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..
Rule
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life, they wonder, can they take me under?
Nah, never that, nah, yo, yo
I come from the housing tenement buildings
Unlimited killings, menaces marked for death
Better known as the projects where junkies and rock heads dwell
Though I owe to it my success
I would think I'm a part of U.S.A. and be proud
Confronted with racism, started to feel foreign
Like, the darker you are the realer your problems
I reached for the stars but I just kept slipping
On this life mission, never know what's next
Ancient kings from Egypt, up to Julius Cezar
Had a piece of the globe, every continent
Yo, there's Asia, Africa, Europe, France, Japan
Pakistan, America, Afghanstan
Yo, there's Protestants, Jews, Blacks, Arabics
Call a truce, world peace, stop acting like savages
No war, we should take time and think
The bombs and tanks makes mankind extinct
But since the beginning of time it's been men with arms fighting
Lost lives in the Towers and Pentagon, why then?
Must it go on, we must stop the killing
Tell me why we die, we all God's children
World is hating, that's forever (uh, c'mon)
It's time that we stand together (yeah, for the world)
Everybody wants to rule the world (what, what, what, what, what, c'mon)
World (peace), world (peace), world (peace), world
Yo, there's brothers on the block, posted up like they own it
That's they corner, from New York to California
Got blocks locked down
Like, "dog you safe whenever you with me, see this is my town"
So the youngsters, grows in ghettos, goes to prison
At an early age, already know it's against him
So in order for him to survive, one day he must
Open up his eyes to the set backs and rise
'Cause, everybody wants a shot, in this land of opportunity
Look at what this country's got
There shouldn't be nobody homeless
How can the president fix other problems when he ain't fixed home yet
The earth wasn't made for one man to rule alone
To all colors increases, to home it belongs
I want land, mansions, banks and gold
The diamonds in Africa, oil in my control
The world's natural resources, all it's residuals
But then comes foes, I have to guard it with missiles
And I become the most wanted
But is it worth hearing a million people problems and followed by Secret Service
I guess, attempts at my life with loaded barrels
So move over Colin Powell or just throw in the towel, yo
World is hating, that's forever (uh, c'mon)
It's time that we stand together (yeah, for the world)
Everybody wants to rule the world (what, what, what, what, what, c'mon)
World (peace), world (peace), world (peace), world
Y'all know that's my style, to hit you at the right time
No other compares to what Nas write down
Tell you my dreams, show you my pain is yours
You could get what you love, be a chain in cause
You alive right now
There's so many that's dead or locked up inside the beast, I'm a hot light now
It's whatever man think of manifest to the real
The plan is to wake up 'cause time reveals
All this hate can't forever last
All my ghetto heroes in Heaven, it's like you right here and never passed
You just transcend, I know I'm goin' see you again
Hoping I reach the world leaders and win
Ain't nothing without struggle, listen up, it's critical
We used to fear arms, now the weapons are chemical
In Hip-Hop, the weapons are lyrical
To be the best you challenge the best, then the blessings are spiritual
Top of the world for the kid and unless
Popping any rapper's head off his shoulders no contest
I know the Most High hear me, so fly you can't near me
You scared of a mirror, my theory is that - knowledge is power
To every projects and every street corner, we gotta get ours now
World is hating, that's forever (uh, c'mon)
It's time that we stand together (yeah, for the world)
Everybody wants to rule the world (what, what, what, what, what, c'mon)
World
Yo, niggas ain't forget shit, know what I'm saying?
Niggas ain't forget nothing
Men, women and children killed by the police and shit
Niggas ain't gon' forget that, you know what I mean?
Yo, what this war just show me is like, whatever you want out of life
Whatever you feel is rightfully yours, go out and take it
Even if that means blood and death
You know, that's what I was raised up on, that's what this country's about
This is what my country is, and my country's a motherfucker
In the lyrics of Rule, Nas reflects on his background, growing up in tenement housing buildings and the struggles of life living in the projects. He acknowledges that he owes his success to his upbringing but with survival of the fittest mentality, life is still a challenge. He speaks on racism still being prevalent and how his dark skin caused more problems. Nas touches on world peace and how it’s time for everybody to start coming together regardless of religion or nationality. He questions why mankind continues to fight and kill each other, pointing out the lost lives in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He claims that the world’s resources should belong to everyone, and that possessions such as land, mansions, diamonds and oil shouldn’t be owned by one person. Nas mentions that Hip-Hop is a powerful weapon that can be used to challenge the best, and how the weapons have changed from arms to lyrical. The chorus echoes that world is hating, but it's essential to stand together, and Nas longs for world peace.
