There is at least seven artists named Natas:

1. Detroit Acid Rap Tr… Read Full Bio ↴There is at least seven artists named Natas:

1. Detroit Acid Rap Trio Natas;
2. Argentinian stoner rock group Natas, that after the release of their first album Delmar changed its name to Los Natas;
3. Lithuanian singer Natas;
4. Hardcore/Gabber producer Robert Gilmore (aka Rob Gee). Alias for one release (12" vinyl, "The Master Plan", 1993) on Bastard Loud Records, New York City;
5. Chicagoan death/thrash metal turned crossover trio, also known as Not Us;
6. German one-man black metal performer, later known as Kriegskarthaun;
7. Black Metal from west coast of Norway, Sunnfjord Natas, descending from the band Mara.

Detroit Acid Rap Trio Natas: Esham, TNT and Mastamind defined a dark style of hardcore rap characterized by decadent motifs and heavy metal-like aggression.

Taking considerable influence from Niggaz4life-era NWA, the Detroit, MI, trio came hard on their 1992 debut album, Life After Death, to the point where their anger-exuding music alienated all but a small cult audience fascinated with their anarchic disposition and their self-termed style of "Acid Rap." On this album they rapped about the most disturbing and shocking themes imaginable, capturing the darkest corners of their burnt-out city's most horrible ghettos with their lyrics in an attempt to be as hardcore as possible. To further the impact of these lyrics, Esham self-produced the album, laying down gritty beats and making effective use of rock samples to give the album a harsher tone.

Successive albums found the trio improving their rapping and their production, as they slowly matured, moving progressively away from mere exploitation. By the end of the '90s, their music had considerably evolved in terms of not only lyrical content and delivery but also in terms of production, resulting in an innovative realization of their original intent that finally blossomed on WWW.Com (Wicket World Wide).

Before forming NATAS, group leader Esham had already established himself as a solo artist, debuting at the end of the '80s with Boomin' Words From Hell, followed by a few EPs. At this time, Esham was a student at Osborne High School in Detroit, where he eventually crossed paths with Mastamind in the tenth grade. After listening to a three-song demo tape given to him by Mastamind, Esham decided to form a group with the promising rapper and TNT, a longtime friend. The three got together and decided to call themselves NATAS as a symbol of their anarchic, evil disposition at the time, being mere teenagers. In 1992, Esham released NATAS' debut album, Life After Death, on his REEL Life Productions label. Two years later he released a similar follow-up album, Blaz4me, an album nearly as twisted and disturbing as its predecessor. Then came the dark Doubelievengod album in 1995, which found the trio moving forward artistically as well as ideologically. When NATAS released Multikillionaire: The Devil's Contract in 1997, it became clear that the group had reached a turning point. Along with Esham's accompanying Bruce Wayne: Gotham City 1987 album from the same year, Multikillionaire broadened Natas' scope, aiming for conceptualism while abandoning the exploitative elements of previous works. NATAS resurfaced in 1999 with WWW.Com (Wicket World Wide), claiming that their name was an acronym for "Nation Ahead of Time And Space" rather than Satan spelled backwards in hopes of changing their image. The album improved upon Mulitkillionaire's flaws and represented a more mature representation of the group's ambitions. Featuring live instruments where Esham used to place samples, the album's production was considerably innovative for its time, marrying a rock attitude with a rap aesthetic and garnering considerable acclaim from the underground. Following this release, both Esham and Mastamind took time off to work on solo albums in the wake of the album's success and the Detroit rap scene's sudden evolution to a substantial hotspot for up-and-coming talent.

We Almost Lost Detroit
Natas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Esham)
I stay true to my city, now ain't this a pity
Niggaz in my city be actin haciditty they be like damn
that's that nigga who be talked that ill shit
But, um, I'm just a nigga that be kickin the real shit
And I don't believe in shit I don't see
So don't ask me bout G-O-D cause my religion is reality
Suckas be frontin for nothin, but I'mma get mine

I been kickin some old wicked shit, since 89
So you can fear when you hear me if you want to
I gotta case of paranoia Natas gunnin is comin for ya
Back the fuck up when you see me don't even look my way
Or I'm tempted to fuck up your day, you better pray
Niggaz talk hoe shit about me but bring it to my face
And I'mma put yo ass in yo place, bitch
I represent where I'm from and that's the D-E-T-are-O-I-T
And these motherfuckers kill me

(CHORUS)
"Well we almost lost Detroit"
"How do you get to Detroit?"
"Hey now, wait a minute man you ain't gotta come on like that witcha cat
Ya dig, we was just rappin, you know what I mean man?"

(TNT)
Niggaz just be scared of the wicked shit
They ain't feelin it, never understand cause its the real shit
Some suckas hate me cause I'm realer than most
But these chatty niggaz in my city keep playin me close
And motherfuckers spreadin gas up all over town
Every time I come around niggaz want to be down
100 pennies in your pocket, 40 dog in yo hand
Don't you know you're just a worker and your boss is my man
So get my dick out your hand because I'm down with the real
Ready to Shaquille a nigga, and fuck how you feel nigga
I've been down since D-A-why O-N-E its only me
No Jimmy Walker, dynamite TNT
Its real life till I die and real life till I'm dead
And real life is all I ever really truly said
So go ahead with that bullshit if you must diss me
I represent the city, but it ain't representin me

(CHORUS)

(Mastamind)
Never thought I'd find myself in the middle of war
With the same niggaz and bitches I'm tryin to puttin this shit down for
Stay true to your city, due to your city you're a star now
But there's a price to pay with your life cause you devlish and wild
Givin a fuck that they sayin that my rappin is wrong
Its just so happens that your deepest fear is a wicked song
I'll bust one for you bust your head and leave you headless
You want me to kick this wicked madness you ain't said shit
My mind's about to bust one time, first I'll bust this rhyme
Let me see what evil's on my mind, niggaz wishin I'm dyin
If I do I'm takin em with me, I'm takin this whole city with me
Underground, fools die from this wicked sound
The ghetto mist is thick so I can't see shit
All I hear is clickety-click I gotta get these enemies off my dick
You see they hate me, they want me to die but naw
The day I dropped the Blaz4me's the day I almost lost em all

(CHORUS)

Overall Meaning

The song "We Almost Lost Detroit" by Natas speaks about the harsh realities of living in Detroit, and the struggles that the rappers have faced due to the violence and conflict in the city. The first verse, performed by Esham, deals with his beliefs and his opinions on the city he loves. He describes how he only believes in what he can see, and highlights the violence that he fears is coming for him. He speaks of how he has been making music since 1989, and how he represents the city of Detroit. The chorus of the song contains a sample from a Gil Scott-Heron song, where he talks about the near nuclear disaster caused by a meltdown at a reactor near Detroit, and links it to the city's problems.

The second verse, performed by TNT, discusses how other people in the city view him and his music. He talks about how he is realer than most of the other rappers in the city, and how some people hate him for it. He also touches on the issue of who holds the power in the city, and how the people who do are not necessarily the ones that are highlighted in the media. The third and final verse, performed by Mastamind, deals with the consequences of living in Detroit. He describes the city as a warzone, and talks about the risks that he faces every day. He also speaks about how he has faced criticism for his music, but how he will not back down and will continue to make the music that he believes in.

Line by Line Meaning

I stay true to my city, now ain't this a pity
I am loyal to my city, but it's unfortunate that some people in my city are acting pretentious

Niggaz in my city be actin haciditty they be like damn that's that nigga who be talked that ill shit
Some people in my city act high and mighty and claim to be offended by my music.

But, um, I'm just a nigga that be kickin the real shit
I am just someone who tells the truth in my music

And I don't believe in shit I don't see, So don't ask me bout G-O-D cause my religion is reality
I believe only in what I can see and experience, so don't expect me to talk about God or religion.

Suckas be frontin for nothin, but I'mma get mine
Some people pretend to be something they are not, but I will succeed regardless.

I been kickin some old wicked shit, since 89
I have been producing edgy music since 1989.

So you can fear when you hear me if you want to, I gotta case of paranoia Natas gunnin is comin for ya
If you choose to be afraid of my music, that's fine, but just know that my paranoia drives me to create more intense music.

Back the fuck up when you see me don't even look my way, Or I'm tempted to fuck up your day, you better pray
Stay away from me if you want to avoid trouble, as I am easily agitated and will retaliate if provoked.

Niggaz talk hoe shit about me but bring it to my face, And I'mma put yo ass in yo place, bitch
Some people talk badly about me behind my back, but if they confront me, I will not hesitate to stand up for myself.

I represent where I'm from and that's the D-E-T-are-O-I-T, And these motherfuckers kill me
I am proud to be from Detroit, but some people in my city try to bring me down.

Never thought I'd find myself in the middle of war, With the same niggaz and bitches I'm tryin to puttin this shit down for
I never expected to be in conflict with the same people that I am trying to help with my music.

Givin a fuck that they sayin that my rappin is wrong, Its just so happens that your deepest fear is a wicked song
I don't care if people criticize my music, they are just afraid of the dark themes in my songs.

I'll bust one for you bust your head and leave you headless
I will not hesitate to harm those who try to bring me down or cause me harm.

The day I dropped the Blaz4me's the day I almost lost em all
When I released my album 'Blaz4me', it almost caused me to lose everything.

Well we almost lost Detroit
The title of the song is a reference to the near-meltdown of a nuclear reactor near Detroit in 1966. The phrase indicates that Detroit was almost lost, either physically or socially.

How do you get to Detroit?
This line refers to the difficulty of reaching Detroit, whether physically or emotionally.

Hey now, wait a minute man you ain't gotta come on like that witcha cat Ya dig, we was just rappin, you know what I mean man?
This line is a response to someone who is reacting strongly to the message of the song. The artist is saying that they were just rapping and the listener does not need to become upset.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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