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.
1973ā1992: 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.
1992ā1995: 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 Serchās solo album is released later in the year, Nasā 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.
1996ā1998: 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.
1998ā2000: 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.
2000ā2001: 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."
2002āPresent: 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 KoŠÆn'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, Nasā 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..
Wanna Play Ruff
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, the Lord is my shepard
The sword is my weapon
Reward is a blessin', that comes from the struggle
Shoes been scuffled, blood's been shed, another Mother loses a son
'cause where I'm from the young chooses a gun
Before they choose an education
So like once said, life ain't for fakin
Yo, you wit' me when I say duct tape 'em?
Fuck waitin'
Got the truck outside, Benz jeep for navigation
Everything in position, they'd rather be fuckin' wit' Satan
When I aim I ain't missin', master of assassination'
I heard he call himself Esco, drive a Lexo
Rocks his hat sideways, showin' off his waves with a chipped tooth
Is this the truth?
This is what we do, sip a brew
Wait around his crib until it turns around two AM
As soon as he walks in the door we slay 'em
You guys got fat while I was away, so start payin'
[Chorus:]- Okay, you wanna play rough?!
(gun shots) (scratching - a thug changes, and love changes) repeat 3X,
Okay yo, we could play rough!
[Verse Two:]
Okay now, drive up to my crib, am I high enough?
Who these niggas tryin' to hide in their truck
I ain't order cable, why in the fuck these niggas
Ducked in they seat? are they lookin' for me?
But I ain't do shit, could it be that niggas thought
I slept like B.I.G. and Pac did
May they rest in peace, but while I'm alive I pop shit
P-11 glock spits 17 shot clips
Put these niggas in boxes, where they Moms and Pops is
Pull the strap from under the seat
Back up in the street
Watch these niggas that's tryin' to watch me, I carefully creep
Take off my shoes, barefoot nigga poppin' my heat
Empty every shell in their direction
Its you, I should've guessed it!
Same niggas that I was connected wit', I know sent you
Now I'm'a take you off here, you don't know what you got into
[Chorus:]
[Verse Three:]
Walked in his house, smackin' him up, "what you talkin' about?" he said
Shut-up nigga! knocked him in his head with chrome
Never thought I'd be in his home
With his wife taped up for my niggas to bone
Fuckin' with me, you should've known
I'll have 'em write "stupid nigga" on your tombstone
What money can do, get you hit for less than a G
For threatenin' me
I'm'a do it myself, take you to Hell, this ones for free
Killin' you niggas with nothin'
Left him dead, engine runnin'
You the only I'm makin' sure that gets what's comin'
Look at your Woman, anal ripped out, its your fault
They gang banged your bitch out in your face and you saw it
But before I let you have it I'm searchin' your crib
For pictures of relatives, addresses to where they live
Shit like that, incase a nigga wanna strike back
I'll be right up in his ass to blow 'em out with the Mac
Niggas treat you like Fam, and you on it like that?
Now you gotta lay flat, gettin' eatin' by rats
Gettin' even's never wrong, its only right to react
Eye for an eye, 'cause the sweetest part is payback
Somebody kncokin', who dat?
"a cop man", let him in
And give that mothafucka one under the chin
Can't believe this nigga down with the Feds!
The copped screamed out your government before he dropped dead
Don't explain, I put the pound on his head
Blew 'em! before that I can't remember the last time I said......
Okay, so we gonna play rough!
[Chorus:]
In the first verse of this song, Nas sets the scene by referencing his upbringing where young people often choose guns over education. He talks about how life is not something to fake and how he is a master of assassination. He refers to another person he heard about named "Esco" who drives a Lexus and wears his hat sideways, and decides to target him. In the chorus, Nas asks if the person he's targeting wants to play rough. In the second verse, Nas realizes that someone is trying to find him and he suspects that it might be the people he's planning to target. He warns them by saying that he'll use his P-11 glock that can spit 17 shot clips. In the third verse, Nas confronts the person he's targeting and his actions become violent as he beats him up and sexually assaults his wife. He continues to search their home for incriminating documents and then a cop shows up, whom Nas kills.
The song's lyrics are violent and depict graphic images of sexual assault, murder, and brutality. The song's explicit lyrics resulted in it being banned by many radio stations and in some cases, it was even removed from stores.
Despite the controversy, the song was a hit and was featured on Nas's 1996 album "It Was Written," which was certified double platinum.
The song's chorus features a sample from the movie "A Bronx Tale" where the main character, Calogero, asks if someone wants to "play rough."
The song was produced by L.E.S., who is known for his work with Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and other major hip-hop artists.
Nas has explained that the violent lyrics in the song come from his experiences growing up in Queensbridge Projects, New York, where he witnessed and experienced violent crimes firsthand.
The song's music video features Nas driving around in a car, narrating the story of the song's lyrics. The video's violent content also drew criticism.
The controversy surrounding the song led to a debate about the role of violence in hip-hop music, with some critics arguing that it contributes to real-life violence while others say it merely reflects the realities of life in certain communities.
The song has been referenced in other hip-hop songs by artists such as Jay Z, Tupac, and The Game.
The chords for the song are not readily available as it is a rap song that heavily relies on beats rather than melodic structure.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, the Lord is my shepard
I am guided by my faith in God
The sword is my weapon
I use my words as a powerful tool
Reward is a blessin', that comes from the struggle
The rewards we earn after overcoming challenges are true blessings
Shoes been scuffled, blood's been shed, another Mother loses a son
Many lives have been lost due to violence
'cause where I'm from the young chooses a gun
In this community, many young people turn to violence as a way of life
Before they choose an education
Education is often not seen as a priority or option for many young people in this community
But once dead their ain't no awakenin'
Once someone has been killed, there is no chance for them to change or be redeemed
So like once said, life ain't for fakin
Life is real and should be treated as such
Yo, you wit' me when I say duct tape 'em?
Are you ready to take action with me?
Fuck waitin'
Let's not waste any time
Got the truck outside, Benz jeep for navigation
We have the necessary transportation to carry out our plan
Everything in position, they'd rather be fuckin' wit' Satan
Our opponents have made the wrong choice and will face the consequences
When I aim I ain't missin', master of assassination'
I have the skills and precision to successfully carry out an assassination
I heard he call himself Esco, drive a Lexo
I have information about the target we are after
Rocks his hat sideways, showin' off his waves with a chipped tooth
I have observed physical details about the target that can help us identify him
Is this the truth?
Can we trust this information?
This is what we do, sip a brew
This is our way of life, relaxing with a drink while we plan our next move
Wait around his crib until it turns around two AM
We will wait outside the target's residence until the early hours of the morning
As soon as he walks in the door we slay 'em
As soon as the target arrives, we will carry out the assassination
You guys got fat while I was away, so start payin'
My associates have grown complacent and need to start being productive again
Okay now, drive up to my crib, am I high enough?
Are the drugs I have consumed affecting my ability to think clearly?
Who these niggas tryin' to hide in their truck
Why are these people hiding in their vehicle near my house?
I ain't order cable, why in the fuck these niggas
Why are these people here if I did not invite them?
Ducked in they seat? are they lookin' for me?
Are these people searching for me?
But I ain't do shit, could it be that niggas thought
I am not aware of any reason why these people would be looking for me
I slept like B.I.G. and Pac did
I am not afraid of death and will not be caught off guard
May they rest in peace, but while I'm alive I pop shit
I will speak my mind and not be intimidated
P-11 glock spits 17 shot clips
I am armed and ready to defend myself if necessary
Put these niggas in boxes, where they Moms and Pops is
We will kill these people and dispose of their bodies where their families will never find them
Pull the strap from under the seat
I have a weapon and am prepared to use it
Back up in the street
I am now outside and ready to confront my enemies
Watch these niggas that's tryin' to watch me, I carefully creep
I am aware of the people watching me and am moving carefully to avoid detection
Take off my shoes, barefoot nigga poppin' my heat
I want to be as quiet as possible as I confront my enemies
Empty every shell in their direction
I will fire every bullet I have at my enemies
Its you, I should've guessed it!
I should have realized that it was you who sent these people to find me
Same niggas that I was connected wit', I know sent you
I know that my own associates have turned on me and sent these people to kill me
Now I'm'a take you off here, you don't know what you got into
I will kill you now and make sure you regret ever getting involved in this situation
Walked in his house, smackin' him up, "what you talkin' about?" he said
I am confronting the target and demanding answers
Shut-up nigga! knocked him in his head with chrome
I will not tolerate any backtalk and will use my weapon if necessary
Never thought I'd be in his home
I have always been the one to track down and confront my enemies, not the other way around
With his wife taped up for my niggas to bone
I have captured and restrained the target's wife for my associates to use as they please
Fuckin' with me, you should've known
The target should have realized the danger of crossing me
I'll have 'em write "stupid nigga" on your tombstone
I will make sure the target is remembered for his foolish mistake in crossing me
What money can do, get you hit for less than a G
The target's wealth and power cannot save him from my wrath
For threatenin' me
The target made a mistake in threatening me and will now face the consequences
I'm'a do it myself, take you to Hell, this ones for free
I will personally carry out the target's punishment without charging a fee
Killin' you niggas with nothin'
I am skilled and powerful enough to take out my enemies with little to no support
Left him dead, engine runnin'
I have killed the target and am now leaving the scene
You the only I'm makin' sure that gets what's comin'
The target was my main enemy and I have made sure he faces the consequences of his actions
Look at your Woman, anal ripped out, its your fault
I am blaming the target for the brutal way his wife was treated by my associates
They gang banged your bitch out in your face and you saw it
The target was forced to watch as his wife was assaulted by my associates
But before I let you have it I'm searchin' your crib
I will now search the target's residence for any incriminating evidence or items I can use against him
For pictures of relatives, addresses to where they live
I am looking for information about the target's family and loved ones
Shit like that, incase a nigga wanna strike back
I want to have information about the target's loved ones in case they ever come after me
I'll be right up in his ass to blow 'em out with the Mac
I will not hesitate to use my powerful weapon to take out anyone who threatens me
Niggas treat you like Fam, and you on it like that?
The target pretended to be my friend and then betrayed me
Now you gotta lay flat, gettin' eatin' by rats
The target will now face a gruesome, painful death
Gettin' even's never wrong, its only right to react
Taking revenge is not immoral, it is a natural reaction to being wronged
Eye for an eye, 'cause the sweetest part is payback
The best part of revenge is watching your enemies suffer as they have made you suffer
Somebody kncokin', who dat?
There is someone at the door, who could it be?
"a cop man", let him in
The person at the door claims to be a police officer and I will let him enter
And give that mothafucka one under the chin
I will kill the police officer before he can interfere in my affairs
Can't believe this nigga down with the Feds!
I am shocked to learn that the police officer was working with the federal government
The copped screamed out your government before he dropped dead
The police officer revealed information about the government's involvement in my affairs before I killed him
Don't explain, I put the pound on his head
I will not listen to any excuses or explanations, I will simply kill anyone who crosses me
Blew 'em! before that I can't remember the last time I said......
I have killed the police officer and I am now reflecting on the last time I took a life
Okay, so we gonna play rough!
I am now ready to take on anyone who crosses me, no matter how violent or dangerous the situation becomes
Lyrics Ā© OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@StoneKapolo
Fire shit.. I'm having my own version of I Am.. its easy get the original tracklist and find the songs.. listen to the album the way it was supposed to be..
[Disc 1]
1. Fetus (Belly Button Window)Ā
2. NY State Of Mind Pt. IIĀ
3. Life Is What You Make It (feat. DMX)Ā
4. Small WorldĀ
5. Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive
6. Poppa Was a PlayaĀ
7. Nas Is LikeĀ
8. Blaze A 50Ā
9. Favor For A Favor (feat. Scarface)Ā
10. We Will SurviveĀ
11. Some Of Us Have AngelsĀ
12. Project Windows (feat. Ronald Isley)
13. Day Dreaming, Stay SchemingĀ
14. Sometimes I Wonder (feat. Nature)Ā
15. Undying Love
[Disc 2]
1. After Life (Intro)Ā
2. Amongst KingsĀ
3. Life We Chose
4. Drunk By Myself
5. Pray
6. God Love Us
7. Ghetto Prisoners
8. Last Words (feat. Millennium Thug aka Nashawn)Ā
9. Family (feat. Mobb Deep)
10. Come Get Me
11. Find Your Wealth
12. U Gotta Love ItĀ
13. Wanna Play Rough
14. The Rise And Fall
15. My Worst Enemy
@UptownKash
Nas unreleased catalog just as good as his official shit..FACTS
@ezekwu
it's better...
@kawaiiafangirl
I've been saying that if Columbia Records could just comprehensively release his un-released songs in albums like The Lost Tapes, he'd have an un-released catalogue comparable to Tupac.
@gdiggedy9
@@kawaiiafangirl Original double album of I AM is now getting an official release š
@kawaiiafangirl
@@gdiggedy9 YOOOOO!!!!!!! That's so dope. I'm kinda mad that there's only a limited amount being released though. I'll definitely try to get my hands on them.
@gdiggedy9
@@kawaiiafangirl For real! I'm not a vinly head, more of a CD guy, but I might have to try and grab this! lol Good luck!!
@brashooll
One of the best nas songs ever... My opinion
@L.P.-7
This and (Blackness) also from him
@xempt12
a thug changes and love changes and best friends become strangers, word up
@Nick-qs7lw
This is harder than most tracks these days,Fire!