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..
Pure New York
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey yo black it's time again, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
Come here, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
Hey yo black it's time
If you knew my streets
You would know all everybody talk about is who got beef
Who snitchin', who told police
Now they killin' over music money, not drugs, rap replaced it
Because thugs with no brains got no patience
New jacks I pistol whip 'em with the funky rhythm I be kickin'
Musician and flatten composition
A pain, I'm like Saddam Hussein
Still alive lookin' at his dead children's burnt remains
I burnt the game, learnt you lames a new lesson
Your crew's soft man, ya'll need some new weapons
The P's breathe Warriorz and skullies and Timmies
Around mixed, spics, niggaz and giddies
From my ghetto kings in deep thought we don't blink
But don't think we wastin' our time
It's a New York State of Mind
New York, New York, New York
New York City, whoa oh
New York, New York, New York
New York City, baby
It's like a jungle, out here
So much struggle, out here
And my dream's still unphased
Greed still the cousin of death
Always feels like always somethin' farther time
In the Streets of New York
All I see is street homes
And who it's holdin', our people
Only comforts the brain
It's like I'm going insane
The revolution has to start, don't waste no time
In the Streets of New York (New York state of mind)
C'mon
New York, New York, New York, New York oh
State of mind (New York City)
New York, New York, New York, New York oh
State of crime (New York City)
New York, New York, New York, New York oh
Big dreams (New York City)
New York, New York, New York, New York oh
Big schemes
Oh, it's like the game
Just ain't the same
Baby loves and girls with no shame
Can't get away (get away), epidemic plague
Every hood in every state
Don't have no reasons 'cause relief is hard to find
In the streets of New York (New York state of mind)
In the streets of New York (New York state of mind)
In the streets of New York (New York state of mind)
In the streets of New York (New York state of mind)
I'm from the home of a million legends and trend settin'
A lot of footsteps to follow, I've been steppin'
Mind stressin' tryin' to find a record crime shreddin'
Time precious, I ain't have rest since nine eleven
I live fast, hustle like today is my last
I get cash, the struggle's like a day on the Ave.
Crack bein' raw, gats squeezin' off
Manhattan squeezin' off, from cats who tease with war
The eve of the Apocalypse, evil keep movin' politics
Every block is at risk, the metropolitan metropolis
The opposite of Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra
Alicia Keys, Nas and Ra the gangsta's opera
So New York City walk with me, talk gritty
It's up to us New York it's our city
Here the man come with the anthem, hands up
It's time the thrill is back New York, let's stand up
New York, New York, New York
New York City, whoa oh
New York, New York, New York
New York City, baby
New York, New York, New York
New York City, whoa oh
New York, New York, New York
New York City, baby
The song "New York" by Nas and Rakim is a tribute to the hustle, struggle, and diversity that is so characteristic of New York City. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of life on the streets, the challenges and the resilience of the people who live there. The chorus repeats the iconic phrase "New York, New York" and emphasizes the unique cultural identity of the city, which is celebrated in art, fashion, and music.
Throughout the song, Nas and Rakim highlight the many hardships and dangers faced by New Yorkers, such as violence, drugs, and poverty. The artists take aim at those who exploit others for their own gain, as well as those who betray their communities by snitching to the police. They also point out the ways in which music has replaced drugs as a source of income for many young people, but warn that greed can still be deadly.
At the same time, "New York" celebrates the spirit of resistance and perseverance that characterizes so many New Yorkers. The lyrics speak of resilience and defiance, of the refusal to give up in the face of adversity. The song acknowledges the struggles of the past, while also expressing hope for the future of the city.
Line by Line Meaning
Nasty, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
Introducing the song, New York is the place where the action happens
Hey yo black it's time again, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
Time to highlight the happenings in New York
Come here, yeah, yeah (New York, New York)
Come closer and pay attention as we talk about New York
If you knew my streets
To understand what is happening in New York, you need to know its streets
You would know all everybody talk about is who got beef
Everyone in New York talks about who has problems with who
Who snitchin', who told police
New Yorkers discuss who snitched and exposed people to law enforcement
Who came home, who still gone, who restin' in peace
The people of New York keep an eye on who has returned home, who is still missing, and who has passed away
Now they killin' over music money, not drugs, rap replaced it
Violence in New York has shifted from drugs to the music industry
Because thugs with no brains got no patience
Those responsible for the violence in the music industry are impatient and lack intelligence
New jacks I pistol whip 'em with the funky rhythm I be kickin'
Newcomers to the music industry will be dealt with decisively if they step out of line
Musician and flatten composition
This is a play on words indicating that musicians have the power to create music that can stop the violence in New York
A pain, I'm like Saddam Hussein
The artist feels like Saddam Hussein, looking at the destruction of New York and not being able to change anything
Still alive lookin' at his dead children's burnt remains
Just like Saddam Hussein looked at the remains of his children, the artist is still alive, watching the destruction in New York
I burnt the game, learnt you lames a new lesson
The artist destroyed the current system, and in doing so, demonstrated the mistakes of those who created it
Your crew's soft man, ya'll need some new weapons
You're not strong enough, you need to find new and better tools to succeed in New York
The P's breathe Warriorz and skullies and Timmies
The people of New York wear traditional clothing items that represent their communities
Around mixed, spics, niggaz and giddies
New York is a diverse city made up of many different ethnicities
From my ghetto kings in deep thought we don't blink
Even the poorest people in New York are thoughtful and strategic
But don't think we wastin' our time
They may be thoughtful, but that doesn't mean they aren't productive
It's a New York State of Mind
This is what it means to be in New York, and this is how New Yorkers think
It's like a jungle, out here
New York is a wild and unpredictable place
So much struggle, out here
Life in New York is hard
And my dream's still unphased
Despite the difficulties, the artist's vision has not been shaken
Greed still the cousin of death
Greed is still the leading cause of destruction in New York
Always feels like always somethin' farther time
It always seems like there is never enough time in New York
In the Streets of New York
This is where everything happens, where the artist's experiences are set
All I see is street homes
In New York, the artist only sees poverty and struggle
And who it's holdin', our people
The artist sees that the people living in poverty are their people, fellow New Yorkers
Only comforts the brain
The only comfort for a New Yorker is to use their mind and find ways to cope
It's like I'm going insane
Sometimes the pressure of New York life is too much to bear
The revolution has to start, don't waste no time
Change must happen in New York and it needs to happen now
C'mon
The artist is urging listeners to take action and join the revolution
State of crime (New York City)
New York has a high crime rate
Big dreams (New York City)
Despite the crime, New Yorkers have big dreams
Big schemes
These dreams require big plans in order to be realized
Oh, it's like the game
Life in New York is like a game
Just ain't the same
But that game has changed
Baby loves and girls with no shame
The women in New York have changed, become more open and forward
Can't get away (get away), epidemic plague
There are problems everywhere in New York and it is difficult to escape them
Every hood in every state
These problems aren't limited to one area of New York
Don't have no reasons 'cause relief is hard to find
These problems don't have any clear solution, and it is hard to find relief
I'm from the home of a million legends and trend settin'
New York is a place that has produced many great artists and has set many trends
A lot of footsteps to follow, I've been steppin'
There are many great artists in New York, and the artist is trying to follow in their footsteps
Mind stressin' tryin' to find a record crime shreddin'
The artist is stressed trying to produce music that will fight against the crime in New York
Time precious, I ain't have rest since nine eleven
The artist has been working tirelessly since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001
I live fast, hustle like today is my last
In New York, you have to work hard and quickly because tomorrow may never come
I get cash, the struggle's like a day on the Ave.
Money is hard to come by in New York, and life is a constant struggle
Crack bein' raw, gats squeezin' off
Drugs are still a problem in New York, and guns are always being fired
Manhattan squeezin' off, from cats who tease with war
Even in the nicest parts of New York, violence is occurring
The eve of the Apocalypse, evil keep movin' politics
The artist believes that New York is approaching a catastrophic event, and that evil people are controlling its politics
Every block is at risk, the metropolitan metropolis
No one is safe in New York, it is a dangerous place filled with people from around the world
The opposite of Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra
New York is not the glamorous place portrayed in movies, it is a harsh reality for those who live there
Alicia Keys, Nas and Ra the gangsta's opera
This is a reference to the powerful music that comes out of New York, which is like an opera about gangsters and their struggles
So New York City walk with me, talk gritty
The artist is calling on New Yorkers to walk with him and face the difficult reality of their city
It's up to us New York it's our city
New Yorkers are responsible for their city, and it is their job to make it a better place
Here the man come with the anthem, hands up
The artist is presenting a song that will give New Yorkers something to rally around
It's time the thrill is back New York, let's stand up
It is time for New York to recover from its challenges and stand tall once again
New York City, whoa oh
A continuation and emphasis on the refrain earlier in the song
New York City, baby
Another emphasis on New York, this time with a more casual and playful tone
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: ALICIA AUGELLO-COOK, ALICIA J AUGELLO-COOK, ERIC BARRIER, WILLIAM GRIFFIN, NASIR JONES, CHRISTOPHER E MARTIN, TANEISHA SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Senior Shimhanda
"I CAN" inspired me to become a space engineer. The rest is history. Thank you NASIR!
MadnaN
💯👌
Aaron9
Congratulations 👑💪🏾
Marvin E.
Nas never disappoints. A true master of ceremony. His storytelling and motivational speeches in between his timeless songs turn his performances into true masterpieces. I will never forget when I first saw this brother live in Frankfurt in 2012. He closed his show by performing "One Mic" and just when the beat started, it started raining.. Still get goosebumps of that memory up until this day. Thank you for all the amazing music Nasir. You are appreciated. One
Marvin E.
@Q-Storm lol. That's the exception, not the norm tho. Of course, depending on the schedule/booking poltics every entertainer may have a bad night. However, dude's performance blueprint is solid and backed by an amazing catalogue along with artistic growth that allow him to deliver inspirational speeches in between his songs.
Travis Carter
@Q-Storm What show are you talking I mean these people don't perform for free.
Q-Storm
No he not perfect he definitely disappointed a few shows lol
Just Tester_99
@OfficialRubytech Too bad it's a dying art being replaced by lame heads.
Marvin E.
@OfficialRubytech Appreciate the effect it had on you, bro. Thanks for sharing it so eloquently
Mark U
Nas timeless! Been studying him and still am! His drummer is crazy talented too. Singing background and adlibing his raps while playing damn!