I may not get there with you.
But I want you to know tonight,
That we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.
So I'm happy, tonight.
I'm not worried about anything.
I'm not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory
Niggaz just wanna know if your still gonna be on some crooked ass nigga shit
...
Please tell me what's a nigga to do and it's true
Ain't nuttin' new so I do what I can to get through
Now first they had me trapped and now I'm pissed
A loaded AK47 layin on my hips so don't trip
One motherfucker from the underground
And Big Stretch buckin' niggaz if they fuck around
Yo, why ya'll got beef with police?
Ain't that a bitch them motherfuckers gotta beef with me
They make it hard for me to sleep
I wake up at the slightest peep and my sheets are 3 feet deep
I guess it's hard for you to see
But now I'm pointin the finger at police instead of motherfuckers blamin' me
I got the right to bear a pistol
And when them punk motherfuckers get to trippin' I got shit too
And maybe then you'll see the truth
But until then I gotta do what I do and stay a crooked nigga too
Who taught you to hate the texture of your hair?
Who taught you to hate the color of your skin?
To such extent you bleach, to get like the white man.
Who taught you to hate the shape of your nose
And the shape of your lips?
Who taught you to hate yourself
From the top of your head to the soles of your feet?
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... soloists, only...
Fame went to they head, so now it's "... 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 ... I hung with
... I hit, it's funny I once said, if I.
A long life; longevity
Has its place.
But I'm not concerned about that now.
I just want to do God's will.
And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain.
And I've looked over.
And I've seen the Promised Land.
I may not get there with you.
But I want you to know tonight,
That we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.
Yeah yeah yeah
...
I was a terror since the public school era
Bathroom passes, cuttin classes, squeezing asses
Smoking blunts was a daily routine
Since thirteen, a chubby nigga on the scene
I used to have the tre' duce
And the deuce deuce in my bubblegoose
Now I got a mac in my knapsack
Loungin' black, smoking sacks up in acts
And sidekicks with my sidekicks rockin fly kicks
Honeys want to chat
But all we wanna know is "Where the party at?"
And can i bring my gat?
If not, I hope I don't get shot
But i throw my vest on my chest
'Cause niggaz is a mess
It don't take nothin' but frontin'
For me to start somethin'
Buggin' and barkin' at niggaz like i was duck huntin'
Dumbing out, just me and my crew
Cause all we wanna do is...???
That's how I live for a nigga
...
Things just ain't the same for gangstas
But I'm a little too famous to shoot these pranksters
All of these rap singers claiming they bangers
Doing all sorts of twisted shit with their fingers
Disrespecting the game, no home training or manners
I was doing this shit when you was shitting your Pampers
I was moving them grams before you knew what a hand in hand was
Ducking the vans, radars, the scanners
Before you knew what "hard white" or "tan" was
I was hitting the turnpike, aight, with the bammers
I was nice with my hands, cuz aight with them hammers
I was pricking my finger before you knew what a "Fam" was
I had it laid out 'fore you knew what a plan was
300 mil later, now you understand us
Y'all ain't see us coming through Vegas
You ever seen so much cham' bust in one night, grand fucked up one fight
I was on the Peter Pan bus
You was putting Peter Pan up in your room, y'all fucking with whom?
Allow me to retort
You cowards is just now learning the shit that we taught
You niggas ain't know about a Robb Report
About a high speed Porsche, i.e
You niggas ain't know how to floss 'til I came through the door
Like Eric B. for Pres, respect me in this bitch!
You can't disrespect us cause you got a little check cut
You was sucking 'em so long, fucking your little neck up
Now you too big for your britches, you got a few little bitches
You think you Hugh Hefner, you just ridiculous
I blew breath for you midgets, I gave life to the game
It's only right I got the right to be king
Niggas that got life really like what I sing
Cause they know what it's really like, niggas feel my pain
Know the shit I don't write be the illest shit that's ever been recited
In the game word to the hyphen in my name!
J-A-Y,
Dash,
Hoffa
The past, present, nigga the future,
Proper
The holy trinity of hip-hop is us
We give Dre his props but that's where it stops,
It's the Roc