GENIUS
Sign Up
I ball with The Firm's first lady The Firm (Ft. Dawn Robinson) – Firm Biz
Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

Nas is down with Foxy Brown

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +10 Downvote
Copy Embed
Hold up, my other side The Firm (Ft. Dr. Dre) – Phone Tap
Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

Nas gets a call from Nature and tells AZ to hold

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +2 Downvote
Copy Embed
Head Nigga In Charge and shit Prodigy of Mobb Deep – Keep It Thoro
Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

Himself (Prodigy), H.N.I.C, the album that the song is listed in.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +7 Downvote
Copy Embed
Spark the lye, Q.B.C. yo, it's do or die Nas (Ft. Havoc) – The Set Up
Genius Annotation 6 Contributors ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

“Lye” is New York slang for marijuana. Fellow New York rapper AZ mentioned the drug on Nas' “Life’s A Bitch”.

Life’s a bitch and then you die, that’s why we get high
‘Cause you never know when you’re gonna go
Life’s a bitch and then you die, that’s why we puff lye
‘Cause you never know when you’re gonna go

Q.B.C. (Queensbridge Crew) is a collective of rappers that hail from Queensbridge Projects. They include Nas, Havoc, The Infamous Mobb, Big Noyd, Cormgea and Tragedy Khadafi .

Although he is not from Queensbridge, there is a shoutout to Nas' close friend AZ.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +21 Downvote
Copy Embed
Recorded in my hometown Queensbridge Nas – U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)
Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

Nas and the legendary Marly Marl are from Queensbridge.

Paid In Full was recorded at Marley Marl’s home studio, Power Play Studios in Queensbridge.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +4 Downvote
Copy Embed
Where two SK's go off every day ruthless-lay Nas – Destroy & Rebuild
Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

SK arms is a company that produces many different types of firearms, Nas is saying that Queensbridge is so violent that guns are fired and people are killed almost every day, you need to be real to last in the Projects.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +6 Downvote
Copy Embed
Marked this as missing something?
1 year

also the guy below me is right. how you gonna get a gun tate wrong on a gangsta rap song dawg cmon man

Upvote +0 Downvote
Marked this as missing something?
1 year

i guess USA and SK and ruthless-lay could be a pararhyme but i hate speculators.

Upvote +0 Downvote
Marked this as a stretch?
8 years

Sk referees to the Rifle pictured above which is called an SKS. Not referring sk arms.

Upvote +1 Downvote
Show all improvement suggestions
Hoes play your position 'cause you'll never be King
Even Jigga want the crown, "How that sound?" Poor thing Nas – Destroy & Rebuild
Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

A hoe is a female so they can never be Kings only queens. In this line “Hoes” goes to the list of many of Nas “male” rivals, mainly Jay-Z who rivalled Nas for the King of New York title.

Hoes also sounds like Hov so Nas is telling Jay-Z to play his position cause he’ll never be King of New York.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +16 Downvote
Copy Embed
Marked this as a stretch?
1 year

first part is good. the “hov” part is speculation. compelling speculation, but still speculation.

Upvote +2 Downvote
Show all improvement suggestions
Clifford Harris shit , I'm on that same tip Crooked I (Ft. "Freeway" Ricky Ross) – Real Niggaz
Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

Clifford Harris is the real name of rapper T.I. aka Tip or T.I.P.

great word play here

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +1 Downvote
Copy Embed
Ayo, the brother's Stillmatic Nas – Stillmatic (The Intro)
Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

Nas is saying he’s still lyrically ill as he was when he recorded his debut album Illmatic–he’s ST-illmatic.

Stillmatic is the rebirth of Illmatic, my first debut album to come out in 1994. Stillmatic is me coming full circle in my career and with everything, and just bringing pure hip-hop back. It’s about not compromising my craft on this album.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +20 Downvote
Copy Embed
No need for a vest, that'll suffocate the flesh Rick Ross (Ft. Fat Joe, The Game & Ja Rule) – Mafia Music (Remix) (50 Cent Diss)
Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Loading...

A shot at 50 Cent who wears a bulletproof vest 24/7

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse
Upvote +3 Downvote
Copy Embed