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..
Surviving the Times
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What would I do if I could suddenly feel?
And to know once again that what I feel is real?
I could cry, I could smile
I might lay back for a while
Tell me what (what) what would I do
If I could feel?
Waiting for my moment, I was destined to shine
Little Ray had an NXX, I was hoping I'm next
Wanting bracelets, never had a rope on my neck
Unless I was holding Taiyeh chain, Rest In Peace
Even though that night you flipped on us
You warned us
If you came back and we still on the corners,
We goners, moving on to
Move your arm in your watch
To another time on the block
'Cause this 40 Side Where they said Shorty rhyme
Tragedy, he used to come through all the time
I'm talking Juice Crew, not what the word define
He had a sister named Erin, for sure was fine
That was my first crush, I bought my first mic
I wrote my first verse, I was about nine
I was about mine, fantasize house-buying
Met Paul, he wore some big glasses
Him and Melquan took me where G Rap lived
I was happy, just getting some answers
I ain't even know what a record advance was
I'm seeing hoes sex in the studio bathroom
With rap dudes, thinking wow she moved me
Same girl then, right now's a groupie
Back then, she was like the star in the movie
Large jewelry and expensive Gucci
Next stop, Paid In Full posse recruits me
Knew they were some millionaires, their ropes were dookie
Eric B man looking like touch-it-he-shoot-me
You see, every time Ra didn't show
I get to record demos at attempts to blow
I wonder could they tell, how did they know
Sixteen years later, here I go
[Chorus: x 4]
What would I do?
I'm with Akinyele in the street, trying to get us a deal
G Rap tried to get us to sign to Cold Chill
But Fly Ty didn't have the contract we wanted
Clark Kent just signed Das, he didn't want us
Russell said I sounded like G, the nigga fronted
Reef and Matty C offered me a little money
Shit a little funny, feel a little laughter
Rebel of Hip-Hop coming through a white rapper
My boy MC Serch nevertheless
Took me to Columbia, back then CBS
Chris Schwartz, RuffHouse, he was the best man
Now bugging because the label had just dropped Def Jam
Could you picture Russell needing a check, man
But he smart, he plotted a plan for Polygram
Life is ill, again life's a movie
Then, the roster's: Cypress Hill, Nas, and Fugees
Before I sold records, no promotion
The rap world like, what's all this commotion
Went plat', mad bottles I'm toasting
20/20 hindsight, but how did they know then
[Chorus]
Invincible, lyrical, miracle man, huh
But back to the matter at hand
'Cause ten years ago we all strived to be twenty-five
Some cats didn't make it alive
Dated some stars but respect their privacy
Copped mad cars, laying back in the driver's seat
Held myself down, just steering the wheel
Here I am, completed my whole record deal
[Chorus]
What would I do?
If I could reach inside of me?
And to know how it feels to say
"I like what I see..."
The lyrics of "Surviving the Times" by Nas explore his reflections on his past experiences and his present state of mind. The first stanza of the song is a rhetorical question, where Nas asks what he would do if he could suddenly feel emotions again. The second stanza is an autobiographical account of how he made it through his young years. He mentions encountering others who had more money and possessions than he did, but he still had hope for his future. Nas remembers that he didn't even have enough money for a rope necklace or bracelets, and that he didn't feel secure on the rough streets of New York City. But he had people around him who warned him about the dangers of gang life and worked to inspire him.
The second and third stanzas talk about his early days in the music industry. Nas tried to get a record deal with Akinyele, but was turned down by several labels. He finally found success through a connection with MC Serch, who took him to Columbia Records. The song ends with Nas celebrating his achievements and his successful record deal, and taking a moment to reflect on how far he has come.
Overall, "Surviving the Times" is a nostalgic and introspective song that showcases Nas's introspective lyrics and storytelling abilities.
Line by Line Meaning
But that's the whole tragic point, my friends
The tragic point being that Nas has never really felt much and wonders what it would be like to feel for the first time.
What would I do if I could suddenly feel?
Nas wonders what his life would be like if he could feel emotions for the first time.
And to know once again that what I feel is real?
He just wants to feel emotions and to know that what he's feeling is real.
I could cry, I could smile
He could react to strong emotions.
I might lay back for a while
He could take his time to process and react to emotions.
Tell me what (what) what would I do
He's asking what he would do if he could feel emotions.
If I could feel?
He's fantasizing about what it would be like to feel emotions.
I was young, I was surviving the times
Nas was young and trying to survive in his environment.
Waiting for my moment, I was destined to shine
He was waiting for his chance to shine and succeed.
Little Ray had an NXX, I was hoping I'm next
Ray had a car and he hoped that he would be next to have his own car.
Wanting bracelets, never had a rope on my neck
He wanted nice things but didn't have the money to afford them.
Unless I was holding Taiyeh chain, Rest In Peace
He only had a nice chain when his friend Taiyeh died and left him his chain.
Even though that night you flipped on us
Taiyeh had a negative moment on the night he died.
You warned us, if you came back and we still on the corners, we goners, moving on to
Taiyeh warned them that if he came back and they were still on the corners then they were in trouble and would have to move on.
Move your arm in your watch to another time on the block
He's saying that if someone were to ask you for the time on the block, you would have to move your arm to another time to make it seem like you weren't wearing an expensive watch.
'Cause this 40 Side Where they said Shorty rhyme
This is the area where rappers like Q-Tip and Shorty would perform.
Tragedy, he used to come through all the time
Tragedy was someone who used to come through their neighborhood often.
I'm talking Juice Crew, not what the word define
He's talking about the Juice Crew, a hip hop collective that Tragedy was part of, not about drinking juice.
He had a sister named Erin, for sure was fine
Tragedy had a sister named Erin who was attractive.
