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 March As Millions
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Its much more than a March
It will be the beginin of a movement
Millions more movement; let us begin
Tell us what you hear!
[Nas]
I hoped you in good health
By the time my voice hit you
I hope in all wells wit you
My mission is to bail wit you
Touch upon some real issues
Senators, Government Officials
Sit at the conference and listen
Have a Coke and a Mineral water
And say reminisce, George L. Jackson
Malcolm X last win when I'm rappin
Americans, Africans, Asians, Russians, and Arab men
Send your clergymen to journey wit Nas from Queens projects
I promise unforgettable experience
compare me wit, Imhotep get M.O. Dep
History was stolen, get in my zone
what makes the power that beef? less gangsta then Al Campone
Rosetta stone was stolen like Chicago was
Think I'm a thug?, lets talk about some conquerors
Napoleon, Sun Tzu, Genghis Khan
Hitler, Edi Amin, I'm the tale of the hunt
Let's bring back to the cat that invented the gun
From the Indians all the way to the Pentagon
I'm sittin on Capitol Hill
I'm composin this rhyme, guarantee to make all of y'all feel
The beauty that was trapped under siege
Believe in yourself you'll be free, take it from me
[Voice Samples]
We will not surrender or we will not back down
We keep overactin
Throw a fist for black power
Tell us what you hear
Why do we March? to protest Government policy
We March because the time to fight back
We March for education
Throw a fist for black power
Tell us what you hear
Why do we March? We March to save the soul of America
[Nas]
The rejection of what's right could mean you in denial
It either breaks you or makes you becomes hostile
I swallow many lives before tastin the truth
In the beginin there was darkness, beautiful you
How will life be without night?, no tranquility?
No way to get away and rest no stability?
I can't see the sky without the moon and the stars
The sunlight; blockin everythin the King I'm involved
People worship the Madonna in the shrines in Spains
I'm proud to share the same blood type in veins
The holy mother...the loneliest color remains
Can't be tamperin, die loot the chains
They try make you not want it, make you run from it
The wickest men, want the ebony punish
It's so seductive it's sensuous in my clutches
Hot as fire when Moses saw burnin bushes
So abused and misused and mistreated
Makin men wanna get drunk and get weed it
People wild when she comes out pull out and party
Catch her body, fornicate some start beef
Chain reaction cuz it's in the air
The lost tribe scattered everywhere
From the North thru West Hemisphere
Scientist and Archaeologist conceal the obvious
The dead, livin and little children over time of this
Obsession coursin, every essence of magnetism every organism when it come to it
All question 'bout Resurrection and your connection with God
It's answered wit the beast in your heart
[Voice Samples]
We will not surrender or we will not back down
We keep overactin
Throw a fist for black power
Tell us what you hear
Why do we March? to protest Government policy
We March because the time to fight back
We March for education
Throw a fist for black power
Tell us what you hear
Why do we March? We March to save the soul of America
The song "We March As Millions" by Nas featuring Dr. Benjamin Muhammad is a call to action for people all over the world to come together and stand up against injustice. The song highlights the importance of unity as a means to create change in the face of adversity. Dr. Benjamin Muhammad's opening message emphasizes that this march isn't just a one-time event, but rather, the beginning of a movement. Nas's verse addresses several real issues including government officials' lack of response to societal problems and the erasure of history from marginalized communities. The voice samples in the song serve as a reminder of the reasons why the march is necessary - to protest government policy, fight for education, and to save the soul of America. Overall, "We March As Millions" is a powerful statement that encourages people to use their voice and take action towards making a difference.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was released in 2000, a year before the September 11 attacks, yet it still resonates today in the ongoing fight against racial injustice. Another interesting fact is that the song's producer, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, worked on several other Nas songs including "Hate Me Now" and "Nas Is Like." The opening sample in the song is taken from a speech given by Dr. Benjamin Muhammad, who is a controversial figure that has been associated with the Nation of Islam. Nas himself has been vocal about his admiration for Malcolm X and has referenced him in several of his songs including "The Message" and "Nas Is Like." The song was included on the compilation album "The Lost Tapes" which features previously unreleased material by Nas. "We March As Millions" features a sample from the song "Come in from the Cold" by reggae legend Bob Marley.
Chords are not known.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear people of the globe
Addressing the listeners from all over the world
I hoped you in good health
Wishing the audience a healthy life
By the time my voice hit you
Referring to the song reaching the listeners
I hope in all wells wit you
Wishing the listeners to be well and happy
My mission is to bail wit you
The artist's objective is to be with the listeners and support them
Touch upon some real issues
Addressing some real and important topics through the song
Senators, Government Officials, Sit at the conference and listen
Asking the policymakers to listen to the issues being talked about
Have a Coke and a Mineral water, And say reminisce, George L. Jackson
Referring to a famous figure who advocated for prisoners' rights
Malcolm X last win when I'm rappin
Acknowledging Malcolm X's legacy and his influence on the artist's work
Americans, Africans, Asians, Russians, and Arab men, Send your clergymen to journey wit Nas from Queens projects
Inviting people from different regions to join the artist's cause
I promise unforgettable experience
Ensuring that the journey with the artist will be memorable
compare me wit, Imhotep get M.O. Dep
Drawing parallels with historical figures like Imhotep
History was stolen, get in my zone
Asserting that history has been concealed or misrepresented and encouraging the audience to learn the truth
what makes the power that beef? less gangsta then Al Campone
Questioning the legitimacy of institutional power and comparing it to organized crime
Rosetta stone was stolen like Chicago was
Drawing a parallel between the looting of the Rosetta stone and the pillaging of Chicago
Think I'm a thug?, lets talk about some conquerors
Challenging the negative stereotype associated with rappers and asking to discuss history's conquerors
Napoleon, Sun Tzu, Genghis Khan, Hitler, Edi Amin, I'm the tale of the hunt
Listing historical conquerors and relating his own story to the struggle for power
Let's bring back to the cat that invented the gun, From the Indians all the way to the Pentagon
Tracing the history of weapon invention from the indigenous communities to the US military
I'm sittin on Capitol Hill, I'm composin this rhyme, guarantee to make all of y'all feel
Highlighting the artist's position and influence and promising to make an impact on the listeners
The beauty that was trapped under siege
Referring to the oppressed communities and their beauty which is hidden by systemic barriers
Believe in yourself you'll be free, take it from me
Encouraging self-belief as a means to break free from oppression
The rejection of what's right could mean you in denial
Emphasizing the importance of accepting what is right and rejecting denial
It either breaks you or makes you becomes hostile
Stating the potential outcomes of rejecting what is right
In the beginin there was darkness, beautiful you
Drawing a parallel between the beauty of the darkness and the beauty of the listener
People worship the Madonna in the shrines in Spains
Referencing devotion to religious figures in Spain
I'm proud to share the same blood type in veins, The holy mother...the loneliest color remains
Claiming pride in a shared heritage and emphasizing the loneliness of the oppressed
Can't be tamperin, die loot the chains
Urging to rebel against those who tamper with the oppressed's freedom
They try make you not want it, make you run from it
Describing how the oppressors might mislead the oppressed and make them avoid standing up for their rights
The wickest men, want the ebony punish
Implying that powerful people want to punish and oppress the minority communities
It's so seductive it's sensuous in my clutches
Describing how the beauty of the rebellion can be attractive and inspiring
Hot as fire when Moses saw burnin bushes
Referring to a biblical story as a metaphor for the revolutionary spirit
So abused and misused and mistreated
Emphasizing how the oppressed have been mistreated
Makin men wanna get drunk and get weed it
Describing how the suffering of the oppressed can lead them to substance abuse
People wild when she comes out pull out and party
Describing the joy and excitement of the oppressed when they unite and celebrate together
Catch her body, fornicate some start beef
Referring to the temptation of the revolutionary spirit leading people to conflict and discord
Chain reaction cuz it's in the air
Describing the contagious nature of revolution and rebellion
The lost tribe scattered everywhere
Referring to the displaced and oppressed communities that are often forgotten and ignored
From the North thru West Hemisphere
Indicating a geographical range of the oppressed communities
Scientist and Archaeologist conceal the obvious
Questioning the legitimacy of academic experts who might obscure the truth
The dead, livin and little children over time of this
Acknowledging the impact of oppression on different generations
Obsession coursin, every essence of magnetism every organism when it come to it
Stating the pervasive and compelling nature of the revolutionary spirit
All question 'bout Resurrection and your connection with God
Alluding to spiritual questions related to liberation and justice
It's answered wit the beast in your heart
Implying that the answer might lie within oneself and the revolutionary spirit within them
Why do we March? to protest Government policy
Answering the question of why people march against government policies
We March because the time to fight back
Stating that the time to resist has come
We March for education
Highlighting the importance of awareness and knowledge when fighting oppression
We March to save the soul of America
Stating that fighting oppression is crucial to saving America's essence
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@BLACKGOD1
This is the NAS I love. Intelligent raw hiphop for the black mind.
@julianwilliams3113
most lyrical MC of all time.
@egbunaobi4237
What separates him from the MCS folks have the audacity to compare to him
@futurenow522
dam,,how I miss this!! yo.im nodding & building at the same time!! PEACE GOD SUN!!!
@gdiggedy9
Views for this joint are way too low. A true Lost Tape.
@12Judah12
@aliadaduncan That's right Ach The lost tribe scattered everywhere From the North thru West Hemisphere Scientist and Archaeologist conceal the obvious
@BigPoppaDiaz
Any more songs from this CD?