nas'in debut albümündeki rap klasiklerinden sayılan şaheseri. ilk başta sample olarak Mtume'un juicy fruit parçasını kullanmak istemiş, daha sonra the gap band'in yearning for your love'ında karar kılmış. albümdeki tek konuk sanatçı Anthony Cruz namı değer az parçanın ilk dizelerini yazmış, nas'in sözleriyle gereksiz bir sidik yarışına sokulmuştur. parçanın sonundaki trompet performansı nas'in babası olu dara'ya ait. bu jazz soundu öyle cuk oturmuş ki sözler bittiğinde bile sanki hala konuşuyor parça.
Ayo what's up what's up let's keep it real son (AZ)
Count this money, you know what I'm saying?
Yeah yeah (Nas)
Ayo put the Grants over there in the safe you know what I'm saying?
Yeah yeah (Nas)
Because we spending these Jacksons
The Washingtons go to wifey, you know how that go (az)
I'm saying, that's what this is all about right?
Clothes, bankrolls, and hoes you know what I'm saying?
Yo then what man, what? (nas)
[verse 1 - az]
Visualizin the realism of life and actuality
Fuck who's the "baddest"; a person's status depends on salary
And my mentality is money-orientated
I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it
cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as five percenters
But somethin must of got in us cause all of us turned to sinners
Now some, restin in peace and some are sittin in San Quentin
Others such as myself are tryin to carry on tradition
Keepin the schwepervesence street ghetto essence inside us
Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us
Even though, we know somehow we all gotta go
but as long as we leavin thievin
we'll be leavin with some kind of dough
so, and to that day we expire and turn to vapors
me and my capers will be somewhere stackin plenty papers
Keepin it real, packin steel, gettin high
Cause life's a bitch and then you die
[Hook - AZ]
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff lye
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
[Verse 2 - Nas]
I woke up early on my born day, I'm twenty years of blessing
The essence of adolescent leaves my body, now I'm fresh in
My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it
One quarter through life some Godly-like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I puffs from
my skull cause it's pain in my brain, vein, money maintain though
go against the grain, simple and plain
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard
robbin foreigners, take their wallets, their jewels and rip their green cards
Dipped to the projects flashin my quick cash
and got my first piece of ass smokin blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance,
niggaz I used to run with is rich or doin years in the hundreds
I switched my motto; instead of sayin "fuck tommorrow"
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back
Time is Illmatic, keep static like wool fabric
Pack a 4-matic that crack your whole cabbage
not:
I switched my motto; instead of sayin "fuck tommorrow" that buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto: lanet olsun dostum zamanında parayı anlık boktan zevkler için harcadım ve inan bana koca kıçlı, şans oyunlarına para yatırmak da aynı boktanlıkta ama şuan kahrolası gelecek için plan yapmak en iyisi ahbap
But as long as we leaving thieving We'll be leaving with some kind of dough, So, and to that day we expire and turn to vapors, Me and my capers will be somewhere stacking plenty papers : siyah kıçım ölene dek para kazanmak için suç işleyecek
Keeping it real, packing steel, getting high: silah taşımak lanet hayatımı korumama yardımcı oluyor anlıyor musun dostum ve dumanlanmak birgün öleceğim gerçeğini unutturuyor, işte budur benim kahrolası tarzım
Visualizin the realism of life and actuality Fuck who's the "baddest"; a person's status depends on salary And my mentality is money-orientated: dinim imanım para, yemişim statüyü
we were beginners in the hood as five percenters But somethin must of got in us cause all of us turned to sinners: 5 Percent Nation saçmalıklarını dinledim zamanında, hepsinin canı cehenneme, para diyorum para!
I don't know who you are,
I don't know your name,
But if you want to live,
You better learn the game,
Don't know why you're here,
Ain't seen your face so far,
If you don't want to fail,
You better hide your scars,
Make a poor man cry,
The way you run your life,
Make a poor man laugh,
The way you run your life,
Time you hit the road,
Better be on your way,
Don't scream,
Don't shout,
Three strikes and you be out,
It's a shame I know,
No chance to see the show,
Fear the man, kill the snitch,
Just remember Life's a Bitch,
I don't know what you've got,
I don't know your mom,
But if you like your life,
Then don't act dumb,
I don't know where you go,
And I sure don't care,
If you don't want to starve,
You better get your share,
Make a grown man sick,
The way you run your mouth,
Make a grown man shake,
The way you're running out,
Time to hit the skids,
Better be on your way,
Don't shout,
Don't scream,
Three strikes and they be mean,
A shame you're right,
No chance to see the fight,
Be a man, fix the glitch,
Just remember LIfe's a Bitch,
I don't know what you see,
I don't know the score,
But if you don't like blood,
You better close the door,
I don't know how you think,
Don't want to hear your tale,
And if you talk too much,
You're going to land in jail,
Make a tall man short,
To see you act this way,
Make a short man puke,
The way you waste the day,
Time to go to hell,
Better be on your way,
Don't moan,
Don't pout,
Three strikes takes your ass out,
Oh no, bad news,
No chance to shine your shoes,
Fear the sky, eat the rich,
Just remember Life's a Bitch
