[Produced by Precision]
[Nas - Verse 1]
Pushing drop-tops, Stacy Lattisaw tapes, the 80's had us all apes
Youngest gorillas up to bat at home plate
That was a uncanny era, guns in my pants, yeah
X-Clan hair, with dreads at the top of my fade
Homicidal Feds on the blocks where I played b-ball
That's when I wondered was I here for the cause or because
Cause Ray Charles could see the ghetto
Was told to stay strong and I could beat the devil
Cause yo, I used to play Apollo balcony seats
Watchin n***as swing razors in the front row, then out in the streets
The car show, 560's, chemical afros
Acuras pumping Super Lover Cee and Casanova
Live chicks be a**es bustin out of they clothes
Wearing lip gloss, big door knockers peeling they earlobes
So where them years go? Where the Old Gold beers and cheers go?
But now them shorties here though, so
[Hook]
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Rikers Island buses still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers stay drinking, or puffing they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride; one mo' time
The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs
Rikers Island buses still packed, what's the word?
The drinkers still drinking, or puffing they herb
And I'm, still enjoying life's ride; right?
[Verse 2]
Political thugs in shark suits persuade us to pull triggers
In army boots, yelling "Join the armed forces!"
We lost the Vietnam War, intoxicated poisons
Needles in arms of veterans instead of bigger fortunes
There's still a lot of n***a crawling in the corporate offices
War in the ghetto, we crabs in a barrel, they torture us
They won't be serving the beast too long
The murderers wearing police uniforms, Confederate flags I burn
Beat Street breakers were dancing to the music I chose
And Peachtree, Atlanta crackheads was tooting they nose
In frozen corners of Chicago, loaded up Llamas, children
With fo'-fo's, and double-revolvers
We devil incarnates, headed for jail
Where Shell gas company in South Africa be having us k**ed
Your paper money was the d**h of Christ
And all these shorties coming up just resurrect your life
It's like a cycle
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
n***as used to wear rags on they hair when it was fried up
That's when we were lied to, buying hair products
Back before my generation, when our blackness started disintegrating
'Til awareness started penetrating
The styles come from prison, they used potatoes making liquor
Just to prove we some creative n***as
Turning nothing into something is God work
And you get nothing without struggle and hard work
War is necessary to my n***as in chains
From Green to Sing-Sing, I'm wanting y'all to know one thing
The hardest thing is to forgive, but God does
Even if you murdered or robbed, yeah it's wrong, but God loves
Take one step toward him, He takes two toward you
Even when all else fail, God support you
I done it, got "God's Son" on my stomach
My heart and my lungs was affected from Hennys and getting blunted
Do your body right and it loves you back
You only get one life, and yo, because of that
I'm still blazing, going out for the cause
Still rocking stocking caps, not for the waves, obeying no laws
And it's like that
[Hook]