Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas an… Read Full Bio ↴Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas and Escobar), born September 14, 1973 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, is a prominent American MC. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was raised in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects in Queensbridge, New York. According to the Nasty Songfacts, as a teenager rapper, Nasir first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. By the time he released his landmark solo debut album Illmatic in 1994, Jones was known as Nas.

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..

Memory Lane Freestyle
Nas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Aight, fuck that shit
Word, word
Fuck that other shit, you know what I'm sayin'?
We gon' do a lil' something like this
You know what I'm sayin'?
(Stay up on that shit)
Keep it on and on and on and on and
Know what I'm sayin'? Big Nas, Grand Wizard

God, what is it? (It's like)
Ha, know what I'm sayin'?
Yo, go 'head (rip that shit)

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners
Hennessy-holders and old-school niggas, then I be dissin' a
Unofficial that smoke Woolie Thai
I dropped out of Cooley High, gassed up by a cokehead cutie pie
Jungle survivor, fuck who's the live-r
My man put the battery in my back, a difference from Energizer
Sentence begins indented, with formality
My duration's infinite, money-wise or physiology
Poetry, that's a part of me, retardedly bop
I drop the ancient manifested hip-hop, straight off the block
I reminisce on park jams, my man was shot for his sheep coat
Choco blunts'll make me see him drop in my weed smoke
It's real, grew up a trife life, the times of white lines, the high pipes
Murderous night times and knife fights invite crimes
Chill on the block with Cognac, cold strap
With my peeps that's into drug money market interact
No sign of the beast in the blue Chrysler, I guess that means peace
For niggas, no sheisty vice to just snipe ya
Start off the dice-rollin' match, from craps to ceelo
With side-bets, so roll a deuce, nothin' below
(Peace, God) Peace, God, now the shit is explained
I'm takin' niggas on a trip straight through memory lane
It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all

(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)

One for the money
Two for pussy and foreign cars
Three for Alize, niggas deceased or behind bars
I rap divine, God
Check the prognosis, is it real, or showbiz?
My window faces shootouts, drug overdoses
Live amongst no roses, only the drama
For real, a nickel-plate is my fate, my medicine is the ganja
Here's my basis, my razor embraces many faces
You're telephone blown, black stitches or fat shoelaces
Peoples are petro, dramatic automatic .44 I let blow
And back down po-po when I'm vexed, so
My pen taps the paper then my brain's blank
I see dark streets, hustlin' brothers who keep the same rank
Pumpin' for somethin', some'll prosper, some fail
Judges hangin' niggas, uncorrect bails for direct sales
My intellect prevails from a hangin' cross with nails
I reinforce the frail with lyrics that's real
Word to Christ, a disciple of streets, trifle on beats
I decipher prophecies through a mic and say "Peace"
I hung around the older crews while they sling smack to dingbats
They spoke of Fat Cat, that nigga's name made bell rings, black
Some fiends scream about Supreme Team, a Jamaica Queens thing
Uptown was Alpo, son, heard he was kingpin
Yo, fuck, rap is real, watch the herbs stand still
Never talkin' to snakes, 'cause the words of man kill
True in the game, as long as blood is blue in my veins
I pour my Heineken brew to my deceased crew on memory lane

(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Now let me take a trip down memory lane)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
The most dangerous MC is
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
The most dangerous MC is
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)
The most dangerous MC is
(Comin' outta Queensbridge)

The most dangerous MC is
Me number one, and you know where me from

Overall Meaning

In “Memory Lane,” Nas takes listeners through a journey of his life and experiences growing up in Queensbridge, New York. The song is a reflection of his upbringing in the tough neighborhood, where drugs, crime, and violence were prevalent. Nas's lyrics paint a picture of a harsh reality where people he knew were either deceased or behind bars, and where he hung around older crews while they sold drugs. The song names streets and landmarks that hold significance to Nas, like Kooley High and Fat Cat. Despite the hardships and dangers that surrounded him, Nas managed to make a name for himself in the hip-hop industry and refused to forget where he came from.

Furthermore, Nas's rap style in Memory Lane is a perfect example of his genius storytelling ability, with every line giving listeners an insight into his perspective of growing up in Queensbridge. The beat follows a familiar hip-hop structure with an effortless flow of Nas's verses from start to finish. The chorus, 'Now let me take a trip down memory lane/ Comin' outta Queensbridge,' offers a nostalgic note that takes the listener on a journey of Nas's childhood.

Line by Line Meaning

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners
I make music for a diverse group of people who appreciate my artistry and culture, including those who smoke marijuana, fashionable women, and those who are incarcerated.

Henessey holders and old school niggas, then I be dissin' a
My music is enjoyed by those who drink Hennessy and old-school hip-hop fans, but I am unafraid to speak negatively about those who do not share the same positive values as me.

Unofficial that smoke woolie thai
I do not associate with those who smoke low-quality marijuana.

I dropped out of Kooley High, gassed up by a coke head cutie pie
I left my high school, Kooley High, and was influenced by a charming woman who was addicted to cocaine.

Jungle survivor, fuck who's the liver
I have survived in the rough environment of the concrete jungle and do not care about the opinions of those who have not.

My man put the battery in my back, a difference from Energizer
My friend motivated me to be successful in a way that surpassed the staying power of the Energizer battery.

Sentence begins indented, with formality
I write my rhymes with proper form and structure.

