Few excerpts and most of us know, this is just touching the surface. Nas' catalog is the definition of official:
If money's ya religion sky the limit live life
Numbers is big business makes the poor live trife
The glimmers of hope provoke those without dollars to dream
Through your existence become wealthy, knowledge is king
...
Everything you into is underworld related
You sell your man out, not even your girl is sacred
You don't trust a soul, hold up, you moldin' soldiers
To pull guns quick and always look behind the shoulder
Think of how many dudes died tryin' to be down with you
Everybody's under six feet of ground but you
Still standin', still roamin' through the streets, that's real
You a survivor, knowin' all the beef is ill
You got a bunch of thugs witchu even now that's ready
Trustin' your judgment, quick to put it down, they deadly
The hood love you but behind your back they pray for the day
A bullet hit your heart and ambulances take you away
That ain't love it's hate, think of all the mothers at wakes
Whose sons you killed, and you ain't got a cut on your face?
Unmarked police cars roam the streets hard, the heat is God
Somebody tell these shorties reach for the stars
Instead they tell 'em how to reach through the bars
...
Blessings of life to the children, they say life is like five days
Words of a old man with silver hair, in his wheelchair
His eyes were bloody while describin what lies before me
Said evil bitches and jealous men would try to destroy me
It occurred to me, this old nigga's words couldn't be realer
I'm on top now, slightest drama, I'll have ta kill ya
Cause animals sense weakness, sharks smell blood in water
Ishmael, Moses and Job knew the divine order
Shit is plastic material, havin' no life
I crash whips and leave it no matter the price
As long as I survive, cop a new five
Circle the block where the beef's at
And park in front of my enemy's eyes
They see that it's war we life stealers, hollow-tip lead busters
There's no heaven or hell - dead is dead fuckers
And your soul is with God, your mind keeps lurkin the earth
Watchin your own murder reoccur
....
And if I cry two tears for her
That would be the most that I can give to her
I am Joseph, Darryl, Jason, Dr. Dre, O'Shea
And a host of those who passed away
Today I'm Drake, I'm Wayne, 2 Chainz
You say you want to rap, to this bitch you must commit
Then you're a slave to your grave, you won't get out, you cannot quit
She menstruates weekly, her vibe covers keep you warm
But the source to her heart is love, word up, right on
You know how girls are, she love when you licking on her world star
Kissing on her belly, trick on her at Onyx
Confused fans think that she illuminates demonic
But she's the object of my affections, God's essence, God bless her
....
A project minded individual, criminal tactics
Us black kids born with birth defects, we hyperactive
Mentally sex-crazed, dysfunctional they describe us
They liars, at the end of the day, we fuckin survivors
I remember watching Scarface the first time
Look at that big house, that Porsche paid for by crime
How could I sell this poison to my peoples in my mind?
They dumb and destroy themselves is how I rationalize