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..
Where's The Love
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lots of thinking happens in life, will I win or fail?
Mind of a shooter, CFO also
Ethiopian food flown in, it's unlawful
Money is attractive, honey dress strapless
Agent Provocateur underwear: she's classic
Stroll up in the party: titanium black car
Romanian ladies like Casablanca, Casbah
You know the real rap gods, typical trap star turned rap star
These old heads got stories, the days they was kings
I pray secret indictments don't take away their dreams
You 16, you could do 20, come home young
Catch 20 years when you 40? Homes, you're done
What have we become? Rap stars from trap stars
Black gods to Ansars to Sunnis back to goonies
A 360 in the streets real grizzly
Shooters is cold, kid, the old shit was learning
Student enrollment to focus, yet hooligans roll with
Toasters to pop your medullas off of your shoulders
This ain't the Truman Show, it's the human show
Ask the F.B.I. agent at his cubicle
Chewing on his pencil eraser with intents to erase you
It's U.S.A. against the gangsta, where's the love?
Love, I'll trade you love
I've traded fire with you long enough
Is that all you brung? It's not love
That's fucked up, but I saved your soul
Roll that up
Sometimes I sit on the bench just to watch the game
Feet on cement, there ain't a mobster living I could name
Who made it out rich, in his absence I do not proclaim
To not have a heart like wild animals not tamed
Maybe just a typical thug nigga was my rank
'Cept I had a vision above niggas, what I think
It's crazy how many brothers come where I come from
Some made it out big, some dead, some unsung
Shots for soldiers on 23 hours lock-up
Younger generation, they want to mimic and mock us
Laughing, separating themselves like they not us, like
"Cops'll look at you like they look at me? That's preposterous"
Ain't it gangsta how your man made it? I'm humble
One gun, one crazy ass nigga, that's jungle
Now we having babies, cause growing up it was just us
No uncles or cousins to fight with us, we was fucked up
But still it was beautiful, the love is mutual
Even though me and Jung ain't show up to your funeral
I hold your son hand, tell him he the man, we love you
Your pops was king, you have a whole lot to live up to
The G is in your genes, already you tuck
Inherit your dad's swag, it's George Jefferson's strut
Stay flyest, they gon' want to know what in your diet
Don't be surprised if they want to check your shit and your vomit
Tell them you let it marinate, they swear you made them a promise
No matter what they do, you just stay a man of honor
I'm a street corner nigga, New York Knicks loyalist
Corona sipper, pass it out, might blow it with you
It ain't the Truman show, it's the human show
Ask the F.B.I. agent at his cubicle
Chews on his pencil eraser with intents to erase you
Young brother go and get your paper, I got love
Love, I'll trade you love
I've traded fire with you long enough
Is that all you brung? It's not love
That's fucked up, but I saved your soul
Roll that up
In Nas's song Where's The Love, he reflects on his life experiences and questions the state of society through his lyrics. He opens the song by describing his view from the Wynn hotel, discussing the difficulties of life and questioning whether he will win or fail. He then goes on to talk about his financial success as a CFO and his lavish lifestyle, including dining on Ethiopian food flown in, and wearing Agent Provocateur underwear. Nas acknowledges the divide between old and new rap stars and the dangers of the streets, speaking on those who were once kings but now face secret indictments.
The second half of the song sees Nas sitting on a bench, observing the game and contemplating the success of his peers from his neighbourhood. He talks about the challenges faced by younger generations to live up to the legacy of their fathers and icons who have passed away. Nas shares his love for his community and holds his late friend's son's hand, telling him that his father was a king and he has big shoes to fill. Nas acknowledges his position as a street corner nigga and a New York Knicks loyalist, sipping on Corona and rolling up his weed, and reminds young brothers to stay true to themselves and their morals.
Line by Line Meaning
At times I window watch at the Wynn hotel
Sometimes I stare out the window of the Wynn hotel and contemplate the possibilities of my life, wondering if I will succeed or fail
Lots of thinking happens in life, will I win or fail?
Life is filled with a great deal of existential thinking, whether or not one will make it or fall short of their aspirations.
Mind of a shooter, CFO also
I have the mentality of someone who is willing to take risks and make tough decisions like a shooter does. However, I also have the financial expertise of a CFO.
Ethiopian food flown in, it's unlawful
I enjoy Ethiopian cuisine, but it is illegal to have it flown in to the country.
Money is attractive, honey dress strapless
I am drawn to money, as many people are, and I also appreciate the beauty of women and the fashion they wear, such as a strapless dress.
Agent Provocateur underwear: she's classic
I recognize and appreciate classic and stylish women's underwear, such as Agent Provocateur.
Stroll up in the party: titanium black car
I arrive at social events in an impressive, sleek, and stylish titanium black car.
Romanian ladies like Casablanca, Casbah
I attract the attention of Romanian women who express similar tastes to those found in the classic movies Casablanca and Casbah.
'Cept we in the VIP area, that's ours
I access the VIP area of parties and events because of my status and influence, and that area belongs to people like me.
You know the real rap gods, typical trap star turned rap star
I am connected to the authenticity and history of rap music, including those who started out as trap stars but became successful rap stars.
These old heads got stories, the days they was kings
Older people in the rap industry have interesting and historical stories of the days when they were considered the kings of the genre.
I pray secret indictments don't take away their dreams
I hope that these older rap stars do not have their dreams taken away by secret legal actions.
You 16, you could do 20, come home young
If you go to jail at 16, you may end up serving 20 years and be released when you're still young.
Catch 20 years when you 40? Homes, you're done
If you get sentenced to 20 years in jail when you're 40, it's as if your life is over.
What have we become? Rap stars from trap stars
I'm curious about the current status of the rap industry, where now there is a trend of trap stars becoming rap stars.
Black gods to Ansars to Sunnis back to goonies
The status and perception of black people in society has shifted from gods to Ansars to Sunnis and now to more negative stereotypes of goonies.
A 360 in the streets real grizzly
The environment and conditions in the streets can change drastically in a full circle, often in a dangerous and difficult manner.
Shooters is cold, kid, the old shit was learning
Those who shoot and kill other people are cold and calculating, unlike the old days where violence was simply a tool of learning and growth.
Student enrollment to focus, yet hooligans roll with
Many people focus on their education and career, but there are still violent and criminal people who operate outside of that mainstream society.
Toasters to pop your medullas off of your shoulders
There are dangerous weapons like guns that can kill you by popping your medulla oblongata off of your shoulders.
This ain't the Truman Show, it's the human show
Life is not a scripted TV show like The Truman Show, but rather a chaotic and unpredictable human reality.
Ask the F.B.I. agent at his cubicle
The F.B.I. agent at his desk is familiar with the complexities and dangers of the criminal underworld.
Chewing on his pencil eraser with intents to erase you
This F.B.I. agent is so intensely focused on his work that he appears to want to erase you from existence.
It's U.S.A. against the gangsta, where's the love?
It seems like the United States is constantly waging war against the idea of the gangster, but where is the love in that?
Love, I'll trade you love
I'm willing to exchange love with someone else.
I've traded fire with you long enough
I've been in conflict with you long enough.
Is that all you brung? It's not love
Is all you have to offer aggression and violence? That's not love.
That's fucked up, but I saved your soul
That's a terrible situation, but at least I was able to help you spiritually.
Roll that up
Let's just roll up our sleeves and keep going.
Sometimes I sit on the bench just to watch the game
Occasionally, I take a break from my daily grind to observe the world around me.
Feet on cement, there ain't a mobster living I could name
I'm standing on the ground here with all these normal people around me, not the kind of place where I can think of any famous mobsters who'd fit in.
Who made it out rich, in his absence I do not proclaim
I can't think of any mobsters who escaped that lifestyle and are now wealthy.
To not have a heart like wild animals not tamed
It's important to be compassionate and not have a heart like untamed and savage animals.
Maybe just a typical thug nigga was my rank
Perhaps I was just an ordinary thug in my youth.
'Cept I had a vision above niggas, what I think
Except that I had an extraordinary vision beyond the typical thug mentality.
It's crazy how many brothers come where I come from
It's amazing how many people come from the same place as me.
Some made it out big, some dead, some unsung
Some people have become very successful, while others have died, and still others are forgotten.
Shots for soldiers on 23 hours lock-up
Even locked up soldiers deserve recognition and support.
Younger generation, they want to mimic and mock us
Younger people these days want to copy and ridicule our past ways.
Laughing, separating themselves like they not us, like
They laugh and try to distance themselves from us as if they're better than us, like
"Cops'll look at you like they look at me? That's preposterous"
They don't believe that cops would see them the same way they see someone like me. They think it's ridiculous.
Ain't it gangsta how your man made it? I'm humble
Isn't it amazing how successful some people from our circle have become? I'm humbled by their achievements.
One gun, one crazy ass nigga, that's jungle
With just one violent person carrying a weapon, the streets become like a jungle.
Now we having babies, cause growing up it was just us
Now that we're grown and settled, we're having children since when we were younger it was just us.
No uncles or cousins to fight with us, we was fucked up
We didn't have any family members to fight alongside us when we were struggling, so we were really screwed.
But still it was beautiful, the love is mutual
Despite the struggles, it was still a beautiful and loving experience.
Even though me and Jung ain't show up to your funeral
Even though me and Jung didn't make it to your funeral.
I hold your son hand, tell him he the man, we love you
I'm there for your son, holding his hand and telling him how much we loved and cared about you.
Your pops was king, you have a whole lot to live up to
Your father was a great man, and you have a lot to live up to in his legacy.
The G is in your genes, already you tuck
You already have the family traits of being a G and are ready to be successful.
Inherit your dad's swag, it's George Jefferson's strut
Follow in your father's footsteps and inherit his confidence and swagger.
Stay flyest, they gon' want to know what in your diet
Stay stylish and attractive, and people will be impressed with you.
Don't be surprised if they want to check your shit and your vomit
People may want to investigate what's behind your success and even check your drug use.
Tell them you let it marinate, they swear you made them a promise
Just tell them you waited patiently for success, and they'll believe that you made it as if you promised it.
No matter what they do, you just stay a man of honor
Regardless of any criticism or attacks on your character, always maintain your sense of honor and dignity.
I'm a street corner nigga, New York Knicks loyalist
I'm just a regular guy from the streets, and I'm a huge fan of the New York Knicks.
Corona sipper, pass it out, might blow it with you
I like to drink Corona beer and share it with my friends.
Love, I'll trade you love
I'm willing to exchange love with someone else.
I've traded fire with you long enough
I've been in conflict with you long enough.
Is that all you brung? It's not love
Is all you have to offer aggression and violence? That's not love.
That's fucked up, but I saved your soul
That's a terrible situation, but at least I was able to help you spiritually.
Roll that up
Let's just roll up our sleeves and keep going.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: NASIR JONES, JAMES EDWARD FAUNTLEROY II, MICHAEL BERRIN, PETER J. NASH, ERNEST DION WILSON, PAUL E. HUSTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind