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..
N.I.*.*.E.R
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are much more
Still we choose to ignore
The obvious
Man this history don't acknowledge us
We was scholars long before colleges
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
The obvious
We are the slave and the master
What you looking for?
You the question and the answer
We trust no black leaders
Use the stove to heat us
Powder eggs and government cheeses
The calendar was Martin, JFK, & Jesus
Gotta be fresh
Go to school with fly sneakers
Schools with outdated books
We are the forgotten
Summers coolin' off by the fire hydrant
Yeah I'm from the ghetto
Where old black women talk about they sugar level
It's not unusual
To see photos of dead homies' funerals
Aluminum foil on t.v. antennas
Little TV sit on top the big TV eatin' TV dinners
Girls die they hair with kool-aid
They gave us lemons we made lemonade
But this nigga's paid
Ancestry of slaves
Descendant of Kings
It's necessary I
Bling
Puts rings on every thing
Where Timbs on every scene
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
Still we choose to ignore
The obvious
Man this history don't acknowledge us
We was scholars long before colleges
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
But still we choose to ignore
The obvious
We are the slave and the master
What you looking for?
You the question and the answer
Do I mean it like a slave master?
Nigger!
No!
I'm gangsta
Gotta eat rappers!
My abbreviation
Was young when I caught the cases
That should mean the court could see my changes
Take off the bracelets
Savage when broke
Smoke sour diesel
Need no Bo-flex
My chest still cut-up like a bag of dope
Thought patterns consist of boss matters
Spit Moses' "Lost Commandments"
Like a gross sandwich out my mouth
Toast to government cameras
Peepin' us every week
I must have my cars homes & phones
Squeaked for bugs
But this is what I was dreamin' of
Between cutting hard coke with new razors
Slicing my fingers up
They use to string us up
We wanted everything
But the one bringing us cake be the snakes
Like the
Like the New Jack City wedding scene
No time for mistakes trying to get it like 'marajuin'
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
Still we choose to ignore
The obvious
Man this history don't acknowledge us
We was scholars long before colleges
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
But still we choose to ignore
The obvious
We are the slave and the master
What you looking for?
You the question and the answer
What up my nig?
People afraid of criticism
But I always put myself in a sacrificial position!
They been know I ain't just rappin' for fame,
I got my old homie hashin' the father asking for change!
Yep! I'd give this cash up
This paper don't matter
They seen me from skinny to fatter
When I rap about war
They got the tendency to scatter
They ain't my backup no more
So now my enemies are at my front door
'Cause any time we mention
Our condition, our history or existence
They calling it reverse racism
Still till today the street's torn
My brother Jungle always have a seat for 'em
Not behind me, beside me
You'll always know where to find me
They say the close ones will hurt you
So let's keep a small circle
On the road to riches, and diamond rings
In the land of the blind
The man with one eye is the king
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
Still we choose to ignore
The obvious
Man this history don't acknowledge us
We was scholars long before colleges
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
We are much more
But still we choose to ignore
The obvious
We are the slave and the master
What you looking for?
You the question and the answer
In Nas's song "N.I.*.*.E.R.", the lyrics express the sentiment that the African American community is much more than what they are often portrayed as. The repeated use of the word "nigger" is intended to reclaim the term and empower the black community. The lyrics also touch on the historical erasure of black scholars and achievements, despite the fact that black people were making major contributions to society long before formal education existed. Nas points out the inequality in the education system, where black students are given outdated books and are forgotten. They are forced to resort to using aluminum foil as an antenna for their TV and often have to make their own way using meager resources such as government cheese and powder eggs. The lyrics also suggest that black people are both the slave and the master, hinting at the fact that they are being oppressed by the system but also have the power to rise above it.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the ongoing struggle for equality and the need for the black community to be recognized as more than just a stereotype. Nas uses his platform to bring attention to issues such as systemic inequality in education and economic disadvantage that are faced by African Americans.
Line by Line Meaning
They say we N-I Double G-E-R
Society labels us as a derogatory term
We are much more
We are more than the negative label given to us
Still we choose to ignore
We fail to acknowledge our true worth
The obvious
Our greatness and intelligence
Man this history don't acknowledge us
Our contributions are not recognized in history
We was scholars long before colleges
Our intellectual capabilities have existed for centuries
We are the slave and the master
We have been oppressed and oppressors
What you looking for?
What is the root cause of the issue?
You the question and the answer
We must look inward for solutions
We trust no black leaders
We lack faith in our own community leaders
Use the stove to heat us
We can only afford basic necessities
Powder eggs and government cheeses
We rely on government assistance to survive
The calendar was Martin, JFK, & Jesus
We only celebrate holidays for prominent historical figures
Gotta be fresh
We feel the pressure to present ourselves as wealthy
Go to school with fly sneakers
We prioritize material possessions over education
Schools with outdated books
Our educational resources are limited
We are the forgotten
Our struggles are ignored by society
Summers coolin' off by the fire hydrant
We find creative ways to have fun with limited resources
Yeah I'm from the ghetto
I come from a disadvantaged community
Where old black women talk about they sugar level
Health issues are prevalent in our community
It's not unusual
These struggles are common and normalized
To see photos of dead homies' funerals
Violence is a common occurrence
Aluminum foil on t.v. antennas
We use makeshift methods to improve our living conditions
Little TV sit on top the big TV eatin' TV dinners
We make do with what we have
Girls die they hair with kool-aid
We get creative with hair styling
They gave us lemons we made lemonade
We make the best of our situations
But this nigga's paid
Despite our struggles, some of us have found success
Ancestry of slaves
We are descendants of slaves
Descendant of Kings
But we are also descendants of royalty
It's necessary I
It's important that I
Bling
Project my wealth through material possessions
Puts rings on every thing
I flaunt my wealth through excessive jewelry
Where Timbs on every scene
I wear Timberland boots to display my status
Do I mean it like a slave master?
Am I promoting oppression?
Nigger!
No, I am reclaiming the term used to oppress us
I'm gangsta
I come from the streets and represent that lifestyle
Gotta eat rappers!
I will dominate the rap industry
My abbreviation
My nickname
Was young when I caught the cases
I was a youth when I first faced legal issues
That should mean the court could see my changes
I have matured and improved since my prior legal troubles
Take off the bracelets
I am no longer on house arrest
Savage when broke
I will do anything to survive in poverty
Smoke sour diesel
I smoke high-grade marijuana
Need no Bo-flex
I don't require a gym membership to stay in shape
My chest still cut-up like a bag of dope
My chest muscles are defined, resembling a bag of drugs
Thought patterns consist of boss matters
I prioritize achieving success as a leader
Spit Moses' "Lost Commandments"
I deliver powerful, inspiring lyrics
Like a gross sandwich out my mouth
My lyrics are raw and unfiltered
Toast to government cameras
I acknowledge government surveillance
Peepin' us every week
They are watching our every move
I must have my cars homes & phones
Material possessions are important to me
Squeaked for bugs
I check for hidden microphones
But this is what I was dreamin' of
I always aspired to be successful
Between cutting hard coke with new razors
I used to sell drugs
Slicing my fingers up
I was in danger while handling drugs
They use to string us up
We suffered from lynching
We wanted everything
We desired success and material possessions
But the one bringing us cake be the snakes
Those who appear helpful can actually be deceitful
Like the New Jack City wedding scene
The reality of danger can be disguised as celebration
No time for mistakes trying to get it like 'marajuin'
We must strive for success without error and as quickly as possible
People afraid of criticism
People fear negative feedback
But I always put myself in a sacrificial position!
I am willing to take risks and face criticism for speaking my truth
They been know I ain't just rappin' for fame,
I have a deeper purpose behind my music
I got my old homie hashin' the father asking for change!
My music inspires others to promote positive change
Yep! I'd give this cash up
I prioritize helping others over wealth
This paper don't matter
Money is insignificant compared to positive change
They seen me from skinny to fatter
People have witnessed my journey to success
When I rap about war
My lyrics are powerful and impactful
They got the tendency to scatter
My message makes people uncomfortable and they avoid it
They ain't my backup no more
People who once supported me no longer do so
So now my enemies are at my front door
Those who oppose my message are now attacking me
'Cause any time we mention
Whenever we discuss our struggles
Our condition, our history or existence
Our past and current experiences
They calling it reverse racism
Our advocacy for ourselves is seen as discriminatory
Still till today the street's torn
Our communities continue to suffer from violence and poverty
My brother Jungle always have a seat for 'em
My brother always welcomes those in need
Not behind me, beside me
I am not alone in my struggles
You'll always know where to find me
I am committed to my community and always accessible
They say the close ones will hurt you
People closest to us can cause the most harm
So let's keep a small circle
It's important to have a tight-knit support system
On the road to riches, and diamond rings
We seek financial success and wealth
In the land of the blind
In a society with limited opportunities for success
The man with one eye is the king
The one with even the slightest advantage can dominate
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aaron Davis, Anthony Bell, Jamaal Anwar Sublett, Nasir Jones, Phil Hurtt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@NasNation
If u guys want to get straight to the gameplay, skip to 6:40
@drew_skee
Face Cam Vid From Nas Nation Is Sooooooo LITTY!
@swatty1195
Lowkey this game gives me the deadpool game vibes
@shannonlemus
Yo it's my boy
@NasNation
Who exactly are u lol
@shannonlemus
Domenic from 4 period
@NasNation
@that guy dang it’s been a awhile
@shannonlemus
Moist potatoes 9282 send me a red era slider
@BroJose
where’s part 2 🤨
@animekingzuru8991
First