Illmatic was a critically acclaimed bestseller and is widely considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He married R&B singer Kelis in 2005, they have one son together, and she filed for divorce on the 29th of April 2009. Nas was also a part of hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.
In the years following the release of Illmatic, Nas pursued a more commercial direction, which resulted in wider success but decreased artistic credibility among critics and hip-hop purists. Furthermore, Nas' increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out". Nevertheless, the LP Stillmatic is often credited for restoring Nas' credibility among fans. Since the success of Stillmatic, Nas continues to maintain a high profile within the hip hop community, and has pursued a decidedly progressive and personal aesthetic. While Nas' current artistic direction differs greatly from his most successful work, it has ensured that he remains one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary rappers.
1973–1992: Childhood and early career
Nas was born in Brooklyn, New York, as the elder of Olu Dara and Fannie Ann Jones's two children; his brother Jabari (nicknamed "Jungle" because he was born in the Congo) is the younger of the two. The family lived for a time in Brooklyn, before moving to Queensbridge, the largest public housing project in the United States. Olu Dara left the household in 1986, when Nas was 13, and Ann Jones raised her two boys on her own. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began selling drugs on the streets of New York. He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, the Qur'an, the Bible and the Five Percent Nation. He also studied the origin of hip hop music, taping records that played on his local radio station. As a child, Nas had wanted to be an instrumentalist (at the age of three, Nas played his father's trumpet on the step of their Brooklyn home) and also a comic book artist. Shortly after his parents separated, Nas began to write short stories as he immersed himself deeper into hip-hop culture.
By his preteen years, he had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willie "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. Nas and Graham soon met hip-hop producer and Flushing Queens resident Large Professor, who introduced Nas to his group, Main Source. In 1991, Nas made his on-record debut with a verse on "Live at the BBQ", from Main Source's LP Breaking Atoms. Despite the substantial buzz for Nas in the underground scene, the rapper was rejected by major labels and was not signed to a recording deal. Nas and Graham continued to work together, but their partnership was cut short when Graham was shot and killed by a gunman in Queensbridge on May 23, 1992.
1992–1995: The recording and release of Illmatic
In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead. The single increased the buzz surrounding Nas and when MC Serch’s solo album is released later in the year, Nas’ standout appearance on "Back To The Grill" only intensified interest in his upcoming album, amid immense anticipation. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim, his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community. However, many were concerned that Columbia, being a major label, would try to dilute his New York based style.
In 1994, Nas' debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the premier rap albums ever created, Illmatic featured lyrics that portrayed stunning visual imagery and production courtesy of several producers . The album featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara on the song "Life's a Bitch", Illmatic was immediately hailed as a masterpiece by critics, and is still highly regarded as one of the definitive hip-hop albums of all time. Notable songs on the album included "NY State of Mind" (produced by Premier), "The World Is Yours" (produced by Pete Rock), "One Love" (produced by Q-Tip) and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (produced by Large Professor and featuring a sample of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson). However, due in part to extensive bootlegging, the record sales fell below expectations.
Following Illmatic, Nas appeared on AZ's Doe Or Die album, and collaborated with his Queensbridge-associates, Mobb Deep, on their album, The Infamous. One notable achievement during this period was Nas' verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. After this appearance, Nas received a Source Quotable as he had the distinction of being the only non-Wu-Tang Clan member to be featured on one of the group's solo albums.
1996–1998: From It Was Written to The Firm
Columbia began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics like the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Poke and Tone of Trackmasters Entertainment, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" (a remix features R. Kelly) were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. Other notable tracks on the album included "The Message" and "I Gave You Power," which tells a story from the perspective of a gun. It Was Written also featured the debut of The Firm, a supergroup consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also introduced Nas's Mafioso-inspired character "Nas Escobar", who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Tony Montana and the theatrical hit featuring Al Pacino, was more about Nas' life as a teenager in the projects, hustling and smoking marijuana.
The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega therefore became one of Nas' most vocal opponents, releasing a number of underground hip-hop singles dissing Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who was Cormega's replacement in The Firm. The Firm's The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and lackluster sales and the members of the supergroup went their separate ways.
