Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas an… Read Full Bio ↴Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas and Escobar), born September 14, 1973 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, is a prominent American MC. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was raised in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects in Queensbridge, New York. According to the Nasty Songfacts, as a teenager rapper, Nasir first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. By the time he released his landmark solo debut album Illmatic in 1994, Jones was known as Nas.
Illmatic was a critically acclaimed bestseller and is widely considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He married R&B singer Kelis in 2005, they have one son together, and she filed for divorce on the 29th of April 2009. Nas was also a part of hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.
In the years following the release of Illmatic, Nas pursued a more commercial direction, which resulted in wider success but decreased artistic credibility among critics and hip-hop purists. Furthermore, Nas' increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out". Nevertheless, the LP Stillmatic is often credited for restoring Nas' credibility among fans. Since the success of Stillmatic, Nas continues to maintain a high profile within the hip hop community, and has pursued a decidedly progressive and personal aesthetic. While Nas' current artistic direction differs greatly from his most successful work, it has ensured that he remains one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary rappers.
1973β1992: Childhood and early career
Nas was born in Brooklyn, New York, as the elder of Olu Dara and Fannie Ann Jones's two children; his brother Jabari (nicknamed "Jungle" because he was born in the Congo) is the younger of the two. The family lived for a time in Brooklyn, before moving to Queensbridge, the largest public housing project in the United States. Olu Dara left the household in 1986, when Nas was 13, and Ann Jones raised her two boys on her own. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began selling drugs on the streets of New York. He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, the Qur'an, the Bible and the Five Percent Nation. He also studied the origin of hip hop music, taping records that played on his local radio station. As a child, Nas had wanted to be an instrumentalist (at the age of three, Nas played his father's trumpet on the step of their Brooklyn home) and also a comic book artist. Shortly after his parents separated, Nas began to write short stories as he immersed himself deeper into hip-hop culture.
By his preteen years, he had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willie "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. Nas and Graham soon met hip-hop producer and Flushing Queens resident Large Professor, who introduced Nas to his group, Main Source. In 1991, Nas made his on-record debut with a verse on "Live at the BBQ", from Main Source's LP Breaking Atoms. Despite the substantial buzz for Nas in the underground scene, the rapper was rejected by major labels and was not signed to a recording deal. Nas and Graham continued to work together, but their partnership was cut short when Graham was shot and killed by a gunman in Queensbridge on May 23, 1992.
1992β1995: The recording and release of Illmatic
In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead. The single increased the buzz surrounding Nas and when MC Serchβs solo album is released later in the year, Nasβ standout appearance on "Back To The Grill" only intensified interest in his upcoming album, amid immense anticipation. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim, his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community. However, many were concerned that Columbia, being a major label, would try to dilute his New York based style.
In 1994, Nas' debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the premier rap albums ever created, Illmatic featured lyrics that portrayed stunning visual imagery and production courtesy of several producers . The album featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara on the song "Life's a Bitch", Illmatic was immediately hailed as a masterpiece by critics, and is still highly regarded as one of the definitive hip-hop albums of all time. Notable songs on the album included "NY State of Mind" (produced by Premier), "The World Is Yours" (produced by Pete Rock), "One Love" (produced by Q-Tip) and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (produced by Large Professor and featuring a sample of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson). However, due in part to extensive bootlegging, the record sales fell below expectations.
Following Illmatic, Nas appeared on AZ's Doe Or Die album, and collaborated with his Queensbridge-associates, Mobb Deep, on their album, The Infamous. One notable achievement during this period was Nas' verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. After this appearance, Nas received a Source Quotable as he had the distinction of being the only non-Wu-Tang Clan member to be featured on one of the group's solo albums.
1996β1998: From It Was Written to The Firm
Columbia began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics like the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Poke and Tone of Trackmasters Entertainment, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" (a remix features R. Kelly) were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. Other notable tracks on the album included "The Message" and "I Gave You Power," which tells a story from the perspective of a gun. It Was Written also featured the debut of The Firm, a supergroup consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also introduced Nas's Mafioso-inspired character "Nas Escobar", who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Tony Montana and the theatrical hit featuring Al Pacino, was more about Nas' life as a teenager in the projects, hustling and smoking marijuana.
The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega therefore became one of Nas' most vocal opponents, releasing a number of underground hip-hop singles dissing Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who was Cormega's replacement in The Firm. The Firm's The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and lackluster sales and the members of the supergroup went their separate ways.
At about this time, Nas became a spokesperson for the Willie Esco urban clothing line, but had no other connection with the clothing line. He stopped promoting Willie Esco in 2000, dissatisfied with the company's operations. During the same period, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly, which also featured DMX, Taral Hicks, and T-Boz of TLC among its cast.
1998β2000: I Am... to Nastradamus
In 1998, Nas began work on a double album to be entitled I Am...The Autobiography, which he intended as the middle ground between the extremes of Illmatic and It Was Written. The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, Nas Is Like, produced by DJ Premier and featuring vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell". However, much of the LP was leaked in MP3 format onto the Internet, and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.
The second single for I Am was "Hate Me Now," featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs (now "Diddy"), was used as an example by Nas' critics for moving towards commercial themes. Hype Williams shot an allegorical video for the single, which featured Nas and Puffy being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; After the video was completed, Combs, a Catholic, requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV, and was premiered on April 15, 1999 on TRL. A furious Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.
Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am under the title Nastradamus during the latter half of 1999, but, at the last minute, decided Nas should record an entirely new album for release. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, the Timbaland-produced "You Owe Me," featuring R&B singer Ginuwine. The only pirated track from I Am... to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. A number of the other bootlegged tracks later made their way onto The Lost Tapes, a collection of underground Nas songs that was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.
2000β2001: The Nas vs. Jay-Z rivalry and Stillmatic
The highly publicized rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z began as a rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z's protege, Memphis Bleek. On his debut album Coming of Age, Bleek made a song entitled "Memphis Bleek Is", which was similar in concept to Nas' single "Nas is Like". On the same album, Bleek recorded "What You Think Of That" featuring Bleek's mentor Jay-Z, which contains the refrain, "I'ma ball 'til I fall/what you think of that?". In retaliation, "Nastradamus", the title track from Nas' second 1999 album, featured a reference to "What You Think Of That". The lyrics state, "You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef? I could let a slug melt in your hat." Memphis Bleek perceived the reference on "Nastradamus" as a diss, and therefore dissed Nas on the lead single for his The Understanding LP, My Mind Right".
QB's Finest was a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Littles, The Bravehearts (which included Nas' younger brother Jungle among its members), and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001", which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge". "Da Bridge 2001" also featured a response from Nas to Memphis Bleek, in which Nas called out most of the Roc-A-Fella Records roster, including Bleek, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel, and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z responded to Nas' songs with an onstage swipe during the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert in New York City, when he premiered his song "Takeover." Initially, the song was to only be a Mobb Deep diss, only including one line about Nas near the end. Nevertheless, Nas recorded the "Stillmatic Freestyle," an underground single which sampled Rakim and Eric B.'s "Paid in Full" beat, and attacked Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label. On his 2001 album, The Blueprint, Jay-Z rewrote "Takeover," dedicating half of the song to dissing Nas, claiming that he had a "...one hot album every ten year average" record (referring to Illmatic) that his flow was weak, and that he had fabricated his past as a hustler.
Nas responded with "Ether", the track begins with gunshots and a repeated, slowed-down sample of Tupac rapping "Fuck Jay-Z." (taken from Tupac's "Fuck Friends") In "Ether," Nas accuses Jay-Z of stealing ("biting") lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. and brown-nosing Nas and other rappers for fame. Ether was included on Nas' fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. Stillmatic managed to be not only a critically-acclaimed comeback album, but a commercial success as well, albeit not on the level of It Was Written and I Am...; the album debutted at #7 on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic." In terms of commercial success, Jay's The Blueprint was certified double-platinum, while Stillmatic went platinum.
Jay-Z responded to "Ether" with a freestyle entitled "Supa Ugly." going into detail about how he had sex with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny. Nas dismissed the track by claiming that he was no longer with Bryan during the time the affair took place. In a recent interview, however, New York radio station Hot 97 settled the battle taking votes comparing "Ether" and "Supa Ugly," and Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. By 2005, the two rappers had eventually ended their feud without violence or animosity. During Jay-Z's I Declare War - Power House concert, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!" Nas then joined Jay-Z onstage, and the two then performed "Dead Presidents" together, which Jay-Z had sampled from Nas' song "The World is Yours."
2002βPresent: From God's Son to Street's Disciple and beyond
In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album. and its lead single, "Made You Look". The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard charts despite widespread internet bootlegging. Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe Magazine gave it 4 stars and The Source gave it 4 mics. The second single, the inspirational "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Fur Elise", became Nas' biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas' mother, who died of cancer in 2002. In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from KoΠ―n's Take a Look in the Mirror LP.
Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. The album's first singles were "Thief's Theme" and "Bridging the Gap", which features his father Olu Dara on vocals. The album also includes "These are Our Heroes", which accuses prominent sports stars and actors such as Kobe Bryant, Lenny Henry, Tiger Woods, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. of neglecting their heritage and background in favour of white values. The videos for "Bridging the Gap" and "Just A Moment" received moderate airplay on MTV and BET. Although the album went platinum, its commercial profile was relatively low compared to the rapper's previous releases.
Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". West said the song was Jay-Z's favorite on the album, but West was unable to get Jay-Z to record a vocal for the final mix of the song. He also appeared on Damian Marley's song "Road to Zion" (which also featured newcomer The Game in the video, widening Nas' still growing universally appreciated raps) and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill). In addition, Nas was most recently married to the R&B singer Kelis, who is mostly known for her work internationally, but nonetheless released great hits in the U.S. The couple wed on Jan. 8, 2005 in Atlanta, GA, after a two-year engagement.
During this time, Nas announced that his next album would be entirely self-produced and feature no other rappers, and would be titled Nasir, and later that the project would feature other producers after all and would be called Nasdaq: Dow Jones. Neither of these albums ever materialized.
At a free concert in Central Park, New York, Nas made a statement regarding the quality of 50 Cent's music. "this is the real shit, not that 50 Cent shit!" In response, 50 Cent included a stab at Nas by speaking negatively of his wife Kelis on his single "Piggy Bank," implying that Kelis was promiscuous and calling Nas a "sucker for love." Nas was quoted as saying that he feels no obligation to retaliate, remarking "[50 has] got a good five to six more albums before I can really respond to him." Nas eventually decided to retaliate, and in July 2005 released "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)", a song which taunts 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew, stating that 50 was "a sucka for death if I'm a sucka for love." However, despite all of this, Nas still claims to "have a lot of love towards 50," claiming 50 didn't understand his moves when they both were together at Columbia Records.
In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Jay-Z's Def Jam, further emphasizing the Jay-Z/Nas truce and raising expectations for a collaboration even higher. His album due in fall of 2006 will come out in a joint deal with this imprint and Columbia Records. He recently announced to MTV News that his album is to be named, "Hip Hop is Dead...the N," the N being a play on the word the "end." The title is supposed to reflect what some would term the current low quality of rap music. The highly anticipated album is due out in December 19th, 2006.
Musical style and Technique
Nas has long been famed for his creativity and storytelling prowess, which has earned him acclaim from both the hip-hop community and critics. In his early stages, from his first appearance on the Main Source's Breaking Atoms and throughout the recording of Illmatic, he was perhaps best known for his street-oriented topics, complex lyrical schemes (which often incorporated multi-syllabic internal rhymes), and witty phrasing and imagery. As he progressed and matured, Nas began to branch out into different subjects and developed a richer voice and slower rapping technique.
Following Illmatic's release, Nas developed a penchant for hyper-visual storytelling and topical creativity. For instance, "Undying Love" (featured on I Am...) is a tale of his wife's betrayal told in first person, "Rewind" (featured on Stillmatic) is a narrative in which a story is recited backwards, while on "I Gave You Power" (featured on It Was Written), Nas assumes the role of a gun who recounts brutal tales of murder and violence. Over the years Nas' style has changed significantly. In contrast to his previous work, Nasβ most recent material is distinctively socially aware and often politically inflammatory. Songs such as "I Can" (featured on God's Son) convey moral messages of black youth empowerment, while "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)" accuses several African-American celebrities of being Uncle Toms. Furthermore, controversial songs such as "My Country" and "A Message to the Feds (Fuck The Police II)" (which are featured on Stillmatic and Street's Disciple, respectively) question the conduct of the American government. Nas' views in his lyrics throughout his career have made references to Islam and the Five Percent Nation..
Illmatic was a critically acclaimed bestseller and is widely considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He married R&B singer Kelis in 2005, they have one son together, and she filed for divorce on the 29th of April 2009. Nas was also a part of hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.
In the years following the release of Illmatic, Nas pursued a more commercial direction, which resulted in wider success but decreased artistic credibility among critics and hip-hop purists. Furthermore, Nas' increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out". Nevertheless, the LP Stillmatic is often credited for restoring Nas' credibility among fans. Since the success of Stillmatic, Nas continues to maintain a high profile within the hip hop community, and has pursued a decidedly progressive and personal aesthetic. While Nas' current artistic direction differs greatly from his most successful work, it has ensured that he remains one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary rappers.
1973β1992: Childhood and early career
Nas was born in Brooklyn, New York, as the elder of Olu Dara and Fannie Ann Jones's two children; his brother Jabari (nicknamed "Jungle" because he was born in the Congo) is the younger of the two. The family lived for a time in Brooklyn, before moving to Queensbridge, the largest public housing project in the United States. Olu Dara left the household in 1986, when Nas was 13, and Ann Jones raised her two boys on her own. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began selling drugs on the streets of New York. He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, the Qur'an, the Bible and the Five Percent Nation. He also studied the origin of hip hop music, taping records that played on his local radio station. As a child, Nas had wanted to be an instrumentalist (at the age of three, Nas played his father's trumpet on the step of their Brooklyn home) and also a comic book artist. Shortly after his parents separated, Nas began to write short stories as he immersed himself deeper into hip-hop culture.
By his preteen years, he had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willie "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. Nas and Graham soon met hip-hop producer and Flushing Queens resident Large Professor, who introduced Nas to his group, Main Source. In 1991, Nas made his on-record debut with a verse on "Live at the BBQ", from Main Source's LP Breaking Atoms. Despite the substantial buzz for Nas in the underground scene, the rapper was rejected by major labels and was not signed to a recording deal. Nas and Graham continued to work together, but their partnership was cut short when Graham was shot and killed by a gunman in Queensbridge on May 23, 1992.
1992β1995: The recording and release of Illmatic
In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead. The single increased the buzz surrounding Nas and when MC Serchβs solo album is released later in the year, Nasβ standout appearance on "Back To The Grill" only intensified interest in his upcoming album, amid immense anticipation. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim, his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community. However, many were concerned that Columbia, being a major label, would try to dilute his New York based style.
In 1994, Nas' debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the premier rap albums ever created, Illmatic featured lyrics that portrayed stunning visual imagery and production courtesy of several producers . The album featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara on the song "Life's a Bitch", Illmatic was immediately hailed as a masterpiece by critics, and is still highly regarded as one of the definitive hip-hop albums of all time. Notable songs on the album included "NY State of Mind" (produced by Premier), "The World Is Yours" (produced by Pete Rock), "One Love" (produced by Q-Tip) and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (produced by Large Professor and featuring a sample of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson). However, due in part to extensive bootlegging, the record sales fell below expectations.
Following Illmatic, Nas appeared on AZ's Doe Or Die album, and collaborated with his Queensbridge-associates, Mobb Deep, on their album, The Infamous. One notable achievement during this period was Nas' verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. After this appearance, Nas received a Source Quotable as he had the distinction of being the only non-Wu-Tang Clan member to be featured on one of the group's solo albums.
1996β1998: From It Was Written to The Firm
Columbia began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics like the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Poke and Tone of Trackmasters Entertainment, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" (a remix features R. Kelly) were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. Other notable tracks on the album included "The Message" and "I Gave You Power," which tells a story from the perspective of a gun. It Was Written also featured the debut of The Firm, a supergroup consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also introduced Nas's Mafioso-inspired character "Nas Escobar", who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Tony Montana and the theatrical hit featuring Al Pacino, was more about Nas' life as a teenager in the projects, hustling and smoking marijuana.
The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega therefore became one of Nas' most vocal opponents, releasing a number of underground hip-hop singles dissing Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who was Cormega's replacement in The Firm. The Firm's The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and lackluster sales and the members of the supergroup went their separate ways.
At about this time, Nas became a spokesperson for the Willie Esco urban clothing line, but had no other connection with the clothing line. He stopped promoting Willie Esco in 2000, dissatisfied with the company's operations. During the same period, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly, which also featured DMX, Taral Hicks, and T-Boz of TLC among its cast.
1998β2000: I Am... to Nastradamus
In 1998, Nas began work on a double album to be entitled I Am...The Autobiography, which he intended as the middle ground between the extremes of Illmatic and It Was Written. The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, Nas Is Like, produced by DJ Premier and featuring vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell". However, much of the LP was leaked in MP3 format onto the Internet, and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.
The second single for I Am was "Hate Me Now," featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs (now "Diddy"), was used as an example by Nas' critics for moving towards commercial themes. Hype Williams shot an allegorical video for the single, which featured Nas and Puffy being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; After the video was completed, Combs, a Catholic, requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV, and was premiered on April 15, 1999 on TRL. A furious Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.
Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am under the title Nastradamus during the latter half of 1999, but, at the last minute, decided Nas should record an entirely new album for release. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, the Timbaland-produced "You Owe Me," featuring R&B singer Ginuwine. The only pirated track from I Am... to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. A number of the other bootlegged tracks later made their way onto The Lost Tapes, a collection of underground Nas songs that was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.
2000β2001: The Nas vs. Jay-Z rivalry and Stillmatic
The highly publicized rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z began as a rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z's protege, Memphis Bleek. On his debut album Coming of Age, Bleek made a song entitled "Memphis Bleek Is", which was similar in concept to Nas' single "Nas is Like". On the same album, Bleek recorded "What You Think Of That" featuring Bleek's mentor Jay-Z, which contains the refrain, "I'ma ball 'til I fall/what you think of that?". In retaliation, "Nastradamus", the title track from Nas' second 1999 album, featured a reference to "What You Think Of That". The lyrics state, "You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef? I could let a slug melt in your hat." Memphis Bleek perceived the reference on "Nastradamus" as a diss, and therefore dissed Nas on the lead single for his The Understanding LP, My Mind Right".
QB's Finest was a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Littles, The Bravehearts (which included Nas' younger brother Jungle among its members), and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001", which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge". "Da Bridge 2001" also featured a response from Nas to Memphis Bleek, in which Nas called out most of the Roc-A-Fella Records roster, including Bleek, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel, and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z responded to Nas' songs with an onstage swipe during the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert in New York City, when he premiered his song "Takeover." Initially, the song was to only be a Mobb Deep diss, only including one line about Nas near the end. Nevertheless, Nas recorded the "Stillmatic Freestyle," an underground single which sampled Rakim and Eric B.'s "Paid in Full" beat, and attacked Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label. On his 2001 album, The Blueprint, Jay-Z rewrote "Takeover," dedicating half of the song to dissing Nas, claiming that he had a "...one hot album every ten year average" record (referring to Illmatic) that his flow was weak, and that he had fabricated his past as a hustler.
Nas responded with "Ether", the track begins with gunshots and a repeated, slowed-down sample of Tupac rapping "Fuck Jay-Z." (taken from Tupac's "Fuck Friends") In "Ether," Nas accuses Jay-Z of stealing ("biting") lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. and brown-nosing Nas and other rappers for fame. Ether was included on Nas' fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. Stillmatic managed to be not only a critically-acclaimed comeback album, but a commercial success as well, albeit not on the level of It Was Written and I Am...; the album debutted at #7 on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic." In terms of commercial success, Jay's The Blueprint was certified double-platinum, while Stillmatic went platinum.
Jay-Z responded to "Ether" with a freestyle entitled "Supa Ugly." going into detail about how he had sex with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny. Nas dismissed the track by claiming that he was no longer with Bryan during the time the affair took place. In a recent interview, however, New York radio station Hot 97 settled the battle taking votes comparing "Ether" and "Supa Ugly," and Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. By 2005, the two rappers had eventually ended their feud without violence or animosity. During Jay-Z's I Declare War - Power House concert, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!" Nas then joined Jay-Z onstage, and the two then performed "Dead Presidents" together, which Jay-Z had sampled from Nas' song "The World is Yours."
2002βPresent: From God's Son to Street's Disciple and beyond
In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album. and its lead single, "Made You Look". The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard charts despite widespread internet bootlegging. Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe Magazine gave it 4 stars and The Source gave it 4 mics. The second single, the inspirational "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Fur Elise", became Nas' biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas' mother, who died of cancer in 2002. In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from KoΠ―n's Take a Look in the Mirror LP.
Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. The album's first singles were "Thief's Theme" and "Bridging the Gap", which features his father Olu Dara on vocals. The album also includes "These are Our Heroes", which accuses prominent sports stars and actors such as Kobe Bryant, Lenny Henry, Tiger Woods, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. of neglecting their heritage and background in favour of white values. The videos for "Bridging the Gap" and "Just A Moment" received moderate airplay on MTV and BET. Although the album went platinum, its commercial profile was relatively low compared to the rapper's previous releases.
Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". West said the song was Jay-Z's favorite on the album, but West was unable to get Jay-Z to record a vocal for the final mix of the song. He also appeared on Damian Marley's song "Road to Zion" (which also featured newcomer The Game in the video, widening Nas' still growing universally appreciated raps) and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill). In addition, Nas was most recently married to the R&B singer Kelis, who is mostly known for her work internationally, but nonetheless released great hits in the U.S. The couple wed on Jan. 8, 2005 in Atlanta, GA, after a two-year engagement.
During this time, Nas announced that his next album would be entirely self-produced and feature no other rappers, and would be titled Nasir, and later that the project would feature other producers after all and would be called Nasdaq: Dow Jones. Neither of these albums ever materialized.
At a free concert in Central Park, New York, Nas made a statement regarding the quality of 50 Cent's music. "this is the real shit, not that 50 Cent shit!" In response, 50 Cent included a stab at Nas by speaking negatively of his wife Kelis on his single "Piggy Bank," implying that Kelis was promiscuous and calling Nas a "sucker for love." Nas was quoted as saying that he feels no obligation to retaliate, remarking "[50 has] got a good five to six more albums before I can really respond to him." Nas eventually decided to retaliate, and in July 2005 released "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)", a song which taunts 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew, stating that 50 was "a sucka for death if I'm a sucka for love." However, despite all of this, Nas still claims to "have a lot of love towards 50," claiming 50 didn't understand his moves when they both were together at Columbia Records.
In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Jay-Z's Def Jam, further emphasizing the Jay-Z/Nas truce and raising expectations for a collaboration even higher. His album due in fall of 2006 will come out in a joint deal with this imprint and Columbia Records. He recently announced to MTV News that his album is to be named, "Hip Hop is Dead...the N," the N being a play on the word the "end." The title is supposed to reflect what some would term the current low quality of rap music. The highly anticipated album is due out in December 19th, 2006.
Musical style and Technique
Nas has long been famed for his creativity and storytelling prowess, which has earned him acclaim from both the hip-hop community and critics. In his early stages, from his first appearance on the Main Source's Breaking Atoms and throughout the recording of Illmatic, he was perhaps best known for his street-oriented topics, complex lyrical schemes (which often incorporated multi-syllabic internal rhymes), and witty phrasing and imagery. As he progressed and matured, Nas began to branch out into different subjects and developed a richer voice and slower rapping technique.
Following Illmatic's release, Nas developed a penchant for hyper-visual storytelling and topical creativity. For instance, "Undying Love" (featured on I Am...) is a tale of his wife's betrayal told in first person, "Rewind" (featured on Stillmatic) is a narrative in which a story is recited backwards, while on "I Gave You Power" (featured on It Was Written), Nas assumes the role of a gun who recounts brutal tales of murder and violence. Over the years Nas' style has changed significantly. In contrast to his previous work, Nasβ most recent material is distinctively socially aware and often politically inflammatory. Songs such as "I Can" (featured on God's Son) convey moral messages of black youth empowerment, while "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)" accuses several African-American celebrities of being Uncle Toms. Furthermore, controversial songs such as "My Country" and "A Message to the Feds (Fuck The Police II)" (which are featured on Stillmatic and Street's Disciple, respectively) question the conduct of the American government. Nas' views in his lyrics throughout his career have made references to Islam and the Five Percent Nation..
Silent Murder*
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
Silent, silent
Murder
It's sort of like the conclusion, the color purple
Niggas is losing, confusion, with one time all pursuit moves in
Grabbing niggas up in this movement to rule shit
Cop verses the block, shorties is too quick
Lesson number one. If you're arrested and hung
Where niggas is from gotta keep a lid on your tongue
It's like silent murder, I hit blunts hard like Ray Mercer
the violent words of a prince in a palace of Persia.
The cognac plurger plus the trees,
but whose the faul one to make his nose take a freeze,
and got enough gold to rock ice in all hype.
Used to be a general but just lost his stripe
Pipe dreams and white feinds and all-nighters, collect calls from lifers
Astoria walls with cypress, since I got a problem with the law-writers,
I kick some more items just to explore horizons,
the palm lady dreamt of this day so I'ma play,
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
Silent
Silent, silent
Murder
My right handers never play too close to cameras
It's nighttime scanners circle that allow gamblers
Peace-making niggas pep talk
the peace-makin 'niggas walk off the hot avenues with they brew.
Time to get this loot countless, ''cause sun it ain't no youth fountains
Niggas take cash and shoot, bounce and Pakistanians is took hostage
Locked up inside a linen closet known for spending pies up
What's the flavour when your neighbors do jake favours?
