[Nas]
Uhh
Yo, yo-yo, y'all
Whattup? Whattup
It's time man(Word, it's time?)

Straight up, it's time man
Aight, set that shitoff
(Set it off then nigga, set it off)

Broken glass in the hallway,bloodstained floors
Neighbors, look at every bag you bring through yourdoors
Lock the top lock, momma shoulda cuffed me to the radiator
Why not?It might've saved later from my block
N.Y. cops, hookers crawlin off thestroll, coughin
stitches in they head, stinkin and I dread thinkin they besnitchin
But who else, could it be, shook at these, unmarked vans
Parkedin the dark -- NARC's, where's your heart?
Hustlers starve; they bust a U-e Ijog
to my building -- come out later wearin camouflage
See the sergeantand the captain -- strangle men
Niggaz gaspin for air; til they move no moreand just stare
with dead eyes -- tired of riots, shit isquiet
Simple-minded fools infiltrate grimy crews
Overcrowded cribs, uncleshome from bids, sister's pregnant
father's on drugs, moms is smokin, beds ispiss-infested
Had eight partners growin up, eight turned to seven
Seventurned to six niggaz, got two in heaven
Six of us, holdin it, now it's fiverollin thick
The sixth one's parole flipped; five niggaz, went to fo'quick
when he went O.T., college life, converted into gangbangin
Fourniggaz still hangin, years passed and slang changin
Three of us now, fourthnigga ain't around
We all thought he was real -- he did the snakeshit
Fake shit -- beat his ass down, yo his mouth
could've got us allwasted, what a fuckin clown
All I got left in the end is two of my bestfriends
And we all goin out, to the death for these ends, WHAT?

NewYork, New York ("New York state of mind" -> [Rakim])
New York, NewYork ("New York state of mind" -> [Rakim])
[repeat while Nas istalking]

You heard about it, you see about it
You read about it,it's in your papers
It's in your daily news ("Get money!")
New Yorkchronicles, every day
The crime rate, the murder rate
The money rate, thepaper chase, youknowhatImean?
New York state of mind baby, check itout

[Nas]
I'm at the, gamblin spot, my hands on a knot
NewYork Yankee cap cover my eyes, stand in one spot
I take a nigga dough, sendhim home, to a shoebox
You lost that nigga I put your dollar in thejukebox
Hear my favorite song, all these niggaz sing along
All theciggarette smoke's cloggin my lungs, hoodrats flashin they tongue
Young thugsblastin they gun, we got reputations
Bitches and niggaz both on parole orprobation
Shit is sick, niggaz got gats, army fatigues
I got my eyes gluedon, whoever walk in the lead
Cause I ain't playin, niggaz'll run up in hereand shoot up this shit
Stick yo' ass up, niggaz'll find the loot in yourkicks
Bunch of triple-cross niggaz, just New York niggaz
Lift you off yourfeet when they was just talkin with you
Some of these dudes the Feds be onem, you knew em for years
Be the type when you walk in a pub, they offer youbeers
That ain't gangsta, niggaz is up North with tatted tears
Your name'son the affadavit, you ratted kid
Faggot-ass niggaz that be scared to do theybids
Fuck you, we run you out of N.Y, you can't live
Got your quietniggaz, that relocated down South
comin back to floss, then you got thejealous loudmouths
All of a sudden we got Crips and Bloods, D.T.'s
runninround quick to split your mug, it's ea-sy to score
but it's hard to get theshit off
Niggaz fightin over hundred sales, jump in the car and driveoff
When the fiend come around the block, happy as hell
Niggaz, mad causethey ain't get a piece of that sale
Cutthroat connivers, universal, ghettosurvivors
Go to any hood that's live and make it liver
A lot of niggazscheamin, some real, some niggaz frontin
But I'm a big dreamer, so watch mecome up with somethin

New York, New York
New York, New York