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.
1973â1992: 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.
1992â1995: 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 Serchâs solo album is released later in the year, Nasâ 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.
1996â1998: 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.
1998â2000: 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.
2000â2001: 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."
2002âPresent: 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 KoĐŻn'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, Nasâ 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..
Soundtrack To The Streets
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uhh QB
All the people in the place!
It's the one and only Kid Capri
Along with my man Nas Escobar
Ill Will
We about to take this one all around the world
So y'all feel this one come on!
My antidote to the dope add drugs in the party
Pistol whippin' your body lyrical odyssey
Y'all ain't smoke real shit less y'all smokin' with me
And y'all ain't heard real shit, til you heard it from me
Escobar, I toasted with Frank White, to this new era
of gangster life, slangin' words in the mic
Thanks to the life, I urge y'all to write pain
You a whore to the war, I remain a virgin that's tight
This game I'ma run til it's done, stack my funds
Packin guns, clean each gat, once a month
Hope ya toast carry heavy as the vest on your chest
Hope you squeeze it cause you're only safe from stomach to chest
Everything else, left open, I'm smokin'
Next to your balls, police won't even question at all
It's the Esc to the Bar, connects in Piar
Overlord of rap, U.S. France to Ecuador
[Chorus]
Have you ever met a QB gangsta, who would
shake your hand and turn ya back he would shank ya?
Niggaz want the street you lookin for me
You want the hot shit you must cop the Kid Capri
Ladies dance to it, niggaz pound that in your Jeep
Esco' and Kid Capri, with the motherfuckin Soundtrack
to the Street, thugs pop to it, sell rocks to it
Puffin L's poppin glocks to it
Me and the streets share the same vein, same pain
The whole game changed, niggaz with no brain could make dough
off of cocaine, Colombian neckties
Democrats to Bill Clinton gotta respect Nas
Customized flow, words stitched into the seams
Tailor made lyrics words fit ya, spit scripture worship
Far from Ali, niggaz can't spar with the kid
Regardless of your bid or who you partners with
Spit, cartridges at so-called hard ni-ggaz
You get, sparked and hit, held as hostages
You know how the mobsters is from the heart of the Bridge
We just started gettin dough, yo pardon the kid
I ain't used to havin shit, my youth as bad as it get
Ghetto bound first lesson was to let off rounds
Shots, echo the town, New York, home of
the Harlem mix tape, master as we all know him now
[Chorus]
Uh, what? Kid Capri
Soundtrack to the Street a theme for every hood
Every lockdown facility, get ?oxed? down for grillin me
Write down hostility, iced down with friends of ours
Respect money and power and them honies that swallow
But what's becomin' Apollo, nuttin but bigga bank
Fuck you niggaz think I ride for?
Same thing niggaz die for, so we draw guns
the same time in this war, leave your mind on the floor
Niggaz doin' thirty to life to survive in this world
Transportin' keys that's inside of a door
Openin' spots from Little Rock to Baltimore
Smoked out, chillin' on the Kid Capri world tour
[Chorus]
Yeah
Word up, come on
We make it bump one time word up
My man Nas make it bump one time come on
Come on, we make it bump one time word up
The Kid Capri make it bump one time come on
[Chorus]
And I say party people, it's the Kid Capri
Nas Escobar, Soundtrack to the Streets
Jumpin' off, youknowhatI'msayin?
You a part of history, stay tuned, uh!
The lyrics of Nas's song Soundtrack To The Streets are a classic example of East Coast gangsta rap during the mid-'90s. The song opens with the rapper Kid Capri, followed by a proclamation that their song is about to be heard all over the world. Nas then starts his verse, proclaiming himself to be the antidote to the drugs circulating in the party. In the song, Nas portrays himself as a lyrical godfather of sorts, urging his listeners to write their pains down and calling out other rappers as whores to the establishment of the music industry. He advocates the importance of the streets and draws parallels to his own trials and tribulations, comparing himself to cities like New York and Rome.
The chorus is challenging anyone looking for a real street gangsta to come to him. He also raps about his journey as a rapper, starting from Harlem mixtapes to his rise as one of the premier rappers of the time. The verses are littered with references to guns, drugs, and violence, which were the staples of East Coast rap at the time. Nas's flow is smooth and easy to follow, with a distinct delivery style. It is the combination of the vivid imagery in the lyrics, his flow, and the thumping beat that has made this song iconic and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
My antidote to the dope add drugs in the party
My music is the cure for the danger of drugs at parties
Pistol whippin' your body lyrical odyssey
My lyrics can be violent but they will take you on a journey
Y'all ain't smoke real shit less y'all smokin' with me
You haven't had a real experience until you've smoked with me
And y'all ain't heard real shit, til you heard it from me
No one speaks the truth like I do
Escobar, I toasted with Frank White, to this new era of gangster life, slangin' words in the mic
I'm like Frank White, we are celebrating a new era of gangster life through rap music
Thanks to the life, I urge y'all to write pain
I have lived a life full of pain and inspire others to write about their own experiences
You a whore to the war, I remain a virgin that's tight
Others are willing to compromise for success, but I stay true to myself and my values
This game I'ma run til it's done, stack my funds
I will keep playing the game of life until the end, making sure my money is secure
Packin guns, clean each gat, once a month
I carry weapons and always keep them clean for protection, cleaning them often
Hope ya toast carry heavy as the vest on your chest
I hope your gun is just as heavy and reliable as the bulletproof vest you wear
Hope you squeeze it cause you're only safe from stomach to chest
It's important to shoot the gun because anything outside the chest area is still vulnerable
Everything else, left open, I'm smokin'
I'm not worried about anything else and am focused on smoking weed
Next to your balls, police won't even question at all
You can easily hide drugs or weapons close to your body without being questioned by the police
It's the Esc to the Bar, connects in Piar Overlord of rap, U.S. France to Ecuador
I am the king of rap, with connections in many countries
Have you ever met a QB gangsta, who would shake your hand and turn ya back he would shank ya?
Have you ever met a gangster from Queensbridge who would betray you by stabbing you in the back?
Niggaz want the street you lookin for me
If you're looking for authenticity in rap, you can find it in me
You want the hot shit you must cop the Kid Capri
To get the best rap music, you need to listen to Kid Capri's beats
Ladies dance to it, niggaz pound that in your Jeep
Both men and women love to dance to my music, and it sounds great in a car
Esco' and Kid Capri, with the motherfuckin Soundtrack to the Street, thugs pop to it, sell rocks to it, Puffin L's poppin glocks to it
Nas and Kid Capri created the ultimate soundtrack for the streets, where people sell drugs and carry weapons
Me and the streets share the same vein, same pain
I can relate to the struggles of the streets because I have experienced the same pain
The whole game changed, niggaz with no brain could make dough off of cocaine, Colombian neckties
The drug game has changed, and even those without intelligence can make money off of cocaine and violence
Democrats to Bill Clinton gotta respect Nas
Even politicians like Bill Clinton need to show respect for me
Customized flow, words stitched into the seams, Tailor made lyrics words fit ya, spit scripture worship
My flow and lyrics are unique and tailored to fit the listener's needs, like a custom-made suit
Far from Ali, niggaz can't spar with the kid
I am not Muhammad Ali, but no one can beat me in a rap battle
Regardless of your bid or who you partners with, Spit, cartridges at so-called hard ni-ggaz, You get, sparked and hit, held as hostages
No matter who your friends or business partners are, I will attack you with my words and you will be held accountable for your actions
You know how the mobsters is from the heart of the Bridge, We just started gettin dough, yo pardon the kid
I'm from Queensbridge, where mobsters reign, but I am just starting to get rich, so please forgive any mistakes
I ain't used to havin shit, my youth as bad as it get, Ghetto bound first lesson was to let off rounds
I grew up poor and had a tough childhood, where I learned to use weapons to protect myself
Shots, echo the town, New York, home of the Harlem mix tape, master as we all know him now
The sound of gunshots is common in New York City, and it's also known for producing great mix tape DJs like the legendary Harlem Mix Tape Master
Soundtrack to the Street a theme for every hood
My music is relatable to anyone living in any neighborhood
Every lockdown facility, get ?oxed? down for grillin me, Write down hostility, iced down with friends of ours
Even in prison, people recognize and respect me, and they write their aggressive feelings down and share them with me
Respect money and power and them honies that swallow, But what's becomin' Apollo, nuttin but bigga bank
I respect those who have money and power, as well as women who perform oral sex, but all of that means nothing compared to having a big bank account
Fuck you niggaz think I ride for?, Same thing niggaz die for, so we draw guns, the same time in this war, leave your mind on the floor
I ride for a cause, just like people are willing to die for their beliefs, so we all draw guns and fight for our cause, leaving our enemies mentally defeated
Niggaz doin' thirty to life to survive in this world, Transportin' keys that's inside of a door, Openin' spots from Little Rock to Baltimore, Smoked out, chillin' on the Kid Capri world tour
People are committing serious crimes to survive, transporting drugs in secret locations all over the country, and I'm just chilling and smoking on tour with Kid Capri
We make it bump one time word up, The Kid Capri make it bump one time come on, And I say party people, it's the Kid Capri, Nas Escobar, Soundtrack to the Streets
We're making the music bump and getting people excited, announcing ourselves as Kid Capri and Nas Escobar, creators of the ultimate Soundtrack to the Streets
Jumpin' off, youknowhatI'msayin?, You a part of history, stay tuned, uh!
We're just getting started and you're part of this historical moment, so stay tuned for more
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bogodile Motlhabane
MY FAV NAS JOINT WITH THE LEGEND KID CAPRI!!!!!! 99 WAS A DOPE YR!!!!
realdeal139
đ„đ„đ„đ„đ„classic!!
Hardy Njuguna
AV been looking for this track since way back.. last I listened to it was in 99..woop woop..Q.B gangsta..
Quinten Pressley
The muthafuckin goat
TN
The Escobar season, it's really 97/98 this track
Lewwast
'Me and the streets share the same vein'
Damn.
Life Help
Think I heard this on Sirius XM Fly and here I am! Lovin' in!
Les Son
i'm here straight from RockTheBells radio !
David Quinn
same
Iris
Bumping in 2022