Uhh

[Nas]
Pushin drop-tops, Stacy Lattisaw tapes, the 80's hadus all apes
Youngest gorillas up to bat at home plate

That was a uncannyera, guns in my pants
Yeah X-Clan hair, with dreads at the top of myfade
Homicide and feds on the blocks where I played, b-ball
That's when Iwondered was I here for the cause, or be-cause
Cause Ray Charles could seethe ghetto
Was told to stay strong and I could beat the Devil
Cause yo, Iused to play Apollo balcony seats
Watchin niggaz swing razors in the frontrow, then out in the streets
The car show, 560's, chemical afros
Acuraspumpin Super Lover Cee and Casanova
Live chicks be, asses bustin out of theyclothes
Wearin lip gloss, big door knockers pealin they earlobes
So wherethem years go? Where the old gold beers and cheers go?
But now them shortieshere doe, so

[Chorus]
The doo rags are back, fitted hats,snorkels and furs
Riker's Island bustin, still packed, what's theword?
The drinkers stay drinkin, or puffin they herb
And I'm, stillenjoyin life's ride; one mo' time
The doo rags are back, fitted hats,snorkels and furs
Riker's Island bustin, still packed, what's theword?
The drinkers stay drinkin, or puffin they herb
And I'm, stillenjoyin life's ride; right?

[Nas]
Political thugs in sharksuits persuade us to pull triggers
in army boots, yellin "Join the armedforces!"
We lost the Vietnam War, intoxicated poisons
Needles in arms ofveterans instead of bigger fortunes
There's still a lot of naked crawlin inthe carpet offices
War in the ghetto, we crabs in a barrel, they tortureus
They won't be servin the beast too long
The murderers wearin policeuniforms, confederate flags I burn
Beat Street breakers were dancin to themusic I chose
And Peachtree Atlantic crackheads was tootin they nose
infrozen corners of Chicago, loaded up Llama's children
with fo'-fo's, anddouble-revolvers
We devil incarnates, headed for jail
Where Shell gascompany in South Africa be havin us killed
Your paper money was the death ofChrist
And all these shorties comin up just resurrect your life
It's likea cycle

[Chorus]

[Nas]
Niggaz used to wear ragson they hair when it was fried up
That's when we were lied to, buyin hairproducts
Back before my generation, when our blackness starteddisintegratin
'til awareness started penetratin
The styles come fromprison, they used potatoes makin liquor
just to prove we some creativeniggaz
Turnin nothin into somethin, is God work
And you get nothin withoutstruggle and hard work
War is necessary to my niggaz in chains
From Greeneto Sing-Sing, I'm wantin y'all to know one thing
The hardest thing is toforgive, but God does
Even if you murdered or robbed, yeah it's wrong, butGod loves
Take one step toward him, he takes two toward you
Even when allelse fail, God support you
I done it, got God sun on my stomach
My heartand my lungs was affected from Henny's and gettin blunted
Do your body rightand it loves you back
You only get one life, and yo because of that
I'mstill blazin, goin out for the cause
Still rockin stockin caps, not for thewaves, obeyin no laws
And it's like that

[Chorus]