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..
Shootouts
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Besides the Henny, it's eyes that's seen plenty
Fiends get skinny as if Queens was a Craig Jenny
Instead of diet plans, it's crack, 200 grams
I pump a G-pack, peepin' for where the D's at
It's slow, lookin' for Rambo
The cop who got grazed back in the days
Chasin' niggas through my project maze
He run behind niggas until you breathless
Everyday he makin' ten arrests, shit
My nigga, check this, I know the bitch he rest with
I even blessed it, forty-dash-ten, inspect it
(Already checked it, dunn, near his ankle you could see his gun)
Peep, he parked his Jeep in the back of the slum
To check Tanisha, fat ass, real fly, with the blonde Caesar
Vittadini summer gear, she push the two-seater
I heard she brag about the way he eat her
A Irish man, short, slim with a tan, they say he laced her cheeba
She do be lookin' weaker now, her teeth are foul
Speakin' loud, peep her style, in and out of every reefer cloud
Fat ass dissolvin', like cotton candy in a mouth that's starvin'
Rock the same gear daily, like a soldier in my squadron
I heard she let Jake investigate from her window
Cause she's a nympho, suckin' dick and coughin' up info
So now it's set up, her and the beast to get wet up
I know he vest up, we blazin' from the neck up
(Yo, let me knock first)
Soon as he open, let your Glock burst
They had the chains on, son, hit the lock first
We busted in, the cop jerked, Jungle popped one in his shirt
I grabbed the bitch by her tits, she tried to say she Earth
We saw the cameras, tape recorders, and the monitors
They eying us (Nas, yo, he survived one from the fo'-five)
Pull his shades down, he seen his last days now
There's no way now, we can be treated just like a slave now
Two in the dome, he's laid down
Ayo, the bitch is saved now
She's livin' in a snitch grave now
Shootouts is similar to Wild West
Broad daylight, face to face without a vest
You know the episodes, thugs camouflage the spectacles
Please God, just save the life that the Devil sold
See, It Was Written, but was never told
Peep the jewels, black man, it's even better than gold
Niggas roll with iron
Police roll in hot pursuit, trying to stop the loot
Fuck Jake, cock and shoot
Still on the streets with my peeps so deep
We threw a block party for my man goin' up creek
To do his two-to-four, niggas show love from all around the board
Peace, Lord, Sony Handy-Cam on record
Pop a bottle, 'cause when you come home we still got it sewn
We can watch the tape play back and just zone
Film all the bitches, on the benches with ill extensions
We block the streets off, only crew cars can enter
Music was loud and it was crowded
Barbecued wings, we fed the fiends
(Gamble in the back) Killa shouted
And Frank tried to stop the bank, lost about what a Rollie cost
Guzzled his drink, and staggered off
He's a Big Will, used to slang krill, now he own the hill
Couldn't take losin' his cash, and I could feel
Something in the air, yeah
Frank returned with Pierre
A gun slinger, who niggas hadn't seen in a year
I usually be holdin', 'specially this type of weekend
And everyone except for me had started reachin'
They had gats in each others faces
With kids and grandmothers around
Frank's only concern was his papers
My man Killa let off, half of them fake niggas jet off
Police blitz quick, waitin' for that to set off
Runnin' the static, it got me mad 'cause they a bunch of fagots
Startin' shit in my hood, I can't have it
Yo High, get the 40-cali stainless
Jake is still out, let's make it real and still make them niggas famous
Dip behind trees in fatigues and squeeze, dodge and weave
Hearin' Jake retaliatin', and Wiz was up the alley waitin'
We breeze, jump in the ride, heard Pierre died
Internal bleedin' inside, and ain't been back since '95
Shootouts is similar to Wild West
Broad daylight, face to face without a vest
You know the episodes, thugs camouflage the spectacles
Please God, just save the life that the Devil sold
See, It Was Written, but was never told
Peep the jewels, black man, it's even better than gold
Niggas roll with iron
Police roll in hot pursuit, trying to stop the loot
Nigga, fuck Jake, cock and shoot
In the song "Shootouts," Nas describes the gritty reality of living in Queens, New York, where shootings and drug dealing were a way of life. The lyrics explore the mindset of the criminals and the way they operate. The first verse describes a cop who is chasing after drug dealers daily and making ten arrests at a time. Nas describes how the cop has a death wish and will run until the suspect is breathless. The second verse describes a street party where everything is seemingly peaceful until a previous drug dealer returns to the hood and starts trouble, causing a shootout between two groups.
The lyrics of "Shootouts" showcase Nas's ability to bring attention to the social realities of living in the hood while making it sound like an exciting story. He paints vivid pictures of police chases, drug dealers, and street parties, all while maintaining the overall theme of the brutality of living in the Wild West. The song is an excellent example of Nas's storytelling ability, which has been one of his most significant contributions to the hip-hop genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, release what's in me
Yo, let out the emotions and thoughts that are inside me
Besides the Henny, it's eyes that's seen plenty
In addition to the liquor, I've seen a lot in my life
Fiends get skinny as if Queens was a Craig Jenny
Drug addicts become thin as if Queens is a weight loss program
Instead of diet plans, it's crack, 200 grams
Instead of following healthy diets, people in Queens use crack cocaine, 200 grams worth
I pump a G-pack, peepin' for where the D's at
I sell drugs and I'm always on the lookout for the police
It's slow, lookin' for Rambo
The police are slowly searching for a cop who got shot in the past
The cop who got grazed back in the days
Referring to a cop who got shot but survived in the past
Chasin' niggas through my project maze
The cop is constantly chasing criminals through the complex where I live
That cop, he got a death wish
The cop seems to have a desire for danger and is willing to risk his life
He run behind niggas until you breathless
He's relentless in chasing criminals until they're exhausted
Everyday he makin' ten arrests, shit
He's making numerous arrests every single day
My nigga, check this, I know the bitch he rest with
Listen, I'm aware of the woman he sleeps with
I even blessed it, forty-dash-ten, inspect it
I even approved of her, with a forty caliber handgun, I checked the situation
(Already checked it, dunn, near his ankle you could see his gun)
(I already examined it, my friend, you can spot his concealed firearm near his ankle)
Peep, he parked his Jeep in the back of the slum
Look, he parked his Jeep in the less affluent area
To check Tanisha, fat ass, real fly, with the blonde Caesar
He went to see Tanisha, a curvy and stylish woman with a blonde hairstyle
Vittadini summer gear, she push the two-seater
She wears expensive Vittadini clothing and drives a small convertible car
I heard she brag about the way he eat her
I heard she boasts about how satisfying their sexual encounters are
A Irish man, short, slim with a tan, they say he laced her cheeba
There's an Irish man, who is short, slim, and tanned, rumored to have given her drugs
She do be lookin' weaker now, her teeth are foul
She appears to be unhealthy and her teeth are in poor condition
Speakin' loud, peep her style, in and out of every reefer cloud
She talks loudly and her behavior changes when she's under the influence of marijuana
Fat ass dissolvin', like cotton candy in a mouth that's starvin'
Her once sizable buttocks are shrinking rapidly, like cotton candy disappearing in someone's hungry mouth
Rock the same gear daily, like a soldier in my squadron
She wears the same clothes every day, like a disciplined soldier in my group
I heard she let Jake investigate from her window
I heard she allows the cop to gather information by spying on others from her window
Cause she's a nympho, suckin' dick and coughin' up info
Because she's a nymphomaniac, engaging in sexual activities and revealing information
So now it's set up, her and the beast to get wet up
So now it's arranged, she and the cop will be attacked violently
I know he vest up, we blazin' from the neck up
I know he's wearing a bulletproof vest, so we aim for his head
(Yo, let me knock first)
(Yo, let me enter first)
Soon as he open, let your Glock burst
As soon as he opens the door, start shooting with your handgun
They had the chains on, son, hit the lock first
The cop was in handcuffs, my friend, break the lock off first
We busted in, the cop jerked, Jungle popped one in his shirt
We forcefully entered, the cop reacted suddenly, Jungle shot him in the chest
I grabbed the bitch by her tits, she tried to say she Earth
I grabbed the woman by her breasts, she attempted to claim she was innocent
We saw the cameras, tape recorders, and the monitors
We noticed surveillance cameras, audio recorders, and screens displaying live feeds
They eying us (Nas, yo, he survived one from the fo'-five)
They are watching us closely (Nas, yo, he survived being shot once with a .45 caliber handgun)
Pull his shades down, he seen his last days now
We pulled his sunglasses down, he realized that these were his final moments
There's no way now, we can be treated just like a slave now
There's no way now that we can be oppressed and mistreated like slaves
Two in the dome, he's laid down
Two shots to the head, he's dead
Ayo, the bitch is saved now
Now the woman is safe
She's livin' in a snitch grave now
She's living a life where she's ostracized for being a snitch
Shootouts is similar to Wild West
Shootouts are comparable to the lawlessness of the Wild West
Broad daylight, face to face without a vest
Shootouts happening in broad daylight, confronting each other without protective vests
You know the episodes, thugs camouflage the spectacles
You're familiar with the situations, criminals hide their intentions
Please God, just save the life that the Devil sold
I'm pleading to God, asking Him to save the life that has been corrupted by evil
See, It Was Written, but was never told
My life and experiences were scripted, but they were never revealed
Peep the jewels, black man, it's even better than gold
Take a look at the valuable knowledge and wisdom, my Black brother, it's even more precious than gold
Niggas roll with iron
People carry guns
Police roll in hot pursuit, trying to stop the loot
The police chase us aggressively, attempting to prevent us from acquiring wealth
Fuck Jake, cock and shoot
Screw the police, ready your gun and shoot
Still on the streets with my peeps so deep
I'm still out on the streets with my close friends, deeply connected
We threw a block party for my man goin' up creek
We organized a neighborhood celebration for my friend who is going to prison
To do his two-to-four, niggas show love from all around the board
He's going to serve a prison sentence of two to four years, and people are showing him support from all over
Peace, Lord, Sony Handy-Cam on record
Greetings, my friend, we have a Sony handheld camera recording the event
Pop a bottle, 'cause when you come home we still got it sewn
Let's celebrate with a bottle of alcohol because when you're released from prison, we'll still have a strong presence
We can watch the tape play back and just zone
We can watch the recorded footage and relax
Film all the bitches, on the benches with ill extensions
Record all the attractive women sitting on the benches with impressive hairstyles or accessories
We block the streets off, only crew cars can enter
We close off the streets, allowing only our crew members' cars to pass through
Music was loud and it was crowded
The music was loud, and there were many people present
Barbecued wings, we fed the fiends
We served barbecued chicken wings to the drug addicts
(Gamble in the back) Killa shouted
(A game of chance in progress in the back) Killa yelled
And Frank tried to stop the bank, lost about what a Rollie cost
Frank attempted to win money at the gambling table but lost an amount equivalent to the price of a Rolex watch
Guzzled his drink, and staggered off
He drank his alcoholic beverage quickly and stumbled away
He's a Big Will, used to slang krill, now he own the hill
He used to sell drugs and make a lot of money, now he's a successful and respected individual in the community
Couldn't take losin' his cash, and I could feel
He couldn't handle losing his money, and I could sense his frustration
Something in the air, yeah
There was an ominous feeling in the atmosphere
Frank returned with Pierre
Frank came back with Pierre
A gun slinger, who niggas hadn't seen in a year
A skilled gunman who hasn't been seen by anyone for a year
I usually be holdin', 'specially this type of weekend
I usually carry a firearm, especially during this kind of event
And everyone except for me had started reachin'
Everyone, except for me, began reaching for their guns
They had gats in each others faces
They pointed guns at each other
With kids and grandmothers around
Although there were children and elderly people present
Frank's only concern was his papers
Frank's only concern was his money
My man Killa let off, half of them fake niggas jet off
My friend Killa started shooting, and many of the fake people fled
Police blitz quick, waitin' for that to set off
The police quickly launched an organized attack, waiting for that moment to occur
Runnin' the static, it got me mad 'cause they a bunch of fagats
Causing chaos and conflict, it angered me because they're a group of fake people
Startin' shit in my hood, I can't have it
Causing trouble in my neighborhood, I won't tolerate it
Yo High, get the 40-cali stainless
Hey High, get the .40 caliber stainless steel handgun
Jake is still out, let's make it real and still make them niggas famous
The police are still present, let's make this confrontation intense and also gain notoriety
Dip behind trees in fatigues and squeeze, dodge and weave
Hide behind trees wearing camouflage clothing and shoot, maneuvering and dodging skillfully
Hearin' Jake retaliatin', and Wiz was up the alley waitin'
Hearing the police responding with gunfire, and Wiz was positioned in an alley waiting
We breeze, jump in the ride, heard Pierre died
We quickly leave the area, get into the car, and learn that Pierre was killed
Internal bleedin' inside, and ain't been back since '95
He's bleeding internally, and he hasn't returned since 1995
Nigga, fuck Jake, cock and shoot
Screw the police, ready your gun and shoot
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jean Claude Olivier, Nasir Jones, Richard Pimentel, Samuel J. Barnes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind