unknown

(nas)

Low profile, rap style
Slick as new now
Give the crew pounds
Every time we cover them grounds
Still surviving but there's a few down
Back in the essence
I'm asking questions on the phone
With jail adolescence
Crying confession, the system's supplying the pressure
My mind is guessing
Is living and dying a lesson
But not to be obliged with the mirage
Of cars taking you off track
From with the gods focus on hard
Laid up smoking cigars
Motioning maids to bring me toast and eggs
Kosher, ice chokers and wolves to smoke ya
My wisdom culture lives in ultra madness
Devoted coach bag bitch
Broke the average nigga's hopes to get mad rich
But what's the purpose
Only the gods can watch the earth twist
I'm physically trapped down on the surface
With all the crack merchants
Snakes and serpents
Foul jakes the searches
Clowns with four pounds this ain't a circus.

Chorus (r. kelly)

Street dreamer
Oh mercy mercy me
Ain't nothing i got for ya
Situations get heavy
Heavy, heavy
Trying to be a gangster.

(nas)

The black clouds over the hood
I'm on the corner with the thugs
Late night under the moon
As they assume i'm slanging drugs
Cause i'm hooded up
Thought a g a night wasn't good enough
Pushed my luck
Yo they had a brother put in cuffs
Luckily, made it out of court comfortably
Judge said i need a job ain't nothing coming free
Could've got a one to three
I try to school these shorties under me
But they can't see
From life to death
So know we back to where we never left the ghetto
It's a damn shame
Knowing it's a man's game
Shorty thinks it's time to make ya plans change
All that running round trying to chase
What's already here - been there
It's going no where
Pops told me knuckle up - no fear
I wish some of these killings
They could be prevented
Whatever happens it was written
Meaning god meant it
But during ya life you put ya heart in it
Even though it seems we being targeted
Let that brother r hit it

Chorus (extended)

(nas)

Sort of wild, since a child
Hope was all we had
Drip the bust out past
Complaning the mental straining
How many in my crew is into gaining
Subtract the weak links about the chaining
Rise it start raining
Blasphemy using nas name in vain
Some plain supreme being
Yet they lied in his name
I tried to learn the game
And the only thing i found incredible
Everything i tried to learn
See, i already knew
And it's embedded in my heart now
So i can sit back, count a stack
And play my part now
I saw my life flash in front of my eyes
He wore disguise
Put a gun to me hungry he
Went on to chastize
That's nas ain't it
Made it rich from entertainment
Fresh wally's painted
As he told the kid he came with
My first thought was how the game flip
Yo perhaps it was somebody i smacked
Drunk in a party on yak
Or was i marked for a contract
For some foul act
A little while back or beyond that
You got me laying face flat
Saying my grace black
Woke up in a cold sweat
Yo, i hate that
My air like i lost in the battlefield
That's why i hit the mic with mad appeal
Grab ya shield and meet ya maker
Queens niggas die for paper
These the things the street dreams will take ya.

Chorus

* bonus track on cassette version only

[nature]
Queensbridge, 41st side
Yo yo yo
I gots no birth records, no next of kin
Know a lot of mothafuckers, got no best friends
Know the weather checkin ten-ten winds a.m.
First and fifteenth i'm layin at the check cashing
Think i'm playin, blink and i'm sprayin
Wrong move, ask yourself what leg you wanna lose cuz you gon' lose
I cripple niggas, from the complex to simple niggas
Keep showin y'all what difficult is
Half the world sayin "dunn" but never been to the bridge
What type of shit is that, fraudulence, what's the cause of it
Nature came threw erasing all of it, stop the presses
Goofy niggas ask a lot of questions
I repeat this is not a question
If you don't reply quick enough i gotta press em
Keep the glock by the intestines, .38 waist
Wit a belt, regardless of your stats you can catch a shell

[chorus]
Believe me when i tell you this (believe me when i tell you this)
There's nuttin y'all can do for me (there's nuttin y'all can do for me)
I don't believe in selfishness, this time i want my crew to eat (my crew)
We comin through a hundred strong (comin through a hundred strong)
We comin wit a hundred miles (a hundred miles)
Bumpin shit all summer long (bump that)
We want it dead and want it now (we want it now)

Yo aiyyo i rap for my niggas and rap for the hoes
Rap when i'm gettin dressed, when i iron my clothes
Depressed, i kick raps that change your whole mood
And somehow stick to your ribs like soul food
Rap for wheelchairs, rap for canes
Ace bandages and niggas wit sprain, stay limpin in pain
I rap for math, english, even rap for science
Gotta try to laugh, keep myself from cryin
I rap for giants, the jets, the yankees, the mets
It's new york new york, from clue to flex
New cassettes stay poppin up, your boo let me throw my cock in her
Rappin got me two proper nuts
It's crazy, i even rap for high school coach
White folks fiend out like in michael doates
Creamed out, dope stashin
For those askin, i flow for tv, hbo and closed caption

Chorus

Aiyyo aiyyo aiyyo aiyyo
Don't go to texas, don't go to watts
Don't go to queensbridge, nigga don't go to cops
Don't snitch when you're gettin bagged
In the penns, don't bitch when you gettin stabbed
Just hold that, i pose for kodak's, rose to stardom
Hoes in harvard, sophmores get knocked off, nigga watch yours
I watch the game like it's saint john's
It ain't wrong, take a blank piece of paper, a pen paint songs
Type colorful, writin that shit a thug'll do
In the heat of the moment, type to make a sudden move
Some'll snooze, some'll snore, they won't admit that dunn is pure
Once i quit, niggas wanted more
Cop my shit once it come in store
The first week be at the top of the charts, got it jumpin off
Hot verses wit a hundred thoughts
One theme, gettin caught in my zone you'll become a corpse

Chorus 2x

Qb the whole nyc
We gonna bounce to this
To all my niggaz (yeah, yeah)
To all the ladies

Chorus:
Sometimes i wonder
Will a nigga go under because of his hunger
This game is risky
If a nigga slips six deep
Will these niggaz really miss me
Dead partners too soon
All these niggaz flipping on me
Cause i won't give no loot to them
Sometimes i wonder
Sometimes i...

(nas)
Top of the world is what i'm aiming at
These niggaz is flaming gats at my circle
I catch you, my first reaction is to hurt you
I hit your bird too, two in your scalp then you out
Your thug crew is out, blood oozing out
Some serving caine
Knowing nothing about this murder game
Its easily told but hard to hear
When niggaz finally find out its real
Thats when they heart pumps fear
The real remains the weak will disappear
My words is 20/20, my vocals are crystal clear
911 style sits on your mind like chrome
Lets say your brains is v12, put it in drive let it roam
What color? might as well make it same as your dome
You need your thoughts together, that means destination is unknown
As we travel on this road, an infinite path, i get into this math
Drop and get intense for this cash
Will i be subject to kill, live my life by a gat
Just when i think i made it out, the street is calling me back

Chorus:

(nature)
I know a lot of fiends by they first name
Living in queens, a lot of cats getting stuck for they chains
Holding dirty guns, the young owe dirty ones
Running wild, niggaz i raise hell above ground
Live in sin, holding rocks, benjamin grin
Figure once i got knocked, it would end
Never that
They try to tell me i don't love my own
The thugs know, they ride my zone
Like the cyclone trademark
For coney isle, yeah you know me now
I'm giving fake hugs, phoney smiles
Stack profits, you know how the niggaz on the block get
Try to give you dap to stare at your pockets
Cruise advance nothing new just the rules of the land
You could tell if they wolves or lamb
You could fight a few, there's a few that ran
Or you could feed them and lose your hand
What you wanna do?

Chorus:

(nas)
Blessing be to the ones who left us
Transcend into spiritual essences
In allah's arms you rest in
To him we pray for my peeps
Floyd, twin and taiyeh, mr. sunny back in the day
Get the money yam, he use to say not only nice with hands
But streetsmart he was twice a man
I try to understand life's deep plot
I think of weewop, shikeisha they both was mad nice on the rocks
They could have went pro but only god knows why not
Like my nigga bing, let your sneakers not be clean
He'll start snapping on you, making a scene
Kept the lye, a cool nigga warm heart and stayed fly
You still alive, i see you in your sister's face
Are you there pa? or looking on from a distant place?
My thoroughbreds, blackhead quiet but real
Expect to see your black jeep fly over the hill
In the spirit of richie lou tribute
Remind the world of the crimes that ny pigs do
We miss you, harry and sonia
Rest in peace to marty, a 41st side of vernon soldier
T.j. black better known as killer
I can't replace you, but in me havoc will always have a brother my nigga

My man will till we meet again
You hold it up there, i'll hold it down here
I hope you hear my prays clear

Chorus:
Repeats 3x

[dmx - dialogue]
I ain't goin back to jail
Next time, the county or the state see me
It's gonna be in a bag

Uhh! this is it baby!
End of the road, ha hah!
When you a dawg, you a dawg for life!
You don't hear me though, you don't hear me though
You don't hear me though, c'mon, c'mon!

[method man]
Watch them young guns that take none, nobody safe
From the friday the 13th, ghetto jason
Itchy trigger finger achin, snatch yo' ass
Out that s-class for fakin, forty-fo' blast
Is a bloodbath, take your first step down a thug path
Ain't no love here, just slugs here
Kids know the half you get plugged here, that's just impossible
For the weak to last now behold the unstoppable
Third eye watchin you, watchin me
Throwin rocks from the penalty box, cop a plea
Young g we was born to die, don't cry for me
Just keep the heat closely and ride for me
Cause we family for better or worse, you and i
From the dirt, you snatch purse, so hard it hurt
To be here, and each year, i'm pourin out more beer
For deceased peers, holdin fort
Police line 'do not cross', they found his corpse
In the loft with the head cut off, and butt naked
Homicide the crime method, add another
Killer verse to the murder record, the grand finale

[lennox speaking - movie dialogue]
Who wan' test me, c'mon!
Me shot pussy-hole fi fun

[nas escobar]
Hot corners, cops with warrants, every block is boring
Friday night, getting bent, lick a poem
My dawg, not even home a month yet, and blaze a girl
In the stomach, he robbin niggaz who pumpin
Lil' blood got popped, by the group home cat
Everybody nervous in the hood, pullin they gats
Fiend yellin out, who got those? go and see
Shorty snot-nosed, he don't floss but he got dough
Thug faces, fugitives runnin from court cases
Slugs shootin past for the love of drug paper
Queens cap peelers, soldiers, drug dealers
And god'll throw a beam of lightning down cause he feel us
May the next one, strike me down if i'm not the realest
The mayor wanna call the swat team to come and kill us
But, dawgs are friends, if one see the morgue, one'll live
To get revenge, and we ride to the end
Bravehearts blow the lye with henn, and still rise
Took alive with live men, my man got three six-to-eighteen's
And only five in, the belly of the beast
Didn't wanna hear the shit i tried to tell him on the streets
It's irrelevant, the beast love to eat black meat
And got us niggaz from the hood, hangin off his teeth
We slangin to eat, bringin the heat
Bulletholes, razor scars is the pain in the street, huh

Chorus: ja rule (repeat 2x)

When you a dawg you a dawg for life (ride or die)
My dawgs feel pain from love (see eye to eye)
Give us one shot at life (let us fly)
Come on niggaz! (we dawgs for life)

[dmx and lakid {dialogue}]
There's mad money out here dawg
Mad money out here
What you tryin to get it? (word up)
You gonna bust your gun to get it? (tsh, whatever yo)
I hear you i hear you

[dmx]
Uhh, i've lost my grip on reality or so it would seem
Pinch myself to wake up, cause i know it's a dream
Niggaz that don't know me see me and think i'ma rob em
Niggaz that know me well see me and think i'ma problem
I'm just a nigga that's misunderstood
But word to god i turn your last name to underwood
Cause if i see it, i'ma take it and run with it, that's me
What type of bullshit is this nigga on? that's d
The dawg come and getcha outside
The more blood flows, when i plug holes with the snub nosed
Gun blows, bullets whistle, wouldn't miss you
Hit you all up in your mouth like it tried to kiss you
Drama, it's right here, how much you need?
Beat you down with gat see how much you bleed
How much you plead, for your life, you was a killer
And all the bitches comin up out that ass you feelin, gettin realer
Now beg for your life, one more time, one more crime
One more nine, c'mon cry nigga
It's over! this is the shit, that hits hard
You either the last one standing, or the last one to fall

Chorus

in too deep


Nature: (talking)

Yo yo yo son
You ever felt the funny vibe
But you're supposed to do?
When ya man's ain't ya man's
And ya friend's ain't ya friend's
Ya money ain't yours anymore
Niggas wanna count your money
Niggas wanna see what the fuck you got

You know what i'm sayin
Sometimes i gotta just take long trips and
Get away from this shit
I can't take this shit no more
This shit right here be fucking niggas like
Me up knowhatimsayin
I been exposed to too much and too long
All my niggaz out there in the hood and shit
That be bringing that real shit
Put your fucking phillies in the air
Your back woods your white owl
Your dutchess and we goin smoke and ride to
This
Shit right here
This that real shit the soundtrack to the
Realness right here
Niggaz in too deep knowhatimsayin
It's all real all live nigga what what nigga

Nas:
Yo a yo a yo a yo
I thank a dead homey
Incarcerated penpal i got the feds on me
A constapated mental
Always ranged in the ghetto it's pain in
The ghetto
Caskets do u believe in angels or devils?
Welfare it's dark and there's no help here
Killing cops shooting black kids the instill
Fear
But we still here not afraid cracks is made
Stacks
Get made
A "g" will get you gats sprayed
At my man's funeral it's like nobody care
But when police get shot the mayor
And everybody there
Grafitti on the lobby stairs kids with notty
Heads is greedy
Soldiers small faces painted on the walls
I was born to ball
Rings you can't afford name a clothes line i
Then worn it before
Dictate the naked soul of nas henny four fives
Hoe's with thick thighs be the wives of rich
Guys
Never trust a bitch cuz a bitch lies
Enemys close cuz friends switch sides when
Shit gets live
Dealin' with a lot of pressure i'm in too deep
Life of a thug born and raised in the streets

Chorus:

Nature: you want war i'mma give u war
Nas: i'm in too deep
Nature: you want peace imma give u peace
Nas: raised in the streets
Nature: you want love imma show u love
Nas: life of a thug
Nature: there's no love for me in these
Streets
Nas: i'm in too deep
Nature: it's just hustlers in the streets
Nas: raised in the streets

Nature:

Yo a yo
When you in too deep you better climb out and
Find out
Are you the one they looking at cuz when you
Looking back
It's your time to fear if the drama's severe
I see scars starting off at the side of
They're ear
Ending up by the jaw of the throat another
Law broke
I try to patch it white kids is buying acid
Closing down spots popping a knot
Heard the foremores use binoculars watchin
The blocks
Calling phantom on the tape
I'm the phantom of the wax
Now meat the man behind the music examing the
Facts
I use it, to my advantage do this shit
Everyday
Like sneaking gats up in grade eight
Six flags catch me getting on the popular
Rides
If a nigga violate he get top of the line
Small hot ones locked in the spines
Transformed roll out pass it off to my man no
Doubt
I keep shits disguising six shirts in the
Trunk
Imagin it gets six times worse when i'm drunk
Prepare for death first of the month
Open and rise, t's right here in front of you
Open your eyes
I can't explain it cuz it's not normal
Is niggas loyal i talk about life and live it
For you this shit is soil
Like the dirt that i walk on you talk on
You say i had love for ya now it's all gone
All gone

Chorus:

Nature: you want war i'mma give u war
Nas: i'm in too deep
Nature: you want peace imma give u peace
Nas: raised in the streets
Nature: you want love imma show u love
Nas: life of a thug
Nature: there's no love for me in these
Streets
Nas: i'm in too deep
Nature: it's just hustlers in the streets
Nas: raised in the streets

To my niggas
To my niggas
What! what!

[nas sings]
Looking back in time, when i had on my shines
I saw you standing there
I never tried to diss you, you didn't need your pistol
Why did you have to take it there
But then again, it was just my imagination
When my crew told me it was you that was player hating
Then we had to have that terrible confrontation
There's nothing i can do to help this situation...

Chorus: repeats 2x
[nas sings]
Stay scheming (ya niggas kill me)
Niggas wanna get at me

Its been awhile since the last time we hung out
Full of weed, drinking henny until we all passed out
Stretch bently, queens clique, pushing mean whips
And hoe i'm with, glad who see she with
Shorty with the don
Me and horse switch cars
Jazz ruff for the six, this is it par
Thug nigga never thought i get this far
Who is that icing me from over there in the fog?
You got the mack god, you got the gat par
Dam, why they gotta do it to the black god
Everytime we chilling niggas want to act hard
My nigga jungle known to slap a nigga back-ward
So we chill pay no mind, think about about shit
I'm for the love of it
Stubborn niggas always plotting on the brother tip
Can't even chill cause niggas just

[nas sings]
Stay scheming
Niggas wanna get at me
Stay scheming
Niggas wanna kidnap me

But they never do it motherfuckers...

To my nigger who brought me in this world
Taught us right nigger

My old dad imported to the family structure
Provide her god
My moms a queen at university civaliza
My pops maybe was late but always came home
My moms would put us to bed and she would wait on
Soon as he walk in the door she barking
I turned out the jonny carson
Jumped out the bed
We grabbed both his legs
Me and my brother
Not knowing the pain he gave my mother
Night after night, fighting yelling at each other
My papa played the street all day
Mama was either home, at work, while we played inside the hall way
She sacrifices all she got to feed us
When she was alone she cried by the phone pepping out the window heeding
But still i didn't see it
Mama hid it from us
We was kids younger
Till we got bigger, on to
Bigger things that we knew what the time was
That daddy was leaving the crib and moms love

Papa was player, player wasn't papa
Papa loved the ladies
Never got enough of
Pretty brown round
Running round town (shhhhh)
Don't tell your mother what's going down
(repeat 2x)

So many kids i knew, never knew what pap was
That's why i show my pop love
He was still around when i fucked up
He could have left
My moms pregnant shock to death but stayed
Watch me crawl till i took my first step, to the first grade
To my first fist fight
Right behind me he would stand
No matter how big or tall he made me fight you like a man
Throw dirt in your eye, swing my right scoop your ass and slam
He watched me so i wouldn't get jumped by shorty's fam
Roaches and weed all over my crib him and moms relaxing
Next thing you know he packing
So then i asked him
What's this white shit on that plate and your facing?
Papa why you butt ass from the waist
And who's this lady i'm facing
Dark skin you're not my mommy
He grabbed me up to run some smooth words by me
Promise things that he would buy me
If i kept my mouth close and don't tell mommy
He said one day i'll understand little me
Was in you to side me

Papa was player, player wasn't papa
Papa loved the ladies
Never got enough of
Pretty brown round
Running round town (shhhhh)
Don't tell your mother what's going down
(repeat 2x)

Pop's told me hold my own
Pop's told me value home
Could i help it papa was a rolling stone
Who loved the pretty brown round
Out of town bound
Jumping in his jazz benz he touring
At home i play his latest recordings
And it's strange now how, i do my thing now
I'm in the game now
And heard of it his brain pow
To pull strings and gain power
>from weed habits are same now
No white lines to trumpets to tight rhymes
And beats that be pumping
Before he left he taught me something
A child's young years the most important time to be there
That's why he stayed till we grew up, respect is still here
I'm older now see what having a father's about
One day they can be in your life next day they be out
It's not because of you, you know the deal
Him and your moms feel
If they stay together then someone will get killed
I love you still
Always will
Cause that's my nigger
Although you felt you was wrong
I still feel you kid
Life gose on

(yankee) coming from the shadow of the iceland
We are winchester yankee "n" nas escobar
Pablo, what'z up pa?
(nas) what'z up pa? keep it raw for ya
No doubt, p-r, check it

(nas)
Play your position, focus on life see what you're missing
Reality, the tale or the caliver
45 nickels 9, check the calendar
9-7 deep algebra, black flaca
Ruled the world high, ??? with my ganster for single years
And rap words immulate my life for years
Autobiography a part of me
Portraits of the ill sh*t inside of me
Magnetic, jigged up to my fatal wig
Any position i am, i find a way to live
Out of state, on the block, or behind metal gate
Yo this heavyweight got cheddar to make
Smack your head off, click wildling, push thru
Puerto rock warriors, took you thru the drama
Escobaro, pablo, miliano, papo take the world pronto
Word to mines, genuine, senor juan at your table
Poison you, mad fatal
Just the way it is when you let the hood raise you
Never let them hoes play you
Mental, smart, strong and stable

(yankee)
Trenta-trenta, me sesenta metrales letal violenta
Alimente-mental de toda mi gente completa
Fundamenta es mi letra, i represent the instrumental
Rapida lenta, winchester se la inventa en lo noventa
Liricas respuestas para preguntas que no contestan
Como el misterio, de cuando suena la trompeta
6-6-6 "yo" sera la marca de la bestia
Directo para tu frente o tu mano derecha
El infierno, sobre la tierra
Socio, que dice que en la calle tenia el jugo
Para cualqiera gatillo darle
Decia ???, siempre vivira en mi vida en grande
Con tanta guilladeres ahora copera con lo federales
Se dejo llevar por la malda, el chico en todo momento
La envidia, gatillo, demonios que andan suerto
Tienen ojos y no miran como si tuvieran un bendaje
Nadie podra serrar mis ojos espirituales
Es para el gatillero que solo pienza en maltilleo
Gapea un par de saco para picharle al nevuleo
De momento se siente, que lo pueden cojer dormido
Tiene que estar alerta haci que le mete al perico
De momento siente una persecucion enorme
No lo aguanta, corre y lo baja con la ???
Entonce empieza el problema cuando le suertan el fulete
Lo patea el rifle, la misma historia al inocente
Y recuerdo las palabras de quien me tuvo en su ???
Tu futuro depende de la siembra de tu sobra
Cada cual es reponsable de su cosecha y la persona
Que siembra el gatillo su fruto sera la muerte
Espada muere, al que tambien espada hiere
Impacta y mata, lirica intocable intacta
No tengo enemigo, el unico es el satan
Canta, cosa que no sea ??? ???
Quien es el ganster, eres? what'z up? what'z up? what'z up?

(nas)
"yeah, ya know the deally
Ya know the deally, when the cops get peally
For really, check the drilly"
"yo" ride expeditions, diamonds, new york finest
Large gods, see the god nas is time less
Mac official, black pistol, rap hit you
Much love to puerto rico, we rolling with you
Winchester here to bless you
9-7 big nas love out to p-r
And we out like that, keep the gaps cock back
"winchester and nas, on the rise baby
P-r to q-b, word up"

(yankee) "p-r, n-y-c, winchester yankee
Para puerto rico, boricua guerrero
Soy valioso como bernie williams en este juego
"ha, ha, no doubt pa"

<<people applauding>>
"otra, otra, otra...