'Cause we spendin' these Jacksons
We're spending the smaller bills.
The Washington's go to wifey, you know how that go
The one dollar bills go to the wife, you know how it is.
I'm sayin' that's what this is all about, right?
I'm saying that this is what life is all about, isn't it?
Clothes, bankrolls, and hoes
Material possessions, money, and women.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Do you understand me?
Yo, then what, man, what
So, what are we going to do?
Visualizing the realism of life and actuality
Seeing and understanding the true nature of life.
Fuck who's the baddest, a person's status depends on salary
A person's worth is based on their income, not on who's the toughest.
And my mentality is money-orientated
I am focused on making money.
I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it
I am meant to achieve success for all the people who never had the chance to.
'Cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as Five Percenters
We used to be inexperienced in the rough neighborhood as Five Percenters, a movement based on knowledge of self and others.
But something must of got in us 'cause all of us turned to sinners
Something caused us to turn to a life of crime, despite our previous beliefs.
Now some resting in peace and some are sitting in San Quentin
Some of our friends are dead and some are in prison.
Others such as myself are trying to carry on tradition
Some of us are still trying to hold onto our beliefs and culture.
Keeping the effervescent street ghetto essence inside us
We hold onto the culture and atmosphere of our rough, urban upbringing.
'Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us
This culture gives us the wisdom to navigate our way through life.
Even though, we know somehow we all gotta go
Despite everything, we know that we will all eventually die.
But as long as we leaving thieving
But as long as we leave with some stolen goods,
We'll be leaving with some kind of dough
we'll at least have something to show for our criminal activities.
So, until that day we expire and turn to vapors
Until the day we die and become part of the atmosphere.
Me and my capers will be somewhere else stacking plenty papers
My crew and I will be somewhere else accumulating money.
Keeping it real, packing steel, getting high
We will always stay true to ourselves and carry guns and smoke marijuana.
'Cause life's a bitch and then you die
Because life can be difficult and unpredictable, and it all ends in death.
I woke up early on my born day, I'm 20, it's a blessing
On my birthday, I woke up early and realized that reaching 20 is a blessing.
The essence of adolescence leaves my body, now I'm fresh and
I feel young and invigorated.
My physical frame is celebrated 'cause I made it
I am proud that I have made it to this point physically.
One quarter through life some Godly-like thing created
I am one quarter of the way through my life, as if some divine force created me.
Got rhymes 365 days annual, plus some
I have a year's worth of rhymes, plus some.
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I pus from
I pick up the microphone and perform while cursing, while inspiration flows from my mind.
My skull 'cause it's pain in my brain, vein, money maintain
The pain in my brain and veins is due to my obsession with making and keeping money.
Don't go against the grain, simple and plain
Don't make things harder for yourself, keep it simple.
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard
When I was young, I was fierce in my actions and words.
Robbing foreigners, take their wallets, their jewels
I used to rob foreigners and steal their money and jewelry.
And rip their green cards
I also stole their green cards, which gave them legal residency in the US.
Dipped to the projects flashing my quick cash and
I went to the low-income housing projects and displayed my newfound wealth.
Got my first piece of ass smoking blunts with hash
I had my first sexual encounter while smoking marijuana mixed with hashish.
Now it's all about cash in abundance
Now, my focus is solely on having a large amount of money.
Niggas I used to run with is rich or doing years in the hundreds
The people I used to associate with are either wealthy or serving long prison sentences.
I switched my motto, instead of saying "fuck tomorrow"
I changed my outlook, no longer believing that tomorrow doesn't matter.
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
The money spent on a bottle could have been used to buy a lottery ticket and win big.
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
When I sold drugs on the street corner, even the smallest amounts added up to a large amount of money.
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back
I would break down and divide the drugs to make more money.
Time is Illmatic, keep static like wool fabric
Time is precious, don't waste it. Keep still and focused.
Pack a 4-matic that crack your whole cabbage
I carry a gun (a 4-matic) that could take out an entire group of people.
Life's a bitch and then you die
Life can be difficult and unpredictable, and it all ends in death.
That's why we get high
That's why we smoke marijuana, to deal with the stresses of life.
'Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Because you never know when you will die.
That's why we puff lye
That's why we smoke marijuana.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anthony S Cruz, Nasir Jones, Oliver Scott, Ronny Wilson, Anthony Cruz, Ronnie Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seanbyrne7927
@@ThaMobstarr Give over Kendrick has not got a patch on Nas' lyrically.
"Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my paystub
Ooh, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste buds?
I get way too petty once you let me do the extras
Pull up on your block, then break it down, we playin' Tetris"
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"Visualizin' the realism of life in actuality
Fuck who's the baddest, a person's status depends on salary
And my mentality is money-orientated
I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it
'Cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as Five Percenters
But somethin' must've got in us, 'cause all of us turned to sinners
Now some restin' in peace and some are sittin' in San Quentin
Others, such as myself, are tryin' to carry on tradition"
Two verses can't even be compared, two artists which cant be compared.
@Hookem0126
The older i get the more this hits.
@user-sn2se3gs1t
Factss
@iceysuhn5503
“The buck that bought the bottle coulda struck the lotto” cold asf
@undergroundwes2682
💯
@dekkaiswam
Once I
@jahterminatedlmao5473
AZ introduced himself on this song with a top 10 hip hop verse of all time
@nasirjones9675
Thanks you so much
@Mathias6x
@@nasirjones9675 Nas is that you? You're my favorite rapper.
@Ibrahim-wr5fs
@@Mathias6x it isn’t
@iamthewalruscuckookachoo1372
You got that damn right.