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..
Money Over Bullsh
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brrrat, cars peel, the East Coast cartel
Rats get their tails snapped and trapped
The snitches in the streets and the snitches who rap
Pure euphoria, a dose of death to all of ya
Coroner choruses sung from The Bridge to Astoria
Dreams of fallin' in the elevator, passin' floors
Suddenly stop, the doors open up to a brick wall
Picture your tarot cards and bodyguards getting sprayed up
Sabotagin' my makeup, my watches get laced up
Even if they indicted Jacob
Forensics, paramedics, carry cowards off
Defibrillators shock to your chest, try to cough
They die and hit Hell from an iron
I'm fly in YSL, I'm paid from this shit
Got bitches high as hell, and they fucking like AIDS don't exist
They get sent to your hotel, a maid and shit
Put a barrel in a capo mouth, 'til his scalp come out
You a kid, you don't live what you rap about
King poetic, too many haters to count
Too much paper to count, QB, bitch
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Got seven candles lit, black wallpaper, black carpet
Thinking about which nigga to target
You kill a nigga today, he lives forever
So I plotted out smarter, there'll be no martyrs
Black TEC on the table, Mag .44
Black negligee on my bitch, she's at the door
Black fish eggs, nigga, that's the caviar
You niggas fish-made, y'all niggas is fifth grade
Niggas, it's fifty ways to dissect the General
If I give ya the top five, you will not survive
Rule 1: cocksucker, keep my name from your tongue
Rule 2: thought you knew don't fuck with God's Son
Rule 3: see, matter fact, I just wait
If y'all reach top five, then I'ma eat y'all alive
Each one of you guys that claim Hip-Hop is still alive
Like y'all ain't in agreement with Nas
I said it's dead motherfucker, it's dead, bitch
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
From crack pushers to Lac' pushers and ambushers
And morticians to fortresses, case-dismisses
Laced in riches, cake ridiculous
From nickel and dimin' to trickin' them diamonds
Vegas, places in Switzerland
From non-blastin' to auto, I don't have to blast mine
They blast mine, black 9, you flatline, my cash climb
Buy rare art, antique pieces, Mona Lisa's, own no leases
Five-star restaurant eaters, don't forget who your peeps is
'Sposed to dine with you, sip that good wine with you
Only if they grind with you or slang for ya
Seen niggas live, laugh, party and die in that very same corner
Pretty girls glance at us, status unconceivable
Private planes landed out in Teterboro, weed I twirl
Once even gave me a phobia, that I be in a spot trapped like
Madame Zenobia's with this kid eyein' my Rollie, y'all
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
There it is, QB, bitch yeah
QB, bitch Yeah, yeah, QB, bitch
The lyrics of Nas's song "Money Over Bullsh*t" speak of the harsh realities of life on the streets, referencing the East Coast cartel and the violence and betrayal that can come with it. The opening lines describe the dangerous weapons and lifestyles of those involved in the drug trade, with scarred grills, skully hats, and fully loaded guns. The lyrics then go on to describe the constant threat of violence and betrayal, with rats getting their tails snapped and trapped, and snitches both in the streets and in the music industry.
The chorus of the song urges the listener to join Nas in his war against those who stand in the way of his success. He cites "Money Over Bullshit" as his motto, emphasizing that he values the pursuit of wealth and power over any petty conflicts or personal grudges. He asserts that he is not afraid of any of his enemies, but rather, of his own strength and potential for violence.
The final verses of the song paint a picture of the lavish lifestyle that Nas has achieved as a successful rapper, with references to private planes, expensive art, and high-end restaurants. He acknowledges the danger that comes with such wealth and fame, recounting a story of feeling trapped in a nightclub by someone eyeing his Rolex watch. Despite these dangers, Nas remains committed to his pursuit of success, urging his listeners to join him and choose "Money Over Bullshit."
Line by Line Meaning
My niggas got scarred grills, skully hats and gats be fully's
I have tough friends with grill marks on their face, wearing skull caps, and carrying fully loaded guns.
Brrrat, cars peel, the East Coast cartel
Cars screech away as members of the East Coast crime group move into action.
Rats get their tails snapped and trapped
Informants and turncoats are caught and punished.
The snitches in the streets and the snitches who rap
Both street informants and those who snitch on tracks are dealt with harshly.
Pure euphoria, a dose of death to all of ya
There's a sense of joy in causing death or harm to one's enemies.
Coroner choruses sung from The Bridge to Astoria
The coroner's office is busy as death tolls rise on the streets of Queens, New York.
Dreams of fallin' in the elevator, passin' floors
Having nightmares of falling uncontrollably in an elevator and passing by different floors.
Suddenly stop, the doors open up to a brick wall
The terrifying dream ends with the elevator suddenly stopping and opening up to reveal a brick wall.
I can smell the haters, wishful thinkers, bad luck prayers
I can sense the negativity from my haters, as well as the wishes and prayers for my bad luck.
Picture your tarot cards and bodyguards getting sprayed up
Imagine your bodyguards and even your spiritual advisors being shot in a hail of bullets.
Sabotagin' my makeup, my watches get laced up
Someone is trying to mess up my appearance and jewelry.
Even if they indicted Jacob
Even if they arrest or accuse me of a crime, I will still be successful.
Forensics, paramedics, carry cowards off
The authorities arrive to take away the injured and the dead, including those who were too cowardly to fight back.
Defibrillators shock to your chest, try to cough
Defibrillators are used to revive those who have been declared dead, making them cough and gasp for air.
They die and hit Hell from an iron
Those who die from gunfire are sent straight to hell.
I'm fly in YSL, I'm paid from this shit
I'm stylishly dressed in Yves Saint Laurent and making a lot of money from this lifestyle.
Got bitches high as hell, and they fucking like AIDS don't exist
I have women who are so high they don't care about the risk of contracting AIDS and are having pleasure without protection.
They get sent to your hotel, a maid and shit
These women are sent to my hotel and treated like maids.
Put a barrel in a capo mouth, 'til his scalp come out
I would put a gun to a high-ranking criminal's mouth and pull the trigger until his head explodes.
You a kid, you don't live what you rap about
You're a young rapper who doesn't actually live the life you're portraying in your music.
King poetic, too many haters to count
I am a lyrical genius and I have too many people who hate on my success to keep track of.
Too much paper to count, QB, bitch!
I have so much money I can't even count it all. I'm from Queensbridge, New York and proud of it.
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
I'm inviting others to join me in my battle. Some will survive while many others will die and be mourned.
Money Over Bullshit, pistols over brawn
I value money above all else and prefer using guns to physical strength.
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
I'm not scared of any of you scaredy-cat enemies, but I am aware of the danger of my own strength.
Got seven candles lit, black wallpaper, black carpet
I'm setting an eerie mood with seven lit candles, black wallpaper and carpet.
Thinking about which nigga to target
I'm considering which person to go after.
You kill a nigga today, he lives forever
When you kill someone, their memory lives on forever.
So I plotted out smarter, there'll be no martyrs
I've planned things out so that there won't be any heroes or martyrs in my battles.
Black TEC on the table, Mag .44
I have deadly weapons on the table, including a black TEC-9 and a .44 Magnum pistol.
Black negligee on my bitch, she's at the door
My girlfriend is wearing a black lingerie robe and ready to come inside.
Black fish eggs, nigga, that's the caviar
I'm eating expensive black caviar.
You niggas fish-made, y'all niggas is fifth grade
You guys are fake and don't know what you're talking about.
Niggas, it's fifty ways to dissect the General
There are many ways to take down a high-ranking person.
If I give ya the top five, you will not survive
Even if I reveal the top five ways to take someone down, you will not be able to survive.
Rule 1: cocksucker, keep my name from your tongue
The first rule is to not mention my name if you're a disrespectful person.
Rule 2: thought you knew don't fuck with God's Son
The second rule is to not mess with me since I'm considered God's son.
Rule 3: see, matter fact, I just wait
The third rule is to wait and see since I will strike when I'm ready.
If y'all reach top five, then I'ma eat y'all alive
If my enemies figure out the top five ways to take me down, I will be ready and attack them instead.
Each one of you guys that claim Hip-Hop is still alive
Every person who says that hip-hop is still alive is wrong.
Like y'all ain't in agreement with Nas
It's like you don't agree with my opinion about hip-hop being dead.
I said it's dead motherfucker, it's dead, bitch
I'm stating emphatically that hip-hop is really dead, regardless of what anyone else says.
From crack pushers to Lac' pushers and ambushers
From drug sellers to those who sell expensive sports cars and set up surprise attacks.
And morticians to fortresses, case-dismisses
From funeral home workers to those involved in protecting fortresses and getting cases dismissed in court.
Laced in riches, cake ridiculous
These people have a lot of money and their wealth is ridiculous.
From nickel and dimin' to trickin' them diamonds
From barely making any money to flaunting expensive diamonds.
Vegas, places in Switzerland
Traveling to luxurious locations like Las Vegas, Nevada and Switzerland.
From non-blastin' to auto, I don't have to blast mine
Going from not using firearms to now having automatic weapons at my disposal.
They blast mine, black 9, you flatline, my cash climb
If someone tries to attack me, I will defend myself with my black 9mm gun and they will lose their life. Meanwhile, my wealth and status continue to rise.
Buy rare art, antique pieces, Mona Lisa's, own no leases
I spend a lot of money on unique artwork and antiques, even owning a piece of the Mona Lisa. However, I don't have any property leases or mortgages.
Five-star restaurant eaters, don't forget who your peeps is
I dine at fancy restaurants, but always remember where I come from and who my real friends are.
'Sposed to dine with you, sip that good wine with you
I'm supposed to dine with you and enjoy a glass of fine wine with you, but you're not loyal and have turned on me.
Only if they grind with you or slang for ya
I'll only consider someone a true friend if they work hard with me or help sell drugs for me.
Seen niggas live, laugh, party and die in that very same corner
I've seen people live happily, laugh, and party on the same corner of the street where others have died.
Pretty girls glance at us, status unconceivable
Attractive women look our way, and our level of status and wealth is staggering to comprehend.
Private planes landed out in Teterboro, weed I twirl
I land private planes at Teterboro Airport, smoking weed all the while.
Once even gave me a phobia, that I be in a spot trapped like
I once had a scary experience that has given me a fear of being trapped in a spot.
Madame Zenobia's with this kid eyein' my Rollie, y'all
I'm being watched by some kid while I'm at Madame Zenobia's club and he's staring at my expensive Rolex watch.
There it is, QB, bitch! Yeah
That's the end of the song where I once again shout out my hometown, Queensbridge, and talk tough by calling everyone 'bitch'.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Leshan Lewis, Nasir Jones, Wyatt E. L. Coleman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
B_DA_DON
All 3 verses were perfection lol. Y’all don’t understand I been studying this man since 94. He’s the best lyricist in the world. Now we can argue about who’s next
Hargaisa Owen
Grammy Award Winner
Empyrean
Genius
Israel
One of the tightest set off tracks in the history of rap to go along with one of the most slept on and creative albums ever made. Silent classic album that held me down during those down years 2006-2007 when southern dance rap pop songs were everywhere.
Marvin Dube
Israel Rosario Jr. Word G
Mindstate Time
Wow my g, well said 💯💯💯💪🏾! Nas just takes you into another dimension! Nobody paints a better picture! It sure was slept in fact including by me. I couldn't have been more wrong about this album. Low key 5 miçs imo or very close. I don't think there was an album in history that aged better. Nas is the 🐐
Too Lazy
Sets the tone perfectly
Slamdog500
This aged well. I love how we in the comment section all agree that this is one of Nas' best work ❤
edit: I uploaded a video called Top 10 Nas Verses. Money Over Bullshit is very high, my #3 🤗all 3 verses combined might be one of Nas' most elite work. The chorus is pure royalty and the beat is in another dimension. how it slaps you right from the beginning and has all kind of weird stuff in the background while Nas goes super duper hardcore 😳....... Q.B., bitch!
Doug Anthony
Did It!! EZ...
Michael Parker
Only a handful of emcees ever to take a breathe of air know what it feels like to write at a level like this.. nas is the goat no doubt