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..
Quiet Niggas (feat Bravehearts
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a lot of real niggas out there
There's a lot of real niggas everywhere
That's why you don't fuck with just anybody
A lot of niggas is just on the low, chillin'
Not botherin' nobody, until one motherfucker fuck with 'em
And then all hell break loose
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you a made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Well known gangstas, entrust, that we bust
Your heart and soul lies with us, let's see
Boldly go where we once took a nigga before
Now the motherfucker beggin' for more
It's Thorazine
Standin' here shakin', hatin' the haters, they watchin' my paper
Realize, a 4-5 will open his eyes
Now what the fuck you think he saw before he drop?
Nigga standin' there just like a cop
Braveheart I'm screamin up the block
Now the soldier, cadet, general in fact
Don't let me get up and show y'all motherfuckers respect
Plans connect
The twinklin' diamonds upon my neck
More Jazz than Hornacek
I blast, leave your corner wet
Straight on top of ya
Spittin' like the Trench Coat Mafia
In a schoolyard, we make it hard
What's poppin' y'all?
We made our change what's stoppin' y'all?
They spray y'all names Rest in Peace on the project wall
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you a made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
I wave gang signs at the youth, that's down for the cause
Sling them things 'til the very end, you better get yours
Time is runnin' out
Your streets is gettin' smaller as we speak
Giuliani turns these lights on so niggas can't creep
I miss the shit out of David Dinkins
Please free John Gotti
They kept the black man eatin', not killin' everybody
Drug wars is real
You have no friends in the outfield
Foul balls is death, umpires keep ice grills
There's no tomorrow, it's the bottom of the 9-9
Can't die a broke man with a bitch that's fine
My heart's full of braveness, so who the fuck will want to save this
Fallen angel from fallen, startin' chaos on this nation
Don't play us on your station if you pussy or you hatin'
You could find us in the hood, thuggin' and regulatin'
Don't play us on your station if you pussy or you hatin'
You could find us in the hood, thuggin' and regulatin'
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you a made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Yo, we here to eat food, my peoples be lethal
Shots in your body make you see-through
Quiet niggas become jail riot niggas
25 to life bid, never cry niggas
Floss when they up north
Chest gettin' bigger
Celebs on the V.I., respect that nigga
Reggy on the regular, chops it up, like a editor
Come through one man gang like The Predator
If your wake, I'll wet it up, Jungle set it up
The jackal rock you to sleep while I'm comin' at you
Air out your area, Queensbridge forever, what
Ill Will the label
Bravehearts, y'all scared of us
Yo, when those niggas ran, these niggas stayed
When those niggas switched up and bitched up afraid
These niggas clicked up and ripped up the gauge
Those niggas got jail and sick 'cause we paid
Don't even rep QB, you ain't got hood stripes
Looters come through catch you frontin' and it's goodnight
Know how much force this is
Jungle, Horse, and Wiz
Nothin' but horses, kid
We go to war for this
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you a made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
That be the ones who get killed
It's wild where we walk, kid
Is you brave nigga
The song "Quiet Niggas" by Nas ft. Bravehearts highlights the existence of discreet individuals in the hood who do not cause any trouble but when provoked, they are ready to defend themselves. Nas starts the song by acknowledging the presence of real niggas in the hood, emphasizing that not everyone can be trusted. The chorus repeats the title of the song, stating that quiet niggas have the potential to kill while loud niggas who talk trash end up getting killed. The lyrics portray the harsh realities of gang violence and how it affects people's daily lives in the inner cities.
Nas's verse talks about gangsters who trust each other and have each other's back. He raps about the difference between the bold and the fearful and how the gangsters use their power to intimidate their enemies. They are not afraid of anyone who might try to come in their way, and they have plans to eliminate those who dare to cross their paths. He mentions the dangers of drug wars and how they have no friends in the outfield.
The Bravehearts' verse emphasizes the strength of quiet niggas who can become jail riot niggas if push comes to shove. They have no fear of the consequences and are willing to take anyone on who tries to mess with them. They rap about defending their neighborhoods and going to war for it. The lyrics reflect a sense of pride for their hoods, their people, and their way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Where my real niggas at
There are many genuine individuals out there
there's a lot of real niggas out there
A lot of honest people who stand by their values exists
there's a lot of real niggas everywhere
There are truthful people all around us
that's why you don't fuck with just anybody
We should be careful when it comes to people and their intentions.
A lot of niggas is just on the low, chilling
There are many people who keep to themselves, without causing any trouble
Not bothering nobody, until one motherfucker fuck with em
These people don't mess with anybody unless someone provokes them
And then all hell break loose
Once provoked, they become extremely dangerous
Quiet niggas will kill
Soft-spoken individuals may become violent
Loud niggas talk shit
People who talk aggressively often fail to stick to their word
Them be the ones that get killed
Loudmouths who talk a lot end up suffering the consequences
It's wild where we walk kid
The streets can be an unpredictable and dangerous place
Is you brave nigga
Are you courageous enough?
Is you a slave nigga
Are you obedient and subservient?
Is you a made nigga
Are you successful and respected?
Or is you a paid nigga
Do you have money and power?
Well known gangstas, in trust
Famous gangsters who are trusted
That we bust
We act ruthlessly towards our enemies
Your heart and soul lies with us
You are fully committed to our cause
Boldly go where we once took a nigga before
We challenge those who dared to cross us before
Now the motherfucker begging for more
They come back to us pleading for mercy
Its the reason
This is why we do what we do
Standing here shaking, hating the haters
Despite the danger, we stand strong against our enemies
They watching my paper
They are envious of my wealth and success
Realize, a 4 5 will open his eyes
They will be shocked by the damage the 4 5 gun can do
Now what the fuck you think he saw before he drop
He will witness the consequences of his actions before he dies
Nigga standin there just like a cop
The victim is helpless like a policeman
Braveheart I'm screaming up the block
I am shouting to assert my bravery and loyalty
Now the soldier, cadet, general in fact
I am now a fierce, authoritative figure
Don't let me get up and show yawl motherfucker's respect
Don't force me to reveal my strength and dominance
Plans connect
Our strategies come together
The twinkle and diamonds upon my neck
My expensive jewelry sparkles on my neck
More jazz than Hornecek
I am more stylish than jazz pianist Hornecek
I blast and leave your corner wet
I attack and cause chaos in your territory
Straight on top of ya
I conquer you with ease
Spitting like the trench coat mafia
I fire away like the infamous Trench Coat Mafia
In a school yard we make it hard
We terrorize in a child's playground
Was popping yawl
We were intimidating you
We made our change was stopping yawl
We made a difference by putting an end to you
They spray your names rest in peace on the ? wall
Your names are now memorialized on a wall, as you are dead
I wave gang signs at the youth, that's down for the cause
I encourage the young to support our gang
Cling them things in the ? you better get yours
Get armed and protected in the ghetto
Time is running out
We must act quickly
Your streets is getting smaller as we speak
The less territory you hold, the smaller your world becomes
Juliani turns these lights on so niggas can't creep
Juliani illuminates the streets to discourage lurking and sneaking
I miss the shit of days we did this
I yearn for the days of causing chaos
Please free John Gotti
I advocate for the release of John Gotti
They kept the black man eating, not killing everybody
The black community is sustained by a business of drugs and disputes
Drug wars is real
The violent drug trade is a reality
You have no friends in the outfield
You have no allies in this dangerous lifestyle
Foul balls is deaf, umpires keep ice grilles
Danger is frequent and the officials are watching us
there's no tomorrow its the bottom of the 9 9
There's no more time, it's now or never
Can't die a broke man with a bitch that's fine
You can't die poor with an attractive woman by your side
My hearts full of braveness so who the fuck will want to save this
I am fearless, so who can stop me?
Fallen angel from fallen star and chaos on this nation
I am a rebel, contributing to the turmoil of this nation
Don't play us on your station if you pussy or you hating
Don't play our music if you are a coward or dislike us
You can find us in the hood; thugging and regulating
You'll find us in our neighborhood, enforcing our rules
We here to eat food, my peoples, be lethal
We are here to consume resources and be hazardous
Shots in your body make you see through
Gunshots can be so deadly that they can make the victim transparent
Quiet niggas become jail riot niggas
Soft-spoken individuals can turn into violent criminals in the penitentiary
25 to life, big never cry niggas
We serve time and never break down despite the years
Floss when they up north
We display our wealth in prison
Chest getting bigger
We become more confident as we face our sentence
Celebs on the V I respect that nigga
We admire famous people who visit us in prison
Rege on the regular chops is up, like a editor
Our gang maintains a regular routine, like editors in a newspaper
Come through on man gang like the predator
We invade like predators in a pack
If yawl wake I'll wet it up
If you awaken, I'll shoot you
Jungle set it up
We prepare for the attack in the jungle
The jackal rock you to sleep while I'm coming at you
We use deception for you to lower your guard while we attack you
Air out your area, Queens Bridge forever, what
We will fight to dominate our area forever
Ill will the label
Our gang is known as having ill intentions
Bravehearts yawl scared of us
People are intimidated by our bravery
Yo when those niggas ran these niggas stayed
Our gang didn't flee but stood its ground during a rival gang's attack
With these niggas switched up and bitched up afraid
The rival gang changed their strategy, out of fear
These niggas clicked up and ripped up the gauge
The rival gang united and destroyed the weapon cache
Those niggas got jail and sick cause we paid
The rival gang members were caught and imprisoned because we bribed someone
Don't even rep Q be
Don't act tough in our territory
You ain't got hood stripes
You have no credibility in our neighborhood
Looters come through catch you fronting
Looters will target you for acting tough
And its good night
They will defeat you
Know how much force this is
Understand the level of power we have
Juggle horse and whiz
We deal with a lot of illegal drugs
Nothing but horses kid
Only the finest quality drugs
We go to war for this
We are willing to fight to protect our drug trade
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Damon Blackmon, Eugene Gray, Jabari Jones, Michael Epps, Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thomas leo
As a introvert this song speaks volumes to me π₯π₯π₯
Jae Isley
Absolutely
Crown Jewel ENT
My favorite and most revered nas album..
Brock Cock
This song will always have a special place in my heart.
Nas is Floridas hardest artist out there! He aint like all them artists out here these days who just be goin HAM ON THE GRAM by usin dat IGROCKET dawwwt cawwwm jawwwn to get they followerz up to go HAM like them Island Boys dun did
John Holman
Nastradomas the most underrated album in rap history that came out since the early 90's Hands down CLASSIC
Chief Akili
It went platinum so it wasn't that underrated. It is a classic.
Joseph Perkins
It grew on me over the years. It's still Just an ok to me though. Far from a classic. Nas most underrated album is I am. In my opinion that's album a classic. Could argue it's in his top 3. It's in Nas top 3 in my opinion.
Chief Akili
@Joseph Perkins how is it now underrated when 13/15 tracks are laced with knowledge and all kinds of substances?
Paul Joyner
@Joseph Perkins definitely a classic.
Davesylvin Decker II
Ummm It came out in 99