Nas

Released: November 30, 2004

Songwriter: Nas

Producer: Nas

[Intro]
The unauthorized copy
Dedication to my children, my child, Destiny Jones
To my niece and nephews, Suree, Malik, Jabari
The world is yours
Acknowledgements: first off I wanna thank God
And I wanna thank everybody for helping me out with this
Couldn't do it without you. Chapter 1

[Verse 1]
January 28, 1968
Born into this world, William Griffin The Great
Chapter 1, Wyandanch, Long Island
Scientific rhyming invented a new style when
He met with Eric Barrier from East Elmhurst
The melody they created was the first
Burst on the scene 1986, with clap to this
'87 dropped a classic disc
The facts is the tracklist was like full
The vocals, the beats, according to Marley Marl
Recorded in my hometown Queensbridge
That's why it's so relative
This biography was unauthorized
I spit it how it was given to author Nas
William changed his name at sixteen to Rakim Allah
Cause Clarence 13X had New York on lock
Gods on every block, jams in every park
I remember hearing Kurtis Blow saying
"It can't get better than this"
'Til Run DMC blew my brains to bits
From leather coats to shell toes to the Stan Smiths, to Dapper Dan kicks
First million-dollar deal ever in rap
18th Letter did that
From 4th & Broadway to Uni to MCA
We followed the leader to Harlem's Apollo Theatre
Supreme, Rap and the 50 that don't rap
Fort Greene, Queens, Strong Island wolfpack
Paid In Full posse, hot they was on
And Ra had his firstborn
With the next line I'ma be easy
His wisdom's name is Fifi
EPMD put a record out, was dope
Tension spread, and I quote
"Smack me and I smack you back"
Sounded like the answer to the "I Ain't No Joke" track
For a second it ain't look good
Little tension buzzing from Wyandanch to Brentwood
Misunderstood, all forgot
At sixteen when I met Freddie Foxxx
Toting burners, the whole coast's most concern was
How has Rakim's flow made Christians convert with Islamic ways
Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em was the third LP
A sophisticated mean one
Before similar voices were King Sun
A few others, but sooner or later, the game was Ra's kingdom
At sixteen, son was watching him, mesmerized
Respect, not jocking him, was so amazing, besides
He came on the stage with lasers in his eyes
Walk with me now

[Outro]
Unauthorized Biography of Rakim
Epilogue: Mother was a jazz singer
Nephew to R & B legend Ruth Brown
Discography: Paid In Full, Follow The Leader, Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em, Don't Sweat The Technique
That's the end of the group, went on for solo
Dropped "The R", then The 18th Letter, then I think something, The Master
Was signed to Aftermath
Scheduled to release an album Oh My God with Dr. Dre
The album was dismantled because of creative differences
The end
To the new beginning, yeah
Next book, KRS-One. Peace

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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