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..
Not Going Back
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What! Babe, babe, start the car
Nasir, come on let's go, get in the car now, let's go
Throw it out, let's go
Aight, aight, aight, yeah, but I got 'em, but I got 'em, though
This is crazy, why didn't you just throw it out of the car?
This is so stupid, what are you doing? Why are we even out here?
This is crazy, never again, you'd throw everything away, for what?
Yeah, my man cool G Rap told me, 'Son do not look back
Chill up in the mansion with a fat glutious max, relax
When people act schoolin' with facts, tell 'em
At this point in my life I'm all about chillin'?
Ridin' around in something sick and the dress flies
And twist, homie's hermano just died I gotta let it ride
That's what I got the public thinkin', my nigga
Just 'cause I ain't in the hood don't mean shit my nigga
I know who died before the body dropped
I know the guns that were used how much money the shooter got
'Cause on the private yacht I'm still within earshot of it all
The top ten list of the most grimiest guys of all time
Is all we talk when we talk of New York y'all
Who to call and who to stay away from
Whose mother's address to have just to play it safe son
Women they lust up so quick to give 'em up
What cars and what trucks they drive in
What towns they spend the most time in when they grindin'
I found out most of them are cowards they hidin'
Behind reputations that's sour, not going back
The streets keep tryin' to say
Come back around this way
I've already gone that way
I won't go back again
I'm not goin' back
The streets keep tryin' to say
Come back around this way
I've already gone that way
I won't go back again
I'm not goin' back
First thing that happen when you make a little paper
You think the Marriot is livin' in a skyscraper
Till you come across some ever more flyer paper
Realize that five-star 'tellies are even greater
Terry-cloth robes, elegance, movie shit
Heated-up marble floors with jacuzzi's in it
First-class flights, diamonds in your crucifixes
All those things you still ain't really doin' shit kid
'Cause in reality I'll earn my salary
The way I flaunted it then would now embarrass me
It kinda make me wanna hate bling it's a race thing
How they sell blacks to bootleg shit infact
Real millionaires spend 60 mil on paintings
Whores charge niggaz with raping
'Cause we come out doors of Maybach cars
Watch us make bets on race tracks smokin' cigars
So they counter the laws to take what's ours
'Bout 500K on a lawyer to beat the charge
So you can't stop us from making a billion dollars
Instead of goin' back I'm buying the projects
But I'm not going back
The hood's in me forever y'all but I'm not going back
The streets keep tryin' to say
Come back around this way
I've already gone that way
I won't go back again
I'm not goin' back
The streets keep tryin' to say
Come back around this way
I've already gone that way
I won't go back again
And of course y'all know what I'm not going back to
Those no friends of mine and I'm not going back to
Ten carat gold it shine and I'm never going back to
Sony if they don't have dough to sign, not going back to
Y'all know that I'm not going back to
Those liars who would, not going back to
Not help you if they could not going back to
Coke on the stove in the hood, y'all should know that I'm not going back
The hood's in me forever y'all, but I'm not going back
The streets keep tryin' to say
Come back around this way
I've already gone that way
I won't go back again
I'm not goin' back
The streets keep tryin' to say
Come back around this way
I've already gone that way
I won't go back again
I'm not goin' back
The song "Not Going Back" by Nas and Kelis was released in 2006 and is a reflection of their luxurious lifestyles and the price that comes with it. The song is a declaration of their success and the distance they have put between themselves and their past lives while never forgetting their roots. The song begins with Nas and Kelis leaving a scene where Nas has just fought someone, and Kelis is urging him to leave quickly. The lyrics reveal that Nas has knowledge of street secrets from his past life and, although he refuses to go back to living that life, he still has those memories.
The lyrics convey Nas's move from the hood to the high life, where he finds comfort in the luxury of flying in first class, living in hotels with jacuzzi tubs, heated bathroom floors, and terry-cloth robes. He speaks about the power he has acquired and having information about guns and how much a shooter got paid. The song also mentions the contrast between the lower and higher tiers of society. Nas denounces selling bootleg clothing and instead urges the message of building a business empire instead of living a life marked by crime. The high point of the song is Nas's determination not to go back to the hood or the people who were never his friends.
In conclusion, "Not Going Back" serves as Nas and Kelis's personal anthem expressing their journey from the hood to fame and their refusal to go back to the life they left behind. They depict this attitude in their lyrics and share their knowledge about the underground world with their listeners. The lyrics stating that "The hood's in me forever, but I'm not going back" relates to their sense of identity and background that has made them who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
What nigga! What bitch-ass niggaz!
Emphasis on frustration and anger towards unknown individuals.
Nasir, come on let's go! Get in the car now, let's go! Throw it out, let's go!
Kelis is urging Nas to get in the car and leave, while questioning his actions in not disposing something earlier.
But I got 'em. But I got 'em, though.
Nas acknowledges that he still has whatever caused Kelis to urge him to leave, despite her urging him to throw it out.
This is crazy, why didn't you just throw it out of the car?
Kelis questions Nas's reasoning for not disposing of the item earlier to avoid the current situation.
This is so stupid, what are you doing? Why are we even out here?
Kelis expresses confusion and exasperation about the situation and Nas's actions.
Why are we out here? What's going on? This is retarded, yo we gotta
Kelis continues to express her confusion and frustration about the situation and urges Nas to take action.
This is crazy. Never again. You'd throw everything away, for what?
Kelis questions Nas's actions and why he would risk everything for something that could potentially cause trouble.
Yeah, my man Kool G Rap told me son do not look back
Nas references advice from Kool G Rap to not dwell on the past or old ways of living.
Chill up in the mansion with a fat glutious max, relax
Nas describes a more luxurious and relaxing lifestyle than before, with a bigger house and less worries.
When people act schoolin' with facts, tell 'em
Nas is not interested in being schooled or preached to, and advises to tell those who try that he is living his own life.
At this point in my life I'm all about chillin'
Nas is focused on enjoying his life and relaxing, rather than getting caught up in drama or the streets.
Ridin' around in something sick and the dress flies
Nas enjoys cruising in an impressive car with a stylish outfit, without much care for what others may think.
And twist, homie's hermano just died I gotta let it ride
Despite the death of a friend's brother, Nas is still focusing on living his life and moving forward.
That's what I got the public thinkin' my nigga
Nas is aware of how the public perceives him and his lifestyle, while still carving his own path.
Just cause I ain't in the hood don't mean shit my nigga
Nas emphasizes that his lifestyle doesn't define his character, and that he can still relate to the struggles people from the hood face.
I know who died before the body dropped
Nas is aware of deaths before they happen, either through connections or knowledge of the streets.
I know the guns that were used how much money the shooter got
Nas has knowledge of the specifics surrounding violent incidents, including the weapons used and the amount of money involved in the criminal activities.
'Cause on the private yacht I'm still within earshot of it all
Nas is able to maintain connections to the streets and the activity that happens there, despite enjoying a luxurious lifestyle.
The top ten list of the most grimiest guys of all time
Nas and his friends discuss the most notorious and shady characters in New York, emphasizing their influence in the area.
Is all we talk when we talk of New York y'all
The topic of discussion amongst Nas and his friends is often related to the notorious figures of New York, which they discuss with familiarity.
Who to call and who to stay away from
Nas and his friends have a clear understanding of who to trust and who to avoid in the streets.
Whose mother's address to have just to play it safe son
Nas and his friends maintain knowledge of safe locations or contacts, including the homes of mothers who can offer protection.
Women they lust up so quick to give 'em up
Women are often quick to get involved with Nas and his friends due to their influence and lifestyle.
What cars and what trucks they drive in what towns
Nas and his friends have knowledge of the vehicles that other people are driving, and where they can be found throughout the city.
They spend the most time in when they grindin'
Nas and his friends are aware of the areas where people spend the most time working or making deals.
I found out most of them are cowards they hidin'
Despite their influence, Nas and his friends have come to the realization that many of the notorious figures of New York are actually cowards who hide from confrontation.
The streets keep tryin' to say
Despite his new lifestyle, Nas is still being called back to the streets and the drama that comes with them.
Come back around this way
The streets are asking Nas to return to his old ways and get involved in their activities again.
I've already gone that way
Nas has already lived that life and moved on to something different.
I won't go back today
Despite the temptation, Nas has made the decision to not return to his old lifestyle today or in the near future.
First thing that happen when you make a little paper
Nas is referencing the immediate materialism and focus on luxury that often occurs when someone first earns money.
You think the Marriot is livin' in a skyscraper
When someone first earns money, they often believe that staying at the Marriot hotel and living in a tall building is a sign of success.
Til you come across some ever more flyer paper
However, as someone earns more money, they begin to realize that there are always higher levels of luxury and better things to have.
Realize that five-star 'tellies are even greater
As Nas has earned more money, he has come to appreciate even higher-end hotels and lifestyles, with five-star hotels being a new standard.
Terry-cloth robes, elegance, movie shit
Nas describes the luxurious accessories and lifestyle that comes with staying in high-end hotels.
Heated-up marble floors with jacuzzis in it
Nas continues to describe the luxurious amenities of high-end hotels, with heated marble floors and jacuzzis.
First-class flights, diamonds in your crucifixes
Nas describes the materialism that often comes with success, including diamonds in jewelry and first-class plane tickets.
All those things you still ain't really doin' shit kid
Despite the luxury and success, Nas feels that he isn't really doing anything of real value or importance.
'Cause in reality I'll earn my salary
Nas knows that he is only earning what he deserves for his work and success, and nothing more.
The way I flaunted it then would now embarrass me
Nas feels embarrassed when he thinks about how he used to flaunt his success and materialism, as it comes off as shallow and unnecessary.
It kinda make me wanna hate bling it's a race thing
Nas has grown to dislike the culture of materialism and the emphasis on expensive jewelry, linking it to issues related to race and class.
How they sell blacks to bootleg shit infact
Nas believes that the materialism and obsession with luxury is being sold to black people, in a way that is harmful and not beneficial.
Real millionaires spend 60 mil on paintings
Nas contrasts the shallow materialism of jewelry with the idea of true wealth and investment, with millionaires spending vast sums on art and other valuable items.
Whores charge niggaz with raping
Nas acknowledges the darker side of wealth and success, including sexual assault allegations and other legal troubles for high-profile people.
'Cause we come out doors of Maybach cars
Nas and his friends are associated with luxury cars, which can attract attention and criticism from others.
Watch us make bets on race tracks smokin' cigars
Nas and his friends gamble and enjoy luxury activities like smoking cigars, reinforcing their association with excessive wealth and lifestyles.
So they counter the laws to take what's ours
Nas feels that laws and regulations are targeting the wealthy to take away their money and success.
Bout 500K on a lawyer to beat the charge
Nas acknowledges the legal advantages that come with wealth, including being able to afford expensive lawyers to offset legal troubles.
So you can't stop us from making a billion dollars
Nas and his friends are determined to earn even more money and wealth, and believe that nothing can stop them.
Instead of goin' back I'm buying the projects
Nas uses his success and wealth to give back to the community where he grew up, investing in the development of public housing projects.
The hood's in me forever y'all
Despite his success and wealth, Nas feels a sense of connection and loyalty to his old neighborhood and community.
And of course y'all know what I'm not going back to
Nas emphasizes that he is determined to move forward and not return to his old ways or habits.
(And I'm not going back to)
Ten carat gold it shine
Nas is moving forward from the obsession with flashy jewelry and materialism.
(And I'm never going back to)
Sony if they don't have dough to sign
Nas isn't interested in signing with companies who don't offer enough money or support for his work.
(Not going back to)
Y'all know that I'm not going back to
Those no friends of mine
Nas isn't going to return to the company of those who were never truly his friends or supported him.
(And I'm not going back to)
Coke on the stove in the hood
Nas isn't going to return to the lifestyle of drug use and violence that he used to be associated with.
Y'all should know that I'm not going back
Nas emphasizes that he is looking forward, and not interested in dwelling on the past or returning to old habits.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mikkel Eriksen, Nasir Jones, Tor Erik Hermansen, Chrisette Payne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind