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..
Revolutionary Warfare
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uh, ghetto children singing "singing"
See they eager to learn "uh hum"
How to become the next world leaders "Bravehearts"!
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
I gotta take you off here
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
Book one, strategy, tactics, techniques
Look dumb, but massively notice the weakness, in all them
Gotta shoot only if necessary
Homey vest is very real if enemies carrying heavy steal
Beware the thugs who ain't scared of blood or jail time
Where Arian nations ain't having integration, we so blind
The beauty of life, was when my mom said nigga you could be Christ
I wasn't old enough to hold my dick and pee right, "Jesus"!
What is he like? I picture him standing with diamonds on him
Little different from the way my mommy saw him
Practice your aiming, physical training in, difficult terrain and
Test your endurance, try to keep your stamina banging
Splitting dutches up, strap up, the armies is school
Teaching smart ways to kill, I'm thinking Gandhi was a fool
But chronic's a fool; got me thinking out loud, fuck it
Sleep on my drunkenness I'll blow your brains out
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
I gotta take you off here
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
I gotta take you off here
My revolution is as real as Bobby Seale's, I build
With dudes and cribs worth a quarter mill, in dix hills
For fish scale, to cop guns, the time come
I'll mask up and get my comrade off the bus
Fuck the beef I'll snatch your seed, from chuckie cheese
And feed him to the rats in the back of the P's
Black fatigues and ? On the sofa
50 inch flat screen Louie Vitton holdsters
My motions don't appeal to repel at divisions
I did it strong for 7 long years in prison, fuck the system
I'm like a modern day Hitler, black gorilla, crip and blood in one nigga
Only killas know my face
I beat a case for shooting at the police, nigga, the name Lake
Though simultaneously the street revolution
21 gun salute the new Huey Newton
Teach y'all women how to hold the family down in case something happens to his fathers
Protect the children, grab revolvers
The women plays important part of our life force
So what we fight for, my heart goes to you beautiful wife in war
Uh, And listen more talk less
Watch all and trust none, demand your respect
And be ready to die for what you believe in
And ride all the time not just when convenient
Justice and freedom, wisdom and understanding
We the lost children of Israel in this western world region
You ain't a man you a coward if you can't support the girl you put a seed in
Strong rule the weak, but the wise rule the strong
It's more to a war than just getting it on
Conceal your form, cover your tracks
Stay prepared I don't care if no one's spared
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
I gotta take you off here
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
I gotta take you off here
Nas's song "Revolutionary Warfare" is a powerful commentary on the social, economic, and political inequalities that plague the urban black community. The song starts with the voices of young ghetto children singing with an eagerness to learn how to become the next world leaders. Nas then launches into a verse that depicts the harsh realities of life in the ghetto, and how the struggle for power comes with a price.
The chorus of the song, "Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause, I gotta take you off here," highlights the idea that when it comes to revolution, all is fair in love and war. Nas then continues with a list of strategies, tactics, and techniques that one must know to survive and succeed in the revolutionary war. He emphasizes the importance of physical training, endurance, and mental strength, stating that only those who are willing to die for what they believe in will be successful.
Nas also touches upon the role of women in revolutionary warfare, highlighting the need for them to hold down the family and protect the children. He acknowledges the importance of justice, freedom, wisdom, and understanding, and that these are the values that the lost children of Israel must fight for. Overall, "Revolutionary Warfare" is a powerful song that speaks to the struggles, pain, and rage of those living in the urban ghetto, and their fight for a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh uh huh, lets go, yeah!
Nas starts the song with enthusiasm, encouraging his listeners to join him on a journey.
Uh, ghetto children singing 'singing'
Nas draws attention to the sounds of children singing in the ghetto, highlighting their eagerness to learn and grow.
See they eager to learn 'uh hum'
Nas emphasizes that these children are eager to learn and become world leaders.
How to become the next world leaders 'Bravehearts'!
Nas references his hip hop crew, Bravehearts, and how it represents the idea of becoming the next world leaders.
Revolutionary warfare is all fair loving war for the cause
Nas introduces the central theme of the song - the idea of revolutionary warfare as a necessary struggle for a just cause.
I gotta take you off here
Nas repeats this line throughout the song, signifying his intention to take listeners on a journey through the realities of revolutionary warfare.
Book one, strategy, tactics, techniques
Nas outlines the importance of education in revolutionary warfare, highlighting the need for strategic planning and tactical expertise.
Look dumb, but massively notice the weakness, in all them
Nas encourages his listeners to appear unassuming but to always pay attention to the weaknesses of their enemies.
Gotta shoot only if necessary
Nas urges caution in the use of violence, emphasizing that it should only be used when necessary.
Homey vest is very real if enemies carrying heavy steal
Nas advises listeners to protect themselves with bulletproof vests if their enemies are carrying heavy weapons.
Beware the thugs who ain't scared of blood or jail time
Nas warns listeners to be aware of violent people who are not afraid of the consequences of their actions.
Where Arian nations ain't having integration, we so blind
Nas criticizes the lack of integration in society and how it blinds people to the harsh realities of revolutionary warfare.
The beauty of life, was when my mom said nigga you could be Christ
Nas reminisces about his mother's words, highlighting the power of positive reinforcement in overcoming challenges.
I wasn't old enough to hold my dick and pee right, 'Jesus'!
Nas contrasts his youth and innocence with the divine figure of Jesus to emphasize the importance of guidance and support.
What is he like? I picture him standing with diamonds on him
Nas wonders what Jesus would be like, imagining him with luxury items to highlight the paradoxical nature of Christian values and material wealth.
Little different from the way my mommy saw him
Nas contrasts his own perception of Jesus with his mother's to show how different people have different interpretations of the same thing.
Practice your aiming, physical training in, difficult terrain and
Nas emphasizes the importance of physical training to prepare for revolutionary warfare, highlighting the need for endurance in difficult terrain.
Test your endurance, try to keep your stamina banging
Nas reiterates the importance of endurance and stamina in revolutionary warfare, highlighting the need to stay strong and persevere.
Splitting dutches up, strap up, the armies is school
Nas references the smoking of cigars to show how even mundane activities can be used to prepare for revolutionary warfare.
Teaching smart ways to kill, I'm thinking Gandhi was a fool
Nas criticizes the idea of pacifism, using Gandhi as an example to show how it can be a futile approach to change.
But chronic's a fool; got me thinking out loud, fuck it
Nas concedes that smoking weed can lead to radical thinking, indicating his willingness to push boundaries and challenge the status quo.
Sleep on my drunkenness I'll blow your brains out
Nas blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, using violent imagery to emphasize the intensity of revolutionary warfare.
My revolution is as real as Bobby Seale's, I build
Nas compares his own revolution to the Black Panther Party, highlighting the importance of building a strong movement around a common goal.
With dudes and cribs worth a quarter mill, in dix hills
Nas references the wealth and success of his community, highlighting that revolutionary warfare can come from unexpected places.
For fish scale, to cop guns, the time come
Nas references the illegal drug trade and gun ownership as necessary tools in revolutionary warfare.
I'll mask up and get my comrade off the bus
Nas references the idea of liberation and rescue missions, showing how revolutionary warfare can involve a range of tactics and techniques.
Fuck the beef I'll snatch your seed, from chuckie cheese
Nas uses violent and crude imagery to show that revolutionary warfare can involve extreme actions against those who oppose the cause.
And feed him to the rats in the back of the P's
Nas continues to use extreme imagery to emphasize the lengths to which revolutionaries may go to achieve their goals.
Black fatigues and ? On the sofa
Nas references the militarized clothing and equipment of revolutionary fighters to highlight their capacity for violence.
50 inch flat screen Louie Vitton holdsters
Nas contrasts the luxury items of the wealthy with the revolutionary values of equality and justice.
My motions don't appeal to repel at divisions
Nas highlights the importance of unity in revolutionary movements, emphasizing the need to work together to achieve a common goal.
I did it strong for 7 long years in prison, fuck the system
Nas references his own experience with the justice system to show that revolutionary warfare can involve personal sacrifice and struggle.
I'm like a modern day Hitler, black gorilla, crip and blood in one nigga
Nas uses extreme imagery to show how revolutionary warfare can involve a combination of hatred, strength, and collective identity.
Only killas know my face
Nas references the idea of anonymity and secrecy in revolution, indicating that not all members of the movement may be known or identifiable.
I beat a case for shooting at the police, nigga, the name Lake
Nas references his own legal troubles to show how revolutionary warfare can involve confrontation with the authorities.
Though simultaneously the street revolution
Nas acknowledges that revolutionary warfare can take place in different arenas, not just in formal political spaces.
21 gun salute the new Huey Newton
Nas references the founder of the Black Panther Party to highlight the need for a strong and charismatic leader in the struggle for revolution.
Teach y'all women how to hold the family down in case something happens to his fathers
Nas highlights the importance of women in the revolutionary movement, emphasizing the need for them to be prepared and proactive.
Protect the children, grab revolvers
Nas emphasizes the need to protect the next generation and shows how revolutionary warfare can involve radical actions to achieve this goal.
The women plays important part of our life force
Nas reiterates the importance of women in the struggle for revolutionary change.
So what we fight for, my heart goes to you beautiful wife in war
Nas acknowledges the sacrifices made by women in the fight for revolutionary change and expresses appreciation for their contributions.
And listen more talk less
Nas highlights the importance of listening and learning in revolutionary movements, emphasizing that action should be informed by careful thought and strategic planning.
Watch all and trust none, demand your respect
Nas advises listeners to be cautious and assertive in revolutionary movements, emphasizing the need to demand respect and trust no one.
And be ready to die for what you believe in
Nas highlights the extreme nature of revolutionary warfare and the need to be prepared to make sacrifices, including one's own life.
And ride all the time not just when convenient
Nas emphasizes the need for consistency and dedication in revolutionary movements, highlighting that the struggle for change requires ongoing effort.
Justice and freedom, wisdom and understanding
Nas outlines the core values of revolutionary movements, emphasizing the need for justice, freedom, wisdom, and understanding.
We the lost children of Israel in this western world region
Nas uses religious imagery to show how marginalized groups can see themselves as part of a larger struggle for revolutionary change.
You ain't a man you a coward if you can't support the girl you put a seed in
Nas criticizes men who do not take responsibility for their children, highlighting the importance of family in revolutionary movements.
Strong rule the weak, but the wise rule the strong
Nas emphasizes the importance of strategy and intelligence in revolutionary movements, highlighting that physical strength alone is not enough to achieve change.
It's more to a war than just getting it on
Nas emphasizes the complex nature of revolutionary warfare, highlighting that it involves more than just physical confrontation with one's enemies.
Conceal your form, cover your tracks
Nas advises listeners to be careful and strategic in revolutionary movements, highlighting the need to conceal one's identity and movements.
Stay prepared I don't care if no one's spared
Nas emphasizes the need for vigilance and preparedness in revolutionary movements, indicating that there may be casualties in the struggle for change.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: ALAN MAMAN, LEROY O'NEIL JACKSON, NASIR JONES, PATRICK PETER ADAMS, TERRY PHILLIPS, Leroy Jackson, Patrick Adams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind