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..
The Foulness
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Platinun what the deal is?
We can take it back to blocks
To all gods that used to slap box
They after your chain, Q trains
playing the last stop
But regardless of rain or mad hot
Plus they labeled me 'Savage'
For the love of it till my death day
They stay on some other shit
Pops shoot, second nut
Inherited his stubbornness skies are grayer
My whole clique despise the Mayor
With dreams to excel
Politicking amongst the wisest players
Stay in the cut, forever ganja-ed up
Private affairs, confide to my pairs
News Years to Hanukkah
The streets are a death trap
Creep chickens to where I rest at
Chiba-tricking, now it's 3 positions
Some even blessed that
It's only right though
I like em light, thin, and type psycho
Bony nails, ponytails, lusting for white gold
Her ass bet my life on the dice roll
You know the steela who rightfully
Should never bite the hand that feed ya
React like what? Clean cut
Act up, royal as King Tut
Diamond cut teeth, beef what?
I know some crews who go
Through cars like shoes
Some niggas make the news wild as animals
With sabretooth on the A-venues and V-waves
Same shit from my pops days the these days
And PJs, I concentrate on how the weed strays
Unlike the thoughts of many, unfortunately
A lot of friends will enter
Pensive force to hit me iceberg, eyes blur
Flights to Pittsburgh with this bird
Got a room sign on the door, 'Not to disturb'
We twist herb
Listen to rumors that this bitch heard
Some of them absurd, some made me say 'Word?'
Dozed off, clothes off
Hoping to make moves to the pawn
Shop and drive slow North
Make it home and get these fo-fos off
Word up
Gotta get this shit right, Nature
Need the paper, Desert Storm everywhere
The Firm is everywhere what?
Bring it to the tables like this Major Boy
Bring it to the tables
Stay on some gat shit
Peep The Firm top draft pick
Collapsed on the opposition
Soldiers is captured god explain it
We rollers are the ones through endangered
Bitches are halitosis
I post bail during arraignment 24
7 have the same shit, another customer
Posing as a decoy, partner kinda muscular
I buy and bust
Tussle my way up out the iron cuffs
Narcs is jumping out the sky
Knowing I supply the stuff
They fuckin' shiesty, identify me by my Nikes
Dice one against the grain, ice chain
Nice in a price b
Extortionist, constantly tossed by
Crooked officers they swarmed with fortress
Caught em hopping outta Corsica's
Niggas is folding
Phony credential VISA is stolen
Can't even speak right plus keep
Cracks beneath ya scrotum
Seek advice in the streets like
We righteously on stolen land
Escaping out of state snakes, the home of Sam
Forever roll with fam
No rest it's just my destiny
Effortlessly finesse the recipe
'Til my death day forever fresh
Stay Firm, pushing GS threes
Who checking me? I call the play
You set the D fuck a ref
Toe to toe son we hold it down successfully
Just cooling in the place
(Word, put shit in their proper perceptive
God) driving fresh Benzes and Ranges
(Fucking faggot) what you talking about son?
Yo only thing we strung out on is music
And you strung out on ours motherfucker!
The Foulness by Nas is a rap song that talks about gangster life on the streets. It is a story about the struggles that he has faced and continues to face in his life. The first few lines in the song talk about the Desert Storm firm Biz and what the deal is. This could be a reference to a group that he is a part of or a record label that he is associated with. The lyrics then go on to talk about how they can take it back to the blocks where they used to slap box. Nas refers to all the gods that they used to hang out with that are now after their chains. He talks about dodging rain and being able to survive in extreme heat.
Nas talks about how he has been labeled a savage for the love of his craft and how the streets can be a death trap. He highlights the importance of staying away from the wrong company and being aware of the people that surround us. The lyrics also mention the struggles of having to make deals with the law and how it is important to stay safe while on the streets. There are also references to drug use and the need to hustle in order to make ends meet.
Overall, the song is a commentary on the struggles of life in the inner city, the need to stay focused and survive in harsh conditions, and the importance of having a strong support system.
Line by Line Meaning
Desert Storm firm Biz
The business of the Desert Storm firm is solid and established.
Platinun what the deal is?
What's the deal with platinum? Is it worth it?
We can take it back to blocks
We can go back to our roots and reminisce.
To all gods that used to slap box
This is a shoutout to all the young boys who used to playfully fight.
They after your chain, Q trains playing the last stop
Be careful of thieves who will go after your valuables; a reference to the Q train's final stop at Coney Island.
But regardless of rain or mad hot, it never mattered life just pussy and cable
No matter the situation, life always seemed to revolve around women and entertainment.
Plus they labeled me 'Savage' for the love of it till my death day, they stay on some other shit
People associate Nas with being wild and uncivilized, but that's just who he is and always will be. Others are on a different wavelength.
Pops shoot, second nut inherited his stubbornness skies are grayer
Nas inherited his father's stubbornness and can often be melancholy.
My whole clique despise the Mayor with dreams to excel politicking amongst the wisest players
Nas and his peers don't like the Mayor, but they still try to succeed and network.
Stay in the cut, forever ganja-ed up private affairs, confide to my pairs
Nas likes to stay low-key and smoke marijuana. He only confides in those closest to him.
News Years to Hanukkah the streets are a death trap
From New Year's to Hanukkah, the streets are dangerous.
Creep chickens to where I rest at Chiba-tricking, now it's 3 positions some even blessed that
Women come to where Nas stays, and some of them are comfortable engaging in threesomes.