At about this time, Nas became a spokesperson for the Willie Esco urban clothing line, but had no other connection with the clothing line. He stopped promoting Willie Esco in 2000, dissatisfied with the company's operations. During the same period, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly, which also featured DMX, Taral Hicks, and T-Boz of TLC among its cast.
1998–2000: I Am... to Nastradamus
In 1998, Nas began work on a double album to be entitled I Am...The Autobiography, which he intended as the middle ground between the extremes of Illmatic and It Was Written. The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, Nas Is Like, produced by DJ Premier and featuring vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell". However, much of the LP was leaked in MP3 format onto the Internet, and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.
The second single for I Am was "Hate Me Now," featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs (now "Diddy"), was used as an example by Nas' critics for moving towards commercial themes. Hype Williams shot an allegorical video for the single, which featured Nas and Puffy being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; After the video was completed, Combs, a Catholic, requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV, and was premiered on April 15, 1999 on TRL. A furious Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.
Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am under the title Nastradamus during the latter half of 1999, but, at the last minute, decided Nas should record an entirely new album for release. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, the Timbaland-produced "You Owe Me," featuring R&B singer Ginuwine. The only pirated track from I Am... to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. A number of the other bootlegged tracks later made their way onto The Lost Tapes, a collection of underground Nas songs that was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.
2000–2001: The Nas vs. Jay-Z rivalry and Stillmatic
The highly publicized rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z began as a rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z's protege, Memphis Bleek. On his debut album Coming of Age, Bleek made a song entitled "Memphis Bleek Is", which was similar in concept to Nas' single "Nas is Like". On the same album, Bleek recorded "What You Think Of That" featuring Bleek's mentor Jay-Z, which contains the refrain, "I'ma ball 'til I fall/what you think of that?". In retaliation, "Nastradamus", the title track from Nas' second 1999 album, featured a reference to "What You Think Of That". The lyrics state, "You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef? I could let a slug melt in your hat." Memphis Bleek perceived the reference on "Nastradamus" as a diss, and therefore dissed Nas on the lead single for his The Understanding LP, My Mind Right".
QB's Finest was a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Littles, The Bravehearts (which included Nas' younger brother Jungle among its members), and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001", which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge". "Da Bridge 2001" also featured a response from Nas to Memphis Bleek, in which Nas called out most of the Roc-A-Fella Records roster, including Bleek, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel, and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z responded to Nas' songs with an onstage swipe during the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert in New York City, when he premiered his song "Takeover." Initially, the song was to only be a Mobb Deep diss, only including one line about Nas near the end. Nevertheless, Nas recorded the "Stillmatic Freestyle," an underground single which sampled Rakim and Eric B.'s "Paid in Full" beat, and attacked Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label. On his 2001 album, The Blueprint, Jay-Z rewrote "Takeover," dedicating half of the song to dissing Nas, claiming that he had a "...one hot album every ten year average" record (referring to Illmatic) that his flow was weak, and that he had fabricated his past as a hustler.
Nas responded with "Ether", the track begins with gunshots and a repeated, slowed-down sample of Tupac rapping "Fuck Jay-Z." (taken from Tupac's "Fuck Friends") In "Ether," Nas accuses Jay-Z of stealing ("biting") lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. and brown-nosing Nas and other rappers for fame. Ether was included on Nas' fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. Stillmatic managed to be not only a critically-acclaimed comeback album, but a commercial success as well, albeit not on the level of It Was Written and I Am...; the album debutted at #7 on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic." In terms of commercial success, Jay's The Blueprint was certified double-platinum, while Stillmatic went platinum.
Jay-Z responded to "Ether" with a freestyle entitled "Supa Ugly." going into detail about how he had sex with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny. Nas dismissed the track by claiming that he was no longer with Bryan during the time the affair took place. In a recent interview, however, New York radio station Hot 97 settled the battle taking votes comparing "Ether" and "Supa Ugly," and Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. By 2005, the two rappers had eventually ended their feud without violence or animosity. During Jay-Z's I Declare War - Power House concert, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!" Nas then joined Jay-Z onstage, and the two then performed "Dead Presidents" together, which Jay-Z had sampled from Nas' song "The World is Yours."
2002–Present: From God's Son to Street's Disciple and beyond
In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album. and its lead single, "Made You Look". The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard charts despite widespread internet bootlegging. Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe Magazine gave it 4 stars and The Source gave it 4 mics. The second single, the inspirational "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Fur Elise", became Nas' biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas' mother, who died of cancer in 2002. In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from KoЯn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP.
Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. The album's first singles were "Thief's Theme" and "Bridging the Gap", which features his father Olu Dara on vocals. The album also includes "These are Our Heroes", which accuses prominent sports stars and actors such as Kobe Bryant, Lenny Henry, Tiger Woods, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. of neglecting their heritage and background in favour of white values. The videos for "Bridging the Gap" and "Just A Moment" received moderate airplay on MTV and BET. Although the album went platinum, its commercial profile was relatively low compared to the rapper's previous releases.
Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". West said the song was Jay-Z's favorite on the album, but West was unable to get Jay-Z to record a vocal for the final mix of the song. He also appeared on Damian Marley's song "Road to Zion" (which also featured newcomer The Game in the video, widening Nas' still growing universally appreciated raps) and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill). In addition, Nas was most recently married to the R&B singer Kelis, who is mostly known for her work internationally, but nonetheless released great hits in the U.S. The couple wed on Jan. 8, 2005 in Atlanta, GA, after a two-year engagement.
During this time, Nas announced that his next album would be entirely self-produced and feature no other rappers, and would be titled Nasir, and later that the project would feature other producers after all and would be called Nasdaq: Dow Jones. Neither of these albums ever materialized.
At a free concert in Central Park, New York, Nas made a statement regarding the quality of 50 Cent's music. "this is the real shit, not that 50 Cent shit!" In response, 50 Cent included a stab at Nas by speaking negatively of his wife Kelis on his single "Piggy Bank," implying that Kelis was promiscuous and calling Nas a "sucker for love." Nas was quoted as saying that he feels no obligation to retaliate, remarking "[50 has] got a good five to six more albums before I can really respond to him." Nas eventually decided to retaliate, and in July 2005 released "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)", a song which taunts 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew, stating that 50 was "a sucka for death if I'm a sucka for love." However, despite all of this, Nas still claims to "have a lot of love towards 50," claiming 50 didn't understand his moves when they both were together at Columbia Records.
In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Jay-Z's Def Jam, further emphasizing the Jay-Z/Nas truce and raising expectations for a collaboration even higher. His album due in fall of 2006 will come out in a joint deal with this imprint and Columbia Records. He recently announced to MTV News that his album is to be named, "Hip Hop is Dead...the N," the N being a play on the word the "end." The title is supposed to reflect what some would term the current low quality of rap music. The highly anticipated album is due out in December 19th, 2006.
Musical style and Technique
Nas has long been famed for his creativity and storytelling prowess, which has earned him acclaim from both the hip-hop community and critics. In his early stages, from his first appearance on the Main Source's Breaking Atoms and throughout the recording of Illmatic, he was perhaps best known for his street-oriented topics, complex lyrical schemes (which often incorporated multi-syllabic internal rhymes), and witty phrasing and imagery. As he progressed and matured, Nas began to branch out into different subjects and developed a richer voice and slower rapping technique.
Following Illmatic's release, Nas developed a penchant for hyper-visual storytelling and topical creativity. For instance, "Undying Love" (featured on I Am...) is a tale of his wife's betrayal told in first person, "Rewind" (featured on Stillmatic) is a narrative in which a story is recited backwards, while on "I Gave You Power" (featured on It Was Written), Nas assumes the role of a gun who recounts brutal tales of murder and violence. Over the years Nas' style has changed significantly. In contrast to his previous work, Nas’ most recent material is distinctively socially aware and often politically inflammatory. Songs such as "I Can" (featured on God's Son) convey moral messages of black youth empowerment, while "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)" accuses several African-American celebrities of being Uncle Toms. Furthermore, controversial songs such as "My Country" and "A Message to the Feds (Fuck The Police II)" (which are featured on Stillmatic and Street's Disciple, respectively) question the conduct of the American government. Nas' views in his lyrics throughout his career have made references to Islam and the Five Percent Nation..
