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..
Poppa Was a Playa
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who brought me in this world
Ha, that's right nigga
My ol' dad important to the family structure, provider, a God
My moms a queen, that universal team civilized us
My pops maybe was late but always came home
My moms would put us to bed and she would wait on
I turned down the Johnny Carson
Jumped out the bed, we grabbed both his legs
Me and my brother, not knowing the pain he gave my mother
Night after night, fighting, yelling at each other
My poppa played the street all day, mama was either home
Or at work, while we played inside the hallway
She sacrifices all she got to feed us
When she was alone she cried by the phone peeping out the window heated
But still I didn't see it, mama hid it from us
We was kids younger, 'til we got bigger, on to
Bigger things that we knew what the time was
That daddy was leaving his crib and my mom's love
Poppa was a playa, playa was in poppa
Poppa loved the ladies, never got enough of
The pretty brown round, running round town
"(Sh!) Don't tell your mother what's going down"
Poppa was a playa, playa was in poppa
Poppa loved the ladies, never got enough of
The pretty brown round, running round town
"(Sh!) Don't tell your mother what's going down"
So many kids I knew, never knew who pop was
That's why I show my pop love
He was still around when I popped up
He could have left my moms pregnant, shook to death
But stayed, watched me crawl 'til I took my first step
To the first grade, to my first fistfight
Right behind me he would stand
No matter how big or tall, he made me fight you like a man
Throw dirt in ya eye, swing my right, scoop your ass and slam
He watched me so I wouldn't get jumped by shorty's fam
Roaches of weed all over my crib, him and moms relaxing
Next thing you know he packing, so then I asked him
"What's this white shit on that plate and your face?
And, Poppa, why you butt-ass from the waist
And, who's this lady I'm facing?
Dark skin, you're not my mommy!"
He grabbed me up to run some smooth words by me
Promise me things that he would buy me
If I kept my mouth closed and don't tell mommy
He said one day I'll understand, "Little me
What's in you is inside me"
Poppa was a playa, playa was in poppa
Poppa loved the ladies, never got enough of
The pretty brown round, running round town
"(Sh!) Don't tell your mother what's going down"
Poppa was a playa, playa was in poppa
Poppa loved the ladies, never got enough of
The pretty brown round, running round town
"(Sh!) Don't tell your mother what's going down"
Pops told me hold my own
Pops told me value home
Could I help it poppa was a rolling stone?
Who loved the pretty brown round, outta town bound
Trumpet in his jazz band, he touring
At home I play his latest recordings
And it's strange now how I do my thing now, I'm in the game now
Inherited his brainpower, to pull strings and gain power
From weed habits are the same now
No white lines, no trumpets, just tight rhymes
And beats that be pumpin, 'fore he left, he taught me something
A child's young years the most important time to be there
That's why he stayed 'til we grew up, respect is still here
I'm older now, see what having a father's about
One day they can be in your life, next day, they be out
It's not because of you, you know the deal
Him and your moms feel
If they stay together then someone will get killed
I love you still, always will, 'cause that's my nigga
Although you felt you was wrong, I still feel you kid
Life goes on
The song "Poppa Was a Playa" by Nas delves into the relationship between the rapper's parents and how their dynamic affected him growing up. He starts off by acknowledging the role his father played in their family dynamic, being the provider and important structure to their family. Nas highlights that his mother and father had a complicated relationship with both fighting and yelling at each other. But, no matter what happened during the night, Nas's father always came back home. With his mother, who would wait on him, they would try their hardest to make a happy home for their children, shielded from the problems in their relationship.
As the lyrics progress, Nas talks about how he didn't realize the problems between his parents when he was young. His father was a player who always gravitated towards women, and his mother did her best to protect her children from the harsh realities of their relationship. Nas believes that it was his father who taught him how to fight and stand on his own two feet. Even as a young child, he recalls how his father would stand right behind him during his first fistfight, teaching him to fight like a man. Nas understands that his father's influence and strong character helped shape him into the man he is today.
As Nas grew older, he began to realize the complexities of his father's relationship with the women in his life. Nas understood that his father had a hard time staying in one place and that he traveled a lot with his jazz band. Nas reflects on how he inherited his father's musical talents, but also his love for weed. But even though his father wasn't with them all the time, he taught Nas the importance of being present in a child's life when they are young. Despite his father's flaws, Nas still loves him and understands that life goes on.
Overall, "Poppa Was a Playa" is a beautiful and honest tribute from Nas to his father. It shows how the relationship between parents can shape and impact a child, for better or worse. It's a poignant reminder that even in the most difficult circumstances, love and respect can still thrive.
Line by Line Meaning
To my nigga
Acknowledgement of the song's dedicatee
Who brought me in this world
Respectful reference to the individual who fathered him
Ha, that's right nigga
A casual, friendly expression of acknowledgement to his father
My ol' dad important to the family structure, provider, a God
Respect for the role his father played as the family's primary financial supporter and authority figure
My moms a queen, that universal team civilized us
Recognition that his mother was a strong and important figure in the family unit
My pops maybe was late but always came home
Acknowledgement that, even though his father may have been absent at times, he always returned to the family home
My moms would put us to bed and she would wait on
Recognition of his mother's nurturing and vigilant nature as she waited up for his father to return home
Soon as he walk in the door she barking
Description of his mother's reaction to his father's arrival home
I turned down the Johnny Carson
Simple acknowledgement that he stopped watching television upon his father's arrival
Jumped out the bed, we grabbed both his legs
Description of the excitement the children felt upon their father's arrival home
Me and my brother, not knowing the pain he gave my mother
Acknowledgement that, as children, they were not aware of the negative impact his father's infidelities had on their mother
Night after night, fighting, yelling at each other
Description of the turbulent relationship between his parents
My poppa played the street all day, mama was either home
Recognition that his father was often not at home, while his mother was usually there
Or at work, while we played inside the hallway
Description of the environment in which he and his brother grew up
She sacrifices all she got to feed us
Acknowledgement of the sacrifices his mother made to provide for her children
When she was alone she cried by the phone peeping out the window heated
Description of the emotional turmoil his mother experienced when she was alone
But still I didn't see it, mama hid it from us
Recognition that his mother protected her children from the full brunt of their parents' relationship problems
We was kids younger, 'til we got bigger, on to
Recognition that the children were shielded from their parents' problems until they were old enough to understand them
Bigger things that we knew what the time was
Acknowledgment that the children became aware of their parents' relationship problems in due course
That daddy was leaving his crib and my mom's love
Recognition that his father was abandoning his marital relationship with his mother
Poppa was a playa, playa was in poppa
Acknowledgement that his father was unfaithful to his mother and had a love of women
Poppa loved the ladies, never got enough of
Reinforcement of his father's love of women
The pretty brown round, running round town
Description of the type of women his father found desirable
"(Sh!) Don't tell your mother what's going down"
His father instructing him not to tell his mother about his extramarital activities
So many kids I knew, never knew who pop was
Description of his experience of having a father who was not always present
That's why I show my pop love
Explanation of his ongoing affection for his father, despite his failings
He was still around when I popped up
Acknowledgement that his father was present in his life, at least intermittently
He could have left my moms pregnant, shook to death
Recognition that his father might have left his mother in a very vulnerable position, but chose to stay
But stayed, watched me crawl 'til I took my first step
Description of his father's involvement in his early development
To the first grade, to my first fistfight
Description of his progression through childhood milestones
Right behind me he would stand
Description of his father's protective presence
No matter how big or tall, he made me fight you like a man
Description of his father's teaching style with regard to assertiveness and self-reliance
Throw dirt in ya eye, swing my right, scoop your ass and slam
More description of his father's lessons in self-defense
He watched me so I wouldn't get jumped by shorty's fam
Explanation of his father's desire to protect him from harm by his peers' families
Roaches of weed all over my crib, him and moms relaxing
Description of his parents' relaxed attitude towards drug use
Next thing you know he packing, so then I asked him
Description of his father's sudden departure from the family home
"What's this white shit on that plate and your face?
Question to his father about his drug usage and physical appearance
And, Poppa, why you butt-ass from the waist
Further question to his father about his strange behavior
And, who's this lady I'm facing?
Question to his father about a woman who was also present
Dark skin, you're not my mommy!"
Realization that the woman in question was not his mother
He grabbed me up to run some smooth words by me
Explanation of his father's attempt to pacify him and keep him from telling his mother about the situation
Promise me things that he would buy me
Description of the bribes his father offered to keep him quiet
If I kept my mouth closed and don't tell mommy
Instructions from his father to keep his drugs and infidelity secret
He said one day I'll understand, "Little me
Assurance from his father that he would make sense of everything when he was older
What's in you is inside me"
Recognition that his own personality and abilities were inherited from his father
Pops told me hold my own
Description of one of his father's lessons about assertiveness and independence
Pops told me value home
Description of another of his father's lessons about the importance of family
Could I help it poppa was a rolling stone?
Self-explanatory reference to the classic song by The Temptations
Who loved the pretty brown round, outta town bound
Further reference to his father's love of women
Trumpet in his jazz band, he touring
Description of his father's musical career
At home I play his latest recordings
Description of his own interest in his father's music
And it's strange now how I do my thing now, I'm in the game now
Description of his own career in music
Inherited his brainpower, to pull strings and gain power
Acknowledgement that he inherited his father's intellectual capacity and business savvy
From weed habits are the same now
Self-explanatory reference to his own drug use
No white lines, no trumpets, just tight rhymes
Comparison of his own music to his father's
Before he left, he taught me something
Realization that his father taught him valuable life lessons before he abandoned the family
A child's young years the most important time to be there
Explanation of one of his father's lessons about the importance of family and paternal involvement in childhood development
That's why he stayed 'til we grew up, respect is still here
Realization that his father made an effort to be present in his life until he was grown, and that he still respects his father for that
I'm older now, see what having a father's about
Explanation of the realization he has come to about the importance of having a stable, paternal figure in his life
One day they can be in your life, next day, they be out
Observation of the fleeting nature of relationships, including those with parents
It's not because of you, you know the deal
Acknowledgment that his father's failures were not his fault
Him and your moms feel
Assumption that his parental separation was a joint decision by both parents
If they stay together then someone will get killed
Possible explanation for his parents' decision to separate including explanations for the volatile nature of their relationship
I love you still, always will, 'cause that's my nigga
Expression of ongoing affection for his father, despite his flaws and their separation
Although you felt you was wrong, I still feel you kid
Reiteration of his enduring love for his father
Life goes on
General conclusion to the song, emphasizing the inevitability of change over time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Deric Micheal Angelettie, Allan Felder, Allan Wayne Felder, Norman Ray Harris, Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind