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..
One Time For Your Mind
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's illmatic, (yeah!)
It's illmatic, huh
(Yeah, kick that shit)
(One time for your mind, one time)
Yeah, whatever
(One time for your mind, one time)
(One time for your mind, one time)
(Hey yo, Nas, (Whattup, Paul?) Kick that fuckin' rhyme)
Check it out
When I'm chilling, I grab the Buddha, get my crew to buy beers
And watch a flick, illin and root for the villain, huh
Plus, every morning, I go out and love it, sort of chilly
Then I send a shorty from my block to the store for phillies
After being blessed by the herb's essence
I'm back to my rest, ten minutes, some odd seconds
That's where I got the honey at, spends the night for sexing
Cheap lubrication, lifestyle protection
Picking up my stereo's remote control, quickly
Ron G's in the cassette deck, rockin' the shit, G
I try to stay mellow, rock, well, acapella rhymes'll
Make me richer than a slipper made Cinderella, fella
Go get your crew, Hobbes, I'm prepared to bomb troops
Got niggaz who's born, I shot my way out my mom dukes
When I was ten, I was a hip-hoppin shorty wop
Known for rocking microphones and twisting off a forty top, yeah
(One time for your mind, one time)
Yeah, whatever
(One time for your mind, one time)
It sound clever
(Hey, yo, Nas, fuck that, man, that shit was fat)
(But kick that for them gangstas, man, fuck all that)
Right, right, what up niggaz, how y'all? It's Nasty, the villain
I'm still writin' rhymes, but besides that I'm chillin'
I'm trying to get this money, God, you know the hard times, kid
Shit, cold be starvin', make you want to do crimes, kid
But I'm a lamp, 'cause a crime couldn't beat a rhyme
Niggas catching three to nines, Muslims yelling free the mind
And I'm from Queensbridge, been to many places
As a kid, when I would say that out of town, niggas chased us
But now I know the time, got a older mind
Plus control a nine, fine, see, now I represent mine
I'm new on the rap scene, brothers never heard of me
Yet I'm a meance, yo, police want to murder me
Heine(ken,) dark drinker, represent the thinker
My pen rides the paper, it even has blinkers
Think I'll dim the lights then inhale, it stimulates
Floating like I'm on the north ninety-five interstate
Never plan to stop, when I write my hand is hot
And expand a lot from the wiz' to Camelot
The parlayer, I'll make ya heads bop, Pah
I shine a light on perpetrators, like a cop's car
From day to night, I play the mic, and you'll thank God
I wreck shit so much, the microphone need a paint job
My brain is incarcerated
Live at any jam, I couldn't count all the parks I raided
I hold a Mac-11, and attack the Reverand
I contact eleven L's, and max in heaven
Yo, one time for your mind, one time
It sound clever
But one time for your mind, one time
Yeah, whatever
One time for your mind, one time
Yo, from ninety-two to ninety-nine
Yeah, that shit was greasy, fat Paul, know what I'm saying?
But check it, you gotta another verse for me?
I want you to kick it, you know what I'm saying?
Kick that shit from the projects
In the song "One Time for Your Mind" by Nas, the rapper takes us on a journey through his thoughts and experiences as he tries to catch a break from the intensity of his life. Nas speaks about his love for smoking marijuana and how it allows him to relax with his friends and watch movies while rooting for the bad guy. Every morning, he goes out, bracing the chilly weather and sends one of his mates to the store to get phillies. The herb's essence blesses him, and he returns to bed for ten minutes or so. Nas then talks about his passion for acapella rhymes that he believes will make him richer than a Cinderella's slipper. He's a wordsmith, and he knows it.
The artist then switches to discussing Queensbridge, his hometown, and his experiences growing up with a love for music. He talks about the crimes that happen when one's down on luck and how music can save lives. Nas knows that he's not well-known on the rap scene, but he's proud of where he comes from and his ability to make cunning rhymes that strike a chord with his listeners. He shines light on perpetrators like a cop's car and pledges to continue to make heads bop through his lyrics. In the final verse, Nas tells his mate Paul that the '90s were greasy, and he asks Paul to give him another verse to kick from the projects.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, it's illmatic, (yeah)
This album is amazing and it's called Illmatic.
It's illmatic, (yeah!)
Did you not hear me the first time? This album is fire.
It's illmatic, huh
I'm not trying to be redundant or anything, but seriously, this album is legendary.
(Yeah, kick that shit)
Let's get this party started and play some dope music.
(One time for your mind, one time)
Let's take a moment and appreciate the brilliance of this music.
Yeah, whatever
I don't have much to say right now, so I'll just go along with whatever is happening.
Yo, whatever
I don't really care what's going on or what people think of me.
(Hey yo, Nas, (Whattup, Paul?) Kick that fuckin' rhyme)
Hey Nas, my man, let's hear some sick rhymes right now.
Check it out
Listen up, I've got something to say.
When I'm chilling, I grab the Buddha, get my crew to buy beers
When I'm relaxing, I like to smoke weed and have my friends purchase some beer.
And watch a flick, illin and root for the villain, huh
We like to watch movies and cheer for the bad guy.
Plus, every morning, I go out and love it, sort of chilly
I enjoy going outside early in the morning, even when it's a bit cold outside.
Then I send a shorty from my block to the store for phillies
I'll have someone from my neighborhood run to the store and buy some Philly Blunts for me.
After being blessed by the herb's essence
After smoking some good weed and feeling its effects.
I'm back to my rest, ten minutes, some odd seconds
I'm back to relaxing, possibly taking a nap or just lounging for a short amount of time.
That's where I got the honey at, spends the night for sexing
When I meet a woman and take her home with me, we'll most likely have sex that night.
Cheap lubrication, lifestyle protection
I don't like to spend a lot of money on condoms and prefer to use cheaper ones, but I still practice safe sex.
Picking up my stereo's remote control, quickly
I'll grab my music remote control to change the song or adjust the volume rapidly.
Ron G's in the cassette deck, rockin' the shit, G
Ron G's mixtape is in my cassette player and it's amazing.
I try to stay mellow, rock, well, acapella rhymes'll
Even when I'm trying to stay calm, I tend to start rapping along to songs without music (a capella).
Make me richer than a slipper made Cinderella, fella
My rap skills will make me extremely wealthy.
Go get your crew, Hobbes, I'm prepared to bomb troops
Tell your friends to come over, I'm ready to impress them with my rhymes.
Got niggaz who's born, I shot my way out my mom dukes
I was born into a dangerous environment and had to fight my way through it.
When I was ten, I was a hip-hoppin shorty wop
I've been into rap music since I was a young child.
Known for rocking microphones and twisting off a forty top, yeah
I was known for being good at rapping and opening forty-ounce beer bottles.
It sound clever
That rhymed really well and sounded cool.
But one time for your mind, one time
Let's take a moment and appreciate the awesomeness of this music.
Right, right, what up niggaz, how y'all? It's Nasty, the villain
Hey guys, what's up? I'm Nas, also known as Nasty, the villain in the rap game.
I'm still writin' rhymes, but besides that I'm chillin'
I'm still coming up with new rap lyrics, but other than that, I'm relaxing.
I'm trying to get this money, God, you know the hard times, kid
I'm trying to make money, you know how tough it can be sometimes.
Shit, cold be starvin', make you want to do crimes, kid
Being poor and hungry sometimes makes people resort to criminal activities.
But I'm a lamp, 'cause a crime couldn't beat a rhyme
I won't turn to crime because my talent for rapping is more valuable to me.
Niggas catching three to nines, Muslims yelling free the mind
People are getting arrested and going to jail for committing crimes, while people in the Muslim community are advocating for mental freedom.
And I'm from Queensbridge, been to many places
I grew up in Queensbridge and have traveled to many different locations.
As a kid, when I would say that out of town, niggas chased us
When I was younger and mentioned that I was from Queensbridge, people would chase after me and my friends.
But now I know the time, got a older mind
Now that I'm older, I understand how to handle myself in different situations.
Plus control a nine, fine, see, now I represent mine
I can handle a gun if necessary and now I represent my neighborhood proudly.
I'm new on the rap scene, brothers never heard of me
I'm still a relatively unknown rapper and many people have yet to discover my music.
Yet I'm a meance, yo, police want to murder me
Even though I'm not well-known, some law enforcement officials still view me as a threat.
Heine(ken,) dark drinker, represent the thinker
I like to drink Heineken beer and I always try to think creatively.
My pen rides the paper, it even has blinkers
My writing is so fluid and creative that it feels like the pen is moving by itself with blinkers (turn signals).
Think I'll dim the lights then inhale, it stimulates
I like to smoke weed and I think it helps me be creative.
Floating like I'm on the north ninety-five interstate
I feel like I'm in a non-descript location when I'm high, like I'm on a freeway in the middle of nowhere.
Never plan to stop, when I write my hand is hot
I plan to keep writing rap lyrics and my hand becomes hot from the intensity of it.
And expand a lot from the wiz' to Camelot
I'll become very successful and famous, from the streets to the fantasy realm of Camelot.
The parlayer, I'll make ya heads bop, Pah
I'll make the crowd bob their heads to my music.
I shine a light on perpetrators, like a cop's car
My lyrics expose the wrongdoings of people, like a police car light shining on them.
From day to night, I play the mic, and you'll thank God
I rap all the time and my music will make you feel blessed, as if you're thanking God.
I wreck shit so much, the microphone need a paint job
I'm so good at rapping that I damage the microphone's paint with my performance.
My brain is incarcerated
My mind is trapped within my body and I can't stop rapping.
Live at any jam, I couldn't count all the parks I raided
I'll perform at any show and I've caused so much chaos in public places that I couldn't even count them.
I hold a Mac-11, and attack the Reverand
I carry a powerful weapon and I'm willing to go after even a religious leader if necessary.
I contact eleven L's, and max in heaven
I smoke a lot of weed and I feel like I'm in heaven when I do.
Yo, from ninety-two to ninety-nine
My career as a rapper has been going strong from 1992 to 1999.
Yeah, that shit was greasy, fat Paul, know what I'm saying?
My rhymes are slick and hard-hitting, right Paul?
But check it, you gotta another verse for me?
But seriously, do you have any more rhymes you want me to perform?
I want you to kick it, you know what I'm saying?
I want you to spit some serious rhymes right now, you know what I mean?
Kick that shit from the projects
Perform some rap lyrics that are authentically from the projects, our neighborhood.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Mitchell, Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jargle6938
The fact that this is usually considered the worst song on illmatic and its still better than most artists entire discography really cements nas as the goat
@shawnstone1164
Exactly π―
@parelajah
THIS SONG IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THIS ALBUM IN MY OPINION HOW PEOPLE CONSIDER THIS AS WORST ON THIS ALBUM?!
@Josh-ky8ei
This track got me with closed eyes rocking left to right so good
@nigelg2347
This is my favourite track on illmatic
@alpscarlett8897
Yh like nah every song in this album is gold
@BCMDEEDUB
This was actually a freestyle they say, thatβs crazy.
@ExcitedAnacondaSnake-hg8ec
Nope
@stnicslink9144
That last verse alone is a classic
@Tadiwanashe_Munemo
Classic song from the Greatest Album of time made by the Greatest Rapper of all Timeπππ