[Verse 1] They plan was to knock me out the top of the game But I overstand they truth is all lame I hold cannons that shoot balls of flames Right in they fat mouth then I carve my name Nas – too real, Nas – true king It's however you feel, go 'head, you swing Your arms too short to box with God I don't kill soloists, only kill squads Fame went to they head, so now it's "Fuck Nas" Yesterday you begged for a deal, today you tough guys I seen it coming, soon as I popped my first bottle I spotted my enemies tryna do what I do Came in with my style, so I fathered you I kept changing on the world since "Barbeque" Now you wanna hang with niggas I hung with Fuck bitches I hit, it's funny I once said If I, ever make a record, I take a check And put something away for a rainy day to make my exit But look at me now, ten years deep Since the project bench with crack in my sock, asleep I never asked to be top of rap's elite Just a ghetto child tryna learn the traps of the streets But look at me now
[Hook] "You're the man"
[Verse 2] Now wait a sec, give me time to explain, women and fast cars And diamond rings can poison a rap star It's suicidal, how I smoke in so much la I saw a dead bird flying through a broken sky Wish I could flap wings and fly away To where black kings in Ghana stay, so I could get old My flesh rot away but that'll be the day when it's peace When my gat don't need to spray when these streets are safe to play Sex with death, indulge in these women Envision my own skeleton swimming in eternal fire Broads play with pentagrams in they vagina Like the Exorcist, then they gave birth to my seeds I beg for God's help, why they love hurting me? I'm your disciple, a thug certainly I'm the N, the A to the S-I-R If I wasn't I must've been Escobar 45 in my waist, staring at my reflection in the mirror Sitting still in the chair like Mike Concepcion When everything around me got cloudy The chair became a king's throne, my destiny found me It was clear why the struggle was so painful Metamorphosis, this is what I changed to, and God, I'm so thankful