It's Buddha 'til we spark, it's consistent
The beast smells the el because it travels long distance
Cruising in his Chrysler, pursuing niggas in my ciphers

from Nas – Understanding Lyrics on Rap Genius

“The beast” is referring to the 5-0, the pigs, the fuzz. They smell the potent “Buddha” (otherwise known as CANNIBUS!) and cruise on to his location in their Chrysler police cars. They also pursue individuals that Nas has mentioned before, in his ciphers.

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