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..
fast life ft. kool g rap
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Distribution, New York, to Chicago, L.A.
We gotta set our own market, and enforce it
Champagne wishes of caviar dreams ?a penis didn't cream?
With sales of fish scales from triple beams I gleam
Livin' the live of rowdy packin' fifty cali's
Rockin' lizard Bally's while we do our drug deal in a dark alley
Pushin' beam-o's then parlay in Reno with two fly Latinos
Nas, he runs the whole staff, we count mad for seen bad
We've seen a half a milli dashin' out there on the Queens half
Three major players gettin' papers by the layers
And those that portray us on the block get rocked like Domateus
Fakers get used to shootin' targets, soon as the dark hits
Front on the drug market, bodies get rolled up in a carpet
Those that cheat us try to beat us we got hookers with heaters
That'll stray pop and put more shells in your top than Adidas
Da leaders, lookin' straight crimy in our Giorgio Armani's
You wanna harm me and Nas you gots ta come get through a whole army
The celo rollers money folders sippin' bola holdin' mad payola
Slangin' a Coke without the Cola
Me and black don't fake jacks but we might sling one
It ain't no shame in our game we do our thing son
[Chorus]
[Repeat x2]
Livin' the fast life, in fast cars
Everywhere we go, people know who we are
A team from out of Queens with the American dream
So we're plottin' up a scheme to get the seven figure cream
Yo I got, guns from Italy, smoke trees, considerably
Mid-state and Green it seems, is where all my niggaz be
The ghetto misery, shootouts and liquor stores
A perpendicular, angle of the clout war
Police searchin' up my Lex over who's petrol
My tech blows straight off the roof and tests yo' respect though
But dough don't respect me, it got me handcuffed
The rough life, I just be up nights, breathin' with scuffed Nike's
Pour my beers for my peoples under the stairs
These years I got they names in my swears
Poppin' Cristal like it's my first child, lickin' shots, holiday style
Rockin' Steele sweaters, Wallaby down
Twenty-four carats, countin' cabbage, like the Arabs
The marriage of me and the mic is just like magic
Elegant performance, bubble Lex full insurance
Guzzlin' Guinness shootin' catchin' cases concurrent
It's Nas, seven hundred wives, King Solomon size
We on the rise, me and G, ghetto wise guys
The Luciano Frankie Aiel, Bugsy Seagal
Green papers with eagles from a tray that's illegal
Brother you've got to make it happen
Yeah yeah, get this money, yeah
Brother you've got to make it happen
When you're living in the fast life, hey yeah yeah
Aiyyo my lifestyle's exquisite, yayo like a blizzard
It's choir attire standin' on ground with one pivot
Two players rockin' silk blazers and diamonds like glaciers
Lands with name brand seats reclinin' like in spaceships
Bodies on ice
Livin' trife, rollin' fixed up dice
Gamblin' Grants
Handlin' stamps
Moves are sheist
My bankrolls, got the cops comin' in plain clothes
Tryin' to arraign again cause of our fame that's how the game goes
True
Right out the slammer with the fame and glamor
Cookin' up grams with Arm & Hammer supplyin' scramblers in Alabama
Rub out faces and leave no traces
My aces got mad body cases, preserve spaces at the horse races
Servin' us Dom P my cliquo
Dimes with magnifico, puttin' in cut inside perico
Heat for foes, shoppin' sprees with my fleet for clothes
In Caribbean suites, deep, rippin' beats with flows
Aiyyo, we went from standin' on blocks, without some socks
Sellin' rocks, to pickin' up stock and boat docks with Glocks
And got poppy seed fields with million dollar bills
Packin' all the blue steel we keeps it real inside the battlefield
Yeah so here's a toast to the funds and things
Gun smokes in rings, graveyards is buried with kings
[Chorus]
In Nas feat. Kool G Rap's song Fast Life, the lyrics describe the expansion of an illegal drug operation that spans across New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The singer is living a life of luxury, engaging in drug deals in dark alleys, holding stacks of cash, and wearing designer clothing. The chorus describes their fast-paced lifestyle, driving fast cars and being known everywhere they go. The verses include mentions of guns, drug deals, and police surveillance. The lyrics also mention the challenges of living this way, including legal trouble and being handcuffed. Despite these challenges, the singer is determined to continue living the life of luxury and plotting ways to increase their profits.
Line by Line Meaning
The time has come, we gotta expand, the whole operation
It is time to expand our business operation.
Distribution, New York, to Chicago, L.A.
We need to distribute our products from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles.
We gotta set our own market, and enforce it
We need to establish our own market, and protect it fiercely.
Champagne wishes of caviar dreams, a penis didn't cream?
We dream of lavish lifestyles filled with the finest things, but in reality we struggle to survive.
With sales of fish scales from triple beams I gleam
We make a living selling drugs, specifically cocaine.
Livin' the live of rowdy packin' fifty cali's
We lead a rough life, armed with .50 caliber guns.
Rockin' lizard Bally's while we do our drug deal in a dark alley
We dress in expensive shoes, even when conducting illegal drug deals in dangerous places.
Up in casinos just me and my dino primo
We visit casinos, only me and my close friends.
Pushin' beam-o's then parlay in Reno with two fly Latinos
After making drug sales, we enjoy our profits in Reno with two attractive Latina women.
Nas, he runs the whole staff, we count mad for seen bad
Nas is the leader of our group, and we work hard to make money.
We've seen a half a milli dashin' out there on the Queens half
We have witnessed drug dealers make a lot of money in Queens.
Three major players gettin' papers by the layers
There are three influential drug dealers making profits from multiple sources.
And those that portray us on the block get rocked like Domateus
Anyone who tries to betray or slander us on the streets will be punished severely.
Fakers get used to shootin' targets, soon as the dark hits
People who try to imitate us quickly learn to shoot targets and defend themselves in the dark.
Front on the drug market, bodies get rolled up in a carpet
If someone tries to interfere with our drug business, they will be killed and their body will be hidden.
Those that cheat us try to beat us we got hookers with heaters
Anyone who tries to cheat us will be threatened by prostitutes with guns.
That'll stray pop and put more shells in your top than Adidas
These prostitutes are dangerous and skilled marksmen who can shoot people multiple times.
Da leaders, lookin' straight crimy in our Giorgio Armani's
As leaders, we dress stylishly in our Armani suits.
You wanna harm me and Nas you gots ta come get through a whole army
If someone wants to harm us, they will have to defeat our entire group.
The celo rollers money folders sippin' bola holdin' mad payola
We are wealthy and enjoy spending our money, while holding onto our drug profits.
Slangin' a Coke without the Cola
We sell cocaine without the added ingredients found in Coca-Cola.
Me and black don't fake jacks but we might sling one
We are honest in our dealings, but we may resort to shady behavior if necessary.
It ain't no shame in our game we do our thing son
We are proud of our lifestyle and make no apologies for it.
Livin' the fast life, in fast cars
Our lives are characterized by fast cars and a fast-paced lifestyle.
Everywhere we go, people know who we are
We are famous and well-known wherever we go.
A team from out of Queens with the American dream
We are a group from Queens who strive for success and wealth.
So we're plottin' up a scheme to get the seven figure cream
We are planning a scheme to earn millions of dollars.
Yo I got, guns from Italy, smoke trees, considerably
I have guns from Italy and enjoy smoking marijuana.
Mid-state and Green it seems, is where all my niggaz be
My friends and associates are mostly located in the Mid-state and Green areas.
The ghetto misery, shootouts and liquor stores
Living in the ghetto is difficult, with frequent shootouts and high alcohol consumption.
A perpendicular, angle of the clout war
The battle for power is fought from all angles.
Police searchin' up my Lex over who's petrol
The police are searching my car, suspecting me of purchasing gasoline for illegal purposes.
My tech blows straight off the roof and tests yo' respect though
I am not afraid to use my gun to defend myself or earn respect.
But dough don't respect me, it got me handcuffed
Money does not always buy respect or freedom, as I am currently handcuffed.
The rough life, I just be up nights, breathin' with scuffed Nike's
My life is rough and I often stay up late, wearing worn-out Nike shoes.
Pour my beers for my peoples under the stairs
I enjoy drinking beer with my friends who live under the stairs.
These years I got they names in my swears
I will never forget my friends' names, no matter what happens.
Poppin' Cristal like it's my first child, lickin' shots, holiday style
I am celebrating with expensive champagne and firing shots into the air.
Rockin' Steele sweaters, Wallaby down
I wear stylish sweaters and comfortable Wallaby shoes.
Twenty-four carats, countin' cabbage, like the Arabs
I have expensive 24-carat jewelry and count money like wealthy Arab businessmen.
The marriage of me and the mic is just like magic
My relationship with music and performing is magical.
Elegant performance, bubble Lex full insurance
I perform elegantly and drive a safe car with full insurance.
Guzzlin' Guinness shootin' catchin' cases concurrent
I am drinking Guinness beer and committing crimes at the same time.
It's Nas, seven hundred wives, King Solomon size
I am Nas, a famous rapper with many women, similar to King Solomon.
We on the rise, me and G, ghetto wise guys
My friend G and I are becoming more successful, and we are street-smart.
The Luciano Frankie Aiel, Bugsy Seagal
We are like famous mafia figures Luciano, Frankie Aiel, and Bugsy Seagal.
Green papers with eagles from a tray that's illegal
We have illegally obtained money with eagle emblems on it.
Brother you've got to make it happen
You must take action and make your dreams a reality.