That was my first crush, I bought my first mic
He had a crush on Erin and was inspired to buy his first microphone.
I wrote my first verse, I was about nine
He wrote his first rap verse when he was around nine years old.
I was about mine, fantasize house-buying
He was focused on his own aspirations and fantasized about buying a house.
Met Paul, he wore some big glasses
He met someone named Paul who wore big glasses.
Him and Melquan took me where G Rap lived
Paul and Melquan took Nas to where rapper Kool G Rap lived.
I was happy, just getting some answers
He was happy to learn and discover new things.
I ain't even know what a record advance was
He didn't even know what a record label advance was at the time.
I'm seeing hoes sex in the studio bathroom
He saw women having sex in the studio bathroom with rappers.
With rap dudes, thinking wow she moved me
He was impressed and influenced by rappers who were with these women.
Same girl then, right now's a groupie
The same women who were with rappers before are now groupies.
Back then, she was like the star in the movie
Back then, these women were like movie stars to Nas.
Large jewelry and expensive Gucci
These women wore expensive jewelry and clothing from brands like Gucci.
Next stop, Paid In Full posse recruits me
He was recruited by the Paid In Full posse after being impressed by them.
Knew they were some millionaires, their ropes were dookie
He knew they were millionaires but their jewelry wasn't as impressive as what he had seen with other rappers.
Eric B man looking like touch-it-he-shoot-me
Eric B looked like he would shoot someone if they touched him.
You see, every time Ra didn't show, I get to record demos at attempts to blow
Whenever Kool G Rap wasn't available, Nas would record his own demos with the hope of succeeding in the music industry.
I wonder could they tell, how did they know
Nas is curious if people could tell that he was talented and how they knew.
Sixteen years later, here I go
Sixteen years later, Nas succeeded and had a successful career in the music industry.
I'm with Akinyele in the street, trying to get us a deal
Nas and Akinyele were trying to get signed to a record label.
G Rap tried to get us to sign to Cold Chill
Kool G Rap tried to get them to sign to the record label Cold Chill.
But Fly Ty didn't have the contract we wanted
Fly Ty didn't offer them the type of contract they were hoping for.
Clark Kent just signed Das, he didn't want us
Clark Kent signed another group named Das and didn't want to sign Nas and Akinyele.
Russell said I sounded like G, the nigga fronted
Russell Simmons said Nas sounded like Kool G Rap but was lying.
Reef and Matty C offered me a little money
Reef and Matty C offered Nas some money to help him succeed in the music industry.
Shit a little funny, feel a little laughter
The situation was funny and made Nas laugh a bit.
Rebel of Hip-Hop coming through a white rapper
Nas was a rebel in the hip hop industry and was coming up at the same time as white rappers like Vanilla Ice.
My boy MC Serch nevertheless, took me to Columbia, back then CBS
MC Serch showed Nas a way to succeed in the music industry by helping him get signed with Columbia (formerly CBS).
Chris Schwartz, RuffHouse, he was the best man
Chris Schwartz was the best person to work with at RuffHouse Records.
Now bugging because the label had just dropped Def Jam
Chris was worried because the label had just dropped Def Jam, a successful record label.
Could you picture Russell needing a check, man
Nas is asking if you can imagine Russell Simmons needing a check or being in financial trouble.
But he smart, he plotted a plan for Polygram
Russell Simmons was smart and created a plan to succeed with PolyGram Records.
Life is ill, again life's a movie
Nas reflects on how life is unpredictable and can resemble a movie.
Then, the roster's: Cypress Hill, Nas, and Fugees
The record label roster included Cypress Hill, Nas, and Fugees.
Before I sold records, no promotion
Nas had no promotion before selling any records.
The rap world like, what's all this commotion
The rap world was wondering what was going on with Nas and why he was getting popular.
Went plat', mad bottles I'm toasting
When he went platinum, he celebrated and toasted with lots of alcohol.
20/20 hindsight, but how did they know then
Looking back, he wonders how everyone knew he would be successful when he was just starting out.
Invincible, lyrical, miracle man, huh
He is confident in his abilities as a rapper.
But back to the matter at hand
Nas is returning to the main topic.
'Cause ten years ago we all strived to be twenty-five
Ten years ago, Nas and his peers wanted to be twenty-five years old and successful.
Some cats didn't make it alive
Some of his peers did not survive to see their twenty-fifth birthday.
Dated some stars but respect their privacy
He dated some famous women but respects their privacy.
Copped mad cars, laying back in the driver's seat
He bought many cars and enjoyed driving them.
Held myself down, just steering the wheel
He controlled his own life and destiny.
Here I am, completed my whole record deal
He completed a successful record deal and feels accomplished.
If I could reach inside of me?
Nas is wondering what it would be like to dig deep and find his true emotions.
And to know how it feels to say
He wants to connect with his true emotions.
"I like what I see..."
He wants to be able to honestly appreciate what he sees and feels around him.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES EMANUEL SMALLS, NASIR JONES, CHRIS (PKA "RIDDLER") WEBBER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@80schild31
Never will there be another rapper like Nas
@itsbenja1318
For real the last real prophet
@rashmanju8728
Sooner or later we will see who the prophet is
@Anonymous-kq8oh
its benja Rakim??
@Anonymous-kq8oh
80's Child Eminem same level
@nmessai215
Anonymous Lmao Eminem isnβt poetic, soulful or have deep meaningful lyrics. Nas raps about Africa, history, black culture, the streets, fatherhood and etc... Em doesnβt rap about any of those things. 2 completely different rappers
@cedenoanthony45
He is the greatest MC of all time.
@MultiKadafi
Nope but his Top 5
@adrianalaniz6404
Miguel No he is Top 1st
@MultiKadafi
1.Krs one
2.Big daddy Kane
3.Tupac
4.Rakim
5.Nas