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..
We're Not Alone
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We depend on mama nature
There is a message for tomorrow
Everything connect's to you
Some says soon there will be over
You can see it in the weather
Out of tune with mama nature
What you do comes back to you
We're not alone
We're not alone
We're not alone
We're not alone
Confucius, Confucius
Sigmund Freud
And Fard Muhammad
Is it evolution or God?
Searching for the truth is a threat
Seems the closer we get to the truth
State troopers or FED's come out to silence you
My house in Malibu probably tapped
Because living next door to Demi Moore
Plus, I'm black
Plus, I want vengeance for the poor
Who's attacked daily
Patriot Act never scared me
Jake in the Taurus
Sticky in the jar-s
Niggas I'm with got warrants
America's brown and
Twenty years from now
Every town will be brown and Latin
Or African, look at Manhattan
I'ma tell you what I seen with my three eyes
Word to me, not a hoax, back in 9-9
A spacecraft in the skyline
In L.A., in daytime, ask Horse if I'm lying
Every mother every father
Raise your sons and your daughters
With respect and with honor
From the seed comes a fruit
It's an unbroken circle
All of life is universal
And we are all in the struggle
If I know one thing is true
We're not alone
We're not alone
We're not alone
We're not alone
Evidence remains in debate
Documents of our own Air Force base
Additional terrestrial information
Other planets with life population
My observation
Scientists study pictures of a flying disc
Right on earth, anthropologists are finding shit
Visitors, probably live with us
They can mimic us
It's sort of what we seeing in the cinemas
Take a look in the mirror
And see the bigger picture
It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive
Nobody is an island
We are part of an survive
Only way we gonna survive is if we harmonize
We're not alone
We're not alone oh
We're not alone
We're not alone
Reginald Lewis
The black billionaire
Before Oprah or Bob Johnson
How'd he disappear?
Conspiracy theories, UFO's in the air
I've seen it with my own two eyes
And I swear, like Warren Buffet
Real money I'm just trying to touch it
The diamond-encrusted shit, live illustrious
'Cause we was deprived of it, suffered
Now we pop to prove anything's possible
My pimp strut was invented when they whipped us
Now we diddy-bop just to show you that our strength's up
Just when niggas about to see they cut
Global warming about to burn us up
Niggas never really seen paper in this world
American blacks the teenager of this world
Give us twenty more years to grow up
Already geniuses, what I mean is this
I used to worship a certain Queens police murderer
'Til I read the words of Ivan van Sertima
He inserted something in me
That made me feel worthier
Now I spit revolution
I'm his hood interpreter
Take a look in the mirror
And see the bigger picture
It's good to be alive
It's good to be alive
Nobody is an island (is an island)
We are part of an environment (an environment)
Only way we are gonna survive (gonna survive)
Is if we harmonize (harmonize)
We're not alone yeah yeah
We're not alone were not alone
We're not alone yeah yeah
We're not alone
Yeah yeah not alone
Ayo, I'm American born, love America
Love my people love all man kind
All nationalities you know, I think it's just recent
Where everybody just started to feel like there
Was an elite group that runs everything and
Everybody else was sheep ignorant making all
Ethnicities colors and creeds niggas blind to what
Really is going on so I say take off the wool from your
Eyes out with the old America in with the new end all
Racism all injustice all oppression to poor people any
People anywhere in this planet lets come together
A new day is rising
In Nas's song "We're Not Alone", the artist speaks on various issues that affect humanity as a whole. He touches on subjects like global warming, space exploration, respect for nature, and conspiracy theories. The song begins with the statement "Where there was life, there was water," which highlights the significance of water in the world. The themes of mother nature and the circle of life run through the song, indicating that we are all interconnected in the struggle of survival.
Nas mentions the great philosophers Confucius and Sigmund Freud, as well as Fard Muhammad, and then poses the question of whether it is evolution or God that created us. He suggests that someone trying to uncover the truth might be considered a threat and that the authorities use force to silence them. Nas speaks openly about his distrust of the government and their willingness to infringe on people’s privacy, as evidenced by the line, "My house in Malibu probably tapped / Because living next door to Demi Moore / Plus, I'm black."
Line by Line Meaning
Where there was life there was water
Water is necessary for the existence of life
We depend on mama nature
Human beings are dependent upon and part of nature
There is a message for tomorrow
There are important lessons to be learned for future generations
Everything connect's to you
Everything is interconnected and the actions of each person affect the world around them
Some says soon there will be over
Some believe that the world as we know it is coming to an end
You can see it in the weather
The effects of global warming and climate change are becoming increasingly visible through changes in the weather
Out of tune with mama nature
Human beings are not living in harmony with the natural world around them
What you do comes back to you
Actions have consequences
We're not alone
Human beings are not alone in the universe
Confucius, Confucius
The philosopher Confucius is referenced twice, possibly suggesting the importance of ancient wisdom and knowledge
Sigmund Freud
The psychologist Sigmund Freud is referenced, possibly suggesting the importance of exploring the human psyche and unconscious mind
And Fard Muhammad
Fard Muhammad, the founder of the Nation of Islam, is referenced, possibly suggesting the importance of spiritual and religious beliefs
Is it evolution or God?
The debate between evolution and creationism is questioned
Searching for the truth is a threat
The idea that seeking truth and knowledge can be perceived as a threat to those in power
Seems the closer we get to the truth
The closer we get to the truth, the more resistance and obstacles we face
State troopers or FED's come out to silence you
Government authorities may seek to silence those who question or challenge the status quo
My house in Malibu probably tapped
The idea that personal privacy is not always guaranteed and that authorities may monitor individuals without their knowledge or consent
Because living next door to Demi Moore
Possibly referencing the notion that fame and wealth can provide a certain level of protection and privilege
Plus, I'm black
The idea that race can also be a factor in the level of protection and privilege one receives
Plus, I want vengeance for the poor
The desire to seek justice for those who are marginalized and oppressed
Who's attacked daily
The idea that certain individuals or groups may face discrimination and persecution on a daily basis
Patriot Act never scared me
The idea that government surveillance and control can be oppressive, but not necessarily frightening or intimidating
Jake in the Taurus
Possibly referencing law enforcement or authority figures
Sticky in the jar-s
Possibly referencing illegal activity or possession of drugs
Niggas I'm with got warrants
The idea that certain individuals may be targeted or pursued by law enforcement
America's brown and
The changing demographics of America, particularly the increasing populations of people of color
Twenty years from now
A reference to the future and the potential changes to come
Every town will be brown and Latin
A prediction about the changing demographics of American cities
Or African, look at Manhattan
An observation about the diversity of large cities
I'ma tell you what I seen with my three eyes
Possibly referencing spiritual or mystical experiences
Word to me, not a hoax, back in 9-9
A claim that the experience is not fabricated or false
A spacecraft in the skyline
A reference to the possibility of extraterrestrial life or UFO sightings
In L.A., in daytime, ask Horse if I'm lying
A challenge to those who doubt the validity of the experience
Every mother every father
The interconnectedness of all people, particularly through the family unit
Raise your sons and your daughters
The responsibility and importance of nurturing and raising future generations
With respect and with honor
The importance of treating oneself and others with dignity and respect
From the seed comes a fruit
The idea that actions have consequences and one's choices can impact future outcomes
It's an unbroken circle
The concept of cycles and the continuity of life
All of life is universal
The idea that all living things are interconnected and part of the same ecosystem
And we are all in the struggle
The idea that all people face hardships and challenges and must work together to overcome them
Evidence remains in debate
The debate over the existence of extraterrestrial life continues
Documents of our own Air Force base
References to government documents and military bases that may hold information about extraterrestrial life
Additional terrestrial information
New information about life on Earth and other planets
Other planets with life population
The possibility of life on other planets
My observation
Personal observations and reflections
Scientists study pictures of a flying disc
The ongoing scientific study of UFO sightings
Right on earth, anthropologists are finding shit
The discovery of new archaeological findings and evidence about human history
Visitors, probably live with us
The possibility that extraterrestrial beings may be living among us
They can mimic us
The idea that extraterrestrial beings may be able to imitate human behaviors and traits
It's sort of what we seeing in the cinemas
A reference to science fiction movies and their depictions of extraterrestrial life
Take a look in the mirror
The importance of self-reflection and personal responsibility
And see the bigger picture
The importance of looking beyond oneself and considering the interconnectedness of all things
It's good to be alive
The positive aspects of life and the value of living
Nobody is an island
The idea that human beings are social creatures and are interconnected with others
We are part of an environment
The idea that human beings are part of the natural world and must work to live in harmony with it
Only way we are gonna survive
The necessity of working together to overcome challenges and ensure the survival of humanity
Is if we harmonize
The importance of working in harmony with others and with nature
Reginald Lewis
A reference to Reginald Lewis, the first African-American business owner to build a billion-dollar company
The black billionaire
The importance of celebrating the achievements of black people in America
Before Oprah or Bob Johnson
Referencing other successful black entrepreneurs and media moguls
How'd he disappear?
Possibly referencing conspiracy theories and mysteries surrounding Lewis's death
Conspiracy theories, UFO's in the air
References to popular conspiracies and beliefs about extraterrestrial life
I've seen it with my own two eyes
The assertion that the singer has personally witnessed unusual or unexplainable phenomena
And I swear, like Warren Buffet
A comparison to the famous billionaire investor, Warren Buffet
Real money I'm just trying to touch it
The desire to achieve financial success
The diamond-encrusted shit, live illustrious
The desire for material wealth and luxury
'Cause we was deprived of it, suffered
The impact of historical oppression and systemic inequality on black people in America
Now we pop to prove anything's possible
The importance of breaking down barriers and proving that anything is achievable
My pimp strut was invented when they whipped us
Referencing the resilience and strength of black people in the face of historical oppression and abuse
Now we diddy-bop just to show you that our strength's up
The celebration of black culture and identity
Just when niggas about to see they cut
The idea that progress and success can be threatened or taken away
Global warming about to burn us up
The urgent need to address the issue of climate change and its potential catastrophic effects
Niggas never really seen paper in this world
Referencing the struggles of poverty and economic inequality faced by many black people
American blacks the teenager of this world
The idea that, while black people have made significant progress in America, there is still much work to be done and many challenges to overcome
Give us twenty more years to grow up
The hope for continued progress and improvement in the future
Already geniuses, what I mean is this
The assertion that black people are already capable and intelligent, despite the challenges they have faced
I used to worship a certain Queens police murderer
Referencing past admiration for violent and oppressive figures
'Til I read the words of Ivan van Sertima
Referencing the influence of the historian and author Ivan van Sertima
He inserted something in me
The impact of new ideas and knowledge on personal growth and transformation
That made me feel worthier
The importance of self-worth and self-respect
Now I spit revolution
The assertion of a new, revolutionary mindset and worldview
I'm his hood interpreter
Referencing the role of the artist as an interpreter and communicator of ideas and experiences
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: CLAYTON ANGELO GAVIN, NASIR JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind