Released: December 18, 2001

Songwriter: Peabo Bryson DJ Premier Nas

Producer: DJ Premier

[Intro]
Yeah, hahaha
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"Nas.."

[Verse 1]
Yo, explode, my thoughts were drunken from quarts of beers
Was years back, before Nasir would explore a career in rap
As a music dude, I mastered this Rubik's Cube
Godzilla, fought Gargantua, eyes glued to the tube
Was a, long time ago, John Boy Ice
Geronimo po-lice jumpin' out Chryslers, e-z wider paper
Pops puffin' his cess, punchin' his chest like a gorilla
Outside was psychoes, killers
Saw Divine, Goon, and Chongo, Lil' Turkey
R.I.P. Tyrone, 'member no cursin front of Ms. Vercey
Big Percy, Crazy Paul, the Sledge Sisters
My building was 40-16, once in the blue, hallways was clean
I knew, all that I'd seen had meant somethin'
Learned early, to fear none little Nas was huntin'
Livin carefree laughin', got jokes on the daily
Y'all actin' like some old folks y'all don't hear me
Yo, I'm in my second childhood

[Chorus: scratches by DJ Premier]
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"N-A-S" - "Nas.."
"Resurrect, through the birth of my seed.." - "Queensbridge"
"Make everything right.." - "Get yours, nigga"
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"N-A-S" - "Nas.."
"Resurrect, through the birth of my seed.." - "Queensbridge"
"Make everything right.." - "Get yours..."

[Verse 2]
Yo, dude is 31, livin' in his moms crib
Ex-convict, was paroled there after his long bid
Cornrows in his hair, still slingin', got a crew
They break his moms furniture, watchin' Comicview
Got babies by different ladies high smokin' L's
In the same spot he stood since eighty-five, well
When his stash slow, he be crazy
Say he by his moms, hit her on her payday
Junior high school dropout, teachers never cared
They was paid just to show up and leave, no one succeeds
So he moves with his peers, different blocks, different years
Sittin' on, different benches like it's musical chairs
All his peoples moved on in life, he's on the corners at night
With young dudes it's them he wanna be like
It's sad but it's fun to him, right? He never grew up
31 and can't give his youth up, he's in his second childhood

[Chorus: scratches by DJ Premier]
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"N-A-S" - "Nas.."
"Resurrect, through the birth of my seed.." - "Queensbridge"
"Make everything right.." - "Get yours, nigga"
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"N-A-S" - "Nas.."
"Resurrect, through the birth of my seed.." - "Queensbridge"
"Make everything right.." - "Get yours..."

[Verse 3]
Baby girl she's always talkin', name droppin', hangin' late
Drinkin', smokin', hates her baby daddy, craves shoppin'
E poppin' Ecstasy takin', won't finish her education
Best friend she keeps changin', stuck with limitations
Lustin' men, many hotels, Fendi, Chanel
With nothin' in her bank account frontin' she do well
Her kid suffers he don't get that love he deserve
He the Sun, she the Earth, single mom, even worse
No job never stay workin', mad purty
Shorty they call her the brain surgeon
Time flyin', she the same person
Never matures, all her friends married doin' well
She's in the streets yakkety yakkin' like she was 12
Honey is twenty-seven, argues fights
Selfish in her own right for life
Guess she's in her second childhood

[Chorus: scratches by DJ Premier]
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"N-A-S" - "Nas.."
"Resurrect, through the birth of my seed.." - "Queensbridge"
"Make everything right.." - "Get yours, nigga"
"When I flow for the street.." - ".. who else could it be"
"N-A-S" - "Nas.."
"Resurrect, through the birth of my seed.." - "Queensbridge"
"Make everything right.." - "Get yours..."

[Outro]
"Who else could it be.." - "N-A-S" - "Nas, Nas.."

Nas

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.