My Way Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Word to Will, buried in his Fila suit and heavy chain
I wanna be iced-up, nigga, bury me the same
I live for street glory and I die for ghetto fame
Respect all, fear none, my pride is everything
Initials in swimming pools floors, women lose drawers
A true boss, never lose wars, got cheddar to floss
Guns under my bed, mask and a flashlight
Livin' my life like everyday's my last night
Alcoholic on toilets, I shit blood
Foreign cars, models and stars, life of a rich thug
Mommy told me from weed I would switch drugs
To cocaine and hit clubs and deep-dish dubs

How would she know unless she hit the clubs, got her mack on?
Back in the 60's with an afro and her platforms
Boppin' to The Supremes, smokin' joints
That's cool, but I'ma live how I want

[Chorus 1]
(I did it my way) from crumbs and roaches and rats
(I did it my way) convertin' from hustlin' to raps
(I did it my way) from break dancin', backspins on the cardboard
(I did it my way) to bulletproof Bentleys, Gats in the car door
(I did it my way) never gave a fuck what nobody said
(I did it my way) they hoped that I failed and wished I was dead
(I did it my way) if I fuck up, it falls on me
(I did it my way) I lucked up and struck rich, now we all can eat
[Verse 2]
Gateways, marble floors, chandeliers
Jacuzzi's, Gucci soap, throwin' cash in the air
Though I still feel broke with millions in the bank
And deals on the table, I focus to stay afloat
And just to think some would die to get what I got
They think it's a lot; in the blink of an eye, you could get shot
Niggas is wolves, comin' if you ruthless or not
But I be on point, put you in places where bodies rot
Never knew murder 'til I seen my man get popped
No blood soakin', layin' there, eyes still open
I got a little closer, put my hand in his palm
He was lookin' right through me, yo, starin' beyond

I wonder what he saw: the limos, movies and tours?
Did he die in vain or represent for the cause?
Now I put his name on everything I'm involved
And that's the game; y'all can't relate, fuck y'all (Ill Will)

[Chorus 2]
(I did it my way) from the crumbs, roaches and rats
(I did it my way) convertin' from hustlin' to raps
(I did it my way) I call it how I see it, niggas
(I did it my way) if you don't like it, so be it, niggas
(I did it my way) I make my own rules, do my own plans
(I did it my way) gangstas do what they want, suckers do what they can
(I did it my way) takin' sacrifices, kid
(I did it my way) you only gettin' one life to live
[Verse 3]
Yo, hoes in my focus slow me; roll with the brokest homies
Cold and we hopeless lonelies, scoldin' my foes who phony
From blocks where coke'll feed you, and cops is over-evil
They know some people who tell on felons who sold some diesel
Her-on and blow, it ruins minds, knew a crew one time
'89, they took work to Caroline and blew big time
In just two years, their crew disappeared
Snitches and bitches smeared the paint on their pictures
Years back, I reminisce and remember
Sittin' on wood benches gave me splinters
Just a baby nigga thankful
When them killers came through, guns out, movin'
I thank the ones who said
"Shorty, go home, we about to be shootin'"


[Chorus 1]
(I did it my way) from crumbs and roaches and rats
(I did it my way) convertin' from hustlin' to raps
(I did it my way) from break dancin', back spins on the cardboard
(I did it my way) to bulletproof Bentleys, Gats in the car door
(I did it my way) never gave a fuck what nobody said
(I did it my way) they hoped that I failed and wished I was dead
(I did it my way) if I fuck up, it falls on me
(I did it my way) I lucked up and struck rich, now we all can eat

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About

Genius Annotation

Nas created “My Way” during the Stillmatic sessions and The Alchemist sampled the slow intro of the 1977 disco track “Just a Little Bit” by the Larry Page Orchestra. Al heard about Stillmatic and wanted to give Nas a track that had a feel reminiscent to freestyling in the park, and Nas recorded the track in one night. Al said the following to Complex:

It pretty much embodied what we were talking about. No half stepping, flat tops, he just killed it. It made me realize how beyond good he is.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Nas say about "My Way"?
Genius Answer

The Alchemist: “This is gonna be a really nerdy interview we gotta do something funny man, something’s gotta explode or something. I should fake some type of an attack, fake like I had some type of attack. ‘Ahhhhh!’ Okay I’m back now that was crazy.

“I wasn’t there when he did the vocals, because Nas would take beats of his own out. At that time, one of his A&Rs would give him beats or hit me way later and say like, ‘I want you to see what Nas did to this beat.’

“Nas was doing Stillmatic, he had the title already. He was in the studio in Long Island and I went out there to see him. I had all these beats on a DAT tape but I also brought some records in a bag because I was thinking of the title, Stillmatic. I always liked those freestyles that he did, like ‘Splittin Phillies,’ all of those joints that sounded like he was rhyming in a park.

“So I went to the studio and I was playing him beats. I said, ‘Yo, it’s cool but the name Stillmatic, I just heard something like if we just looped this up and I threw on a Cecil Homes version of the Barry White shit. On some park shit.’ And he was rubbing his chin like, ‘Alright, go loop it up.’

“Nas left, I looped it up, and we did whatever we had to do to get it swinging. I left and came back the next day and Nas wasn’t there but the engineer just pressed play and the song was done. It pretty much embodied what we were talking about. No half stepping, flat tops, he just killed it. It made me realize how beyond good he is.”

Credits
Produced By
Written By
Mixing Engineer
Recording Engineer
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Recorded At
The Hit Factory Studios, New York, NY
Release Date
September 23, 2002
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