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..
Nazareth Savage
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plus they ass lick, summer house be sippin' rum
Layin' lazy in the recliner, couple days
In my ashtray, smoke signals from the haze
I stick my finger through it, the ring of smoke broke
That symbolize weak guys, pop the strong link off
The infrastructure caves in, amazin'
I ain't have to read The Art of War to slay men
When their momma love the kid's records I made
You gutless, you don't know struggle
Throw a couple shells at you, hell grabs you
Nail stabs a hand of the Nasirine
I carried the cross to help you afford that plasma screen
Gave you chumps a path to walk, hold my hand
I'ma guide you like the OG, but don't talk, don't get it confused
Cause none'a y'all can fit in my shoes
Y'all made of chemicals, artificial actions
God'll forgive you bastards
Only if you repent to the Nazareth Savage
I squeeze nipples like pimples to get the puss, get it?
Form a crew, swallow forty cal' bullets after dinner's finished
Wash it down with a shot of tequila, pocket full'a scrilla
Can't come close to, Francis Copala, Samson no Delilah
You're pint-sized, I'm Mike's eyes with the gladiator tattoos on it
You scared to look too long at, sit on a don's lap
Tell you a story shorty, spicy like lories
Chickenheads and orgies, criminals that draw heat in their late forties
Drug habits, love grabbin' kids up like yours
Sendin' you a picture of them in their drawers with black eyes
Savage guys, you hire Magnum PI's to bag up my guys
Said you was a thug with a good disguise, try to protect your cabbage
You're runnin' from the Nazareth Savage
Son's backward flows, they say mine is very scary
Smell fear like a canine that finds buried babies
And all of y'all wear that same aroma
How to blow on your eighth LP, I'll show ya
You're wack nigga, face it
In the history of the game, you have no placement
Liquor and weed just massacred their mind, or thee celebrity
Or they couldn't change with time, so now they run they mouth
But when the sun go south, them guns come out
My cavalry woulda been threw ten in your skin
Casualty you don't want to be, don't want it with me
Straight savage
The lyrics to Nas's "Nazareth Savage" tell the story of the rapper's life of luxury and success, devoid of any connection to the struggles of those who haven't had it easy. Nas boasts about his bad chicks, his summer house and his recliner, all the while smoking the haze of marijuana. He takes aim at those who speak recklessly about him, saying they don't know any struggle. He contrasts his life with theirs by saying he has carried the cross, while they can't fit into his shoes. Nas paints himself as a guiding force, an OG who can show them the way. He ends the song by declaring himself a savage and warning anyone who wants to step to him.
The lyrics themselves are full of allusions and metaphors, from the smoke signals rising from Nas's ashtray to the finger he sticks through them breaking the ring of weak guys. He also references The Art of War, saying he didn't need to read it to know how to slay men. Nas uses vivid imagery to talk about squeezing nipples like pimples, forming a crew, and swallowing bullets. He also talks about the struggles that people face, including drug habits and criminals who draw heat in their late forties.
Line by Line Meaning
I had bad chicks that blow cum bubbles like bubblegum
I had women who were skilled in the act of fellatio and could blow bubbles with a mix of semen and saliva.
Plus they ass lick, summer house be sippin' rum
In addition to performing fellatio, these women were also willing to engage in analingus while we drank rum at our summer home.
Layin' lazy in the recliner, couple days
I was lounging in my recliner for a few days, enjoying a break from the stresses of life.
In my ashtray, smoke signals from the haze
I had been smoking so much that there were visible smoke signals rising from the haze in my ashtray.
I stick my finger through it, the ring of smoke broke
I broke the ring of smoke in my ashtray by putting my finger through it, which is a metaphor for my ability to break down weak systems and create change.
That symbolize weak guys, pop the strong link off
The broken ring of smoke symbolizes that I am able to detect weak links in systems and eliminate them to strengthen the overall structure.
The infrastructure caves in, amazin'
As I remove weak links and strengthen the system, the overall infrastructure improves and becomes stronger.
I ain't have to read The Art of War to slay men
I don't need to read texts like The Art of War to be able to defeat my enemies because I am naturally skilled at it.
Serve niggas, bird niggas speakin' reckless
I serve my enemies, while they speak recklessly like birds chirping. I am calm and strategic in my approach.
When their momma love the kid's records I made
Even though my enemies criticize me, their mothers love the music I make.
You gutless, you don't know struggle
My enemies are weak and have not experienced true struggle.
Throw a couple slugs at you, hell grabs you
I will shoot my enemies and send them straight to hell.
Nail stabs a hand of the Nasirine
This line is a reference to Jesus being crucified, and suggests that Nas is a martyr and his struggle is similar to that of Jesus.
I carried the cross to help you afford that plasma screen
Nas suggests that he has held the burden of the African American community, and fought for the advancement of black people so they could afford luxuries like plasma TVs.
Gave you chumps a path to walk, hold my hand
Nas paved the way for generations of rappers to come, and gave them a path to follow.
I'ma guide you like the OG, but don't talk, don't get it confused
Nas is willing to guide new rappers, but they should not confuse that with weakness or a willingness to be disrespected.
Cause none'a y'all can fit in my shoes
Nas suggests that none of the newer rappers could ever replace him or do what he has done.
Y'all made of chemicals, artificial actions
Nas criticizes new rappers for being artificial and reliant on drugs, rather than being natural and authentic.
God'll forgive you bastards
Nas is suggesting that God will forgive the new rappers for their mistakes, but they still need to respect those who came before them.
Only if you repent to the Nazareth Savage
Nas sees himself as a savior of the rap game, and the new rappers must repent and acknowledge his greatness in order to gain forgiveness.
I squeeze nipples like pimples to get the puss, get it?
Nas is bragging about his sexual prowess, and suggests he is able to stimulate his partners by squeezing their nipples like pimples.
Form a crew, swallow forty cal' bullets after dinner's finished
Nas and his crew are willing to fight and die for what they believe in.
Wash it down with a shot of tequila, pocket full'a scrilla
After a tough meal, Nas and his crew drink tequila and stuff their pockets with money.
Can't come close to, Francis Copala, Samson -- no Delilah
Nas sees himself as a great artist like Francis Ford Coppola, and strong like Samson without a weakness like Delilah.
You're pint-sized, I'm mic's eyes with the gladiator tattoos on it
Nas is suggesting that he is a strong and powerful artist with tattoos that are reminiscent of gladiators.
You scared to look too long at, sit on a don's lap
Other rappers are intimidated by Nas and would not dare to look at him for too long or sit on his lap like a subordinate.
Tell you a story shorty, spicy like lories
Nas is a great storyteller and can captivate his audience with spicy tales, like talking parrots.
Chickenheads and orgies, criminals that draw heat in their late forties
Nas is recalling his past experiences with promiscuous women and wild parties, as well as criminals who continue to attract trouble as they approach their 50s.
Drug habits, love grabbin' kids up like yours
Nas criticizes the drug habit of some rappers and their willingness to recruit young and impressionable fans into their dangerous lifestyle.
Sendin' you a picture of them in their drawers with black eyes
Nas threatens his enemies by suggesting that he could send pictures of their young female fans with bruises, implying that they have been mistreated by these rappers.
Savage guys, you hire Magnum PI's to bag up my guys
Nas is always under surveillance from his enemies, who hire detectives to spy on him and his crew.
Said you was a thug with a good disguise, try to protect your cabbage
Nas suggests that some rappers pretend to be tough but are really just trying to protect their money and assets.
You're runnin' from the Nazareth Savage
Nas is a feared figure in the rap game, and other rappers are intimidated by him and try to run away from him.
Son's backward flows, they say mine is very scary
Nas is a lyrical master, and other rappers are intimidated by his ability to create incredible flows and rhyme schemes.
Smell fear like a canine that finds buried babies
Nas can detect fear in his enemies, like a dog that finds buried babies.
And all of y'all wear that same aroma
All of Nas's enemies possess the same characteristics, and are all fearful and intimidated by him.
How to blow on your eighth LP, I'll show ya
Nas is a seasoned veteran in the rap game, and can teach newer rappers how to succeed with their eighth album.
You're wack nigga, face it
Nas tells other rappers that they are bad and need to accept it.
In the history of the game, you have no placement
Nas is one of the greatest rappers in history, and other rappers will never match his achievements.
Liquor and weed just massacred their mind, or thee celebrity
Nas criticizes rappers who are reliant on drugs and alcohol, and how it has negatively affected their mental health or ability to be celebrities.
Or they couldn't change with time, so now they run they mouth
Some rappers are stuck in the past and unable to adapt to the changing musical landscape, so they criticize those who are doing well in the industry.
But when the sun go south, them comes come out
When the going gets tough, Nas's enemies are quick to criticize him and try to take him down.
My cavalry woulda been threw ten in your skin
Nas and his crew would easily defeat his enemies in a physical fight.
Casualty you don't want to be, don't want it with me
Nas warns his enemies that they do not want to be defeated by him, as it would be a huge loss for them.
Straight savage
Nas is a true savage, a ruthless and skilled rapper who will stop at nothing to achieve success.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nasir Jones, Salaam Remi, Barry Eugene White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind