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Lyndale Avenue is one of two major streets in Uptown, a section of Minneapolis populated by hipsters and Atmosphere fans.
Rich men died and tried, but none of it worked
They just rob your grave, I'd rather be alive and paid Nas – Nas Is Like
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.
Nas alludes to the Egyptian tomb theme on the album cover by referencing the Egyptian’s belief that burying treasure with you allows you to take it into the afterlife. Nas is saying that this doesn’t work, and that you’ll just get your grave robbed, sucker!
Indeed almost all of the graves of Pharaohs in ancient Egypt were looted, even pyramids were broken into. That’s why such a fuss was kicked about the tomb of King Tutankhamun – finally a grave was found which was untouched by thieves. This is Nas’s way of showing that any wealth of possessions accumulated in this life will not benefit you in the next, but rather enrich other people once you die.
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