Freedom of jail, clips inserted A baby is being born the same time my man is murdered The beginning and end As far as rap go, it's only natural, I explain, my plateau And also, what defines my name First it was nasty, but times have changed Ask me now, I'm the artist, but hardcore, my sign for pain I spent time in the game, kept my mind on fame Saw fiends shoot up, and do lines of cocaine Saw my close friends shot, flatlining, my same That the pen carry mac-10's to practice my aim On rooftops, tape cd covers to trees Line the barrel up with your weed picture and squeeze Jesus's scriptures for lost souls, in the crossroads To the corners thugs hustlin' for cars that cost dough To the big dogs livin' large, takin' it light Pushin' big toys, gettin' nice, enjoyin' your life Is what you make it, suicide, few try to take it Belt tied around their neck, in jail cells naked Heaven and hell, rap legend, presence is felt And of course N - A - S are the letters that spell . . . NAS, NAS
Chorus: Nas, Nas is like . .(scratching) . life or death (scratching) My rebel . (scratching). . My poetry's deep, I never fell . .(scratching) Nas is like .(scratching) . Nas is like . (scratching). . Half man, half amazin' . .(scratching) No doubt . (scratching). . Nas is like (Repeat)
Earth, wind and fire, rims and tires Bulletproof glass, inside is the realest driver Planets in orbit, line 'em up with the stars Tarot cards, you can see the pharaoh Nas (Nas is like. . -Nas) Iron mic, messiah type, before the Christ, after the death The last one left, let my cash invest in stock Came a along way from blasted techs on block Went from Seiko to Rolex, ownin' acres >From the projects with no chips, to large cake dough Dimes, skinnin' fellatio, siete zeros, bet my nine spit for the pesos But what's it all worth, can't take it when you under this Earth Rich men died and tried, but none of it worked They just rob your grave, I'd rather be alive and paid Before my number's called, history's made Some will fall, but I rise, thug or die, makin' choices That determine my future under the sky, to rob, steal or kill I'm wondering why, it's a dirty game, is any man worthy of fame Much to success to ya, even if you wish me the opposite Sooner or later we'll all see who the prophet is
Chorus
Sex to a nympho, but nothin' sweet I'm like beef, bustin' heat through your windows I'm like a street sweeper, green leaf preeper Like Greeks in Egypt, learnin' something deep from their teachers I'm like crime, like your nine, your man you would die for Always got you, I'm like pop to you with crop for it I'm like a whole lot of loot, I'm like crisp money Corporate accounts from a rich company I'm like ecstasy for ladies, I'm like all races combined in one man like the '99 summer jam, bulletproof hummer man I'm like being locked down around new faces, and none of 'em fam I'm the feeling of a millionaire spendin' a hundred grand I'm a poor man's dream, a thug poet Live it, and I write down and I watch it blow up Y'all know what I'm like, ya play it your system every night