Yeah yeah, get this money, yeah
Yes, prioritize earning money.
When you're living in the fast life, hey yeah yeah
When you live a life of luxury and indulgence, it is important to keep up with the fast pace.
Aiyyo my lifestyle's exquisite, yayo like a blizzard
My lifestyle is extravagant and indulgent, with frequent cocaine use.
It's choir attire standin' on ground with one pivot
I stand proudly and confidently, dressed sharply like a choir member.
Two players rockin' silk blazers and diamonds like glaciers
My friend and I wear fancy silk blazers and sparkling diamonds.
Lands with name brand seats reclinin' like in spaceships
We travel in luxurious cars with expensive, comfortable seats.
Bodies on ice
We have killed people and frozen their bodies to avoid detection.
Livin' trife, rollin' fixed up dice, gamblin' Grants
We live dangerously, cheating at games of chance and gambling with large sums of money.
Handlin' stamps, moves are sheist
We handle drugs and make deceptive moves to outsmart our competition.
My bankrolls, got the cops comin' in plain clothes
I have so much money that the police are investigating me in plain clothes.
Tryin' to arraign again cause of our fame that's how the game goes
The police are trying to arrest us again because of our notorious reputation.
True
Yes, that is the truth.
Right out the slammer with the fame and glamor
We have become famous and glamorous after just getting out of prison.
Cookin' up grams with Arm & Hammer supplyin' scramblers in Alabama
We are producing and selling cocaine using Arm & Hammer baking soda as a cutting agent in Alabama.
Rub out faces and leave no traces
We are skilled at killing people and hiding the evidence.
My aces got mad body cases, preserve spaces at the horse races
My close friends have killed many people and left no evidence, allowing them to enjoy horse racing without worry.
Servin' us Dom P my cliquo
We are served expensive Champagne, Dom Perignon, by our waiters.
Dimes with magnifico, puttin' in cut inside perico
We see attractive women and use drugs, Perico, to impress them.
Heat for foes, shoppin' sprees with my fleet for clothes
We are armed and ready to fight our enemies while shopping for new clothes.
In Caribbean suites, deep, rippin' beats with flows
We enjoy luxurious Caribbean hotel suites and make music with impressive rap verses.
Aiyyo, we went from standin' on blocks, without some socks, sellin' rocks
We used to sell drugs on the streets, without even wearing socks.
To pickin' up stock and boat docks with Glocks
Now we trade stocks and own boats, while still carrying guns.
And got poppy seed fields with million dollar bills
We have access to opium poppy fields, which earn us millions of dollars.
Packin' all the blue steel, we keeps it real inside the battlefield
We carry guns and are always ready for any dangerous situation that may arise.
Yeah so here's a toast to the funds and things
Let's cheers to our wealth and material possessions.
Gun smokes in rings, graveyards is buried with kings
We are involved in violent conflicts and our enemies are often killed and buried in unmarked graves.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DAN SMITH, DANIEL GRESHAM, PAUL RICHARD, JAMES EARL WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HDitzzDH
G Rap's rhyme-scheme on the first verse, my fucking god..
1. "Eam" (dreams, team, cream, gleam)
2. "Ali" (riley, calis, bally's, alley)
3. "Ino" (casinos, dino, primo, beam-o's, Reno, latinos)
4. "Aff" (staff, math, baths, half)
5. "Ay" (major, players, papers, layers, portray-us, Amadeus, fakers)
6. "Ar" (targets, dark-hits, market, carpet)
7. "E" (cheat-us, beat-us, heaters, Adidas, Da-leaders)
8. "Ar/Me" (Armani's, harm-me, army)
9. "Ol" (Cee-lo rollers, folders, Bolla, payola, Cola)
10. "Ack" (black, jacks)
11. "Ing" (Slanging, sling, thing)
12. "One" (one, son)
13. "Ame" (shame, game)
I probably missed many rhyme patterns but fuck it.
@jkbzz
The first verse on this song is greater than 99.9% of rappers entire careers.
Kool G remains one of my favorite of all time.
@georgemaxwell3467
Easily...
@felipe3354
You’re not wrong
@BudsCartoon
Any good albums you can put me on? I've seen him for years in my real Giancana research.
@felipe3354
Anybody who wants to hear a Kool G verse that you haven’t ever heard. He did a bonus track on Diabolic’s album Liar and a Thief back in 2010. Just type in “Diabolic cursed” and you’ll get it.
@cori3093
That opening verse from G rap..... gotta be up there with one of the best verses of all time!!! Insane
@spencerdoss1571
3 major players getting papers by the layers, and those that portray us on the block man they rock like Amadeus
@simonpitt4080
Don’t get the end of that line about Amadeus anyone
@YoungShadTv
@Simon Pitt it's a song by falco came out in the 80s
@Clint_tha_great
Song by Falco called “Rock me Amadeus”