Lock them real niggas down and lettin fake players
roam around the project this lyrical logic I dilute,
the weak can object the right composite
We're plottin' all murderous schemes,
it seems I'm ghostly called by the essence of queens
the palm lady dreamt of this day, so I'ma play
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
And Cain killed his brother Abel when God accepted Abel's
Offering and not his.
Abel's offering showed that Cain was not giving his best to God,
And Cain's jealous anger drove him to murder
Drove him to murder
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
Silent, silent
Murder
It's sort of like the conclusion, the color purple
Niggas is losing, confusion, with one time all pursuit moves in
Grabbing niggas up in this movement to rule shit
Cop verses the block, shorties is too quick
Lesson number one. If you're arrested and hung
Where niggas is from gotta keep a lid on your tongue
It's like silent murder, I hit blunts hard like Ray Mercer
the violent words of a prince in a palace of Persia.
The cognac plurger plus the trees,
but whose the faul one to make his nose take a freeze,
and got enough gold to rock ice in all hype.
Used to be a general but just lost his stripe
Pipe dreams and white feinds and all-nighters, collect calls from lifers
Astoria walls with cypress, since I got a problem with the law-writers,
I kick some more items just to explore horizons,
the palm lady dreamt of this day so I'ma play,
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
Silent
Silent, silent
Murder
My right handers never play too close to cameras
It's nighttime scanners circle that allow gamblers
Peace-making niggas pep talk
the peace-makin 'niggas walk off the hot avenues with they brew.
Time to get this loot countless, ''cause sun it ain't no youth fountains
Niggas take cash and shoot, bounce and Pakistanians is took hostage
Locked up inside a linen closet known for spending pies up
What's the flavour when your neighbors do jake favours?
Lock them real niggas down and lettin fake players
roam around the project this lyrical logic I dilute,
the weak can object the right composite
We're plottin' all murderous schemes,
it seems I'm ghostly called by the essence of queens
the palm lady dreamt of this day, so I'ma play
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
And Cain killed his brother Abel when God accepted Abel's
Offering and not his.
Abel's offering showed that Cain was not giving his best to God,
And Cain's jealous anger drove him to murder
Drove him to murder
In "Silent Murder," Nas describes the violent and dangerous lifestyle of street life. The opening lines of the song reference Nicki Barnes, a notorious drug lord known for his violent tactics. Nas suggests that Barnes' arms were enough to "blast" and that he was responsible for taking out several "rich niggas." The song also mentions the possible involvement of the CIA in the assassination of Malcolm X, using the name Malik Shabazz. Nas expresses his distrust of the government and the information they teach in schools. Instead, he aims to reach the masses with his message and encourages listeners to strap up and use jungle tactics to survive.
Throughout the song, Nas uses vivid imagery and wordplay to convey the grim realities of life on the streets. He also references the movie "The Color Purple" and compares the state of society to the confusion of the characters in the film. Nas warns against speaking too much and advises people to keep a lid on their tongue to avoid getting caught up in legal problems. He also discusses the importance of carrying large stacks of money and "mad clips" to protect oneself in violent situations.
Line by Line Meaning
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
According to rumors, Nicki Barnes' power and influence would be sufficient to cause significant harm.
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Many wealthy individuals became involved in illegal activities, such as drug trafficking.
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Was it the CIA who orchestrated the assassination of Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X)?
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
I don't care about what they teach in school, I want to connect with the masses through my music.
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Arm yourself and be ready for any situation, relying only on yourself. Survival requires harsh and aggressive tactics.
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
In this lifestyle, mistakes are not tolerated. Those who step out of line will face severe consequences.
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
If you fit the description of someone involved in this lifestyle, embrace it. Hide your wealth and weapons discretely.
A stack right under my matress
I keep a stack of money hidden under my mattress as a symbol of wealth and power.
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
To eliminate someone in a violent manner, similar to the scenes depicted in movies made by the Hughes Brothers.
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
Those who are actively involved in dangerous activities are not willing to let others hinder their progress.
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
People who think they are fooling others will eventually realize that the joke is on them.
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
My friend outside is discussing the consequences of his actions and the length of his prison sentence.
Silent, silent
This underscores the theme of secrecy and the hidden violence that exists.
Murder
The ultimate act of killing someone intentionally.
It's sort of like the conclusion, the color purple
Similar to the ending of the novel 'The Color Purple', where justice is served and wrongs are righted.
Niggas is losing, confusion, with one time all pursuit moves in
People in this environment are losing their way and becoming confused. Law enforcement is constantly pursuing them.
Grabbing niggas up in this movement to rule shit
The authorities are apprehending individuals involved in this criminal movement to regain control.
Cop verses the block, shorties is too quick
There is constant conflict between the police and the neighborhood. The youth are quick and street smart.
Lesson number one. If you're arrested and hung
The first lesson to learn is how to handle being arrested and interrogated by law enforcement.
Where niggas is from gotta keep a lid on your tongue
In this environment, it is essential to remain silent and not reveal any incriminating information.
My right handers never play too close to cameras
My close associates never get caught or involved in situations where they can be seen on surveillance cameras.
It's nighttime scanners circle that allow gamblers
At night, surveillance technology is spinning around, monitoring the activities of gamblers and potential troublemakers.
Peace-making niggas pep talk
People who try to mediate and resolve conflicts engage in motivational conversations.
the peace-makin 'niggas walk off the hot avenues with they brew
These peacemakers leave the dangerous streets and retreat to a safer place with their alcoholic drinks.
Time to get this loot countless, ''cause sun it ain't no youth fountains
It's time to accumulate wealth without limit, as opportunities for financial growth are scarce.
Niggas take cash and shoot, bounce and Pakistanians is took hostage
Criminals take cash by force and then quickly escape, while innocent individuals from Pakistan are being held captive.
Locked up inside a linen closet known for spending pies up
Imprisoned in a small space, like being locked inside a linen closet. This person is notorious for making a lot of money illegally.
What's the flavour when your neighbors do jake favours?
What is the worth or value of having neighbors who cooperate with the police?
Lock them real niggas down and lettin fake players
The authorities are incarcerating genuine individuals while allowing fake individuals, who aren't truly involved in illegal activities, to roam free.
roam around the project this lyrical logic I dilute
Fake individuals are freely navigating the community, causing me to question the reliability and sense of my own lyrics.
the weak can object the right composite
Those who lack strength and power may challenge or disagree with what is considered the correct composition or arrangement of things.
We're plottin' all murderous schemes
We are devising plans for acts of violence and murder.
it seems I'm ghostly called by the essence of queens
It appears that I am being spiritually summoned by the presence and influence of powerful women.
the palm lady dreamt of this day, so I'ma play
A fortune teller or palm reader envisioned this moment, so I will embrace it and make the most of it.
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
I am at home, relaxing and smoking, while being armed with a large gun, ready to confront any potential threats.
And Cain killed his brother Abel when God accepted Abel's
Referencing the biblical story of Cain and Abel, where Cain became jealous and murdered his brother Abel after God favored Abel's offering over his.
Offering and not his
Sacrifice.
Abel's offering showed that Cain was not giving his best to God,
Abel's offering demonstrated that Cain was not fully committed or giving his utmost effort to honor God.
And Cain's jealous anger drove him to murder
Cain's intense jealousy and resentment led him to commit the act of murder.
Drove him to murder
Motivated him to take a life.
Lyrics Β© Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERESFORD ROMEO, NASIR JONES, HAYDEN BROWNE, RANDY WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@dianevrules
AZ (Doe or Die)
Blackthought (Illadelp Halflife)
2Pac (Me Against The World)
Guru (Hard To Earn)
Big Pun (Capital Punsihment)
Scarface (The Diary)
Del the Funkee Homosapien (No Need for Alarm)
Gza (Liquid Swords)
Cube (Death Certificate)
Luda (Word of Mouf)
All of which released a classic album that will redrum It Was Written (Nas's best album of his life)
F&%% Nas!!!!!! He couldnt f^%% with any of the aforementioned. If he's in your top 4, you know nothing about hip-hop.
@abdmoh6350
NAS is the final boss in hip hop.
@TheLWebb100
Def the Shao Khan of hip hop!
@TonnySeeze
he's that one boss you can't defeat, no matter how hard you try
@biglcorleone7289
Eminem was better on that new track with him imo
@Kingziggy1991
Lol
@Dnashtharapper
@Big L Corleone that track was ass
@jackbrown4697
Real hip hop with a great story, It Was Written is a total masterpiece
@stewybaby4
Really thats a Great Story? The flow is still there but thee is no innovation. Sad though i really hoped it was gonna be good?
Light weight for this Guy
@dianevrules
@Stewart Mills STHUB
@CheminisVienetas
@Stewart Mills you're white, I see why