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..
Why You Hate The Game
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To everybody who knows my story
To all of those who came before me
My time is now I'm goin' do it all over again
Ain't nothin' new ain't 'bout to change
I'm still gonna do it my way
Yeah I still remain
So tell me why you hate the game?
This time I do it better just because
[Nas]
Yall know what it is
The streets named me Illmatic but yet I'm still at
Yeah haters
[Verse 1: Nas]
Felon, fights behind me on the intersection
Sex and drugs my anthology on perfection
Dress superb admired by conspirists
Who wanna try me but ain't high enough to 4-5 me up
Child of the 80s, y'all niggas is lazy
Complainin' 'bout labor pains nigga show me the baby
And my nigga Game light another L pass the bottle
Pro-black I don't pick cotton out a aspirin bottle
Yeah I learned my lessons and heard y'all snitchin'
Witnessin' you rockin' with narcs confirmed my suspicion
Green fatigues on my niggas I'll bleed for 'em
I can show 'em the water but can't make 'em drink it
And I can show them my fortunes but can't force 'em think rich
And still I'm out on the boarder wonderin' if they sink quick
Ignore the ignorance I rep the brilliance of Queensbridge
And pray the feds let Murder Inc. live
[Chorus: Marsha Ambrosia]
To everybody who knows my story
To all of those who came before me
My time is now I'm gon' do it all over again (so how?)
Ain't nothin' new ain't 'bout to change
I'm still gonna do it my way
Yeah I still remain
So tell me why you hate the game?
Oh no I never lost I do it just because
So tell me why you hate the game?
This time I do it better just because
[The Game]
I don't talk about my guns nigga I Just Blaze
[Verse 2: The Game]
'Pac is watchin' B.I.G. is listenin'
While Pun talkin' to us Jam Jay still spinnin'
To every nigga listenin' I was supposed to be
Amongst kings my mom shouted out at my christenin'
And while you still listenin' Shyne locked in a manhole
And Cam got shot inside his Lambo it's ample
Life is a gamble, 15 years old red rag around my head
My sisters used to laugh and call me Rambo
Seen Eazy's legacy melt away like a candle
I rekindle the flame Dre created The Game
Nigga Wit a Attitude from the cloth I came
Young homie ate his way up from the bottom of the food chain
Keep the crown clown I rock a L.A. Dodger fitted
Showed my ass at Summer Jam but New York was down wit' it
Now the ball's in my court never dribble out of bounds wit' it
Behind the back to Nas he alley oop to Jigga nigga
[Chorus]
[Verse 3: The Game]
Check it, Me and Nasty puffin it's a classic trust me
How he gon' pass the dutchie to them niggas that don't love me
I'm talkin' niggas that never wanted to see me on top
Same niggas that never wanted to see The Doctor's Advocate drop
Flop I think not, I fuck you rap niggas like virgins
Dre took my trainin' wheels off it's curtains
I don't need no encore no claps no cheers
The Game ain't over this the beginning of my career
The endin' of yours the endin' of his
Like Flavor Flav's clock I'm back to handle my biz
Nigga it's Game time that was Dre's favorite line
Back when Proof was in the booth and I recited his lines
And I still think about my nigga from time to time
Make me wanna call 50 and let him know what's on my mind
But I just hold back 'cause we ain't beefin' like that
He ain't B.I.G. and I ain't 'Pac we just eatin' off rap
One love
[Chorus]
[Just Blaze]
It ain't over, Ladies and gentleman, I go by the name
Of the one and only, Just Blaze, I got a couple people
In the house with me, Usually we do this at the
Beginning but we gon' do it at the end this time, I wanna
Take you to church real quick, So I'ma need some help
I need 1500 or Nothin' wit' me, The wonderful talents of
Marsha Ambrosia from Floetry, Ah yeah there we go
The sun is shinin' down on us right now we feelin' real
Good we know y'all do too, So if you feelin' good sing
Along clap along, stomp along, catch a lil' Holy
Ghost, and if you ain't feelin' good God willin, By
The end of this record He gon' change all that, Ayo
Lorenz you ready? There it is pass me them drumsticks,
Alright everybody please join in, ya life ain't good
You can get it right take this opportunity to do so,
And ummm, I'ma let it do what it do, rest in peace to
Georgia Elliott, here we go!
[Repeats in background]
And the sun shines with you
[The Game]
I wanna thank everybody for comin' out, God bless,
One love, Good night, Or good day if you on the
Other side of the globe, Yo Just we on the move with
This shit, Doctor's Advocate, See you on the third
Album, hate it or love it
The lyrics of Nas feat. The Game's song Why You Hate The Game are a combination of personal reflections and commentary on the state of the rap industry. Nas opens the song with a reference to his debut album Illmatic, which earned him the nickname "Illmatic" and has become a classic in the genre. He then describes the vice and danger that surrounds him, but also his impeccable style and the admiration of his enemies. He addresses the laziness and complaining of his peers, and mentions his friend The Game, who is known for his love of smoking marijuana and his pro-black stance.
The chorus of the song includes references to some of the most iconic figures in rap history, such as Tupac, Biggie, and Pun, as well as Jay-Z's DJ Jam Master Jay, who was tragically killed in 2002. Nas asserts his own place among these legends, saying he was "supposed to be amongst kings" from birth. He also mentions some of the hardships he faced growing up, such as his involvement with gang culture at a young age.
The second verse features The Game, who asserts his own place in the rap world and his loyalty to his home city of Los Angeles. He name-drops Dr. Dre, who helped launch his career, and takes a jab at rapper 50 Cent, with whom he had a brief feud at the time. The Game also pays homage to his friend Proof, a rapper who was a member of Eminem's group D12 and was killed in 2006.
Overall, the song is a powerful statement on the struggles and triumphs of two of rap's most talented and influential artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Y'all know what it is
Acknowledging that the listeners already understand the situation.
The streets named me Illmatic, for that I'm still at it
Recognizing his street credibility and that he's still relevant.
Can't hate us
Confidence that they cannot be hated or stopped as a duo.
Vice behind me on the intersection,
Describing his surroundings while painting a picture of his environment.
Sex and drugs, my anthology on perfection,
Admitting that sex and drugs are part of his life's story and it's a perfect representation of his social circle.
Dress superb, admired by conspirers,
Feeling confident and being admired by people who have ill intentions for him.
Who wanna try me, but ain't high enough to four-five me up,
Inviting enemies to try and take him down but knowing they don't have the skill or courage to do it.
Child of the eighties, y'all niggas is lazy,
Acknowledging that he's from a different era and that the men of his generation are lazy.
Complain about labour pains, nigga show me the baby,
Calling out people who complain about hard work and adversity, but haven't produced anything to show for it.
And my nigga Game, light another L, pass the bottle,
Taking a break to smoke and drink with his friend, The Game.
Pro-black, I don't take cotton out of aspirin bottles,
Being proud of his black culture and not allowing himself to be treated like a slave.
Yeah, I learned my lessons, and heard y'all snitchin',
Acknowledging that he's learned from his mistakes and is aware of people who talk behind his back.
Witnessing you rockin' with Nas, confirmed my suspicion,
Seeing people connect with Nas confirms his suspicion that he's doing something right.
Green fatigues on, My niggas I bleed for 'em,
Wearing green fatigues to represent his allegiance to his friends and being willing to sacrifice for them.
I can show 'em the water, but can't make 'em drink it,
Being able to provide guidance but not being able to force someone to follow it.
And I can show 'em my fortunes but can't force 'em to think rich,
Being able to share his wealth but not being able to make people understand the importance of financial education.
And still I don't abort 'em ? when and if they sink quick,
Not giving up on people even if they make mistakes or fail.
Ignore the ignorance, I rep the brilliance of Queensbridge,
Choosing to look past ignorance and negativity and represent his hometown of Queensbridge in a positive light.
And pray to fans, let Murder Inc. live
Showing support for Murder Inc. and hoping their music will continue to thrive.
I don't talk about my guns, nigga I just blaze
Preferring to keep his firearm use private and discreet.
'Pac is watchin', Big is listenin',
Feeling the presence of legendary rappers Tupac and Biggie who have passed away.
While Pun talkin' to us, Jam Jay still spinnin',
Feeling the presence of rappers Big Pun and Jam Master Jay who have passed away.
To every nigga listenin',
Addressing his message to anyone who's listening.
I was supposed to be amongst kings, my Mom shouted out at my Christening.
Knowing he was destined for greatness since he was a baby and his mother declaring it at his christening.
And while you still listenin', Shyne locked in a man hole,
Acknowledging rapper Shyne's current situation of being imprisoned.
Cam got shot inside his lambo', sample, life is a gamble,
Referencing the shooting of rapper Cam'ron and recognizing that life is unpredictable and can sometimes be dangerous.
15 years old red rag around my hand, My sisters used to laugh and call me 'Rambo',
Sharing a personal memory of being teased by his sisters for wearing a red rag on his hand at a young age and being compared to Rambo.
Seen Eazy's legacy melt away like a candle,
Witnessing the fading legacy of rapper Eazy-E.
I rekindled the flame,
Reviving the spirit and legacy of West Coast rap music.
Dre created The Game,
Acknowledging Dr. Dre's role in his career and creating his stage name.
nigga with an attitude from the cloth I came,
Identifying himself as someone from a similar background as N.W.A (Nigga With Attitude) and inheriting that attitude.
Young homie ate his way up from the bottom of the food chain.
Starting from the bottom and working his way up the ranks to become successful.
Keep the crown, clown, I rock an LA Dodger Fitted,
Not caring about being recognized as the king of anything and instead wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers fitted hat.
I showed my ass at Summer Jam but New York was down with it,
Recalling a memorable performance at Summer Jam where even the usually tough New York audience enjoyed his music and energy.
Now the ball's in my court, never dribble out of bounds with it.
Being in control of his own career and making the most of it without messing it up.
Behind the back to Nas, he alley oop to Jigga, nigga
Using a basketball term to describe the trio of rappers working together and passing the torch to the next generation.
Me and nasty puffin', this a classic, trust me,
Enjoying smoking with his friend and The Game and acknowledging that their collaboration is a classic.
How you gon' pass the dutchie ? to them niggas that don't love me,
Asking how people can share a joint with someone who doesn't truly care for him.
I'm talkin' niggas that never wanted to see me on top,
Referring to people who have doubted his abilities and didn't support his success.
Same niggas that never wanted to see the Doctor's Advocate drop, flop, I think not,
Predicting that their combined album, The Doctor's Advocate, will not fail despite their detractors.
I'll fuck you rap niggas like virgins,
Boasting his sexual prowess and confidence in himself as a rapper.
Dre took my training wheels off his curtains.
Dr. Dre helped him to become a successful rapper and producer and allowed him to take control of his own career.
I don't need no encore, no claps, no cheers,
Not requiring any extra acknowledgement or recognition for his skills and success.
The Game ain't over, this the beginning of my career,
Feeling that he still has much more to accomplish and that his career is just beginning.
The ending of yours, the endin' of his,
Suggesting that his and other rappers' success will lead to the end of others' careers.
Like Flavor Flav's clock, I'm back to handle my biz,
Comically comparing himself to rapper Flavor Flav's oversized clock, and saying that he's back to handle his business.
Nigga, it's Game Time, that was Dre's favorite line,
Using his stage name and recognizing that Dr. Dre liked to say that phrase.
Back when proof was in the booth and I recited his lines,
Remembering the rapper Proof and reciting his rhymes.
And I still think about my nigga from time to time,
Reflecting on the memory of his friend who has passed away.
Make me wanna call 50, and let him know what's on my mind,
Feeling the urge to speak his mind to fellow rapper 50 Cent.
But I just hold back 'cause we ain't beefin' like that,
Choosing not to start any unnecessary conflicts with 50 Cent.
He ain't Big, and I ain't Pac, and we just eatin' off rap.
Acknowledging that he and 50 Cent are not as influential as rappers Biggie and Tupac, and are just making a living off their music.
One love.
Ending on a positive note, expressing love and unity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARVIN AMBROSIUS, J SMITH, J TAYLOR, MARSHA AMBROSIUS, N JONES, NORBERT SLOLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nasir Amaru
Nas verse was legendary. It hits the depths of my soul.
Hated Out Yo
I played this song every big milestone in my life. High school graduation, graduation of college marrying my wife first born baby being born first 6 figure job. I cant wait for what the future holds
Victor Torres
This whole album was/is a piece of my personal history hope the future and fam is bright love and respect brother
wingz350
This song made me cry when i first heard it. This is an epic masterpiece slept on by a lot of people...I always play this when im down or have had a bad day. When 1500 or Nothin and Marsha take over at 6:10 you go to CHURCH. Thanks to Just Blaze, Game, Nas and Marsha
dhkk
To this day I feel the same way 2019
R S
Yea just blaze mostly
THE REAL MACC MALONE
Me too when i 1st heard this.#soulful #underrated
Donna Sykes
Robert Long 2020 same
Edmund Nieves
2020 still listening to this What made the Game The G.A.M.E.
THxRPY
One of the best hip-hop beats of all time...Just Blaze is a genius