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..
Make The World Go Round
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need faces mad with frowns when I'm around, or I'm wasting fabric
I don't feel greater 'til my plush pieces 'cause you to suck your teeth
So mean-mugging on my clean-thugging mean nothing
Women dream I'm your husband
I'm Alex Pushkin, the black poetry-writing Russian, ice disgusting
I started bling, how could you question my direction
Or my Tom Ford collection? Gangstas two-stepping
I burned so much trees, I keep environmentalists angry
I'm a rare dude, I'm a wonder
Your best success is my worst blunder
Y'all livin' trendy on pennies, I cop plenty Fendi
Vivienne Westwood, I'm good
Get the whole Trump Tower top floor for the hood
Dre & Cool, we riding heavy, NY to Miami 'cause
We make the world go round
Now let's toast to the hustlers
We make the world go round
Tell the hustlers, toast to the gangstas
We make the world go round
Tell the gangstas to toast to the ballers
We make the world go round
And tell the ballers pour a glass for all us
We make the world go round
I see the haters on the floor jocking my swag
I'm popping Ralph Lauren tags and pouring champagne inside a polo glass
Model bitches rolling grass, Escobar unfolding cash
Toasting with my entourage, went from robbing armored cars
To all my stars, red carpet to the L'Ermitage
We throwing red dice at the Mirage
I pull that red Lamborghini on twenties out my garage
Set up shop in South Beach like Khaled and Terror Squad
(We The Best!) Big pimping, top down chrome spinning
"Top Gun", Tom Cruise tucked inside my Gucci linen
No, just Romo
You tryna shine, I put the nine on your jersey for promo
Jessica Simpson, that's so-so
Nick want his (baby back), but that's Loso
Tell Hawaii 5-0 to catch me at the Pro Bowl
On the field, diamonds choking the jockey on my Polo
CB, let 'em know though
We make the world go round
Tell the hustlers, toast to the gangsters
We make the world go round
Tell the gangstas to toast to the ballers
We make the world go round
And tell the ballers pour a glass for all us
We make the world go round
We make the world go round
From my town to your town
We on top, no stopping us now
We got Patron, the ballers two stepping
Ladies on the floor and all 'em two stepping
From L.A. to Harlem, two stepping
From L.A. to Harlem, two stepping
So iced out, it's easy to point them haters out
We start with Bellini's and end with Patron shots
H. Lorenzo belt buckle from Chrome Heart
Alife tag popper, it'd be sad not to walk out the store with bags
Worth a hundred cash shopping
Violence only when have to, have to to swell you up
Prefer peach Schnaps, Perrier-Jouet, a vanilla dutch
Mets cap, that's Queens, I'm a vet, bet that
300 carats the average up on the neck, black
Paid the cost, be the boss, Black Caesar floss
Weekends at the Venetian, pull up in that black Porsche
Top down, new fashion
Seeing me is like seeing through the lens of Helmut Newton's camera light, flashing
And I'm laughing, my plaques' from album sales
Y'all is ringtone platinum, but ninety-nine cents adds up
I don't hate 'em, I congratulate 'em
The new young Prince with young Mike Jackson on the same track
What!
Now let's toast to the hustlers
We make the world go round
Tell the hustlers, toast to the gangstas
We make the world go round
Tell the gangstas to toast to the ballers
We make the world go round
And tell the ballers pour a glass for all us
We make the world go round
In Nas's song "Make The World Go Round," he raps about his lavish lifestyle and his success as a rap artist. He mentions brands like Macy's, Fendi, and Tom Ford, and boasts about his luxurious possessions like his black Lamborghini and H. Lorenzo Chrome Heart belt buckle. Nas also reflects on his past life of robbing armored cars and contrasts it with his current success. He talks about the haters on the floor and how they try to imitate his style but can never match up to his level. He reminds everyone to toast to the hustlers, gangstas, and ballers, as they make the world go round.
The song features collaborations with several other famous rappers, including The Game, Marsha Ambrosius, Chris Brown, and R. Kelly. It was produced by Dr. Dre and features a sample of the classic song "The World Is Yours" from Nas's debut album "Illmatic."
Interestingly, the song was included in the soundtrack of EA Sports' NBA Live 09 video game. It was also used in the trailer for the movie "The Taking of Pelham 123" starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta.
Overall, the song is a celebration of success and a reminder that hard work and dedication can take you to the top. It's also a call to support and uplift each other as we all contribute to making the world go round.
Chords: Unknown
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, laced and Macy's, don't have it, a hatred addict
I shop at high-end stores and if they don't have what I want, I feel a sense of hatred towards them.
I need faces mad with frowns when I'm around, or I'm wasting fabric
I crave attention and validation from others, and if I'm not getting that, it feels like a waste of my efforts.
I don't feel greater 'til my plush pieces 'cause you to suck your teeth
I only feel accomplished when others are jealous of my expensive possessions.
So mean-mugging on my clean-thugging mean nothing
People who try to intimidate me while I'm presenting myself as a successful and stylish person mean nothing to me.
Women dream I'm your husband
Many women fantasize about being married to me because of my success and wealth.
I'm Alex Pushkin, the black poetry-writing Russian, ice disgusting
I'm like Alexander Pushkin, a famous Russian poet, but with a black identity. My wealth (ice) is vulgar and excessive.
I started bling, how could you question my direction
I innovated the trend of wearing flashy jewelry (bling), so nobody can question my choices or decisions.
Or my Tom Ford collection? Gangstas two-stepping
My Tom Ford clothing collection is exceptional and influential, even gangsters are dancing to my music and style.
You hate me, should thank me, but lately
Even though some people hate me, they should be grateful for the entertainment and inspiration I provide.
I burned so much trees, I keep environmentalists angry
I smoke so much marijuana that environmentalists get angry with me for contributing to air pollution and deforestation.
I'm a rare dude, I'm a wonder
I'm a unique and impressive person who stands out from the ordinary.
Your best success is my worst blunder
Other people's biggest achievements are like minor mistakes to me because my success is so much greater.
Y'all livin' trendy on pennies, I cop plenty Fendi
You're trying to keep up with current trends on a tight budget, but I can easily afford plenty of expensive designer brands like Fendi.
Vivienne Westwood, I'm good
I have a lot of clothes made by the designer Vivienne Westwood and I look good in them.
Get the whole Trump Tower top floor for the hood
I can afford to purchase the top floor of the luxury apartment building Trump Tower, even for the people in my neighborhood.
Dre & Cool, we riding heavy, NY to Miami 'cause
Dr. Dre and Coolio and I are traveling in style and luxury from New York City to Miami.
We make the world go round
My fellow successful and wealthy people and I have a significant influence on the world and its economy.
Tell the hustlers, toast to the gangsters
We should acknowledge and celebrate the hardworking people who hustle to make their livings, as well as the gangsters who live a dangerous but successful lifestyle.
Tell the gangstas to toast to the ballers
The gangsters should celebrate and respect the ballers, who are successful and wealthy people, like us.
And tell the ballers pour a glass for all us
We should raise a glass to each other, celebrating our shared success and influence on the world.
I see the haters on the floor jocking my swag
People who dislike me are trying to copy my style and success.
I'm popping Ralph Lauren tags and pouring champagne inside a polo glass
I'm wearing expensive Ralph Lauren clothing and drinking champagne from a polo glass, demonstrating my wealth and luxury lifestyle.
Model bitches rolling grass, Escobar unfolding cash
I'm surrounded by attractive women who are smoking marijuana, and we're all being showered with cash, referencing the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar who was known for his wealth and power.
Toasting with my entourage, went from robbing armored cars
I'm celebrating with my group of friends, who I've achieved success with since we used to rob armored cars for money.
To all my stars, red carpet to the L'Ermitage
I'm acknowledging all of my successful friends who have reached celebrity status, and we're celebrating our success at the luxury hotel L'Ermitage.
We throwing red dice at the Mirage
We're gambling at the Mirage casino, playing a dice game with high stakes and a lot of money involved.
I pull that red Lamborghini on twenties out my garage
I'm driving my expensive and flashy red Lamborghini on 20 inch rims.
Set up shop in South Beach like Khaled and Terror Squad
I've started a successful business in the trendy location of South Beach, like other successful people such as DJ Khaled and his music group Terror Squad.
(We The Best!) Big pimping, top down chrome spinning
I'm a big-time hustler, driving with the top down and flashy chrome rims.
"Top Gun", Tom Cruise tucked inside my Gucci linen
Referencing the movie Top Gun, I'm wearing Gucci clothing and I'm so cool that I'm like Tom Cruise's character in the film.
No, just Romo
I'm not Tony Romo, the American football player, just a successful and wealthy person.
You tryna shine, I put the nine on your jersey for promo
If you're trying to compete with me for success and wealth, I'll threaten you with violence or ruin your reputation with a smear campaign (put the nine on your jersey), just for promotion or exposure.
Jessica Simpson, that's so-so
I don't think highly of the popular celebrity Jessica Simpson, finding her to be mediocre.
