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.
1973β1992: 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.
1992β1995: 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 Serchβs solo album is released later in the year, Nasβ 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.
1996β1998: 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.
1998β2000: 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.
2000β2001: 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."
2002βPresent: 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 KoΠ―n'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, Nasβ 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 is Good
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Touch up the game like a photo edit
Camera roll like Oscar Michaeux, they gotta roll the credits
Like Rome came into Kemet and they stole the essence
Before they watered it down and taught us bogus lessons
Written in stone, write whatever in your history books
Me and ancient Egyptian skin tone had similar looks
I swam in the Red Sea took a boat on the Nile
It's in my blood to drive these cars and live this large
Escobar Cigars, avoidin' the prison bars, Nas
I deserve the threads in my closet, big boy deposits
Nike shares and stock tips
Catching up with those who had a head start
Used to get eviction notices that had a red mark
The lights was out, that's why we sip dark
Actin' a fool at the pool in Queensbridge Park
Niggas would not survive in my hood
Pull up with all of my jewels on and Nas is good
Nas is good
My nigga, Nas is good
Ha, I love my hood so much I go out in a blazing shootout
You say I can't come out there
I'll throw it all away, fuck it
Big shout out to DU
Forever
His brother Herb
RIP
Now y'all woke, I'm laughin' at niggas
Y'all used to say Nas talkin' that anti-establishment business
Look at my settlement cases, gave they asses some stitches
Used to put bottles to faces, all we ask is forgiveness
My past story full of sins, somehow, I gotta cleanse
Back in 2010 Department of Justice wrote me lookin' for one of my friends
I didn't know where he was at
Didn't even have a hint
And even if I did, a nigga'll never snitch
Cheat code, I walked into my greatness
Freak hoes throw their pussy a party, ok then
Raised by a Queen that's the only reason I made it
King's Disease, the recurrence, that shit reinstated
Death to the pessimistic mind state
Lack of hope, low spirit motherfuckas
Life to Kings, gettin' a King's ransom, livin' handsome
Yo Hit, we did it
King's Disease 2
The verse from Nas Feat. Amy Winehouse's "Life is Good" is a vivid exploration of the rapper's roots and an assertion of his place as a successful musician. Nas begins the verse with the line "Escobar season begins," which refers to his alter-ego as a nod to his past life in the drug game. He then moves on to describe his connection to ancient Egypt and his trip to Cairo, where he felt at home. He also mentions being compared to ancient Egyptian skin tones, which aligns with Nas's belief that Black Americans are the descendants of African royalty. The verse also touches on Nas's success as a musician, with lines about his cars, cigars, and stock tips. He also reflects on his past struggles with eviction notices and the dark times in his life.
The song, released in 2012, was Nas's first collaboration with the late Amy Winehouse, and it ended up being one of her last recordings before her untimely death. The song was produced by No I.D. and features a sample from Slick Rick's "Hey Young World."
Line by Line Meaning
Escobar season begins
The start of a new chapter in Nas's career as he embodies the persona of the infamous drug lord, Escobar.
Touch up the game like a photo edit
Nas seeks to improve the rap game just as much as a photo editor would retouch a photo to make it look better.
Camera roll like Oscar Michaeux, they gotta roll the credits
Nas compares himself to the first African American filmmaker Oscar Michaeux and suggests that his own impact will eventually receive the credit it deserves.
Like Rome came into Kemet and they stole the essence
Nas compares the cultural appropriation of ancient Egypt to how the Roman empire dominated and took what they wanted from the people of Kemet.
Before they watered it down and taught us bogus lessons
Nas believes the true history of ancient Egypt was watered down and the lessons taught were misleading.
Written in stone, write whatever in your history books
Nas believes that history is never set in stone and can be changed or rewritten by those in power.
Me and ancient Egyptian skin tone had similar looks
Nas identifies with the people of ancient Egypt because of their shared skin tone.
On my trip out to Cairo I found home on arrival
Nas felt a sense of belonging and comfort when he visited Cairo, Egypt for the first time.
I swam in the Red Sea took a boat on the Nile
Nas enjoyed the beauty of Egypt by swimming in the Red Sea and taking a boat ride on the Nile River.
It's in my blood to drive these cars and live this large
Nas believes that his success is part of his destiny and he was always meant to drive expensive cars and live a lavish lifestyle.
Escobar Cigars, avoidin' the prison bars, Nas
Nas enjoys smoking Escobar Cigars, but also acknowledges the irony of his lifestyle and the possibility that he could end up in jail like Escobar.
I deserve the threads in my closet, big boy deposits
Nas feels that he has earned his wealth, which allows him to buy expensive clothes and make large bank deposits.
Nike shares and stock tips
Nas is knowledgeable about the stock market and has invested in popular companies like Nike.
Catching up with those who had a head start
Nas is successful despite not having the advantages of others who had a head start in life.
Used to get eviction notices that had a red mark
Nas struggled with poverty in the past and faced the threat of being evicted from his home.
The lights was out, that's why we sip dark
Nas reminisces about drinking dark liquor when the electricity was out in his home.
Actin' a fool at the pool in Queensbridge Park
Nas has fond memories of being a carefree youth and enjoying himself at the pool in Queensbridge Park.
Niggas would not survive in my hood
Nas believes that people who are not from his neighborhood would not be able to withstand the harsh realities of life there.
Pull up with all of my jewels on and Nas is good
Despite wearing expensive jewelry, Nas feels safe in his own neighborhood.
Ha, I love my hood so much I go out in a blazing shootout
Nas loves his neighborhood so much that he would fight to protect it, even if it means risking his own life in a shootout.
You say I can't come out there
Nas feels that he has been told he cannot leave his neighborhood because of the dangers outside of it.
I'll throw it all away, fuck it
Nas is willing to sacrifice everything to defend his neighborhood.
Big shout out to DU
Nas gives a shoutout to someone named DU, possibly a friend or collaborator.
Forever
Nas wishes the friendship or collaboration with DU could be everlasting.
His brother Herb
Nas mentions Herb, likely referring to someone he knows or has known who is related to DU.
RIP
Nas pays his respects to Herb who has passed away.
Now y'all woke, I'm laughin' at niggas
Nas takes pride in seeing others rise up and become aware of the issues he has been talking about for years.
Y'all used to say Nas talkin' that anti-establishment business
Nas was once criticized for his views on the establishment and his rejection of mainstream values.
Look at my settlement cases, gave they asses some stitches
Nas has won legal cases over the years and feels he has caused some pain for those who have tried to bring him down.
Used to put bottles to faces, all we ask is forgiveness
Nas admits to being involved in violent behavior in his youth and seeks forgiveness for past mistakes.
My past story full of sins, somehow, I gotta cleanse
Nas recognizes that his past is full of wrongdoing and wants to redeem himself.
Back in 2010 Department of Justice wrote me lookin' for one of my friends
Nas received a letter from the Department of Justice in 2010 asking for information about one of his friends.
I didn't know where he was at
Nas was unaware of his friend's location and could not help the Department of Justice.
Didn't even have a hint
Nas had no clue about his friend's whereabouts.
And even if I did, a nigga'll never snitch
Nas would never betray his friend by snitching to the authorities.
Cheat code, I walked into my greatness
Nas suggests that he has stumbled upon some secret to success and easily walked into greatness.
Freak hoes throw their pussy a party, ok then
Nas acknowledges the sexual attention he receives from women and enjoys the fact that they are attracted to him.
Raised by a Queen that's the only reason I made it
Nas attributes his success to the way he was raised by his mother.
King's Disease, the recurrence, that shit reinstated
Nas refers to his medical condition, King's Disease, and how it has come back to him.
Death to the pessimistic mind state
Nas rejects pessimism and embraces positivity.
Lack of hope, low spirit motherfuckas
Nas has no respect for people who lack hope and have low spirits.
Life to Kings, gettin' a King's ransom, livin' handsome
Nas celebrates his life as a king, enjoying great wealth and living a lavish lifestyle.
Yo Hit, we did it
Nas gives a shoutout to Hit-Boy, the producer of the album, and acknowledges their success in working together.
King's Disease 2
The title of the album this song is from, which refers to Nas's medical condition and his greatness as a rapper.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Chauncey Hollis Jr., Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gointothelightlove
I felt what he said in my soul !
Touch up the game like a photo edit
Camera roll like Oscar Michaeux, they gotta roll the credits
Like Rome came into Kemet and they stole the essence
Before they watered it down and taught us bogus lessons
Written in stone, write whatever in your history books
Me and ancient Egyptian skin tone had similar looks
On my trip out to Cairo, I felt home on arrival
I swam in the Red Sea, took a boat on thΠ΅ Nile
It's in my blood to drive thesΠ΅ cars and live this large
Escobar cigars avoiding the prison bars, Nas
I deserve the threads in my closet
Big boy deposits, Nike shares and stock tips
Catching up with those who had a head start!!!!
π€ππΎππΎπ«π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯
Dee Kanemi
This beat gets me emotional. So beautiful and melodic. My fav track off the album. On repeat daily.
Tyson Thomas
Facts
woodro blue83
Dam I thought I was only one beat hit u on sum other stuff crazy
Sam Kimani
This and 40 Side did it for me too
without a doubt. Big motion!
K Rollie
Exactly other songs got more publicity but this the song thatβs gone keep me coming back .
theVIPoet theVIPoet
I know huh!!!
Allan Jones
This whole album is so authentic. This new generation could never appreciate.
Michael Arriaga
I mean... I like it π₯Ί
woodro blue83
Major major facts if u was around doing nas time u already know
Red Lucius
new generation here, i respect nas a lot and im so glad he is still making music. if you had taken away anything from this album you wouldn't make such ignorant statements generalizing a whole generation because of a few loud idiots found in every gen. This album preached unity, shows just how much you listened tho