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..
The Ultimate High
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you smoke what I smoke?
Do you wanna smoke?
Do you wanna ride?
Yeah ayo ayo
When I walk into a room, niggas feel a slight breeze
Stay a little while till they feel they might freeze
'Cause when I locked the door, they turned into to icees
Starin' at my feet all you see is nikes
Bet you never seen a ill pair like these
Size ten, never find me in a tight squeeze
At the airport, minutes before my flight leaves
Round trip tickets to who knows where
Stay boarding, never at least a day's warning
Previous plans, they spoiling
A dollar and a dream, the theme to New York, stay torrance
From st. John's to wake forest, wait for us
Straight ballers, you hearin' it first
Nate flawless in almost every event
Puttin' up points, while niggas like y'all stay scoreless
All my niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
Niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
What's me without the hood?
A tree without wood, a dutch wit no bud
A cut wit no blood
A fuck but don't nut, I be incomplete
If me and the street wasn't in between the sheets
I'm a product of hard luck, the money and murder game
Here's nature, kill a faker, man you heard of the name
From the cold streets of qb, old beef to new beef
No peace, through the song, what I see you see
Mad bitches wanna smoke wit me
Niggas wanna roll wit me
Usually in my hood, find me in yo city
Grimy-ette so pretty, it's like there's two me's
Wit no favorites, I try to love both of me
Thinkin of a way where I can better myself
Sometimes I get a head of myself
Smokin' weed wit intention, frontin' like I got it prescribed
So high I must be outta my mind
All my niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
Niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
It's like hoppin in a glass pool, half full
Niggas only hit the bottom when they crash through
Mash fools out like they fast food
Bon' appetit, platinum or not, it ain't no match for me
I sum niggas whole careers up, scared tough niggas
Bluff niggas into thinkin that their year's up
It ain't a game, took six months off, the shit jumps off
Mini-me's are gettin punched in they jaw
My dunn call this shit animal rap
Me, I call it dumbin
My near-sighted niggas saw it comin
More stuntin', brand new flows to toy wit
Neck flooded on some hurricane floyd shit
Back and forth to st. Crouix kid, same plan
Playin sega dreamcast till the plane lands
A changed man, niggas don't know, they never will
And if they don't understand, then they ain't fam, simple as that
All my niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
Niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
All my niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
Niggas from the projects, light one up
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
And stay high, high
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
We on some hood shit (so high)
The song Ultimate High by Nas featuring Nature is a celebration of marijuana culture and the experience of getting high. Nature starts off by questioning if the listener sees and smokes what he does and invites them to take a ride with him. He also talks about his popularity in a room, saying that people feel a slight breeze when he walks in. Despite the initial dislike towards him, he explains that when he locks the door, people start acting like ice and become his fans. Nature describes his extravagant lifestyle, travelling with round trip tickets to unknown places and balling out in the best possible way. He puts up points while his opponents stay scoreless, making him flawless in almost every event. The chorus then invites all members from the projects to light it up and get high, sharing the good vibes around.
Nas takes a slightly different approach in his verse, contemplating over what he would be without the hood. He mentions that he'd be incomplete without the streets and everything that came with it. Nas is a product of hard luck notes the way his persona, Nature, calls out fakers and murders those who cross him. He also calls out the lack of peace that exists in the streets and the fact that grimy-ettes (grimey women) are both pretty and real. He talks about holding weed with intention and pretending to have it prescribed, all the while going out of his mind with the high. Nature jumps back on the chorus to conclude the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you see what I see?
Do you perceive the world as I do?
Do you smoke what I smoke?
Do you use the same drugs as I do?
Do you wanna smoke?
Do you want to use drugs with me?
Do you wanna ride?
Do you want to join me in this lifestyle?
When I walk into a room, niggas feel a slight breeze
My presence commands attention and respect, and even intimidates some people.
Stay a little while till they feel they might freeze
People feel uncomfortable around me and may fear me.
Never understood why they never liked me
I don't know why people don't seem to accept me.
'cause when I locked the door, they turned into to icees
People become frozen and distant when they're around me.
Starin at my feet all you see is nikes
My shoes are my identity and a symbol of my status.
Bet you never seen a ill pair like these
My shoes are unique and stylish.
Size ten, never find me in a tight squeeze
I prefer clothes that fit me comfortably and freely.
At the airport, minutes before my flight leaves
I am always in a state of readiness, even when traveling.
Round trip tickets to who knows where
I am able to travel and seek new experiences.
Stay boarding, never at least a day's warning
I don't usually plan my travel or my life events.
Previous plans, they spoiling
My previously-made plans are becoming irrelevant and not important.
A dollar and a dream, the theme to new york, stay torrance
I am pursuing the American Dream by any means necessary, even if it means taking risks.
>from st. john's to wake forest, wait for us
We are ambitious and we will go far in life.
Straight ballers, you hearin it first
We are confident, skilled and successful.
Nate flawless in almost every event
Nate excels at everything he does.
Puttin up point, while niggas like y'all stay scoreless
We are achieving and advancing while you are not making progress.
All my niggas from the projects, light one up
All my friends from difficult backgrounds, let's smoke together.
To my bitches from the projects, light one up
Hey, ladies from tough backgrounds, let's smoke together too.
And pass me a cup of that good shit (so high)
Give me some of that high-quality marijuana.
We on some hood shit (so high)
We are living the lifestyle of our neighborhood, and enjoying it.
What's me without the hood?
I am defined by my neighborhood and my tough background.
A tree without wood, a dutch wit no bud
I am incomplete without my environment and my drugs.
A cut wit no blood
I am incomplete without my violent tendencies.
A fuck but don't nut, I be incomplete
I am incomplete without the pleasure and success of sexual conquests.
If me and the street wasn't in between the sheets
The street is part of my identity, and without it I am incomplete.
I'm a product of hard luck, the money and murder game
My life was shaped by adversity, and I am involved in dangerous and unlawful activities.
Here's nature, kill a faker, man you heard of the name
I am a violent and feared person, and I have a reputation.
>from the cold streets of qb, old beef to new beef
I come from a tough neighborhood where violence and conflict are prevalent.
No peace, through the song, what I see you see
I express through music what I experience in my environment, and you can relate to it.
Mad bitches wanna smoke wit me
Many women want to smoke marijuana with me.
Niggas wanna roll wit me
Many men want to hang out and do drugs with me.
Usually in my hood, find me in yo' city
I often leave my neighborhood to explore other cities and find new experiences.
Grimy-ette so pretty, it's like there's two me's
I have different personalities depending on where I am and who I'm with.
Wit no favorites, I try to love both of me
I try to be true to myself and not have any biases.
Thinkin of a way where I can better myself
I am always looking for ways to improve myself and my lifestyle.
Sometimes I get a head of myself
I can become overconfident and overly ambitious.
Holdin weed wit intention, frontin like I got it prescribed
I carry marijuana intentionally and pretend I have a prescription for it to avoid trouble with the law.
So high I must be outta my mind
I am extremely intoxicated and not thinking clearly.
It's like hoppin in a glass pool, half full
Life is like jumping into a half-filled glass pool, full of risks and potential consequences.
Niggas only hit the bottom when they crash through
People often only realize they've made a mistake when it's too late and they've suffered a major setback.
Mash fools out like they fast food
I defeat my enemies quickly and easily, like fast food.
Bon' appetit, platinum or not, it ain't no match for me
I am not impressed by anyone's success or wealth, and I am confident in my abilities.
I sum niggas whole careers up, scared tough niggas
I am able to evaluate someone's entire career and performance, even if they are intimidating.
Bluff niggas into thinkin that their year's up
I am able to deceive and intimidate people into thinking they are in serious trouble.
It ain't a game, took six months off, the shit jumps off
This is not a joke, and even when I take a break, it doesn't mean that danger won't arise suddenly.
Mini-me's are gettin punched in they jaw
I am defeating and silencing those who imitate me or my style.
My dunn call this shit animal rap
My friends call my music violent and aggressive.
Me, I call it dumbin
I consider my music to be a raw, honest portrayal of my lifestyle and environment.
My near-sighted niggas saw it comin
My friends who lack insight were able to see that my music would be successful.
More stunnin, brand new flows to toy wit
I am always inventing new sounds and styles for my music.
Neck flooded on some hurricane floyd shit
I am proudly displaying my jewelry and wealth, like the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Back and forth to st. crouix kid, same plan
I am constantly traveling and seeking new experiences, but my goal remains the same.
Playin sega dreamcast till the plane lands
I am able to enjoy simple pleasures like video games even when traveling for work or leisure.
A changed man, niggas don't know, they never will
I have undergone significant personal growth and change, but others may never fully understand or appreciate it.
And if they don't understand, then they ain't fam, simple as that
If others don't accept my growth and changes, then they are not true friends or family to me.
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nasir Jones
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThaShowStopper
2023 & this is still that's great! Nature was stupid underrated in his time & never got his due/flowers like he deserves! His wordplay is something special! π―
@Cryptone28
one of the illest hip hop beats ever created...this was beyond fire and didnt get enough burn when it came out
@aaronstrickland3582
Tony Dillard Nature never got mainstream attention & notoriety so we just gotta appreciate what we hear from him.
@solid51floyd85
Old school is the You know shit
@selassiesuntstv7040
Niggas just dont get it sometimes stay up yall NYC in here and remember he had some industry issues this time but dont matter shit more fire than shit I'm hearing now facts
@mdm1041
I heard this once on a buffalo station 93.5 wblk living in Toronto hiway driving in 2000-2001 autumn time and never again until a week or two ago. Not enough play frfr and Iβm a beat head but only hear 30 seconds of nature and couldnβt tell who it was at that time. Canβt believe it was Nasty on it w Nature. Found it on a Nas βunreleasedβ on youtube
@tdog4176
The beat is the worst thing about this song it's awful. Corny ass flute. Nas is the goat though
@hamishmcmonkeypants5672
90's kids, teach your children about 90's hip-hop. It's an era of music that needs to be experienced. I mean that in a sense of It's distinctive. Give the child a CD player and the actual copy of the album, no download horseshit. Let them experience it like we did! Peace godddddd
@phgoin
Nature is one of the most underrated rapper, he's straight up lethal on the mic
@a.k.a.theruggedmanchild9685
battling Nature on the mic is like battling Bones Jones in the octagon