Uhh



[Nas]

Pushin 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

Homicide and feds on the blocks where I played, b-ball

That's when I wondered was I here for the cause, or be-cause

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 niggaz swing razors in the front row, then out in the streets

The car show, 560's, chemical afros

Acuras pumpin Super Lover Cee and Casanova

Live chicks be, asses bustin out of they clothes

Wearin lip gloss, big door knockers pealin they earlobes

So where them years go? Where the old gold beers and cheers go?

But now them shorties here doe, so



[Chorus]

The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs

Riker's Island bustin, still packed, what's the word?

The drinkers stay drinkin, or puffin they herb

And I'm, still enjoyin life's ride; one mo' time

The doo rags are back, fitted hats, snorkels and furs

Riker's Island bustin, still packed, what's the word?

The drinkers stay drinkin, or puffin they herb

And I'm, still enjoyin life's ride; right?



[Nas]

Political thugs in shark suits persuade us to pull triggers

in army boots, yellin "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 naked crawlin in the carpet offices

War in the ghetto, we crabs in a barrel, they torture us

They won't be servin the beast too long

The murderers wearin police uniforms, confederate flags I burn

Beat Street breakers were dancin to the music I chose

And Peachtree Atlantic crackheads was tootin they nose

in frozen corners of Chicago, loaded up Llama's children

with fo'-fo's, and double-revolvers

We devil incarnates, headed for jail

Where Shell gas company in South Africa be havin us killed

Your paper money was the death of Christ

And all these shorties comin up just resurrect your life

It's like a cycle



[Chorus]



[Nas]

Niggaz used to wear rags on they hair when it was fried up

That's when we were lied to, buyin hair products

Back before my generation, when our blackness started disintegratin

'til awareness started penetratin

The styles come from prison, they used potatoes makin liquor

just to prove we some creative niggaz

Turnin nothin into somethin, is God work

And you get nothin without struggle and hard work

War is necessary to my niggaz in chains

From Greene to Sing-Sing, I'm wantin 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 sun on my stomach

My heart and my lungs was affected from Henny's and gettin blunted

Do your body right and it loves you back

You only get one life, and yo because of that

I'm still blazin, goin out for the cause

Still rockin stockin caps, not for the waves, obeyin no laws

And it's like that



[Chorus]