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A outlaw, although I never wear a holster
In every town, you see my face is on a poster Nas – I'm a Villain
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In old Western movies, notorious outlaws would get their face plastered on wanted posters throughout the town. Nas might not be your traditional outlaw with a gun holster and a cowboy hat, but he is just as notorious and deadly.

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Sip Dom Pérignon and then carry on Nas – I'm a Villain
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Dom Pérignon is a brand of champagne that Nas also shouts out in “The World is Yours”.

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I ain't the type of brother made for you to start testin'
Gimme a Smith-N-Wesson, I'll have niggas undressin' Nas – I'm a Villain
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This was pre-Illmatic and he would later recycle this couplet in “N.Y. State of Mind”. In practice, “undressing niggas” with a Smith-N-Wesson looks something like this:

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5

9 years

Yep, Matt is correct. Pre-Illmatic fo sho.

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Give me a Smith & Wesson, I'll have niggas undressin' Nas – N.Y. State of Mind
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The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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As in Nas will use the gun to rob people, forcing them to strip to give him all their valuables (Biggie has a similar line on “Gimme the Loot”)

This line originates from a Nas' song “I’m a Villain” from his 1991 demo tape

For a visual representation…

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304

3 years

It might also mean that he will shoot so much bullets he will blow their clothes off

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6 years

Smith & Wesson is an American manufacturer of firearms, ammunition and restraints

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108

8 years

Jay Z also has a similar line on “D'Evils” from his album, Reasonable Doubt

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100

8 years

or the scene from Belly

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32,412

8 years

Sus

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Tables turn, suckers burn to learn Public Enemy – Rebel Without a Pause
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Classic Chuck D wordplay, referring to both literal turntables (appropriate for the “black vinyl” mentioned above)…

…as well as upsetting the norm, putting power in the hands of the oppressed and giving voice to the marginalized. Even suckers can’t help but take heed – winding the record’s lessons back so frequently that it causes record burn.

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Parked in front the studio Bastard's recorded at Tyler, The Creator (Ft. Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Hodgy & Mike G) – Window
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There are three ways to hear the word bastard in this line:

  1. “Bastard’s,” as in ‘bastard was recorded at,’ making it a basic reference to Taco/Sydney’s house (nicknamed “The Trap”) in Los Angeles.
  2. “Bastards,” as in the plural form of bastard, ‘bastards recorded at.’ This interpretation refers to how most of the OF crew (notably Tyler, Earl, and Hodgy but others too) lack a father and are in fact bastards.
  3. The studio where Tyler’s debut mixtape was recorded.

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keep ya under pressure MC Serch (Ft. Chubb Rock, Nas & Tone) – Back to the Grill
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Nas rearranges some rhymes from one of his QB predecessors, Tragedy:

The old lyrical professor, greater not lesser
If you can’t fuck around, don’t play with the pressure

Nas will shuffle them around some more on Represent:

Pullin' the tec out the dresser
Police got me under pressure

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I learned the difference 'tween the snitches
The real ones, and who's soft Nas – Stillmatic (The Intro)
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Throughout his childhood, Nas understood the difference between the type of people who lived in his neighborhood. Snitch detection is mentioned in by Nas in “Snitch Alibi”,“On the Real”, and “Suspect”

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You never kept a secret, always stayed real 2Pac – Dear Mama
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To quote Ms. Shakur:

I taught my son to like truth, above all else: to not like a lie, to not be afraid to stand up and be responsible when he was wrong. I taught him that it was okay to be wrong, and it was better yet to say “I am wrong” […] and I taught him that, every time a person […] does an act that’s not truthful, that person is destroying forever a part of their integrity. And the integrity of a human being should be protected at all costs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz9I9o1con4

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But never in the P-E-N, yo Dr. Dre (Ft. Snoop Dogg) – 187um (Deep Cover Remix)
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Pen refers to the penitentiary, another word for prison.

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