The song Rule was released on the Nas album Stillmatic in 2001. The album was widely considered a return to form for Nas, and he received widespread critical acclaim for the record. Rule was the last song produced by Trackmasters to be featured on a Nas album. This song, along with the rest of the album Stillmatic, was created as a response to Jay-Z’s The Blueprint, which had criticized Nas.
Nas originally had other plans for the lyrics to Rule. He wanted to write it from the perspective of a character who is incarcerated and dreams of being able to rule the world. Queen’s classic rock song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was sampled on this track. The line “Yo, niggas ain’t forget shit, know what I’m saying?,” is a reference to Los Angeles hip-hop artist Ice Cube’s song, “No Vaseline.”
In a 2006 interview with the New York Times, Nas spoke about Rule, saying: “I was trying to be as general and as global and as human as possible, and that song was from me asking questions to the world.” Nas has also said that he believes he was a messenger sent to bring people together through his music.
For the chords to Rule, multiple sources have provided different versions, so there is no definitive answer. However, many guitar players have tried to communicate the chords they believe were used in the song. Some of the chords that have been suggested include Dm, F, C, and A#maj7.
Line by Line Meaning
Life, they wonder, can they take me under?
People question if I will succumb to the challenges of life, but I am resilient.
Nah, never that, nah, yo, yo
I will never let the struggles of life break me down.
I come from the housing tenement buildings
I grew up in the housing projects surrounded by violence and poverty.
Unlimited killings, menaces marked for death
The environment I grew up in was plagued with violence and those living in it were constantly in danger.
Better known as the projects where junkies and rock heads dwell
The projects were notorious for drug addicts and dealers.
Though I owe to it my success
Despite the hardships, my upbringing in the projects helped shape who I am today.
With survival of the fittest, everyday is a chal'
In such a harsh environment, every day was a struggle for survival.
I would think I'm a part of U.S.A. and be proud
I used to feel proud to be an American.
Confronted with racism, started to feel foreign
Experiencing racism made me feel like a foreigner in my own country.
Like, the darker you are the realer your problems
The color of one's skin often directly correlated with the severity of their problems.
I reached for the stars but I just kept slipping
I tried to aim high, but obstacles keep holding me back.
On this life mission, never know what's next
Life is an unpredictable journey.
Ancient kings from Egypt, up to Julius Cezar
History is full of powerful rulers.
Had a piece of the globe, every continent
These rulers controlled territories spanning across the entire world.
Yo, there's Asia, Africa, Europe, France, Japan
The world is diverse, with different cultures and countries.
Pakistan, America, Afghanstan
There are many countries, each with its unique problems and struggles.
Yo, there's Protestants, Jews, Blacks, Arabics
There are different religions and ethnicities that may conflict with each other.
Call a truce, world peace, stop acting like savages
We need to come together and stop fighting like animals.
No war, we should take time and think
We should use diplomacy to solve our problems rather than resorting to violence.
The bombs and tanks makes mankind extinct
War harms humanity and creates the potential for human extinction.
But since the beginning of time it's been men with arms fighting
Conflict has existed since the dawn of humanity.
Lost lives in the Towers and Pentagon, why then?
The events of September 11, 2001, resulted in a significant loss of life and raises questions about the point of conflict and violence.
Must it go on, we must stop the killing
Continued violence does not solve anything; we must put an end to it.
Tell me why we die, we all God's children
We are all human and should not let differences such as religion or color of skin lead to senseless death and harm.
World is hating, that's forever (uh, c'mon)
There has been and always will be hate and conflict in the world.
It's time that we stand together (yeah, for the world)
It's time to rise above hate and stand united.
Everybody wants to rule the world (what, what, what, what, what, c'mon)
Everyone desires power and control.
Yo, there's brothers on the block, posted up like they own it
There are people who believe they own a neighborhood or block and are constantly present there.
That's they corner, from New York to California
This attitude is prevalent across the country.
Got blocks locked down
Some people have total control over entire neighborhoods or blocks.
So the youngsters, grows in ghettos, goes to prison
Many young people grow up in ghettos and often end up incarcerated.
At an early age, already know it's against him
At a young age, many of these people learn that society is against them.
So in order for him to survive, one day he must
In order to make it out, someone must take action.
Open up his eyes to the set backs and rise
They must become aware of their setbacks and work to overcome them in order to succeed.
'Cause, everybody wants a shot, in this land of opportunity
In the United States, everyone deserves an equal shot at success.
Look at what this country's got
The country has a lot of resources and opportunities.
There shouldn't be nobody homeless
It's unjust that there are homeless people when there are enough resources in this country.
How can the president fix other problems when he ain't fixed home yet
It's hard to address larger world issues when there are still significant problems within our own country.
The earth wasn't made for one man to rule alone
No one individual should have complete control over the planet.
To all colors increases, to home it belongs
Everyone deserves a place to call home, regardless of their skin color or background.
I want land, mansions, banks and gold
Many people desire wealth and success.
The diamonds in Africa, oil in my control
People crave power and control over valuable resources.
The world's natural resources, all it's residuals
All of the earth's resources are seen as valuable and desired.
But then comes foes, I have to guard it with missiles
With power and wealth comes threats and the need for security.
And I become the most wanted
People in power often face threats and danger.
But is it worth hearing a million people problems and followed by Secret Service
The costs of wealth and power include the burden of responsibility and inability to lead a normal life.
I guess, attempts at my life with loaded barrels
Those in power often face attempts on their lives.
So move over Colin Powell or just throw in the towel, yo
People in power are often replaced or step down.
Y'all know that's my style, to hit you at the right time
Nas is known for his style and timing in his music.
No other compares to what Nas write down
Nas's lyrics are unique and can't be compared to others.
Tell you my dreams, show you my pain is yours
Nas shares his dreams and struggles to connect with his audience.
You could get what you love, be a chain in cause
You can pursue your passions and contribute to important causes.
You alive right now
Living life is a valuable experience and should not be taken for granted.
There's so many that's dead or locked up inside the beast, I'm a hot light now
Many people have been killed or incarcerated, and Nas feels a responsibility to use his platform to bring attention to these issues.
It's whatever man think of manifest to the real
What we think of and put energy into can manifest into reality.
The plan is to wake up 'cause time reveals
We need to wake up and take action to bring about change.
All this hate can't forever last
Hate and conflict will not last forever.
All my ghetto heroes in Heaven, it's like you right here and never passed
Nas remembers and honors those who came before him who grew up in the same environment.
You just transcend, I know I'm goin' see you again
Those we have lost still live on through their memory and impact on our lives.
Hoping I reach the world leaders and win
Nas hopes to use his platform to influence world leaders and bring change.
Ain't nothing without struggle, listen up, it's critical
Achieving success often requires struggle and hard work.
We used to fear arms, now the weapons are chemical
The nature of conflict and warfare has changed over time.
In Hip-Hop, the weapons are lyrical
In rap culture, power and influence can be gained through lyricism.
To be the best you challenge the best, then the blessings are spiritual
In order to be the best, one must face and beat the best and then reap the spiritual benefits.
Top of the world for the kid and unless
Nas feels on top of the world and cannot be brought down.
Popping any rapper's head off his shoulders no contest
Nas is confident in his ability to defeat any other rapper.
I know the Most High hear me, so fly you can't near me
Nas believes in a Higher Power that hears him and elevates him.
You scared of a mirror, my theory is that - knowledge is power
Reflecting on oneself can be scary, but knowledge is empowering.
To every projects and every street corner, we gotta get ours now
Everyone deserves a shot at success, no matter where they come from.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SAMUEL BARNES, JEAN OLIVIER, ROLAND ORZABAL, IAN STANLEY, NASIR JONES, CHRIS HUGHES, AMERIE ROGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind