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..
Salute Me Enemy
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo man, it's a real game out here
Know what I'm sayin Nas?
Beats back in effect man
Swizz Beatz da monsta (what's poppin?)
[Nas]
Get in line, everybody get in line
Pay attention, aight?
[Chorus x2]
Niggas salute me, bitches salute me
The block salute me, the hood salute me
You should salute me, they should salute me
So fuck who you are
I'm the motherfuckin general
[Nas]
When I walk through everything stops, silence
Remain quiet, babies don't cry thugs don't buss
Cops cut off sirens, oxygen freeze
Noises to a minimun nigga, I pop and I squeeze
I represent the pain and struggle
Cut out your eyeballs then brain-fuck you
Yo you testin with death
I'm confronting the justice, expressing my voice to the public
They got to free some brothas or we kidnap the judges
They got to free some sistas or we kidnap the judges
They got to beat the system that's enslaving the poor
Our practicing, gun rages, they R's and .44's
Many fought teams and for green this is war
This is life and I'm the hardest, got ya label all scared
Callin up the radio, don't want my records to air
Y'all ain't playin fair, to every rapper in the game,
I'm comin fo y'all blood, make room for the king...Nas
[Chorus x2]
[Nas]
I'm the leader, that's it, nobody higher
Nobody touchin my crown, nobody dyin
Nobody smoother, harder, tougher, believe it
I'm much more smarter, much more strategic
Scholarships and hollow tips, a lot of walkin caskets
They talk a good one but there's never no action
And I'm the type to poison ya sista, twist her
Through wit her, put the gun in your face and make you hit her
Make you quiver -when they silhouette of a Don, Benson
Light up a Cu-ban, recite a few psalms
Enlighten you quick, teach you how a king wins wars
Keep your ears to the street, love your enemies more
'Cuz hate can frustrate, and confuse
Too eager you lose, patience, plan your attack then you move - ghetto
Green Berets, got freaks got hoes
who be jumpin out of movin cars and land at my feet - because
[Chorus x2]
In Nas's song Salute Me Enemy, he portrays himself as a powerful figure in the midst of a war. The opening dialogue by Swizz Beatz sets the tone for the rest of the song, establishing that there is a real game going on, and everyone needs to pay attention. Nas then commands everyone to line up and listen closely to what he has to say. He proceeds to talk about how he is the leader of this war and nobody can touch his crown. He is smarter, more strategic, and tougher than anyone else. Throughout the lyrics, Nas expresses his frustration and anger towards the system and how it is enslaving the poor. He calls out for justice and threatens to kidnap judges if they don't free some brothers or sisters. He also talks about how he is not afraid to confront the injustice in the system and express his voice to the public. Nas says he is not just a rapper; he represents pain and struggle and wants to make a change in society. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes that everyone should salute Nas, as he is the "motherfuckin general."
The songs' lyrics radiate a lot of positivity towards the hood and suggest that everyone should come together and fight systemic oppression. Nas explores various themes like the importance of love over hate, being smart and strategic, and the power of leadership in achieving a goal. The song effectively speaks about the struggles of inner-city life, as well as the oppression faced by minorities in society. Nas's clever wordplay and delivery are some of his most dynamic, and the chorus serves as a rallying cry for those fighting for change.
Line by Line Meaning
[Swizz Beatz]
Swizz Beatz sets the tone for the song, acknowledging the seriousness of the rap game with Nas.
Yo man, it's a real game out here
The hip hop industry is a serious game and Nas is about to speak on it.
Know what I'm sayin Nas?
Swizz is letting Nas know that he is aware of the intensity of the rap industry and asking if Nas is ready to speak on it.
Beats back in effect man
Swizz Beatz is ready to make the beat happen for Nas to go in on.
Swizz Beatz da monsta (what's poppin?)
Swizz refers to himself as the monster, indicating that he is a dangerous producer in the game and asking Nas what's up as he awaits his verse.
[Nas]
Nas establishes his presence on the track and commands everyone to pay attention to what he has to say.
Get in line, everybody get in line
Nas demands that everyone who is listening to the track follow his lead and listen to what he has to say next.
Listen the fuck up, to what's going down
Nas wants everyone to know that what he is about to say is important, so they should pay attention and listen up.
Pay attention, aight?
Nas reiterates the importance of listening, asking if everybody understands his directive.
[Chorus x2]
The chorus emphasizes the respect that Nas garners from those around him and asserts his dominance in the rap game.
Niggas salute me, bitches salute me
Everyone, male and female, pays homage to Nas and his status in the hip hop industry.
The block salute me, the hood salute me
Even the toughest neighborhoods and blocks recognize Nas as a leader and respect his authority.
You should salute me, they should salute me
Nas believes that everyone should recognize and honor his contribution to the rap game.
So fuck who you are
Nas doesn't care about anyone's status or position if they don't acknowledge his greatness.
I'm the motherfuckin general
Nas asserts his role as a leader, and everyone in the game needs to recognize him as such.
When I walk through everything stops, silence
Nas commands respect wherever he goes, and everyone falls silent and pays attention to him.
Remain quiet, babies don't cry thugs don't buss
Nas commands respect from even the toughest people, and violence ceases in his presence.
Cops cut off sirens, oxygen freeze
Even the police recognize Nas's power, and everything around him becomes still.
Noises to a minimun nigga, I pop and I squeeze
Nas has the power to create silence around him and to kill with ease if anyone tries to disrespect him.
I represent the pain and struggle
Nas sees himself as a spokesperson for the marginalized and the oppressed.
Cut out your eyeballs then brain-fuck you
Nas is capable of brutal violence and will harm anyone who tries to challenge his authority.
Yo you testin with death
Nas warns anyone who tries to challenge him that they are risking their lives.
I'm confronting the justice, expressing my voice to the public
Nas is unafraid to stand up to authority and speak out against injustice.
They got to free some brothas or we kidnap the judges
Nas believes that the justice system is corrupt and will resort to extreme measures to demand change.
They got to free some sistas or we kidnap the judges
Nas believes that the justice system must provide freedom for oppressed groups, and is willing to take drastic actions to achieve this goal.
They got to beat the system that's enslaving the poor
Nas sees the system as inherently unfair and seeks to dismantle it in order to provide opportunities for the less privileged.
Our practicing, gun rages, they R's and .44's
Nas and his crew are ready to use violence to enforce their demands for change.
Many fought teams and for green this is war
Nas sees every day as a battle to be won in order to earn riches and respect.
This is life and I'm the hardest, got ya label all scared
Nas accepts that the street life is tough and dangerous, but he is willing to take on the challenge, despite scaring his record label.
Callin up the radio, don't want my records to air
Nas believes that the radio doesn't want to play his music because of its violent and controversial themes.
Y'all ain't playin fair, to every rapper in the game,
Nas feels that the rap industry is not fair and is full of injustices.
I'm comin fo y'all blood, make room for the king...Nas
Nas is ready to take on anyone in the game who tries to challenge him or put him down.
I'm the leader, that's it, nobody higher
Nas sees himself as the ultimate leader in the rap game, with nobody above him.
Nobody touchin my crown, nobody dyin
Nas is determined to maintain his status as the top dog in the rap industry, and nobody can take him down.
Nobody smoother, harder, tougher, believe it
Nas views himself as the smoothest, hardest, and toughest in the game, and everyone should acknowledge it.
I'm much more smarter, much more strategic
Nas sees himself as a savvy and strategic businessman who knows how to succeed in the rap industry.
Scholarships and hollow tips, a lot of walkin caskets
Nas is capable of both legal and illegal methods to get ahead and has seen many people die because of gun violence.
They talk a good one but there's never no action
Nas is frustrated by people who talk a big game but never follow through on their promises.
And I'm the type to poison ya sista, twist her
Nas is ruthless and is willing to hurt innocent people if it helps him obtain his goals.
Through wit her, put the gun in your face and make you hit her
Nas is willing to use violence to achieve his aims.
Make you quiver -when they silhouette of a Don, Benson
Nas commands respect wherever he goes, and people tremble in his presence.
Light up a Cu-ban, recite a few psalms
Nas enjoys the finer things in life and is a skilled rapper who has studied religious texts.
Enlighten you quick, teach you how a king wins wars
Nas is willing to share his wisdom with others and wants people to learn how to obtain power and respect like he has.
Keep your ears to the street, love your enemies more
Nas wants people to pay attention to what is happening around them and to stay aware of their surroundings.
'Cuz hate can frustrate, and confuse
Nas believes that hatred is a destructive force that can cloud people's judgment and create more problems.
Too eager you lose, patience, plan your attack then you move - ghetto
Nas advises people to be patient and strategic when making moves in the rap industry.
Green Berets, got freaks got hoes
Nas is part of a powerful crew, and they have access to many women and drugs.
who be jumpin out of movin cars and land at my feet - because
Nas sees the women who flock to him as a sign of his power and influence in the rap game.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind