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..
Nah Mean
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And reload man extra magazine, nah mean,
A wounded them housing scheme, nah mean,
'Nough a dem a move sideways and lean, nah mean,
Can't come bout when man deh in, nah mean,
We nuh like dem colonial regime, nah mean,
Ethiopian nuh like mussolin', nah mean,
Mi queen hafi rock and come in, nah mean,
And boost up her self-esteem, nah mean,
'Nough a wonder how man kitchen so clean, nah mean,
And which recipe dat a steam, nah mean,
The lyrics dem a flow like a stream, nah mean,
Make you feel like you living in a dream, nah mean,
It come to the crop man a cream, nah mean,
It come to discipline man a dean, nah mean,
Mi tougher than a hummer limousine, nah mean,
We stepping we fresh and we clean, nah mean,
I burn the stinkiest of green, nah mean,
Better listen up careful and keen, nah mean,
A puppa nas a rock and come in, nah mean
We celebrate like I finished probation, boy boy
Noty head with no chaser, boy boy
From the mouth I can spit out a razor, boy boy
Open up your facial like your boy Roy
In his prime, eat food, dinnertime
Jr. gong pass the Guinness, handle business, black velvet sippers
Females never bid us farewell, they with us
Cause we arrive on the scene
Just like a high beam, nah mean
Don't let us have to make the 9 scream, nah mean
At your racial policing regime, nah mean
Spiritual like a Elohim, nah mean
In a casino or a yacht wherever I'm seen
My brothers and sisters are never forgot, nah mean
Don't wanna hear another soldier drop, nah mean
Another dope addict get shot with the morphine
And feds are indicting my block, nah mean
They're wearing red from they shoes to they top, nah mean
I'm wishing that all the violence would stop, nah mean
We nuh like the sound of siren, nah mean
And some bwoy soft like ice cream, nah mean
From a bwoy mek the feds intervene, nah mean
We send a bwoy go tek intravene, nah mean
Parabellum dem a itch up inna spleen, nah mean
Inna queens gunman reign supreme, nah mean
Kingstonians are real blood fiends, nah mean
The world is a big crime scene, nah mean
Yo yo mr. president
What you doing for my residence?
Yo mr. minister
Why you being sinister?
Yo yo mr. president
What you doing for my residence?
Yo mr. minister
Why you being sinister?
Se man a di real buffalo inna Rastafari regime
Bush bungalow is where mi dwell with mi queen
Trash to the bone down inna camouflage green
'nough a dem that cant go the places we been
'nough a dem that cant see the sights that we seen
That's why them face all a twist up and a lean, nah mean
Dem better mine we kick it off clean, nah mean
Man a gangster just like gambine, dat mean
Dem cant serve congo dread court supine, nah mean
A who you want come in convene, nah mean
Attorney have to rock and come in, nah mean
Mi pocket dem green like spurlene, nah mean
Mi regular fly out and fly in, nah mean
The stadium pack like sardine, nah mean
Cant catch mi speed a fassy hole need caffeine, nah mean
Run out a breath and antihistamine, nah mean
Wash over gold dem come in like Listerine, nah mean
You think a lie we badder than Al Pacine, nah mean
Its genocide its a genocide
Its a genocide its genocide
Fifth floor cooking raw had my own supply
Cause of capitalist ways
That was back in the days
So now I do rap and it pays
The song "Nah Mean" by Nas and Damian Marley is a conscious hip-hop track that addresses issues of power, corruption, and social injustice. The lyrics use Jamaican slang and patois to convey the message, making it a unique fusion of reggae and hip-hop. The opening lines talk about the artist's readiness to use weapons, both physical and metaphorical, to defend their housing scheme against colonial regimes, all while celebrating their own power and strength. The lyrics also criticize the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, highlighting the strong Pan-Africanist and anti-colonialist sentiment that characterizes many Jamaican artists.
As the song progresses, the artists discuss their experiences with police brutality, inner-city violence, and drug addiction, all of which are systemic problems exacerbated by oppressive Western power structures. The lyrics urge listeners to stay vigilant and remain empowered to fight against systems of oppression that aim to maintain the status quo. There is also a call to action for politicians and leaders to be held accountable for their actions and represent their constituents without prejudice.
Overall, "Nah Mean" is a bold social commentary on the intersections of race, power, and oppression, through the lens of the Caribbean experience. It is a reflection of the issues that continue to plague marginalized communities globally and serves as a reminder of the important role that art and music play in raising awareness and combating injustice.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya' nah mean, mi dip out a whole fourteen, nah mean,
I left suddenly with a substantial amount of something.
And reload man extra magazine, nah mean,
I have obtained additional supplies.
A wounded them housing scheme, nah mean,
Our neighborhood has been affected by violence.
'Nough a dem a move sideways and lean, nah mean,
Many individuals are attempting to avoid conflict.
Can't come bout when man deh in, nah mean,
You cannot visit when I am busy.
We nuh like dem colonial regime, nah mean,
We do not support colonialism.
Ethiopian nuh like mussolin', nah mean,
Ethiopian people do not approve of Mussolini.
Mi queen hafi rock and come in, nah mean,
My partner will be joining me.
And jump pon mi big trampoline, nah mean,
She will be happy to participate in various activities.
And boost up her self-esteem, nah mean,
Participating in these activities will make her feel better about herself.
'Nough a wonder how man kitchen so clean, nah mean,
People are surprised at how clean my kitchen is.
And which recipe dat a steam, nah mean,
They are curious about the recipe that is cooking.
The lyrics dem a flow like a stream, nah mean,
The lyrics are very fluid.
Make you feel like you living in a dream, nah mean,
The experience is so surreal.
It come to the crop man a cream, nah mean,
I have gained success as a result of my hard work.
It come to discipline man a dean, nah mean,
Success comes through self-discipline.
Mi tougher than a hummer limousine, nah mean,
I am mentally and physically strong.
We stepping we fresh and we clean, nah mean,
We are clean, dressed well, and looking good.
I burn the stinkiest of green, nah mean,
I smoke the most potent weed.
Better listen up careful and keen, nah mean,
You should pay close attention.
A puppa nas a rock and come in, nah mean
I am Nas, and I have arrived.
We celebrate like I finished probation, boy boy
We celebrate like I have just completed probation.
Noty head with no chaser, boy boy
I drink straight without a chaser.
From the mouth I can spit out a razor, boy boy
My words are as sharp as a razor.
Open up your facial like your boy Roy
Open your face and smile like Roy.
In his prime, eat food, dinnertime
At his prime, he is eating dinner.
Jr. gong pass the Guinness, handle business, black velvet sippers
Jr. Gong passes around a Guinness and we handle our business while drinking black velvet.
Females never bid us farewell, they with us
Women never bid us goodbye because they are with us.
Cause we arrive on the scene
Because we have arrived at the location.
Just like a high beam, nah mean
As noticeable as a high beam light.
Don't let us have to make the 9 scream, nah mean
Don't make us use our gun.
At your racial policing regime, nah mean
Against unjustified law enforcement practices.
Spiritual like a Elohim, nah mean
Spiritual like a god.
In a casino or a yacht wherever I'm seen
I am seen in places like a casino or yacht.
My brothers and sisters are never forgot, nah mean
I never forget about my family.
Don't wanna hear another soldier drop, nah mean
I do not want to hear about another soldier getting killed.
Another dope addict get shot with the morphine
I do not want to hear about another drug addict getting shot with morphine.
And feds are indicting my block, nah mean
The government is taking legal action towards my neighborhood.
They're wearing red from they shoes to they top, nah mean
They are all dressed in red from head to toe.
I'm wishing that all the violence would stop, nah mean
I hope that all the violence would end.
We nuh like the sound of siren, nah mean
We do not like the sound of sirens.
And some bwoy soft like ice cream, nah mean
Some men are weak and cowardly.
From a bwoy mek the feds intervene, nah mean
Feds get involved when a man causes problems.
We send a bwoy go tek intravene, nah mean
We send a man to a hospital to receive medical attention.
Parabellum dem a itch up inna spleen, nah mean
Parabellums are irritating to the spleen.
Inna queens gunman reign supreme, nah mean
Gunmen dominate in Queens.
Kingstonians are real blood fiends, nah mean
Kingston residents love violence.
The world is a big crime scene, nah mean
There is crime everywhere.
Yo yo mr. president
Hey Mr. President.
What you doing for my residence?
What are you doing for my residence?
Yo mr. minister
Hey Mr. Minister.
Why you being sinister?
Why are you being secretive or conspiring?
Se man a di real buffalo inna Rastafari regime
I am the true leader in the Rastafarian community.
Bush bungalow is where mi dwell with mi queen
I live with my partner in a modest home.
Trash to the bone down inna camouflage green
I am proudly dressed in military-style attire.
'nough a dem that cant go the places we been
Many people cannot go to the places I have traveled.
'nough a dem that cant see the sights that we seen
Many people have not seen what I have seen.
That's why them face all a twist up and a lean, nah mean
That's why they are surprised and curious.
Dem better mine we kick it off clean, nah mean
They better watch out and not mess with us.
Man a gangster just like gambine, dat mean
I am a gangster, just like Gambino.
Dem cant serve congo dread court supine, nah mean
They cannot face justice like a true Rastafarian.
A who you want come in convene, nah mean
Who do you want to meet me?
Attorney have to rock and come in, nah mean
I need to meet with my attorney.
Mi pocket dem green like spurlene, nah mean
I have a lot of money.
Mi regular fly out and fly in, nah mean
I regularly travel by flight.
The stadium pack like sardine, nah mean
The stadium is full of people like sardines.
Cant catch mi speed a fassy hole need caffeine, nah mean
You can't match my speed.
Run out a breath and antihistamine, nah mean
You will get tired and need medicine.
Wash over gold dem come in like Listerine, nah mean
Clean like Listerine.
You think a lie we badder than Al Pacine, nah mean
Do not doubt that we're even better than Al Pacino.
Its genocide its a genocide
It is an act of genocide.
Fifth floor cooking raw had my own supply
I used to sell drugs.
Cause of capitalist ways
Because of capitalist economic systems.
That was back in the days
It happened in the past.
So now I do rap and it pays
Now I do rap and make money.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMIAN ROBERT NESTA MARLEY, NASIR JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JayceonShawnTaylor
Always loved Nas and Damian's collaborations, they sound dope together and this song is no exceptions! :P
@thomashauer6804
damian has the rythm and voice of a soul slaying demigod
@alhaj7401
I just love how Nas is walking behind looking so naturally excited about the whole thing! This is entertaining! One love!
@stuartchilongozi2439
First thing I noticed
@steeltown2424
It looked to me he was nervous.
@vinceleguesse
We are the 13th Tribe of Israeli. The humble ones. Arch of the Covenant returned to Russia. #8200
@StanleyKubick1
not being the main character for a while is liberating when you're used to being it
@chillmode4life
@Stanley Kubick³ 💯💯💯
@jeniffernicole_
damian + nas = perfeição demasiadaa
@proudafricanamerican7586
Totally agree... whole different-higher level...