Street Dreams
Nas ft R. Kelly Lyrics

Low profile, rap style slick as Nu Nile
Nas has a style that is low key, but his rhymes are smooth and polished.

Give the crew pounds every time we cover new ground
Nas acknowledges his crew with a fist bump every time they accomplish something new.

Still survivin', but there's a few down back in the essence
Nas has survived in the music industry, but some of his peers have passed away.

I'm askin' questions on the phone with jail adolescents
Nas talks to young people that are incarcerated and tries to understand their experiences.

Quiet confession, the system's applyin' the pressure
Nas recognizes that the criminal justice system puts pressure on those that are incarcerated.

My mind is guessin', is livin' and dyin' a lesson?
Nas is contemplating the meaning of life and death.

But not to be obliged with the mirage of cars
Nas is not fooled by the illusion of material possessions.

Take me off track from what the gods focus on hard
Nas tries not to get distracted from what he believes is important in life.

Laid up, smokin' cigars, motionin' maids
Nas is spending his time enjoying the finer things in life.

To bring me toast and eggs kosher
Nas is being served food that is prepared according to Jewish dietary laws.

Ice chokers and wolves to smoke ya
Nas is surrounded by people that wear expensive jewelry and are dangerous.

My wisdom culture lives in ultra madness
Nas embraces a way of life that is both wise and chaotic.

Devoted Coach bag bitch
Nas is devoted to his luxurious lifestyle and the women that are attracted to it.

Broke, the average nigga's hopes to get mad rich
Most people that are poor don't have the hope of becoming rich.

But what's the purpose?
Nas questions the purpose of life.

Only the gods can watch the Earth twist
Nas believes that only a higher power can understand the mysteries of the world.

I'm physically trapped down on the surface
Nas feels stuck in his current situation.

With all the crack merchants, snakes and serpents
Nas is surrounded by drug dealers and deceitful people.

Foul jakes that search us
Nas is harassed by corrupt police officers.

Clowns with four pounds, this ain't a circus
Nas is surrounded by people that carry firearms.

Street dreamer (oh, mercy, mercy me)
Nas is a dreamer that comes from the streets.

Ain't nothin' out there for ya
Nas warns that the streets don't offer anything positive for young people.

Situation's gettin' heavy
Nas recognizes that the situation in the streets is dangerous.

Heavy, heavy, tryin' to be a gangsta
Nas sees young people trying to be tough and fit in with the wrong crowd.

Black clouds over the hood, I'm on the corner with the thugs
Nas is in a dangerous area with criminals.

Late night under the Moon as they assume I'm slangin' drugs
Nas is mistaken for a drug dealer by those in the area.

'Cause I'm hooded up, thought a G a night wasn't good enough
Nas is criticized for not making enough money by those in the area.

Pushed my luck, yo, they had a brother put in cuffs
Nas was arrested for his involvement in the criminal world.

Luckily, made it out of court comfortably
Nas was fortunate to not receive a harsh sentence in court.

Judge said I need a job, ain't nothin' comin' free
Nas was told that he needed to find work to support himself.

Could've got a one-to-three
Nas could have been sentenced to one to three years in prison.

I try to school these shorties under me
Nas tries to teach the young people in his community valuable life lessons.

But they can't see, from life to death
The young people that Nas mentors can't see the bigger picture of life.

So now we back to where we never left
Nas is still in the same situation he was in years ago.

The ghetto, it's a damn shame, knowin' it's a man's game
Nas recognizes that living in poverty is tough and disproportionate.

Shorty thinks it's time to make your plans change
Nas encourages young people to change their ways and make better plans for their future.

All that runnin' round, tryin' to chase what's already here
Nas believes that people are often searching for what they already have.

Been there, it's goin' nowhere
Nas has already been where others are trying to go and found it to be unproductive.

Pops told me knuckle up, no fear
Nas's father taught him to stand up for himself and be brave.

I wish some of these killings they could be prevented
Nas wishes that the violence in his community could be stopped before it happens.

Whatever happens, it was written, meaning God meant it
Nas believes that everything happens for a reason and is predestined by a higher power.

But during life, you put your heart in it
Despite knowing that life is predestined, Nas still tries to live his life with passion.

Even though it seems we bein' targeted
Nas feels like he is being unfairly singled out.

Let that brother R hit it
Nas hands the mic over to R. Kelly.

Sort of wild, since a child, hope was all we had
Nas has always had hope, even as a child.

Dreamt of plushed-out pads
Nas has always dreamt of living in luxury.

Complainin', the mental strainin'
Despite his dreams, Nas has struggled with the pressure of trying to succeed.

How many in my crew was into gainin'?
Nas wonders how many of his friends are motivated by wealth.

Subtract the weak links up out the chain and
Nas believes in removing people from his life that might hold him back.

Rise and start reignin'
Nas wants to rise above his struggles and become successful.

Blasphemy, usin' Nas' name in vain
Nas is offended when people use his name inappropriately.

Some claim supreme being, yet they lied in his name
Nas criticizes people that claim to have a connection to a higher power but don't act in accordance with that belief.

I tried to learn the game and only thing I found incredible
Nas tried to understand the rules of the music industry, but found it to be unbelievable.

Everything I tried to learn, see, I already knew (That's right)
Nas already had an intuition about what he needed to do to be successful.

And it's embedded in my heart now
Nas's drive to be successful is a fundamental part of him.

So I could sit back, count a stack, and play my part now
Nas has realized some success and can now relax a bit.

I saw my life flash in front of my eyes, He wore disguise
Nas feels like he had a close call with death.

Put a gun to me, hungry, he went on to chastise
Nas was threatened with violence by someone that was desperate.

That's Nas, ain't it? Made it rich from entertainment
Someone recognizes Nas and is impressed by his wealth.

Fresh Wally's painted, as he told the kid he came with
Nas's clothing is fashionable and clean.

My first thought was: "How the game flip?"
Nas is surprised by how much his life has changed.

Yo, perhaps it was somebody I smacked drunk in a party on 'gac
Nas wonders if he made an enemy by getting into a fight at a party.

Or was I marked for a contract for some foul act I did a while back
Nas is worried that someone wants to harm him because of something he did in the past.

Or even beyond that
Nas's paranoia goes beyond his recent actions.

He got me layin' face flat, sayin' my grace, Black
Nas was almost killed and prayed for his life.

Woke up in a cold sweat, yo, I hate that
Nas had a nightmare that left him feeling unsettled.

Nightmares feelin' real, word to Will
Nas's nightmares are so vivid that they seem real.

My A-Alike I lost in the battlefield
Nas lost someone he was close to in the violence of the streets.

That's why I hit the mic with mad appeal
Nas uses music to cope with the pain of his experiences.

Grab your shield and meet your maker
Nas encourages others to face their problems head-on.

The Queens niggas die for paper
Nas's community is willing to do anything for money.

Deed the things, the street dreams will take ya
Nas warns that following the wrong path will lead to destruction.