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..
Nas -One Mic
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got King's Disease but I move like a knight (21, 21)
Rappers bandwagon tryna get some likes (21, 21)
I do it for the fam', never for the hype (21, 21)
When you turn to legend, no such thing as relevance (21, 21)
They must've forgot that I'm a new rapper that got integrity (21, 21)
All in the media and blogs, that's just a place I don't care to be (21, 21)
Most of these niggas wouldn't say shit if they was ahead of me (Hit-Boy)
No back and forth, I did it back then, I do it right now (woo)
I opened a lane for my era, I'm goated, they gave me the crown
G.O.A.T. with all the success, the negative press, I'm watchin' it pile (uh)
They sayin' that black music dyin', I'm sayin', "They wipin' us out"
But look at me now, damn, y'all, look at me now
Whatever I do is N.Y., I'm keepin' it Queens 'cause that's my side (what up?)
I shook up the town, I shook up the city, I shook up the state
I'm with 21 on my second run, this shit come with age
It's a conversation (woo), it's determination (yeah)
Your interpretation, I just shocked the nation (oh)
Did my tour with The Wu', I came back and I set the pace (whoa)
They just ran in one of my cribs and took what? I replaced it (haha)
Two Caucasians up out of their faces
Most of y'all assumed that they was black, it's exploitation (Black Caesar)
They ain't know that I see everything, invest in the Ring
It's cool to be mainstream, I'd rather be timeless
That's if we keepin' it P, 21 (21, 21)
I'm on that same trajectory
Bullet wounds and jail cells couldn't stop me, this my destiny
Never controversial, I'm mad the fans expected less from me
Nigga sneezed around me, wipe his nose, won't get no bless from me
Fuck the jewelry, I rather buy land and invest successfully
I got all type of stocks and bonds, Kehinde Wiley on my wall
And I'ma pass it to my son
If Savage like the capo that mean Escobar the don, one mic', one gun
My net worth like eight figures, I'm workin' on gettin' me nine
You know that I'm one of them niggas, I ain't doin' no cappin' or lyin'
You rappers be chasin' the hype, I do it and I don't be tryin'
I ain't goin' against no legend, nigga, I'm tryna be next in line
They actin' like I just popped, I was platinum before I signed
I went platinum without no features, I put platinum on your mind
This Glock I got two-tone, and this bitch don't bust no rhyme
They wanna see me fucked so they could deport me like I'm Shyne
No back and forth, I did it back then, I do it right now (woo)
They tellin' me that I'm the G-O-A-T, I been here for a while (while)
G.O.A.T., love me today, hate me tomorrow, no switchin' my style (style)
21, Yak, y'all get together, be big for the South (the globe)
But look at me now, damn, y'all, look at me now (uh)
Whatever I do is New York, you hear that shit all in my vowels (grrt)
I shook up the town, I shook up the city, I shook up the state
I'm one of them ones, on my second run, I'm on a new wave
Two kings
We're sendin' love to the whole culture
21, Esco, Mass Appeal, Slaughter Gang
This shit too easy, king
Nas's song "One Mic" is a reflection on the harsh realities of life in the ghetto. He focuses on the idea that all he needs is one microphone to make a difference in the world. He uses the microphone as a symbol of his voice and platform to express his emotions and experiences. Nas believes that he can use his voice to break down the negative stereotype of the ghetto and bring light to the struggles of those who live there. The lyrics of the song also deal with themes like violence, death, and revenge. Nas urges listeners to search their souls and take action to make a change in their own communities.
The lyrics of "One Mic" are striking in their raw honesty and powerful imagery. Nas uses a mixture of metaphors, allusions, and plain words to convey his message. The song's use of strong language and violent imagery is a reflection of the reality of life in the ghetto. It also shows how people feel helpless and trapped in their situations. Nas's message is that there is hope for change, but it requires action and taking control of one's life.
In conclusion, "One Mic" is a deeply thought-provoking song that communicates the intense feelings and struggles of life in the ghetto. Nas's use of powerful imagery and metaphorical language creates a sense of urgency and hope for the listener. The song’s message is that no matter how hopeless a situation might seem, everyone has the power to make a difference and create positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
One time, yeah, yeah
Introduction to the song.
Yo, all I need is one mic, one beat, one stage
Nas needs only one stage to express himself to the world.
One nigga front, my face on the front page
If someone wants trouble with Nas, they'll see him on the front page of the newspaper.
Only if I had one gun, one girl and one crib
Nas wishes his life was simpler with only one gun, one girl and one home.
One God to show me how to do things his son did
Nas wishes he had the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Pure, like a cup of virgin blood, mixed with
Nas is pure, like a cup of virgin blood.
151, one sip'll make a nigga flip
Drinking 151 can cause a person to go crazy.
Writin' names on my hollow tips, plottin' shit
Nas is writing the names of his enemies on his bullets.
Mad violence, who I'm gon' body, this hood politics
There are many fights in the hood and Nas is trying to figure out who to fight.
Acknowledge it, leave bodies chopped in garbage's
Nas will leave the bodies of his enemies in the trash.
Seeds watch us, grow up and try to follow us
The younger generation looks up to those who came before them.
Police watch us, roll up and try knockin' us
The police are always trying to intimidate Nas.
One knee I ducked, could it be my time is up
Nas thought he was going to die when he ducked down.
But my luck, I got up, the cop shot again
Luckily, Nas survived being shot at by the cop.
Bus stop glass bursts, a fiend drops his Heineken
During a shootout, a bystander drops their beer.
Richochetin' between the spots that I'm hidin' in
Bullets are ricocheting around where Nas is hiding.
Blackin' out as I shoot back, fuck gettin' hit
Nas is shooting back while in a blackout.
This is my hood, I'ma rep to the death of it
Nas will represent his hood until the day he dies.
'Til everybody come home, little niggas is grown
Nas wants everyone to come home and be safe.
Hoodrats, don't abortion your womb, we need more warriors soon
Nas is encouraging his hood to have more children who will grow up to be fighters.
Sent from the star, sun and the moon
Nas believes that he was sent from a higher power.
In this life of police chases, street sweepers and coppers
Nas lives in a dangerous environment of police chases and street violence.
Stick-up kids with no conscience, leavin' victims with doctors
Nas is surrounded by criminals with no empathy for their victims.
If you really think you ready to die with 9s out
If someone is brave enough to face Nas' gun, they may die.
This is what Nas is 'bout, nigga, the time is now
Nas is all about standing up for himself and the time to act is now.
Yo, all I need is one mic
Nas just needs one microphone to express himself.
All I need is one mic (that's all I need)
Nas is reiterating that he only needs one microphone.
All I need is one mic (all I need, niggas)
Nas is telling his people that they only need one microphone as well.
All I need is one mic (yeah)
Nas says it again – he just needs one microphone.
All I need is one blunt, one page, and one pen
All Nas needs is a blunt, a piece of paper, and a pen to write his music.
One prayer, tell God forgive me for one sin
Nas asks God for forgiveness for one sin.
Matter of fact, maybe more than one, look back
Nas reflects on his past and realizes he may have committed more than one sin.
At all the hatred against me, fuck all of them
Nas has a lot of haters and doesn't care about them.
Jesus died at age 33, there's thirty-three shots
Nas believes that he may be destined to die at the same age as Jesus.
From twin Glocks there's sixteen apiece, that's thirty-two
Nas' guns hold 16 bullets each, totaling 32.
Which means, one of my guns was holdin' 17
One of Nas' guns held 17 bullets.
Twenty-seven hit your crew, six went into you
Nas' shots hit 27 of his enemies and 6 hit the person he was targeting.
Everybody gotta die sometime, hope your funeral
Nas knows that everyone must die and wishes his enemies have a bad funeral.
Never gets shot up, bullets tear through the innocent
Nas hopes that no innocent people are hurt in his enemies' funeral.
Nothin' is fair, niggas roll up, shootin' from wheelchairs
Gang violence in the hood is never fair – even people in wheelchairs may be targeted.
My heart is racin', tastin' revenge in the air
Nas feels his heart racing as he tastes revenge in the air.
I let the shit slide for too many years, too many times
Nas has let things slide for too long and is now taking action.
Now I'm strapped with a couple of MACs, too many 9s
Nas is carrying two MACs and too many 9s.
If y'all niggas really with me, get busy, load up the semis
Nas commands his people to load up their semis and join him.
Do more than just hold it, explode the clip until you empty
Nas instructs his people to shoot and keep shooting until they run out of ammo.
There's nothin' in our way, they bust, we bust, they rush, we rush
No one can stop Nas and his people from fighting back.
Lead flyin', feel it? I feel it in my gut
Bullets are flying and Nas can feel it.
That we take these bitches to war, lie 'em down
Nas will fight his enemies and make sure they don't get up.
'Cause we stronger now, my nigga, the time is now
Nas believes that he and his people are stronger now and should act accordingly.
All I need is one mic (that's all I need, nigga, that's all I need)
Nas repeats that he only needs one microphone.
All I need is one mic (there's nothin' else in the world)
In Nas' world, nothing else is needed except for one microphone.
All I need is one mic (that's all a nigga need to do his thing you know?)
Nas believes that all he needs is one microphone to do his thing.
All I need is one mic (this is all I need)
Once again, Nas repeats that all he needs is one microphone.
All I need is one life, one try, one breath, I'm one man
Nas just needs one chance and one life – he's only one man.
What I stand for speaks for itself, they don't understand
Nas' actions speak for themselves but they are often misunderstood.
Or wanna see me on top, too egotistical
Some people don't want Nas to succeed and think he's too full of himself.
Talkin' all that slick shit the same way these bitches do
Nas doesn't tolerate people talking behind his back.
Wonder what my secrets is, niggas'll move on you
People may try to exploit Nas' secrets.
Only if they know what your weakness is, I have none
Nas believes he has no weaknesses.
Too late to grab guns, I'm blastin' 'cause I'm a cool nigga
It's too late to grab a gun - Nas will just start shooting because he's a cool person.
Thought I wouldn't have that ass done? Fooled you niggas
People underestimated Nas but they were wrong – he will still fight back.
What you call a infinite brawl, eternal souls clashin'
The fights in the hood seem never-ending and deadly.
War gets deep, some beef is everlastin'
Wars in the hood go deep and some fights are never resolved.
Complete with thick scars, brothers knifin' each other
People in the hood have scars from fights and even brothers may turn on each other.
Up in prison yards, drama, where does it start?
Even in prison, there's always drama and fighting.
You know the block was ill as a youngster
Nas knows that the hood was dangerous when he was young.
Every night it was like a cop would get killed, body found in the dumpster
Cops were often killed in the hood and their bodies were left in dumpsters.
For real a hustler, purchased my Range, niggas throwin' dirt on my name
Nas is a true hustler and has bought a Range Rover but people still talk negatively about him.
Jealous 'cause fiends got they work and complain
People are jealous of Nas because his drug addict customers complain too much.
Bitches left me 'cause they thought I was finished
Some women left Nas because they thought he was down on his luck.
Shoulda knew she wasn't true, she came to me when her man caught a sentence
Nas thought a woman was loyal but she only came to him when her man went to jail.
Diamonds are blindin', I never make the same mistakes
Nas is blinded by the riches of life and will never make the same mistakes twice.
Movin' with a change of pace, lighter load, see now the king is straight
Nas is moving at a different pace now and is doing better.
Swellin' my melon 'cause none of these niggas real
Nas is frustrated because no one in the hood is real.
Heard he was tellin' police, how can a kingpin squeal?
Nas is upset because he heard someone is snitching.
This is crazy, I'm on the right track, I'm finally found
Nas is happy that he's on the right path and has finally found the right way.
You need some soul searchin', the time is now
Nas thinks some people need to search their souls and the time to do that is now.
All I need is one mic (yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Nas repeats that he only needs one microphone.
All I need is one mic (that's all I ever needed in this world, fuck cash)
Nas believes that all he ever needed in this world is one microphone.
All I need is one mic (fuck the cars, the jewelry, uh-huh)
Nas doesn't need fancy cars or jewelry – he only needs one microphone.
All I need is one mic (spread my voice to the whole world, whole world, baby)
Nas only needs one microphone to spread his message to the entire world.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Chauncey Hollis Jr., Marilyn Turbinton, Nasir Jones, Sheyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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