It's only right though, I like em light, thin, and type psycho bony nails, ponytails, lusting for white gold
Nas prefers women who are thin, light-skinned, and wild. He likes them wearing white gold jewelry with their nails painted.
Her ass bet my life on the dice roll
The woman's butt is so desirable that Nas would risk his life to roll the dice for it.
You know the steela who rightfully should never bite the hand that feed ya
You know who holds the power and shouldn't turn against their benefactor.
React like what? Clean cut act up, royal as King Tut diamond cut teeth, beef what?
Nas is asking how listeners are going to react to his words. He's smooth and confident. He compares his clean, sharp words to King Tut's status and diamond teeth. Beef, what's the problem?
I know some crews who go through cars like shoes some niggas make the news wild as animals with sabretooth on the A-venues and V-waves
Nas knows of people who go through cars quickly and some who receive media attention for their wild behavior. They're like animals with sharp, dangerous teeth on avenues and waves.
Same shit from my pops days the these days and PJs, I concentrate on how the weed strays
Nas sees similarities with his father's time and his own in the projects. He focuses on his weed regardless.
Unlike the thoughts of many, unfortunately a lot of friends will enter pensive force to hit me iceberg, eyes blur
Contrary to common belief, many friends will cause problems for Nas. He's hit an obstacle, and everything is becoming unclear.
Flights to Pittsburgh with this bird got a room sign on the door, 'Not to disturb'
Nas is flying to Pittsburgh with a woman and has a sign that requests privacy.
We twist herb listen to rumors that this bitch heard some of them absurd, some made me say 'Word?' dozed off, clothes off
They smoke marijuana and gossip about what others have said. Nas is surprised by some of the stories. They end up sleeping together.
Hoping to make moves to the pawn shop and drive slow North make it home and get these fo-fos off
Nas hopes to make money at the pawn shop and drive north at a leisurely pace to escape danger.
Gotta get this shit right, Nature need the paper, Desert Storm everywhere The Firm is everywhere what? Bring it to the tables like this Major Boy
Nas needs to get things right with Nature to make money. There are affiliates with Desert Storm and The Firm everywhere. Let's discuss it like civil businessmen.
Stay on some gat shit, peep the Firm top draft pick collapsed on the opposition soldiers is captured god explain it
Stay vigilant and always ready for warfare. Notice The Firm's top pick contributing to their success. They've defeated their enemies and taken brave souls captive.
We rollers are the ones through endangered bitches are halitosis I post bail during arraignment 24/7 have the same shit, another customer posing as a decoy, partner kinda muscular
Nas and his group are soldiers who are endangered. Women are like bad breath. Nas constantly has to bail friends out. All criminals want the same services, and sometimes Nas has to be cautious of who he's doing business with.
I buy and bust tussle my way up out the iron cuffs narcs is jumping out the sky knowing I supply the stuff
Nas buys and sells drugs. He has to work his way out of police custody. The cops know he's a supplier.
They fuckin' shiesty, identify me by my Nikes dice one against the grain, ice chain nice in a price b
The police are shady and target Nas because of his Nike shoes. Nas is more daring and goes against the grain. He wears an expensive, icy chain.
Extortionist, constantly tossed by crooked officers they swarmed with fortress caught em hopping outta Corsica's niggas is folding
Cops are always attempting to get something out of Nas. They're well-protected and have surrounded a location he's at. Criminals are easily taken down by the police.
Phony credential VISA is stolen can't even speak right plus keep cracks beneath ya scrotum seek advice in the streets like we righteously on stolen land
People have fake ID's and stolen credit cards. They can't even speak properly and have skin issues. Nas believes seeking guidance from the streets is like seeking to preserve justice on stolen land.
Escaping out of state snakes, the home of Sam forever roll with fam no rest it's just my destiny effortlessly finesse the recipe 'til my death day forever fresh
Nas must flee his current location to evade danger. He's going to stay loyal to his friends and won't stop hustling. Nas vows to continue exploring different ways to make money until the day he dies.
Stay Firm, pushing GS threes who checking me? I call the play you set the D fuck a ref toe to toe son we hold it down successfully
Always be confident; keep pushing forward. Who's able to stop Nas? He's in control of everything. They'll go head-to-head without a referee and come out victorious.
Just cooling in the place driving fresh Benzes and Ranges what you talking about son? Yo only thing we strung out on is music and you strung out on ours motherfucker!
Nas and his associates are casually hanging out in their luxury cars. They're confused by someone's allegations that they're addicted to something other than music. They think the other person is actually just obsessed with their music.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DopeItzTheeOne
Nas was so great even this man's throwaway freestyles on Mixtapes are better than most of these new rappers whole careers.
@Maal7432
Nas is a lyrical beast, lol. Best rapper I ever heard.
@kenstar1981
Nas... equals lyrical genius!!
@Mookaron
Eminem would second that!
@Cryptone28
Still to this day, the illest freestyle ever🔥🔥🔥🔥
@loveandwar2215
Nas lyrics are from another planet
@poetryselite
How does this dude come with that lyrical mysticism? Can't believe a lot of people can't get with Nas. But if you can't understand what a real lyricist speaks, then I guess you wouldn't be lined up at a store tryin to purchase they rhymes.
@antoniomaxwell1698
People don't like lyrics ...that's how the south blew up
@poetryselite
@Antonio Maxwell Facts
@fatxbull6259
@Antonio Maxwell so Scarface ain’t got lyrics outkast ti doc Luda stfu