Nas

Released: April 26, 2012

Songwriter: Dale Frashuer Gary DeCarlo Cloud One Paul Leka No I.D. Nas

Producer: No I.D.

[Produced by No I.D.]

[Intro]
Check it out
I call it, yeah, yeah

[Hook]
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters

[Verse 1]
I saw my daughter send a letter to some boy her age
Who locked up, first I regretted it, then caught my rage
Like, how could I not protect her from this awful phase?
Never tried to hide who I was, she was taught and raised
Like a princess, but while I'm on stage I can't leave her defenseless
Plus she's seen me switchin' women, Pops was on some pimp shit
She heard stories of her daddy thuggin'
So if her husband is a gangster, can't be mad, I'll love him
Never, for her I want better, homie in jail – dead that
Wait 'til he come home, you can see where his head's at
Niggas got game, they be tryna live
He seen your Mama crib, plus I'm sure he know who your father is
Although you real, plus a honest kid
Don't think I'm slow, I know you probably had that chronic lit
You seventeen, I got a problem with it
She looked at me like I'm not the cleanest father figure
But she rockin' with it

[Hook]
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
Not sayin' that our sons are less important
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
Not sayin' that our sons are less important

[Verse 2]
This morning I got a call, nearly split my wig
This social network said: "Nas, go and get your kid!"
She's on Twitter, I know she ain't gon' post no pic
Of herself underdressed – no inappropriate shit, right?
Her mother cried when she answered
Said she don't know what got inside this child's mind, she planted
A box of condoms on her dresser, then she Instagram'd it
At this point I realized I ain't the strictest parent
I'm too loose, I'm too cool with her
Should've drove more time to school with her
I thought I dropped enough jewels on her
Took her from private school, so she can get a balance
To public school, they're too nurture teen talents
They grow fast, one day she's your little princess
Next day she's talkin' boy business – what is this?
They say the coolest playas and foulest heart breakers in the world
God gets us back, he makes us have precious little girls

[Hook]
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
Not sayin' that our sons are less important
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
For my brothers with daughters, I call this
Not sayin' that our sons are less important

[Verse 3]
And I ain't tryin' to mess your thing up
But I just wanna see you dream up
I finally understand
It ain't easy to raise a girl as a single man
Nah, the way mothers feel for they sons
How fathers feel for they daughters
When he date, he straight, chip off his own papa
When she date, we wait behind the door with a sawed-off
‘Cause we think no one is good enough for our daughters
Love

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, known to one and all as Nas, is one of hip-hop’s best-known, most mercurial, and lyrically blessed figures ever to touch the microphone. Since his heart-stopping debut turn on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque,” Nas has delivered countless beautifully structured, thought-provoking, keenly observed verses.

Growing up in Queens, NY, Nas never really performed in big crowds—he kept to himself. Nas used a different type of vernacular that others didn’t understand, which helped him to stand out from other rappers from his era.

With every ensuing album, Nas always reminds fans that he’s still the same Queensbridge MC who crafted one of the greatest albums of all time, and arguably the bible of Hip-Hop, Illmatic.

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