Understanding Lyrics

[Intro: AZ & (Biz Markie)]
(Yo, this is funky! A-yo, what's up, fellas?)
Peace, God, peace, peace, how you?
(Yeah, I'm a'ight, I'm all good)
Yeah, yeah, cool, cool
Check it out!
I see today's mathematics as bein' understanding, you know?
Understanding is havin' the ability to see things clearly
For what they are, not what they present theyself to be
It completes the cipher, you know what I'm sayin'?
It's also symbolic to the black child, which is the best part
A-yo, son, represent

[Verse 1: Nas]
Now, I'm the average nigga in the street life, God
I try to beat trife odds
Ride my L-E through the night fog and park

It's buddha to be sparked, it's consistent
The beast smells the L because it travel long distance
Cruisin' in his Chrysler, pursuin' niggas in my cipher
Start wildin' like insane asylum on Rikers Island
Verbal assassin, I murder freestylin'
One-two for the gun crew, three drinkin' Cristal and
I play the side 'cause the words of man kill
Proverbs buck out my grill, real as Ill Will, peep the steel!
Nobody move, nobody die, why must I be high?
Bustin' in trife bitches, touchin' mic switches
It's like a hot spoon of heroin, a Don like Pérignon
Females love the guns I be wearin'
Plant my seeds to live infinite, indeed in my sentences
I flow demandin', that's understanding
[Verse 2: Nas]
850 tempo, but rugged like a Pinto
Chop shop hip-hop, burn the block intro
High priests release voodoo
Déjà vu on this taboo Illmatic shit, and what have you
Chef cocaine cook, no brainer, got the proper diction
My competition bleeds words and weed blurs my vision
I'm freezin' in time, stop the rhyme!
I'm sober in a stolen Range Rover, much crime
I, stick up America, Nas in your area
Disrupt the sound barrier, clowns get pounds of terror
A full whip for more clips than Clint has in his era
Dirty Harry — cold, black, the uncanny of Kojak
A Beretta stickin' up trucks carryin' Amaretto

Clever to entice 'em, herbs I'm micin' while I'm pricin'
Niggas like they slaves, best behave, I'm the nice one

Nas — broken down from Nasir; means protection
Pop dukes' resurrection
International hoes I'm sexin', while you be fuckin' one section
Question: Does a lonely mic give me an erection? Yes, son!
On a float like The Jetsons, futuristic rappin' mystic
Bust it! Try and diss it while my finger's on the iron biscuit
I rhyme terrific, sparklin' like the Diamond District
It's understanding

[Outro]
That's where it's happenin' in Queens
That's where it's happenin' in Queens
That's where it's happenin' in Queens
That's where it's happenin' in Queens

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About

Genius Annotation

While initially thought to be an pre-Illmatic demo track, producer Large Professor revealed that the song was actually produced in 1995 between the Illmatic and It Was Written sessions. The track samples a loop from Grover Washington, Jr.’s “Mister Magic” as Nas drops a couple of verses.

Large Professor spoke to Complex about the track:

That sample was Biz (Markie)’s idea. Biz called me one day, and was like, ‘Yo! You know what would be dope? To get Nas to rhyme over that Grover Washington joint.’ (“Mister Magic) And I was like, ‘Word? You think so?’ And then I called Nas, and was like, ‘Yo, this is what Biz said.’ And he was like, ‘Then we gotta do it.’

So I hooked the beat up, and we went to the Greene Street Studios, and knocked it out. We never mixed it or took it through the whole process, it was just a flinger. But Grandmaster Vic was there, Biz was there, AZ. Raekwon came through [to hang out]. Nas was just starting to work on It Was Written. Those were sessions between Illmatic and It Was Written. That was one of the first sessions when he started getting in the swing of working again.

Q&A

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Credits
Produced By
Written By
Intro Vocals
Release Date
1995
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