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.
1973β1992: 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.
1992β1995: 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 Serchβs solo album is released later in the year, Nasβ 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.
1996β1998: 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.
1998β2000: 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.
2000β2001: 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."
2002βPresent: 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 KoΠ―n'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, Nasβ 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..
Live Now
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll just (live) live now, there's no reason why you shouldn't, everything is up to you
All you gotta do is just (live), live now, we spending
Not under the ground yet, we enjoying every second yo
Live now, don't forget to bro, yeah
Cause I promise you you'll regret it bro
Picture my last days will be so grim
Eyes dilated, looking skinny, trying to smile, trying to say something
Whole room will quiet down just to hear my last words
Tears fall down my facial, why fear anything, it's now too late to
I'm dreaming of a time I was silked out at the peak of my career
But I always choked out, leaving mad money on the table at crazy amounts
I would hit the scene for a second and bounce
Admit I did live a little bit, sweet pickle dick
Freaks licked on it, lips I dripped on it
Sex, I shot pearl necklaces on necks and tits
Traveled half the world, wish I traveled the rest of it
From QB to Mecca kid, so if you knew me
You'd be proud to say I left you with enough memories to resurrect me with
So live now nigga
Live now niggas, there's no promise of a second time around, put it down
We'll just (live) live now, there's no reason why you shouldn't, everything is up to you
All you gotta do is just (live), live now, we spending
Not under the ground yet, we enjoying every second yo
Live now, don't forget to bro, yeah
Cause I promise you you'll regret it bro
It's been a long time since you came through to see ya sis
You know I love you, I've been a fan since Genesis
Gotta respect you cause you never tried to smash
Since we met a while back, and your style was mack
Now I see that you a man after all you been through
A stand-up dude, held me down after Sekou
Need more brothers like you in the hood, would have wifed you if I could
But the white cells in my blood were no good
Said I had it ten years, but I was just a carrier
I thought, "Me a victim?", could never be my character
It's ill Se' passed the way he did, didn't know how to tell him
Just happy it didn't get in our kid
But all the things I did was the flyest, experiences were priceless
Remember days of diamond cuts
Nugget rings, clubs in Queens, Jetta cars
Used to love them things, Barbados, Belize
I stayed over seas, shopping sprees, credit cards
Pockets of Gs, left the hood, phattest cribs
To platinum from silver, came back, bitches calling me the black Liz Taylor
Imagine that, Rob me? My nigga would kill ya, they knew the rules
All the planes I flew, niggas I ran through
Lot of unprotected sex, don't know where it came from
Grimy niggas, rich niggas, damn it ain't a game son
From the Cayman Islands to the Virgin Islands
Gucci suitcases (coughs), a chic did it, eff the screw faces
Critics and fans, they need to get a life
You doin' the right thing, settle down, get a wife now
I grew with you so you know you make me proud
And most of all you gotta live now
Live now nigga ain't no promise of a second time around, put it down, would you
live now, ain't no reason why you shouldn't, everything is up to you
All you gotta do is just, live now, keep spending
Not under the ground yet, keep enjoying every minute yo
Gotta live it up to the limit yo
Cause I promise you you'll regret it bro
Son, come close, lemme talk to you
I got music, put it out to the world, let 'em hear it
Look out for little me, one
The song "Live Now" by Nas is an anthem about living in the present moment and enjoying life to the fullest. The chorus encourages listeners to seize the day and appreciate every second of their time on earth, as there is no guarantee of a second chance. The verses are introspective and provide insight into the regrets and experiences of both Nas and his friend, Scarlett.
Nas raps about his dream of being surrounded by loved ones on his deathbed, reflecting on a life that he lived to the fullest. He acknowledges that although he made some mistakes and let opportunities slip by, he also had incredible experiences and left a lasting legacy. Scarlett, on the other hand, reminisces about the extravagant lifestyle she once had and is grateful for the memories she created. Despite both Nas and Scarlett having regrets, they both emphasize the importance of living in the present moment and not taking their time on earth for granted.
The message of "Live Now" is powerful and universal, and it resonates with people from all walks of life. It urges the listener to make the most of every moment, cherish relationships, and take risks. The song's theme is one of the reasons it has become a classic in Nas's discography.
Line by Line Meaning
Live now niggaz, there's no promise of a second time around, put it down
Enjoy life to the fullest as there are no guarantees of a future opportunity, take action and seize the moment.
We'll just live now, there's no reason why you shouldn't, everything is up to you
Take control of your life and make the most out of every moment, there is no reason to hold back.
All you gotta do is just, live now, we spending
Focus on living in the present, indulge in new experiences and enjoy the moment without worrying about the future.
Not under the ground yet, we enjoying every second yo
As long as we're alive and breathing, we should savor every moment and enjoy it to the fullest.
Live now, don't forget to bro, yeah
Remember to live in the moment and not take life for granted.
Cause I promise you you'll regret it bro
If you don't live in the moment and seize opportunities, you'll regret the missed chances later in life.
Picture my last days will be so grim
Imagining a bleak end to life.