Tales From The Hood
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Da ha ha ha ha ha
Da ha ha ha
Da ha ha ha ha ha
(Verse 1)
It was '87
Crack money was "Ghetto Heaven"
Every block rise to perfection
Green tops, boulders and bottles
Soldiers who follow leaders
You owed 'em dollars
Know that tommorrow you might not see it
Packs got knocked off by sprinklers that never worked
All the way to the monkey bars, cross that line you got murked
That's other niggaz territory had fiends in the cheese line
They told them fiends calm down, ten dollars each dime
They never scared of Po-Po, was only one patrol car
They wasn't up for crack and I was up on the chin of Pa
Watching hustlers with tinted cars, money makin'
But one kid was into takin'
Had dreadlocks wasn't Jamaican
Fort green he laid
First nigga I ever saw rockin' dreads with a fade
Lead he sprayed on the corners in my hood
Dodgin' and runnin'
The glare in his eyes told you somethin' was commin'
They went to war, Godbless Rita, got shot by mistake
Niggaz got knocked by them Jakes
Homicide suit and tie cops, Mayor Koch, screams in rage
Niggaz so thugs got pits rocking thick chains
Stick-up niggaz so thug they got pits with sick names
Clicks got bigger, extortion cats wasn't hearin' it
But he was regulatin'
A ghetto king, now he levatatin'
They say he smiled in his casket
This ends the first chapter of another Nas classic
(Chorus: repeat 2X)
Tales from the hood, trails of blood
But it's all good, try to stay alive like we all should
(Verse 2)
Yeah I'ma help you nigga, cause I see evil's callin' you
Sick thoughts make you wanna take Ki's from other ballin' crews
Top of the world's all he views
A puff of weed, nothing but greed don't live by the rules
Fuckin' wit' me here's what I do
Try to sell your freedom I'm accustomed to
You could ball wit' me or get arrested too
It's easy to land where they dwell with the greasy hands
Twenty to L' what's your plan take your grams
You bought you a Lexus, BBS spendin' Abrahams
Never learned your lesson, choose the right direction
Thin line from life and death and my man checked in
A motel, same one as a young G he know well
Crossed 'em on a coke sell then went on a run
But shorty got his old folks killed, yo he got 'em done
Nobody to run to, what succumb to
My nigga just wanted to eat, now he hunted on the street
(Chorus)
Tales from the hood, trails of blood
Yeah it's all good, try to stay alive like we all should
Tales from the hood, trails of blood
Though it's all good, try to stay alive like we all should
(Verse 3)
Little Gotti got down for his, let off seven rounds
The kid he hit is heaven bound if he's on the good list
Shorty who shot 'em ran knowing niggaz would snitch
Five years passed he ain't been in the hood since
Shot this nigga over a hundred dollars, money, had borrowed
Time passed, on his birthday he couldn't afford a bottle
Least expected to see 'em, then he asked for his
Nigga said he don't got it, so he blast the kid
Escapes the scene, but he couldn't escape the dream
Or how the kid fell when bullets made it too late to scream
Seeing money's face starin' at him
In black space feelin' hands touchin' him
Wake up it got too much for him
Once liked to be alone
Until he started hearin' groans and seein' things
Now it's time to go home
Niggaz shocked to see him
Gave him respect what he was missin'
All the way from VA his aunt yell "He hate to listen"
So he popped up, they gave him hugs, showed him love
Then he was reminded of that night when he sprayed all them slugs
He hangin' like nuttin' happened, police grabbed him up
Now he seein' ghosts in the cell, they got him strapped up
Psycho ward, rest of his life injected thorazine
Haunted memories in his mind of the murder scene
(Chorus)
Tales from the hood, trails of blood
The book of the dead, translated in thug language, understood?
Tales from the hood, trails of blood
The book of the dead, translated in thug language, you understood
In "Tales From The Hood," Nas provides a vivid picture of life in the ghetto in 1987. The song highlights how Crack money became the new ghetto heaven in the 80s, and many people indulged in drug-dealing business to advance their social standing. Nas takes us through a trip down memory lane, where he recollects the rise of green tops, boulders, and bottles, all while dodging and running from gangsters and drive-by shootings. The song delves into the lives of drug dealers, stick-up kids, and the police officers that were after them. The song's verses include stories of hustlers, turf wars, dirty cops and their corrupt ways, and the long-lasting consequences of living a life of crime.
In the song's chorus, Nas repeats, "Tales from the hood, trails of blood, but it's all good, try to stay alive like we all should." The repetition of this hook emphasizes the mantra of staying alive, no matter the circumstances surrounding you. Overall, Nas's "Tales From The Hood" expresses how the allure of the streets, fast money, and petty revenge leads to a never-ending cycle of violence and death.
Line by Line Meaning
It was '87
The year was 1987.
Crack money was "Ghetto Heaven"
Money from selling crack was highly valued in the ghetto.
Niggaz gettin' it
Black people were making money.
Every block rise to perfection
Each neighborhood had its own unique character and was constantly evolving.
Green tops, boulders and bottles
Different types of crack cocaine were being sold on the streets.
Soldiers who follow leaders
Men who followed the instructions of their drug lords.
You owed 'em dollars
If you owed the drug lords money, you had to pay it back or else.
Know that tommorrow you might not see it
You never knew if you were going to make it through the day alive.
Packs got knocked off by sprinklers that never worked
Sometimes police would try to catch drug dealers by spraying water from sprinklers.
All the way to the monkey bars, cross that line you got murked
If you crossed the line into another neighborhood, you could be killed.
That's other niggaz territory had fiends in the cheese line
Another neighborhood had its own drug users waiting to buy drugs.
They never scared of Po-Po, was only one patrol car
People weren't scared of the police because there was only one patrol car.
They wasn't up for crack and I was up on the chin of Pa
The police weren't prepared to handle the crack epidemic, but Nas was learning from an older person (Pa).
Watching hustlers with tinted cars, money makin'
Nas observed drug dealers who were making a lot of money and were flashy.
But one kid was into takin'
One young person was more interested in taking money than selling drugs.
Had dreadlocks wasn't Jamaican
This young person had dreadlocks even though he wasn't Jamaican.
Fort green he laid
This person lived in Fort Greene.
First nigga I ever saw rockin' dreads with a fade
Nas was impressed that this person had dreads and a fade haircut.
Lead he sprayed on the corners in my hood
This person shot people on the street corner in Nas's neighborhood.
Dodgin' and runnin'
This person was always trying to dodge the police.
The glare in his eyes told you somethin' was commin'
This person had a look in his eyes that made you feel like something bad was about to happen.
They went to war, Godbless Rita, got shot by mistake
The two groups went to war and a woman named Rita got shot by accident and died.
Niggaz got knocked by them Jakes
The police arrested some people.
Homicide suit and tie cops, Mayor Koch, screams in rage
There were detectives and uniformed cops investigating the homicide and Mayor Koch was very angry.
Niggaz so thugs got pits rocking thick chains
Some tough guys had pitbulls that wore thick chains as collars.
Stick-up niggaz so thug they got pits with sick names
Robbers (stick-up niggaz) were so tough that they gave their pitbulls intimidating names.
Clicks got bigger, extortion cats wasn't hearin' it
Gangs were getting bigger and people who were being extorted were getting tired of it.
But he was regulatin'
One person was able to control the gangs and the extortion.
A ghetto king, now he levatatin'
This person who controlled the gangs became very powerful and was considered a king. Now he has died and is floating in the afterlife.
They say he smiled in his casket
Rumor has it that he looked happy in his casket.
This ends the first chapter of another Nas classic
This verse concludes the first part of the song.
Tales from the hood, trails of blood
This line is the chorus and the words mean that the song is about stories from the ghetto where violence happens.
Yeah I'ma help you nigga, cause I see evil's callin' you
Nas wants to help someone who he believes has been seduced by evil.
Sick thoughts make you wanna take Ki's from other ballin' crews
This person has bad thoughts and wants to steal drugs from other dealers.
Top of the world's all he views
This person only cares about getting rich and becoming powerful.
A puff of weed, nothing but greed don't live by the rules
This person is greedy and likes to smoke weed.
Fuckin' wit' me here's what I do
Nas warns this person not to mess with him.
Try to sell your freedom I'm accustomed to
Nas suggests that this person is used to trading their freedom for money.
You could ball wit' me or get arrested too
If you want to be a part of Nas's circle, you might end up getting arrested, too.
It's easy to land where they dwell with the greasy hands
It's easy to get stuck in the drug world where everyone's hands are dirty.
Twenty to L' what's your plan take your grams
If you want to make money selling drugs, you need to know where to buy the drugs.
You bought you a Lexus, BBS spendin' Abrahams
If you make enough money, you can buy a nice car and some expensive rims.
Never learned your lesson, choose the right direction
Nas warns this person that they don't seem to learn from their mistakes.
Thin line from life and death and my man checked in
Life is fragile and Nas knows someone who recently died.
A motel, same one as a young G he know well
This person is staying in a motel that Nas is familiar with.
Crossed 'em on a coke sell then went on a run
This person sold drugs to someone and then ran away without paying them.
But shorty got his old folks killed, yo he got 'em done
This person's actions caused the old people that they lived with to be killed.
Nobody to run to, what succumb to
This person has nowhere to go and nothing to do.
My nigga just wanted to eat, now he hunted on the street
This person initially just wanted to make some money, but now is in danger of being killed.
Yeah it's all good, try to stay alive like we all should
The chorus repeats itself.
Little Gotti got down for his, let off seven rounds
A young person named Little Gotti shot someone seven times.
The kid he hit is heaven bound if he's on the good list
The person who was shot is likely dead and gone to heaven.
Shorty who shot 'em ran knowing niggaz would snitch
The person who did the shooting knew that someone would tell the police.
Five years passed he ain't been in the hood since
The person who did the shooting fled the area and hasn't been back in five years.
Shot this nigga over a hundred dollars, money, had borrowed
The person who did the shooting was owed money and shot the victim over $100.
Time passed, on his birthday he couldn't afford a bottle
Years later, the person who did the shooting was too broke to afford alcohol on his birthday.
Least expected to see 'em, then he asked for his
Unexpectedly, the shooter saw the victim and asked him for the money he was owed.
Nigga said he don't got it, so he blast the kid
The victim said he didn't have the money, so the shooter killed him.
Escapes the scene, but he couldn't escape the dream
The shooter ran away but couldn't forget what he had done.
Or how the kid fell when bullets made it too late to scream
The shooter couldn't forget the terrible sound the victim made when he was shot.
Seeing money's face starin' at him
Money was the root of the problem.
In black space feelin' hands touchin' him
The shooter is haunted by dreams of hands touching him in a black void.
Wake up it got too much for him
The shooter is struggling to deal with the guilt.
Once liked to be alone
The shooter used to enjoy being alone.
Until he started hearin' groans and seein' things
Now the shooter is haunted by strange noises and visions.
Now it's time to go home
It's time for the shooter to face his past.
Niggaz shocked to see him
People were surprised to see the shooter.
Gave him respect what he was missin'
People respected the shooter even though he had been away for a long time.
All the way from VA his aunt yell "He hate to listen"
Even though he's from Virginia, the shooter's family is happy to see him but worried he won't listen to them.
So he popped up, they gave him hugs, showed him love
His family hugged him and loved him despite what he had done.
Then he was reminded of that night when he sprayed all them slugs
Being back in his hometown brought back memories of the night he shot someone.
He hangin' like nuttin' happened, police grabbed him up
Even though he was back to his normal life for a moment, the police came and arrested him.
Now he seein' ghosts in the cell, they got him strapped up
The shooter is hallucinating and restrained in his cell.
Psycho ward, rest of his life injected thorazine
The shooter will spend the rest of his life in a psychiatric ward and will be medicated.
Haunted memories in his mind of the murder scene
The shooter is haunted by memories of the murder he committed.
The book of the dead, translated in thug language, understood?
The song is like a book of stories about the dead, using language that only people from the streets would understand.
Contributed by Evan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TN
Nas is the most unappreciated rapper, yet the greatest all time
Samonoska MCcoy
@Mangani Phiri I think he means what Nas been on a lot of people/emcees just reaching. Remember Jay tried to diss Nas for being physically and mentally aware 🤷🏾♂️
Dachi Stepanishvili
most underappreciated rappers: Big L, Inspectah Deck, GZA, Kool G Rap, Black Thought, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def and more...
Mangani Phiri
Nas gets enough recognition I think.
Abracadabra 303
Absolutely
Ronald Baker
I agree with the comment about opinions. But, you can't argue with the facts! Nas' body of work (released, unreleased and collaborations) is unmatched by anyone!!
Warren London
Another Underrated Musical Masterpiece By The Legend Nas!
JAYO46
Street poet, real rap Nas is an all time great 💯💯💯
Backpack Josh
Correction he is the greatest!!
John C. Spain
Nas unreleased tracks imo are some of his best