My duration's infinite, money wise or physiology
My talent will last forever, both in terms of earning money and in terms of my physical and mental endurance.

Poetry, that's a part of me, retardedly bop
My poetic style is a fundamental aspect of my identity and I rap with a unique, unconventional flow.

I drop the ancient manifested hip-hop, straight off the block
I represent the origins and history of hip-hop from my neighborhood.

I reminisce on park jams, my man was shot for his sheep coat
I nostalgically recall gatherings in the park where hip-hop music was played and my friend was tragically killed for his fashionable coat.

Childhood lesson make me see him drop in my weed smoke
Memories of my friend's death are still vivid in my mind, even while I smoke marijuana.

It's real, grew up in trife life, did times or white lines
My upbringing was in a difficult, dangerous environment and I have experienced both incarceration and drug addiction.

The hype vice, murderous night times, and knife fights invite crimes
The excitement and danger of the streets lead to violent behavior and criminal activity.

Chill on the block with Cognac gold strap
I hang out on the streets with my friends, drinking cognac and carrying a gold gun.

With my peeps that's into drug money, market into rap
I associate with people who make money through illegal drug sales, but I have chosen to make a living through my music.

No sign of the beast in the blue Chrysler, I guess that means peace
I do not see any police presence in a blue Chrysler, which indicates a peaceful situation.

For niggaz no sheisty vice to just snipe ya
There are no shady characters around to suddenly shoot at me.

Start off the dice-rollin' mats for craps to Ceelo
I begin playing various gambling games, starting with craps and later moving to Ceelo.

With side bets, I roll a deuce, nothin' below (Peace God!)
I make additional bets on the outcome of the game and roll a two, which is considered a favorable result.

Peace God, now the shit is explained
I greet my friends with a term of respect and now everything is clear and understood.

I'm takin' niggas on a trip straight through memory lane
I am bringing my listeners on a journey through my past experiences and memories.

It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
This is just how it is, nothing more and nothing less.

"Now let me take a trip down memory lane"
I am about to reflect on my past experiences.

"Comin' outta Queensbridge"
I am from the Queensbridge neighborhood in New York City.

One for the money
I am ready to perform and make money from my art.

Two for pussy and foreign cars
I do not value women and wealth gained from material items, such as luxury cars.

Three for Alize niggas deceased or behind bars
I drink Alize and know many people who are either dead or in prison.

I rap divine Gods check the prognosis, is it real, or showbiz?
I rap with spiritual significance and question whether other rappers are genuine or simply putting on a show.

My window faces shootouts, drug overdoses
I live in a neighborhood with daily violence and drug use.

Live amongst no roses, only the drama, for real
My life is not glamorous, but instead is filled with danger, hardship, and struggle.

A nickel-plate is my fate, my medicine is the ganja
Carrying a small gun is necessary for self-defense in my life and I use marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Here's my basis, my razor embraces, many faces
I am armed with a razor blade and deal with many different types of people.

Your telephone blowin', black stitches or fat shoelaces
Your phone is ringing nonstop, and you have either been shot in the foot or have a thick shoelace.

Peoples are petrol, dramatic automatic fo'-fo' I let blow
People are easily agitated and my gun shoots automatically, rapidly and extends 44 inches.

And back down po-po when I'm vexed so
I am known to resist police authority when I am feeling frustrated.

My pen taps the paper then my brain's blank
I struggle with writer's block and difficulty in expressing myself through my art.

I see dark streets, hustlin' brothers who keep the same rank
I see poverty, crime, and fellow hustlers who are also struggling to make ends meet.

Pumpin' for somethin', some up-rise, plus some fail
Everyone is working hard for something, some will succeed while others will not.

Judges hangin' niggas, uncorrect bails, for direct sales
The justice system unjustly imprisons people and sets exorbitant bail amounts for drug-related charges.

My intellect prevails from a hangin' cross with nails
I have a superior mind which allows me to succeed despite obstacles and hardships.

I reinforce the frail, with lyrics that's real
Through my music, I provide emotional support to those who are weak and vulnerable.

Word to Christ, a disciple of streets, trifle on beats
I swear by the name of Jesus Christ and consider myself an expert in the streets, able to easily make quality music.

I decipher prophecies through a mic and say peace.
I use my microphone to interpret and communicate important predictions and messages to my audience.

I hung around the older crews while they sling smack to dingbats
I spent time with older groups of individuals who sold heroin to foolish customers.

They spoke of Fat Cat, that nigga's name made bell rings, black
They discussed Fat Cat, a notorious drug dealer whose name was well-known in the community.

Some fiends scream, about Supreme Team, a Jamaica Queens thing
Drug addicts talk about the Supreme Team, a notorious gang from Jamaica Queens.

Uptown was Alpo, son, heard he was kingpin, yo
Up north was Alpo, a powerful drug dealer who was known as a kingpin.

Fuck 'rap is real', watch the herbs stand still
Those who claim that rap music represents reality are not actually experiencing the violence of the streets first-hand.

Never talkin' to snakes cause the words of man kill
I do not speak to deceitful or treacherous individuals as their words and actions are harmful and deadly.

True in the game, as long as blood is blue in my veins
I am a true artist in the music industry and will always be passionate about my craft.

I pour my Heineken brew to my deceased crew on memory lane
I remember and honor my deceased friends with a drink of Heineken while looking back on our shared memories.