My daughter at my bedside, respirator in me
My child taking care of me at the end of life, as I struggle to breathe.
Eyes dilated, looking skinny, trying to smile, trying to say something
Showing physical and emotional weakness, struggling to communicate.
Whole room will quiet down just to hear my last words
The importance of final words in one's life, the silence when speaking one's last words is respected.
Tears fall down my facial, why fear anything, it's now too late to
Why be afraid of anything when it's too late for any changes or actions.
I'm dreaming of a time I was silked out at the peak of my career
Reminiscing about a time when I was thriving in my profession.
But I always choked out, leaving mad money on the table at crazy amounts
I could have made more money but couldn't get past certain mental blocks that held me back.
I would hit the scene for a second and bounce
I didn't fully embrace experiences, just briefly participated before moving on.
Admit I did live a little bit, sweet pickle dick
Acknowledging that I lived life with some indulgences, using crude humor.
Freaks licked on it, lips I dripped on it
Having sexual relationships with women, describing it in crude humor.
Sex, I dropped pearl necklaces on necks and tits
Having sexual relationships with women, describing it in crude humor.
Traveled half the world, wish I traveled the rest of it
Although I've traveled to many places, there is still much to see and explore.
From QB to Mecca kid, so if you knew me
Referencing the neighborhoods of Queensbridge and Mecca, stating how well people in the area would know him.
You'd be proud to say I left you with enough memories to resurrect me with
Leaving a lasting impact on people through memories, making them think positively back on his life.
It's been a long time since you came through to see ya sis
It's been awhile since the brother has visited or communicated with his sister, expressing affection with a familial nickname.
You know I love you, I've been a fan since Genesis
Expressing familial love for the brother, using a reference to the book of Genesis in the Bible.
Gotta respect you 'cause you never tied to smash
Respecting the brother's chivalry, stating that he has never made sexual advances towards her.
Since we met a while back, and your style was mack
The brother has been charming since they first met.
Now I see that you a man after all you been through
Acknowledging the brother's maturity and manhood, considering his life experiences.
A stand-up dude, held me down after Sekou
The brother has done right by her, being loyal and supportive after her experience with Sekou (unknown context).
Need more brothers like you in the hood, would have wifed you if I could
Wishing there were more like the brother in the community, expressing admiration and infatuation.
But the white cells in my blood were no good
Referring to her illness, which makes it impossible to have children with the brother.
Said I had it ten years, but I was just a carrier
Explaining that she was only a carrier for her illness, not experiencing the full symptoms for a long time.
I thought, "Me a victim?", could never be my character
Refusing to see herself as a victim, believing that her strong character wouldn't allow her to think that way.
It's ill Se' passed the way he did, didn't know how to tell him
Referring to someone who passed away, expressing regret over not being able to tell him something important.
Just happy it didn't get in our kid
Expressing relief that her illness did not affect her child.
But all the things I did was the flyest, experiences were priceless
Recalling her past relatable experiences with positivity.
Remember days of diamond cuts
Recalling the days of wearing jewelry of high value.
Nugget rings, clubs in Queens, Jetta cars
Recalling experiences of driving Volkswagen Jettas, hanging out in the clubs of Queens, and owning nugget rings.
Used to love them things, Barbados, Belize
Recalling the love for material things and the enjoyment of traveling to Barbados and Belize.
I stayed over seas, shopping sprees, credit cards
Recalling times of traveling abroad while spending money on shopping and using credit cards.
Pockets of Gs, left the hood, phattest cribs
Leaving the community to live in wealth and owning the fattest cribs.
To platinum from silver, came back, bitches calling me the black Liz Taylor
Paid attention to by women after accumulating wealth and becoming famous, being referred to as the black Liz Taylor.
Imagine that, Rob me? My nigga would kill ya, they knew the rules
Being protected and safe because of the loyalty from his crew who would kill someone who crossed him.
All the planes I flew, niggaz I ran through
Recalling past sexual experiences and travels by plane.
Lot of unprotected sex, don't know where it came from
Having unprotected sex and unsure of the origins of sexually transmitted diseases.
Grimy niggaz, rich niggaz, damn it ain't a game son
Dealing with both lower-class and upper-class individuals, emphasizing the reality of life.
From the Cayman Islands to the Virgin Islands
Traveling between different parts of the world, specifically referring to various islands.
Gucci suitcases (coughs), a chic did it, eff the screw faces
Travelling with Gucci suitcases, mentioning someone who used to do it, dismissing the judgmental stares of others.
Critics and fans, they need to get a life
Suggesting that critics and fans should find their own lives to focus on, instead of his.
You doin' the right thing, settle down, get a wife now
Encouraging the brother to make the right decision by settling down and starting a family.
I grew with you so you know you make me proud
Having a familial bond, being proud of the brother for how far he has come in life.
And most of all you gotta live now
Encouraging again to live and enjoy the moment to the fullest.
Gotta live it up to the limit yo
Again emphasizing the importance of living in the moment and enjoying life to its fullest.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Chucky Thompson, Verdine White, Maurice White, Nasir Jones, Eduardo Delbarrio, Eddie Del Barrio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind