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..
Undying Love
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pacino life, G a roll, casino dice
At the Mirage, Vegas strip, neon lights
Gamblers, puffin cigars, couples and stars
Flashing cameras, dealers, shuffling cards
Spent the weekend, already miss New York and it's odd
Cause I'm the first to say it got too many hustlers who rob
I never hang out, when we do we bust the four-five
Flying, ducking, our bitches in the club clucking
Telling my wife who I was dancing with like I was fucking
Flew back, Monday evening from the bottom where the sun was beaming
To the concrete jungle of cement
Limousine's from LaGuardia airport, sleeping
Told my dogs peace, kept in moving, I was beat when
Got to my crib, where the hell my keys went?
Ringin the bell, heard a yell but wasn't sure
Dropped my luggage to the ground, put my ear to the door
Slow music, H-Town, no that's down low
My baby's, drop Mercedes is parked, I creep around yo
To the back, she must be inside and can't hear
Probably upstairs, in the mirror, doing her hair
I walked in through the back door entrance
Shocked it was unlocked, when I walked in, I smelled incense
Chased by a weed aroma, empty Guinnesses
And lipstick marks on like three empty Coronas
A pair of blue jeans on the carpet, size twelve Timberlands
Something swinging on the ceiling fan, I stopped it
Swinging slower and slower,
On the last swing I saw it was a G-string and heard laughing
Thought about my nine-side Glock but something made me disregard it
Started my way up to where the noise and music was at
Froze, I couldn't react
Bedroom door opened a crack, seen wifey laying with some nigga
Mumbling shit, he had one hand on her ass
And she was rubbing his dick, toasting wine glasses
Cherry scented candles was lit, couldn't handle the shit
Searching for words I found none, without a sound
I left the house with a sick smile and took my gun
Now I'm out bugging, whyling, what I'm goin' do?
Call my man Horse, meet me outside, I'm coming through
I thought you loved me
I thought you cared for me
I thought you needed me
Did you believe in me?
I thought you loved me
I thought you cared for me
I thought you needed me
Did you believe in me?
Got up with Horse, showed a look on my face was mad lost
I ain't know whether to cry or just, try to laugh it off
"Son you home early they wiped you out that quick?"
I said, "Nah," showed him the plastic with nine in the clip
Hopped in the whip, popped in the disc, pressed play
To the Grand Central, from the Van Wyck Expressway
I said, "Bet you'll never guess in a million years
What I just saw happenin' and probably still is
Snuck in my crib some nigga fuckin my wiz
I saw dem, they ain't see me, I ducked and I slid
I'ma grab shorty, I need you to grab the nigga for me"
Just when I thought I found love, she shitted on me
Shopped in Vegas, a present, for our engagement
Twenty G's on a ring I would have hit her today with
My surprise couldn't match the one she had for me
We pulled up, he was walkin' out the house backwardly
Parked in the back of my house, they couldn't see us
Ran to the side of my house, cocked the heater
Walked to the front when I talked he had junk
Bitch tried to slam the door shut, got caught in Horse foot
Shot the Spanish kid in the rib, drug him in
Grabbed her face, say goodbye to your undercover friend
One between the eye, she's died, by mistake
Must've held the gat too tight, pointed at her face
Heard somebody knock, Horse helped me hide the bodies
Heard sirens, I guess we going out we out like kamikazes
We surrounded, red lights flashing, who's inside?
Came out a bullhorn, I'm contemplating suicide
Horse asked me for the Mac, he gave me dap, one love
Cocked the strap, then he ran out the back
Mad shots couldn't tell what was going on
Sat on the floor near my dead girl, put her in my arms
Pulled her ring out my pocket I was saving
Put it on her ring finger cocked the Glock, and started praying
To Muhammad and Allah, the most beneficial
Through you, all things are possible, I know you're listening
I never meant for this to happen, I never dreamed
This'd be my fate, such a grotesque, murder scene
On that note, same time, the cops busted in
Kissed my lady, her blood on my lips, I said "Amen"
Put the nine to my head, pulled the hammer, held her close
Squeeze the toast, said to her, "Now unto God, we elope"
We elope
Undying Love by Nas tells the story of a man who thought he was in a loving relationship until he walked in on his wife and another man. The first verse sets the scene in Las Vegas, where he was on a weekend trip and feeling out of place. He returns home to New York only to realize his keys are missing and hears noise coming from his house. As he walks in and heads to his bedroom, he smells incense, sees empty beer cans, and lipstick marks on empty Corona bottles. The sight of his wife in a G-string with another man on top of her causes Nas to freeze, and he quietly exits to seek Horse's help.
The second verse takes a darker turn as Nas grabs his gun, retrieves Horse, and proceeds to revenge the betrayal. Hiding in the back of the house, they catch the man sneaking out and drag him in, only to shoot him in the ribs. Then Nas confronts his wife, shoots her by accident, and considers suicide. He ends up holding her lifeless body and placing the engagement ring on her finger, deciding to "elope" with her to Allah. The lyrics are a classic example of Nas's storytelling ability, providing vivid details and inviting the audience to experience the events.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh Pacino life, G a roll, casino dice
Living life like Al Pacino, gambling and taking risks
At the Mirage, Vegas strip, neon lights
Being in Las Vegas, surrounded by the glitz and glamour
Gamblers, puffin cigars, couples and stars
Being in a casino where people are gambling and celebrities are present
Flashing cameras, dealers, shuffling cards
The lively and exciting atmosphere of a casino
Spent the weekend, already miss New York and it's odd
Feeling homesick for New York City after a weekend away
Cause I'm the first to say it got too many hustlers who rob
Acknowledging the presence of dishonest individuals in the city
I never hang out, when we do we bust the four-five
Being cautious and prepared for potential danger
Cause shells coming back at us while we jump in the ride
Being prepared for retaliation and violence
Flying, ducking, our bitches in the club clucking
Moving quickly and evasively, while observing others gossip
Telling my wife who I was dancing with like I was fucking
Exaggerating interactions with other women to spark jealousy
Flew back, Monday evening from the bottom where the sun was beaming
Returning from a warm and sunny location
To the concrete jungle of cement
Returning to the busy and harsh reality of city life
Limousine's from LaGuardia airport, sleeping
Arriving home in a luxurious manner, feeling tired
Told my dogs peace, kept in moving, I was beat when
Briefly greeting friends, but quickly moving on due to exhaustion
Got to my crib, where the hell my keys went?
Arriving home and realizing the keys are missing
Ringin the bell, heard a yell but wasn't sure
Hearing a noise and being unsure of its source
Dropped my luggage to the ground, put my ear to the door
Eagerly listening at the door to try and identify the noise
Slow music, H-Town, no that's down low
Hearing soft music playing, reminiscent of a Houston vibe
My baby's, drop Mercedes is parked, I creep around yo
Realizing the presence of someone in the house and moving quietly
To the back, she must be inside and can't hear
Speculating that the person is in a different part of the house and unaware
Probably upstairs, in the mirror, doing her hair
Imagining the person is upstairs, grooming themselves
I walked in through the back door entrance
Entering the house through the back door
Shocked it was unlocked, when I walked in, I smelled incense
Surprised to find the door unlocked and noticing the scent of incense
Chased by a weed aroma, empty Guinnesses
Detecting the smell of marijuana and seeing empty beer bottles
And lipstick marks on like three empty Coronas
Seeing lipstick stains on empty beer bottles
A pair of blue jeans on the carpet, size twelve Timberlands
Noticing clothing items left behind by the person
Something swinging on the ceiling fan, I stopped it
Noticing an object hanging from the ceiling fan and stopping its movement
Swinging slower and slower, On the last swing I saw it was a G-string and heard laughing
Realizing that the swinging object is a women's underwear and hearing laughter
Thought about my nine-side Glock but something made me disregard it
Considering using a gun for protection but deciding against it
Started my way up to where the noise and music was at
Moving towards the source of the noise and music
Froze, I couldn't react
Becoming paralyzed with shock and unable to respond
Bedroom door opened a crack, seen wifey laying with some nigga
Witnessing the sight of one's wife in bed with another man
Mumbling shit, he had one hand on her ass
Hearing the man muttering and observing his inappropriate behavior
And she was rubbing his dick, toasting wine glasses
Seeing the wife participating in intimate acts with the man, seemingly celebrating
Cherry scented candles was lit, couldn't handle the shit
Not being able to handle the situation and feeling overwhelmed
Searching for words I found none, without a sound
Trying to find words to express but being unable to, remaining silent
I left the house with a sick smile and took my gun
Leaving the house with a disturbed smile and grabbing a gun
Now I'm out bugging, whyling, what I'm goin' do?
Feeling agitated and panicked, unsure of what action to take
Call my man Horse, meet me outside, I'm coming through
Contacting a trusted friend to meet outside and assist in a planned action
I thought you loved me
Expressing disappointment and disbelief in the betrayed love
I thought you cared for me
Feeling hurt and deceived by someone who was supposed to care
I thought you needed me
Believing that one's presence and support were necessary
Did you believe in me?
Questioning whether the person ever truly had faith in the singer
Got up with Horse, showed a look on my face was mad lost
Meeting with the friend and looking visibly confused and disoriented
I ain't know whether to cry or just, try to laugh it off
Feeling torn between intense emotions, unsure how to react
"Son you home early they wiped you out that quick?"
Being greeted by a friend who questions the sudden return
I said, "Nah," showed him the plastic with nine in the clip
Denying the friend's assumption and revealing the loaded gun
Hopped in the whip, popped in the disc, pressed play
Getting into the car, putting on music, and starting to drive
To the Grand Central, from the Van Wyck Expressway
Heading towards the Grand Central Station from the highway
I said, "Bet you'll never guess in a million years
Challenging the friend to guess what the singer had witnessed
What I just saw happenin' and probably still is
Revealing the shocking sight and suggesting it might still be occurring
Snuck in my crib some nigga fuckin my wiz
Informing the friend that an unknown man was having sexual relations with the artist's wife in their home
I saw dem, they ain't see me, I ducked and I slid
Describing how the artist witnessed the act without being noticed and tried to avoid detection
I'ma grab shorty, I need you to grab the nigga for me
Planning to confront the wife and asking the friend to apprehend the other man
Just when I thought I found love, she shitted on me
Expressing the feelings of betrayal and disappointment in the wife, despite initially feeling love
Shopped in Vegas, a present, for our engagement
Recalling a previous trip to Las Vegas where a present was bought for their engagement
Twenty G's on a ring I would have hit her today with
Reflecting on the expensive engagement ring that was intended to be given to the wife
My surprise couldn't match the one she had for me
Realizing that the wife had a surprise of her own, which exceeded the artist's planned surprise
We pulled up, he was walkin' out the house backwardly
Arriving at the house and seeing the other man leaving in a hurry
Parked in the back of my house, they couldn't see us
Parking the car behind the house to avoid being noticed
Ran to the side of my house, cocked the heater
Quickly moving to a different side of the house, preparing the gun
Walked to the front when I talked he had junk
Approaching the front of the house and seeing the man armed
Bitch tried to slam the door shut, got caught in Horse foot
The wife attempted to close the door, but the friend prevented her from doing so
Shot the Spanish kid in the rib, drug him in
Shooting the other man in the side and pulling him inside the house
Grabbed her face, say goodbye to your undercover friend
Holding the wife's face and declaring the end of her relationship with the other man
One between the eye, she's died, by mistake
Accidentally shooting the wife in the head, resulting in her death
Must've held the gat too tight, pointed at her face
Realizing that the gun was held too tightly, causing it to accidentally point at the wife's face
Heard somebody knock, Horse helped me hide the bodies
Hearing a knock at the door and the friend assisting in concealing the bodies
Heard sirens, I guess we going out we out like kamikazes
Hearing the sound of approaching police sirens and realizing they will face a deadly confrontation
We surrounded, red lights flashing, who's inside?
Being surrounded by police, with flashing lights, and questioning who is inside the house
Came out a bullhorn, I'm contemplating suicide
Hearing a police officer using a bullhorn, considering taking his own life
Horse asked me for the Mac, he gave me dap, one love
The friend asking for the machine gun, offering a handshake, and expressing love
Cocked the strap, then he ran out the back
Preparing the gun and fleeing through the rear of the property
Mad shots couldn't tell what was going on
Firing multiple shots in confusion and chaos
Sat on the floor near my dead girl, put her in my arms
Sitting on the floor next to his deceased wife and cradling her in his arms
Pulled her ring out my pocket I was saving
Taking out the engagement ring he had been keeping in his pocket
Put it on her ring finger cocked the Glock, and started praying
Placing the ring on her finger, preparing the gun, and beginning to pray
To Muhammad and Allah, the most beneficial
Seeking comfort and guidance from the Islamic deities
Through you, all things are possible, I know you're listening
Believing that through prayer, anything is possible and that a higher power is listening
I never meant for this to happen, I never dreamed
Expressing regret and disbelief over the tragic events
This'd be my fate, such a grotesque, murder scene
Reflecting on the unfortunate fate and the horrifying scene of murder
On that note, same time, the cops busted in
At that moment, the police forcefully entered the house
Kissed my lady, her blood on my lips, I said "Amen"
Kissing his deceased wife, with her blood on his lips, and saying a final prayer
Put the nine to my head, pulled the hammer, held her close
Placing the gun to his own head, ready to pull the trigger, while holding his wife's body
Squeeze the toast, said to her, "Now unto God, we elope"
Gripping the gun tightly, declaring to his deceased wife that they will now unite in death
We elope
Emphasizing the final act of escaping together through death
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9
Written by: LESHAN LEWIS, NASIR JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind