Yeah, yeah, yeah, Nas, uh, yo, yo Life, they wonder, can they take me Nah, that, nah, yo, yo
I come the housin tenement buildings Unlimited killings, menaces marked for Better known as the projects where and rock heads dwell Though I owe to it my With survival of the fittest, everyday is a I would I'm a part of U.S.A. and be proud Confronted with racism, started to feel Like, the darker you are the realer problems I reached for the but I just kept slippin On life mission, never know what's next Ancient kings from Egypt, up to Cezar Had a piece of the globe, every Yo, Asia, Africa, Europe, France, Japan Pakistan, America, Yo, there's Protestants, Jews, Blacks, Call a truce, world peace, stop actin like No war, we should time and think The bombs and tanks makes mankind But since the beginning of it's been men with arms fightin Lost lives in the and Pentagon, why then? Must it go on, we must stop the Tell me why we die, we all children
- Amerie, Nas in background] All this can't last forever (uh, c'mon) It's time that we together (yeah, for the world) Everybody wants to rule the (what, what, what, what, what, c'mon) World (peace), world (peace), (peace), world
Yo, brothers on the block, posted up like they own it That's they corner, New York to California Got blocks down Like, "dog you whenever you with me, see this is my town" So the youngsters, in ghettos, goes to prison At an early age, know it's against him So in order for him to survive, one day he Open up his eyes to the set backs and 'Cause, everybody wants a shot, in land of opportunity Look at what country's got There shouldn't be nobody How can the president fix problems when he ain't fixed home yet The earth made for one man to rule alone To all colors increases, to it belongs I want land, mansions, banks and The diamonds in Africa, oil in my The world's natural resources, all its But then comes foes, I to gaurd it with missels And I become the wanted But is it worth hearin a million people problems and followed by Service I guess, attempts at my life with barrels So move Colin Powell or just throw in the towel, yo
Y'all know my style, to hit you at the right time No other compares to Nas write down Tell you my dreams, show you my pain is You get what you love, be a chain in cause You right now There's so that's dead or locked up inside the beast, I'm a hot light now It's whatever man think of to the real The plan is to wake up 'cause reveals All this hate can't last All my heroes in Heaven, it's like you right here and never passed You transcend, I know I'm gon' see you again Hopin I reach the leaders and win nothin without struggle, listen up, it's critical We used to fear arms, now the are chemical In Hip-Hop, the are lyrical To be the you challenge the best, then the blessings are spiritual Top of the world for the kid and Poppin any rapper's head off his no contest I know the Most High me, so fly you can't near me You of a mirror, my theory is that - knowledge is power To every projects and every street corner, we get ours now
(I1) itz a hy cryme society, roitz, peace, silently, quietly, niggaz dyin, increased mamaz cryin ha boiz disceased u c wut we unleased n diz 4 infantz at c 'cause thru da daze we led gun warz trimblen n da And we aint even gat at fed da po brokin' homez shoken n ya own mud thrown frum wut alwaze known and grown ta luv our fellow bruthaz GOD'z eyez we all da same blood so y we killin niggaz iz styll n yell eurf diz styll isnt our lyfe we livin' n hell burf Y showin sum whyle havin serious visionz but we gotta it ryght 4 da yunga generation dat wanna b a sensation we been but da devil wont allow it so wit GOD u kan ova it lyke a whin itz built on a powah trip powah linez da powahz urz, swordz and rhymez itz da and da tymin dat u spyt 4 da killinz ta niggaz dey kan prevent it uv speech we kan reach dem and teach'em & sho'em wut it ta b a blakk person wit Freedomz & wit no painz, no but keep ya head up and u neva gon' fail and dont git fed up 'cause u a prevail Streetz
Yo, ain't forget shit, know what I'm sayin? Niggas ain't forget man, The men, and children killed by the police and shit Niggas ain't gon' forget that, you know I mean? Yo, what this war show me is like, whatever you want out of life Whatever you feel is yours, go out and take it Even if that means and death You know, what I was raised up on, that's what this country's about This is what my is, and my country's a muthafucka