[talking]

Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, Nas, uh, yo, yo

Life, they wonder, can they take me under?

Nah, never that, nah, yo, yo



I come from the housin tenement buildings

Unlimited killings, menaces marked for death

Better known as the projects where junkies and rock heads dwell

Though I owe to it my success

With survival of the fittest, everyday is a chal'

I would think I'm a part of U.S.A. and be proud

Confronted with racism, started to feel foreign

Like, the darker you are the realer your problems

I reached for the stars but I just kept slippin

On this life mission, never know what's next

Ancient kings from Egypt, up to Julius Cezar

Had a piece of the globe, every continent

Yo, there's Asia, Africa, Europe, France, Japan

Pakistan, America, Afghanstan

Yo, there's Protestants, Jews, Blacks, Arabics

Call a truce, world peace, stop actin like savages

No war, we should take time and think

The bombs and tanks makes mankind extinct

But since the beginning of time it's been men with arms fightin

Lost lives in the Towers and Pentagon, why then?

Must it go on, we must stop the killin

Tell me why we die, we all God's children



[Chorus - Female singing, Nas in background]

World is hating, that's forever (uh, c'mon)

It's time that we stand together (yeah, for the world)

Everybody wants to rule the world (what, what, what, what, what, c'mon)

World (peace), world (peace), world (peace), world



Yo, there's brothers on the block, posted up like they own it

That's they corner, from New York to California

Got blocks locked down

Like, "dog you safe whenever you with me, see this is my town"

So the youngsters, grows in ghettos, goes to prison

At an early age, already know it's against him

So in order for him to survive, one day he must

Open up his eyes to the set backs and rise

'Cause, everybody wants a shot, in this land of opportunity

Look at what this country's got

There shouldn't be nobody homeless

How can the president fix other problems when he ain't fixed home yet

The earth wasn't made for one man to rule alone

To all colors increases, to home it belongs

I want land, mansions, banks and gold

The diamonds in Africa, oil in my control

The world's natural resources, all its residuals

But then comes foes, I have to gaurd it with missels

And I become the most wanted

But is it worth hearin a million people problems and followed by Secret Service

I guess, attempts at my life with loaded barrels

So move over Colin Powell or just throw in the towel, yo



[Chorus]



Y'all know that's my style, to hit you at the right time

No other compares to what Nas write down

Tell you my dreams, show you my pain is yours

You could get what you love, be a chain in cause

You alive right now

There's so many that's dead or locked up inside the beast, I'm a hot light now

It's whatever man think of manifest to the real

The plan is to wake up 'cause time reveals

All this hate can't forever last

All my ghetto heroes in Heaven, it's like you right here and never passed

You just transcend, I know I'm gon' see you again

Hopin I reach the world leaders and win

Ain't nothin without struggle, listen up, it's critical

We used to fear arms, now the weapons are chemical

In Hip-Hop, the weapons are lyrical

To be the best you challenge the best, then the blessings are spiritual

Top of the world for the kid and unless

Poppin any rapper's head off his shoulders no contest

I know the Most High hear me, so fly you can't near me

You scared of a mirror, my theory is that - knowledge is power

To every projects and every street corner, we gotta get ours now



[Chorus]



[talking]

Yo, niggas ain't forget shit, know what I'm sayin?

Niggas ain't forget nothin

Men, women and children killed by the police and shit

Niggas ain't gon' forget that, you know what I mean?

Yo, what this war just show me is like, whatever you want out of life

Whatever you feel is rightfully yours, go out and take it

Even if that means blood and death

You know, that's what I was raised up on, that's what this country's about

This is what my country is, and my country's a muthafucka