Nick want his (baby back), but that's Loso
Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson's ex-husband, wants her back, but I don't care because it's not my concern (that's Loso).
Tell Hawaii 5-0 to catch me at the Pro Bowl
I'm daring the police force from the television show Hawaii Five-0 to try and catch me at the Pro Bowl (a football game), challenging their ability to stop me from enjoying myself.
On the field, diamonds choking the jockey on my Polo
I'm wearing expensive diamond jewelry while playing football and my Polo shirt is so tight that it's choking me.
CB, let 'em know though
I'm addressing my friend Chris Brown to let him know that I'm successful and wealthy, and to spread the message.
From my town to your town
My influence and success can be felt and experienced in any town or city in the world.
We on top, no stopping us now
My fellow successful and wealthy individuals and I are at the top of our game and nothing can prevent our success from continuing.
We got Patron, the ballers two stepping
We're drinking expensive Patron tequila and the wealthy and successful people are dancing the two-step.
Ladies on the floor and all 'em two stepping
Women are dancing the two-step with us on the dance floor.
So iced out, it's easy to point them haters out
Our jewelry (iced out) is so flashy and expensive that it's easy to identify and mock the people who hate us.
We start with Bellini's and end with Patron shots
We begin drinking Bellini cocktails and end the night with shots of expensive Patron tequila.
H. Lorenzo belt buckle from Chrome Heart
I'm wearing a expensive belt with a Chrome Heart buckle from the luxury boutique H. Lorenzo.
Alife tag popper, it'd be sad not to walk out the store with bags
I'm shopping at the exclusive streetwear store Alife, it would be disappointing if I didn't leave with bags full of purchases.
Worth a hundred cash shopping
I'm spending so much money on shopping that it's worth a hundred dollars to me.
Violence only when have to, have to to swell you up
I only resort to violence when necessary, and it's for the purpose of asserting my dominance and making you look foolish.
Prefer peach Schnaps, Perrier-Jouet, a vanilla dutch
I enjoy drinking fruity peach Schnaps and high-end Perrier-Jouet champagne, while smoking a vanilla-flavored cigar.
Mets cap, that's Queens, I'm a vet, bet that
I'm wearing a baseball cap from the New York Mets, which represents the Queens borough of New York City where I'm from, and I'm a veteran in this game (bet on me).
300 carats the average up on the neck, black
I'm wearing so much diamond jewelry (300 carats) that it's just the average amount for me.
Paid the cost, be the boss, Black Caesar floss
I've paid the price (at any cost) to be the boss (the one in charge), living a lavish and grand lifestyle akin to the character Black Caesar from the blaxploitation film genre.
Weekends at the Venetian, pull up in that black Porsche
I spend my weekends at the luxurious Venetian hotel, and I'm arriving in my black Porsche sports car.
Top down, new fashion
The top of my Porsche is down, and this is a fashionable and stylish way to drive.
Seeing me is like seeing through the lens of Helmut Newton's camera light, flashing
When you see me, it's like looking through the lens of a famous photographer, like Helmut Newton, who used flashy camera lighting techniques.
And I'm laughing, my plaques' from album sales
I'm laughing because I have so many gold or platinum record plaques on my wall, signifying the success of my music album sales.
Y'all is ringtone platinum, but ninety-nine cents adds up
Other artists' music may only sell well as ringtones, which are much cheaper than album sales, but those sales still add up.
I don't hate 'em, I congratulate 'em
I don't harbor hatred towards other successful individuals, I acknowledge and congratulate them on their success.
The new young Prince with young Mike Jackson on the same track
I'm the new young prince of music, collaborating on the same song with the late, great Michael Jackson when he was young.
What!
An exclamation of surprise or excitement.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NASIR JONES, ANDRE CHRISTOPHER LYON, EDWARD JOHN MONTILLA, JAYCEON TERRELL TAYLOR, MARCELLO VALENZANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrismyeni1753
One of the most underated songs... Chris Brown's vocals are really good
@siphomabuza1465
Totally agree with you G
@leandrosouza3037
Nas is the best rapper of all time.. π€π§πππΌ
@Dan10901
Bro I agree to me his A grandmaster
@bossbhibha
@@Dano10901 yes thats real fact
@bossbhibha
That's the truth, he ain't one of the best or greatest but he is the best and the greatest of all time
@user-yh7ml4wg3h
"Your best success is my worst blunder". This line is a freaking banger
@Luke-kg7vu
Nas is goated
@desean808
Nas and Game are incredible together, similar flows and voices too....need more tracks together!
@OfficialBomberZ
Yupppp!