Nas — Bridging the Gap

[Produced by Salaam Remi] [Intro: Nas & Olu Dara] The light is there Yeah yeah You see I come from Mississippi I was young and runnin' wild Ended up in New York City Where I had my first child I named the boy Nasir All the boys call him Nas I told him as a youngster He'll be the greatest man alive (Let's go!) La-la-la, la-la, la-la, la (Ah!) La-la-la, la-la, la-la, la (I'm the Magnificent) La-la-la, la-la, la-la, la La-la, la-la, Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! [Verse 1: Nas] Chuck Berry of these rap skits, styles I mastered Many brothers snatched it up and tried to match it But I'm still number one, everyday real Speak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss Keep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez Mississippi Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busy Bridging the gap, from the blues, to jazz, to rap The history of music on this track Born in the game, discovered my father's music Like Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple Rain But my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the Superkids Some are well-known, some doin' bids I mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracks If Pops wouldn't've pulled me back an said yo [Chorus/Hook: Olu Dara & Nas] See I come from Mississippi I was young and runnin' wild (Uh huh) Ended up in New York City (New york) Where I had my first child (That's me y'all) I named the boy Nasir (Yeah!) All the boys call him Nas (That's what's up!) I told him as a youngster He'll be the greatest man alive Greatest man alive (Yeah, turn it up!) Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive! [Verse 2: Nas] The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh's Old school, new school, know school rules All these years I been voicin' my blues I'm a artist from the start, Hip-Hop guided my heart Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard, juvenile delinquent But Pops gave me the right type'a tools to think with Books to read, like X and stuff Cause the schools said the kids had dyslexia In art class I was a compulsive sketcher of Teachers in my homeroom, I drew pix to mess them up Cause none'a them would like my style Read more books than the curriculum profile Said, "Mr. Jones please come get your child Cause he's writin' mad poems and his verses are wild" [Chorus/Hook: Olu Dara & Nas] I was born in Mississippi I was young and runnin' wild Moved to New York City Where I had my first child I named the boy Nasir All the boys call him Nas I told him as a youngster He'll be the greatest man alive Greatest man - The great-greatest man alive (Tell 'em!) [Verse 3: Nas & Olu Dara] Hey-Hey-Hey -- My Poppa was not a Rollin' Stone He been around the world blowin' his horn, still he came home Then he got grown, changed his name to Olu Come on, tell 'em 'bout all the places you gone to I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique (Yeah) Madagascar, Paris, Greece (Uh huh) But little Africa is where we live (Yeah) Better known as Queenbridge Nas, Nas you don't stop Olu Dara in the house, you don't stop Muddy Waters' Howling Wolf you don't stop From the Blues to Street Hop you don't stop Tell 'em Pop [Chorus/Hook: Olu Dara & Nas] See I come from Mississippi (Let 'em know) I was young and runnin' wild (Runnin' wild) Ended up in New York City (Yeah!) Where I had my first child (That's me) I named the boy Nasir (Yeah, Daddy!) All the boys call him Nas (Luh ya, boy) I told him as a youngster He'll be the greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop) Greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop) Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive! [Outro: Olu Dara] Rest In Peace Ray Charles