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..
Thugz Mansion N.Y. ft. Tupac
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The most beautiful place in tha world
If you in the hood, the ghetto street corner
Come on this journey, the best journey, its a mansion
Acres of land, swimmin' pools and all that, check it out
I'm capable of anything, my imagination could give me wings
To fly like doves over the streets watchin' many things
Pass out papers that read love god
I see faces cases, judges n jurors, masons lawyers n cops
I watch 'cause every thugs face is my mirror
But this was one in particular
This kid he was the vintage stick em up pro
Sixteen years old did his jail since there was no where to go
Every mornin' calls his commrad to come n get em' a smoke
He insane already gone mad, blames himself for his setbacks
Dangerous street corners where his sets at
Sling from dusk till dawn, detectives act like they maniacs
Chasin' him, his ass was flarin
Smokin' like a chimney on remy of course he not carin'
He needs a place to go to keep his mind expandin
I give em a helpin hand, bring em out to Thugz mansion
Every corner, every city there's a place where lifes a lil easy
Lil hennesey, lay back and cool, every hour 'cause its all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside, every wrong done
Will be alright, nothin' but peace, love n street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thugs Mansion
Dear mama don't cry, your baby boy's doin' good
Tell the hommies I'm in heaven and it ain't got hoods
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night
It had me shook drinking
Peppermint schnapps with Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke
Then some lady named Billie Holiday sang
Sittin' there kickin' it with Malcolm till the day game
Lil' Latasha sure grown, tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven
So come home
Maybe in time you'll understand, only God can save us
Where Miles Davis cutting lose with the band
Just think of all the people that you knew in the past that passed on
They in heaven found peace that last
Picture a place that they exist, together
There has to be a place better than this, in Heaven
So right before I sleep dear God what I'm asking
Remember this face, save me a place
In Thugz mansion
Every corner, every city there's a place where lifes a lil easy
Lil hennesey, lay back and cool, every hour 'cause its all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside, every wrong done
Will be alright, nothin' but peace, love n street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thugs Mansion
A place where death doesn't reside, jus' thugz who collide
Not to start beef but to spark trees, no cops rollin' by
No policemen, no homicide, no chalk on the streets
No reason for nobody's momma to cry
See I'm a good guy, I'm tryin' to stick around for my daughter
But if I should die, I know all of my albums support her
This whole year's been crazy, asked the Holy Spirit to save me
Only difference from me and Ossie Davis grey hair maybe
'Cause I feel like my eyes saw to much sufferin'
I'm just twenty some odd years I done lost my mother
And I cry tears of joy, I know she smiles on her boy
I dream of you more, my love goes to Afeni Shakur
'Cause like Anne Jones, she raised a ghetto king in a war
And just for that alone, she shouldn't feel no pain no more
'Cause one day we'll all be together, sipping heavenly champagne
With angels songs, with golden rings, in Thugz Mansion
Every corner, every city there's a place where lifes a lil easy
Lil hennesey, lay back and cool, every hour 'cause its all good
Leave all the stress from the world outside, every wrong done
Will be alright, nothin' but peace, love n street passion
Every ghetto needs a Thugs Mansion
In Nas's song "Thugz Mansion," he invites the listener to close their eyes and imagine the most beautiful place in the world. For those who are from the ghetto street corner, Nas requests that they come on a journey to the Thugz Mansion, a place with acres of land, swimming pools, and peace. Nas then begins to talk about the pain of seeing kids walking home from school on drug blocks and how even judges, lawyers, and cops are all affected by the harsh reality of the streets. Nas reminisces about a particular kid, who he saw as a vintage stick-em-up pro who has been in jail since he was 16 years old. This kid is stuck in a dangerous street corner where he slings drugs day and night. He has no place to go, and he is slowly losing his mind. However, Nas wants to help him and bring him out to the Thugz Mansion.
Furthermore, Nas reflects on the party he attended at the Thugz Mansion, which had so many legendary musicians such as Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, and Billie Holiday. Nas then thinks about how his mother should not worry about him because he's doing well in heaven. Even if he does die, all of his albums will support his daughter. The world has been crazy, and Nas has asked the Holy Spirit to save him. He has witnessed too much suffering in just twenty odd years. Nas lost his mother, and he knows that she smiles on him. He then mentions the struggles of Afeni Shakur, who raised a ghetto king in a war. In the end, Nas believes that all of us will be together, sipping heavenly champagne with golden rings and listening to angel songs at Thugz Mansion.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you to close you're eyes, n' envision
Imagine and visualize a beautiful place in your mind.
The most beautiful place in tha world
An oasis of tranquility and happiness.
If you in the hood, the ghetto street corner
Even in the most deprived and dangerous areas of the city there's a ray of hope.
Come on this journey, the best journey, its a mansion
Embark on a journey to Thugz Mansion, a place of peace, love and passion.
Acres of land, swimmin' pools and all that, check it out
Thugz Mansion is a place of luxury and abundance where all is good.
I'm capable of anything, my imagination could give me wings
Imagination has no limit and can take you anywhere.
To fly like doves over the streets watchin' many things
To observe life from a different perspective, to see beauty even in the most difficult moments.
Kids walkin home from school, on drug blocks, missionaries
A reality of children living in violent, drug-infested neighborhoods.
Pass out papers that read love god
A positive message of hope and faith in God can bring positivity to even the darkest environments.
I see faces cases, judges n jurors, masons lawyers n cops
The justice system faces challenges and realities of corruption that affect those living in the ghetto the most.
I watch 'cause every thugs face is my mirror
The struggles of others are seen mirrored in our own journey, especially in relation to gang violence and poverty.
But this was one in particular
A specific story of a young thug's life.
This kid he was the vintage stick em up pro
A young thug known for his robberies.
Sixteen years old did his jail since there was no where to go
Being imprisoned at a young age due to a lack of opportunities and guidance in life.
Every mornin' calls his commrad to come n get em' a smoke
Turning to smoking and drugs to cope with the pain of his reality.
He insane already gone mad, blames himself for his setbacks
Mental illness and inner turmoil are common themes for those living in poverty.
Dangerous street corners where his sets at
Being involved in gang activity at a young age due to a lack of options in life.
Sling from dusk till dawn, detectives act like they maniacs
The reality of being a drug dealer in constant danger and risking his life for money.
Chasin' him, his ass was flarin
Police chasing after him, creating dangerous situations and increasing his desperation.
Smokin' like a chimney on remy of course he not carin'
A reliance on smoking and alcohol to escape reality and cope with the pain.
He needs a place to go to keep his mind expandin
The need for better opportunities, education and guidance to expand one's mind and escape poverty and violence.
I give em a helpin hand, bring em out to Thugz mansion
The hope of bringing this young thug to a place of peace, love and passion like Thugz Mansion.
Every corner, every city there's a place where lifes a lil easy
There's hope and beauty in every corner of the world, even in the darkest of places.
Lil hennesey, lay back and cool, every hour 'cause its all good
Enjoying the small things in life and finding peace in difficult situations.
Leave all the stress from the world outside, every wrong done
Finding a safe space to escape from the stresses of the world and leave negative energy behind.
Will be alright, nothin' but peace, love n street passion
In Thugz Mansion, there is only peace, love and passion for life.
Every ghetto needs a Thugs Mansion
A peaceful haven is what the ghetto needs to escape poverty, violence and pain.
Dear mama don't cry, your baby boy's doin' good
A message to the artist's mother that he's doing fine and is in a better place.
Tell the hommies I'm in heaven and it ain't got hoods
Announcing his arrival in heaven where there are no hoods or dangerous neighborhoods.
Seen a show with Marvin Gaye last night
A dream where he sees his music idol Marvin Gaye.
It had me shook drinking peppermint schnapps with Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke
Drinking and hanging out with other musicians in heaven.
Then some lady named Billie Holiday sang
A dream where he listens to Billie Holiday sing in heaven.
Sittin' there kickin' it with Malcolm till the day game
Spending time with the iconic Malcolm X in heaven.
Lil' Latasha sure grown, tell the lady in the liquor store that she's forgiven
A message to forgive those who have wronged us and to express forgiveness to others in heaven.
So come home
A call to return to the peaceful haven of Thugz Mansion.
Maybe in time you'll understand, only God can save us
A message of hope that only through God's help can we find peace and healing.
Where Miles Davis cutting loose with the band
Spending time with Miles Davis and enjoying his music in heaven.
Just think of all the people that you knew in the past that passed on
Remembering loved ones that have passed on and finding peace in their memory.
They in heaven found peace that last
Finding peace and happiness in heaven where there is no pain or suffering.
Picture a place that they exist, together
Visualizing a place in heaven where all loved ones are together and happy.
There has to be a place better than this, in Heaven
Believing that heaven is a better place than the world we live in today.
So right before I sleep dear God what I'm asking
A prayer to God for guidance and hope in life.
Remember this face, save me a place
A request to be remembered and saved a place in heaven.
In Thugz mansion
Finding peace and love in the peaceful haven of Thugz Mansion.
A place where death doesn't reside, jus' thugz who collide
Thugz Mansion is a place where violence and death don't exist, only love and passion for life.
Not to start beef but to spark trees, no cops rollin' by
Finding peace and joy with friends, smoking without fear of getting caught by the police.
No policemen, no homicide, no chalk on the streets
A peaceful environment where violence and death are non-existent.
No reason for nobody's momma to cry
A peaceful world where no mother has to cry for their child's death.
See I'm a good guy, I'm tryin' to stick around for my daughter
Trying to be a good person and a good father despite facing challenges and hardships in life.
But if I should die, I know all of my albums support her
Leaving his music and legacy behind to support his daughter after his death.
This whole year's been crazy, asked the Holy Spirit to save me
Asking for divine intervention during a turbulent year.
Only difference from me and Ossie Davis grey hair maybe
Drawing a comparison with Ossie Davis, a respected actor and activist, who was known for his wisdom and experience.
'Cause I feel like my eyes saw to much sufferin'
Having seen too much suffering in life, and praying for a better future.
I'm just twenty some odd years I done lost my mother
Dealing with the pain of losing a loved one at such a young age.
And I cry tears of joy, I know she smiles on her boy
Finding peace and joy in the memory of his mother.
I dream of you more, my love goes to Afeni Shakur
A tribute to his mother and his love for her, as well as his admiration for Afeni Shakur, a respected activist.
'Cause like Anne Jones, she raised a ghetto king in a war
Like Anne Jones, Afeni Shakur raised a child who would rise to prominence in the face of adversity.
And just for that alone, she shouldn't feel no pain no more
A message of hope and support to Afeni Shakur.
'Cause one day we'll all be together, sipping heavenly champagne
A message of hope and peace, imagining a peaceful world where everyone is happy and content.
With angels songs, with golden rings, in Thugz Mansion
A heavenly paradise where there is only peace, love and happiness.
Every ghetto needs a Thugs Mansion
A peaceful haven in the midst of violence and poverty can bring hope and change for those living in the ghetto.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: 7 MARCUS AURELIUS, ANTHONY HAMILTON, JOHNNY LEE JACKSON, TUPAC SHAKUR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind