Nas
"Bridging the gap"

*Nas talking*
"The light is there."

[Intro: Olu Dara singing]
See I come from Mississippi
I was young and runnin' wild
Ended up in New York City, where I
had my first child
I named the boy Nasir, all the boys
call him Nas
I told him as a youngster, he'll be the
greatest man alive

[Verse 1: Nas]
Let's go!... Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey --
Tribrary of these rap skits, styles I
mastered
Many brothers snatched it up and
tried to match it
But I'm still number one, everyday
real
Speak what I want, I don't care
what y'all feel
'Cause I'm my own master, my Pop
told me be your own boss
Keep integrity at every cost, and his
home was Natchez Mississippi
Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we
gettin' busy
Bridging The Gap from the blues, to
jazz, to rap
The history of music on this track
Born in the game, discovered my
father's music
Like Prince searchin' through boxes
of Purple Rain
But my Minneapolis was The Bridge,
home of the Superkids
Some are well-known, some doin'
bids
I mighta ended up on the wrong side
of the tracks
If Pops wouldn't've pulled me back
an said yo
[Olu Dara singing]
Greatest man alive (Nas: Yeah, turn
it up!)
Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive!

[Verse 2: Nas]
The blues came from gospel, gospel
from blues
Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and
ooh's
Old school, new school, know school
rules
All these years I been voicin' my
blues
I'm a artist from the start, Hip-Hop
guided my heart
Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in
Spoffard, juvenile delinquent


But Pops gave me the right type'a
tools to think with
Books to read, like X and stuff
'Cause the schools said the kids had
dyslexia
In art class I was a compulsive
sketcher of
Teachers in my homeroom, I drew
pix to mess them up
'Cause none'a them would like my
style
Read more books than the curriculum
profile
Said, "Mr. Jones please come get
your child
'Cause he's writin' mad poems and
his verses are wild"
[Olu Dara singing]
Greatest man – The great-greatest
man alive

[Verse 3: Nas]
Hey-Hey-Hey -- My Poppa was not a
Rollin' Stone
He been around the world blowin' his
horn, still he came home
Then he got grown, changed his
name to Olu
Come on, tell 'em 'bout the places you
gone to
[Olu Dara singing]
I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique
Madagascar, Paris, Greece
The Middle Africa is where we lived
Better known as Queenbridge
[Nas]
Nas, Nas you don't stop
Olu Dara in the house, you don't stop
Muddy Waters' Howling Wolf you
don't stop
From the Blues to Street Hop you
don't stop
Tell 'em Pop

[Outro: Olu Dara singing / Nas
adlibbing]
See I come from Mississippi (Let 'em
know)
I was young and runnin' wild (Runnin'
wild)
Ended up in New York City (Yeah!)
Where I had my first child (That's me)
I named the boy Nasir (Yeah, Daddy!)
All the boys call him Nas (Luh ya, boy)
I told him as a youngster
He'll be the greatest man alive (You
the greatest, Pop)
Greatest man alive (You the greatest,
Pop)Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man
alive!
Rest In Peace Ray Charles