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- published: 30 Jul 2012
- views: 223674
- author: 7NEWS
Light it, uhh
Light it up, uhh
[Nas]
The whole, city is mine, prettiest Don
I don't like the way P. Diddy did Shyne with different lawyers
Why it's mentioned in my rhymes? Fuck it, it's just an intro
Hate it or love it, like it bump it or dump it
Writing, across the stomach spell GOD son
Life is like a jungle black it's like the habitat of Tarzan
Matter of fact, it's harder than most can imagine
Most of my niggaz packed in correctional facilities
Half of them passed on, mack strong, couple of shots
May the ghost leave a body, now they hauntin the block
Where they used to stand at, somebody's takin they place
A younger man perhaps, hand slaps, can't understand that
Same walk, same talk, I wonder can that be possible
A thug dies, another step inside his shoes
And they will hurt you, layin low with a bottle
I'm blowin circles, my state of mind purple
Light it, light it, uhh
Yeah.. light it up, light it up, uhh
Y'all just wanna deal with drama
Talk about niggaz who got things, y'all ready to kill his momma
Everything you went to is underworld related
You sell your man out, not even your girl is sacred
You don't trust a soul, hold up, you moldin soldiers
to pull guns quick and always look behind the shoulder
Think of how many dudes died tryin to be down with you
Everybody's under six feet of ground but you
Still standin, still roamin through the streets, that's real
You a survivor, knowin all the beef is ill
You got a bunch of thugs witchu even now that's ready
Trustin your judgment, quick to put it down, they deadly
The hood love you but behind your back they pray for the day
A bullet hit your heart and ambulances take you away
That ain't love it's hate, think of all the mothers at wakes
whose sons you killed, and you ain't got a cut on your face?
Unmarked police cars roam the streets hard, the heat is God
Somebody tell these shorties reach for the stars
Instead they tell 'em how to reach through the bars, holdin a mirror
Lookin down a tear in jail, makin weapons to kill ya
We smoke three tokes nigga pour more Henny
He sighs with eyes that seen a war too many
Cold-blooded murderers, universal
Hood to hood, blowin smoke, state of mind is purple
Light it up, light it up light it up, uhh
Light it up.. light it up, light it up, uhh
Uhh.. uhh, uhh, light it, light it, uhh
These hot-headed youngsters, always get into trouble
Reactin before thinkin, they easily irritated
And murder's premeditated, it's a fact that we sinkin
when we should be climbin, in a nutshell, it's just jail
Drug sales, liquor and diamonds, niggaz rewindin
instead of movin forward, to blow up so what's the science?
People shoutin, police pushin the crowd
And on the ground's a young soldier, with meat hangin out him
Am I hallucinatin off the hazin?
Or did I just see a nigga shoot another nigga's face in
It's a ugly nation, cops circle the block with mug shots
Photograph pictures of, suspect faces
It's usually, two or three niggaz who innocent
But if they lock the wrong ones up, then someone'll snitch
A divide and fall strategy, they aren't fair
I dig in my bag of weed that's covered with orange hair
This Color Purple'll make Whoopi give me the pussy
A Ceily, Oprah and Danny Glover gots to feel me
This is how I escape the madness, too much of anything'll hurt you
Whattup kid? I know shit is rough doing your bid
When the cops came you shoulda slid to my crib
Fuck it black, no time for looking back it's done
Plus congratulations you know you got a son
I heard he looks like you, why don't your lady write you?
Told her she should visit, that's when she got hyper
Flippin, talk about he acts too rough
He didn't listen he be riffin' while I'm telling him stuff
I was like yeah, shorty don't care, she a snake too
Fucking with the niggaz from that fake crew that hate you
But yo, guess who got shot in the dome-piece?
Jerome's niece, on her way home from Jones Beach - it's bugged
Plus little Rob is selling drugs on the dime
Hangin out with young thugs that all carry 9's
At night time there's more trife than ever
Whattup with Cormega, did you see 'em, are y'all together?
If so then hold the fort down, represent to the fullest
Say whassup to Herb, Ice and Bullet
I left a half a hundred in your commissary
You was my nigga when push came to shove
One what? one love
Dear Born, you'll be out soon, stay strong
Out in New York the same shit is goin on
The crack-heads stalking, loud-mouths is talking
Hold, check out the story yesterday when I was walking
The nigga you shot last year tried to appear like he hurtin' something
Word to mother, I heard him fronting
And he be pumping on your block
Your man gave him your glock
And now they run together, what up son, whatever
Since I'm on the streets I'ma put it to a cease
But I heard you blew a nigga with a ox for the phone piece
Whylin on the Island, but now with Elmira
Better chill cause them niggaz will put that ass on fire
Last time you wrote you said they tried you in the showers
But maintain when you come home the corner's ours
On the reels, all these crab niggaz know the deal
When we start the revolution all they probably do is squeal
But chill, see you on the next V-I
I gave your mom dukes loot for kicks, plus sent you flicks
Your brother's buck whylin' in four maine he wrote me
He might beat his case, 'til he come home I play it low key
So stay civilised, time flies
Though incarcerated your mind (dies)
I hate it when your mum cries
It kinda wants to make me murder, for real-a
I've even got a mask and gloves to bust slugs for one love
Sometimes I sit back with a Buddha sack
Mind's in another world thinking how can we exist through the facts
Written in school text books, bibles, et cetera
Fuck a school lecture, the lies get me vexed-er
So I be ghost from my projects
I take my pen and pad for the week
And hittin nails while I'm sleepin
A two day stay, you may say I need the time alone
To relax my dome, no phone, left the 9 at home
You see the streets have me stressed somethin terrible
Fuckin with the corners have a nigga up in Belleville
Or h.d.m., hit with numbers from 8 to 10
A future in a maximum state pen is grim
So I comes back home, nobody's helpin shorty doo-wop
Rollin two Phillies together in the Bridge we called 'em oowops
He said, "Nas, niggaz could be bustin' off the roof
So I wear a bullet proof and pack a black tres-deuce"
He inhaled so deep, shut his eyes like he was sleep
Started coughing when I peeked to watch me speak
I sat back like the mack, my army suit was black
We was chillin' on these benches where he pumped his loose cracks
I took an l when he passed it, this little bastard
Keeps me blasted he starts talkin mad shit
I had to school him, told him don't let niggaz fool him
'cos when the pistol blows that's when a murder be the cool one
Tough luck when niggaz are struck, families fucked up
Could've caught your man, but didn't look when you bucked up
Mistakes happen, so take heed never bust up
At the crowd catch him solo, make the right man bleed
Shorty's laugh was cold blooded as he spoke so foul
Only twelve trying to tell me that he liked my style
Then I rose, wiping the blunts ash from my clothes
Then froze only to blow the herb smoke through my nose
And told my little man that I'm a go cyprose
There's some jewels in the skull that he can sell if he chose
Words of wisdom from nas try to rise up above
Keep an eye out for jake shorty what
Geah
Peace king
Peace king
Listen, they wrote a book on your life
Right
You think anybody'll read it?
No fuckin doubt!
Let's make history homey
Aight then
You know we brought the hoes clothes and money rolls to the table
No, fuckin, doubt
It's time to manifest this
Shit we the flyest nigga
Bring it to a whole, y'know?
Gangsta nigga
Niggaz better watch ya back, it's so cold
Pinky rings shinin, so act like y'don't know
Bitches in heat for niggaz that got dough
We the flyest gangsters
What you don't got is my natural glow
Countin out stacks and mackin out hoes
Pushin big dicks and packin our chrome
We the flyest gangsters
Follow, I'm like a Lamborghini green Diablo
Coupe VT, it's like DVD when I flow
Feel me, I'm loved like the great late Malik Sealy
The one the player haters hate dearly, but can't near me
Homicide can't scare me
I o-bide by the laws of these streets sincerely, a real nigga
The type that can build with ya
Verbalize bring life to a still picture, it's God-given
Been blessed with Allah's vision, strength and beauty
Truly my only duty is to dodge prison
Play wit me, I'm modest 'til them strays hit me
Regardless the circumstances I'ma stay filthy
Dough forever, the live stay low forever
And fuck niggaz, cause it's hard to keep them close together
One dependant, no wife, one co-defendant
No forms of weakness, I flow with vengeance
I do what I can do when I can do it
Feel how I feel when I feel what I'm feelin
Live how I live it's only cause I been through it
Learn to try it like to eat it and shit it's nuttin to it
Burn it light it weed it and off the liquor, while drivin outside
I'll never catch a vehicular homicide
My music is a description of my vibe of course
My life, my sites, my thoughts, what I like on my fork
Cause you are what you eat, you eat what you can
You pray to bless the food but first you wash your hands
to wash away them bad spirits, don't bring it in your home
Once you let them in they stayin, evil be gone, say it
I'm proud of Mase for givin himself to the Lord
Wanted his Faith, think about Big anymore
Of course my nigga Horse got married, see shit is changin
We ain't these little niggaz no more, runnin dangerous
I like to bone, I'm a peaceful brother
Eat up so much the girls call me seafood lover
Be havin they legs shakin, stab 'em, break 'em
I'm Hercules Hercules when havin relations, the flyest
We put this on the, soul of our born
As we hold the Qu'ran
Kamikaze style
Older cats coachin us on
Yo it's kill or be killed
Understand, real'll be real
A forty-shot spectrum MAKE YOUR WHOLE EMBASSY KNEEL
Identity sealed, protected by
our energy shield
And fuck a drop, cause that's that shit that got Kennedy killed
Close the books
Was taught never expose a crook
Between the knight and the bishop
Wanna knock ya rook; I'm a rare breed never had a fair to lead
I ain't light niggaz recite
Too impaired to breathe
WE BOTH HARD HIT JUST LIKE CAMACHO AND VARGAS, WHO'S THE TARGET?
I think I can remember some...
Brenda the back-bender used to have me in the twister
Grabbed her up and left her at the Buena Vista
Chelsea used to tell me choke her while I stroke her
Stuck a Heineken bottle up in the ass, a real joker
Used to run my bubble bath, tons of laughs, sexy chick
Mad skills, she used to try to eat my excrement
Used to play Atari 1200, baby-sitter made me kiss her
Put hickeys on her stomach
Toya was a tomboy 'til we played catch a screw
Had her out past her curfew, Sheila had this perfume
that drove a nigga wild, was a child then, Gertrude
used to put my face in her crotch
Spun my tongue around in a circle while she watched
Eiserea knew I was a player, brought Fatima, loud screamer
While I blew clouds of reefer, they sucked juice out my uretha
While Marvin Gaye pumped from the speaker
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, remember the times I fucked a few
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, and all the wild things I used to do
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, remember the times I fucked a few
Remembering the times it was on my mind, but none of them could touch you
Was only scared of them STDs, syphilis, VD and herpes
Daffy Duck-lookin' bitch burnt me, correction
Urinary tract infection, what I got for no protection
Was a horny dog, mornings waking up with a log
Dick stuck to my draws, wet dreams in the mind
Of a one-of-a-kind sex fiend, Justine was luscious wanna cuff us when fucked us
Me and her best friend, this thick Texan named Tamika, English teacher
Wedding ring on finger, bent her big ass over the fold-out sofa
The weather was cold and Loretta would throw on nothing but a thong
Under the coat and
Put a show on just to show me she loved me
She would undress and wait in zero below weather
In slippers and a sun dress for me to arrive
Kept a freak in the ride with her head in my lap, the steering wheel's high
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, remember the times I fucked a few
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, and all the wild things I used to do
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, remember the times I fucked a few
Remembering the times it was on my mind, but none of them could touch you
Thank God I got bank god, so fuck pimpin'
Fuck broke condoms, pills and penicillin
Abortion clinics, I was one of the best who did it
Lesbian shit, wheelchair girls and midgets
Twin sisters, cousins, mothers and daughters, some wasn't no quarters
Long chin, some with funny odors
Long blond weaves, overweight, cottage cheese
Some I paid college fees, then they strip tease
And it's sad I don't remember great times that made me drool
And the sex gave me flashbacks when I was like eww
Mature with it now dog, here's the side of Nas
Principles are lined up, things prioritized
Se mamma I left that alone, faded memories, the reason that I'm grown
It'd be senseless for us to lie about our old experiences, no longer
are we tempted
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, remember the times I fucked a few
(now we could properly begin this)
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, and all the wild things I used to do
Remember the times I hung with the dimes, remember the times I fucked a few
One time.. yeah.. yeah..
Yo, all I need is one mic, one beat, one stage
One nigga front, my face on the front page
Only if I had one gun, one girl and one crib
One God to show me how to do things his son did
Pure, like a cup of virgin blood; mixed with
151, one sip'll make a nigga flip
Writin names on my hollow tips, plottin shit
Mad violence who I'm gon' body, this hood politics
Ackowledge it, leave bodies chopped in garbages
Seeds watch us, grow up and try to follow us
Police watch us {*siren*} roll up and try knockin us
One knee I ducked, could it be my time is up
But my luck, I got up, the cop shot again
Bus stop glass bursts, a fiend drops his Heineken
Richochetin between the spots that I'm hidin in
Blackin out as I shoot back, fuck gettin hit!
This is my hood I'ma rep, to the death of it
'til everybody come home, little niggaz is grown
Hoodrats, don't abortion your womb, we need more warriors soon
Sip from the star sun and the moon
In this life of police chases street sweepers and coppers
Stick-up kids with no conscience, leavin victims with doctors
IF YOU REALLY THINK YOU READY TO DIE, WITH NINES OUT
THIS IS WHAT NAS IS BOUT, NIGGA THE TIME IS NOW!
Yo, all I need is one mic..
All I need is one mic.. that's all I need
All I need is one mic.. all I need niggaz
All I need is one mic.. yeah
All I need is one blunt, one page, and one pen
One prayer - tell God forgive for one sin
Matter fact maybe more than one, look back
at all the hatred against me, fuck alla them
Jesus died at age 33, there's thirty-three shots
from twin glocks there's sixteen apiece, that's thirty-two
Which means, one of my guns was holdin 17
Twenty-seven hit your crew, six went into you
Everybody gotta die sometime; hope your funeral
never gets shot up, bullets tear through the innocent
Nothin is fair, niggaz roll up, shootin from wheelchairs
My heart is racin, tastin revenge in the air
I let the shit slide for too many years, too many times
Now I'm strapped with a couple of macs, too many nines
If y'all niggaz really wit me get busy load up the semis
Do more than just hold it explode the clip until you empty
There's nothin in our way - they bust, we bust, they rust, we rust
Led flyin, feel it? I feel it in my gut
THAT WE TAKE THESE BITCHES TO WAR, LIE 'EM DOWN
CAUSE WE STRONGER NOW MY NIGGA THE TIME IS NOW!!
All I need is one mic.. that's all I need, that's all I need
All I need is one mic.. there's nuttin else in the world
All I need is one mic.. that's all a nigga need to do his thing y'know
All I need is one mic..
ALL I NEED IS ONE LIFE, ONE TRY, ONE BREATH I'M ONE MAN
WHAT I STAND FOR SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND
Or wanna see me on top, too egotistical
Talkin all that slick shit, the same way these bitches do
Wonder what my secrets is, niggaz'll move on you
only if they know, what your weakness is I have none
Too late to grab guns I'm blastin cause I'm a cool nigga
Thought I wouldn't have that ass done? Fooled you niggaz
What you call a infinite brawl, eternal souls clashin
War gets deep, some beef is everlastin
Complete with thick scars, brothers knifin each other
up in prison yards, drama, where does it start?
You know the block was ill as a youngster
Every night it was like a, cop would get killed body found in the dumpster
For real a hustler, purchased my Range, niggaz throwin dirt on my name
Jealous cause fiends got they work and complain
Bitches left me cause they thought I was finished
Shoulda knew she wasn't true she came to me when her man caught a sentence
Diamonds are blindin, I never make the same mistakes
Movin with a change of pace, lighter load, see now the king is straight
Swellin my melon cause none of these niggaz real
Heard he was, tellin police, how can a kingpin squeal?
This is crazy, I'm on the right track I'm finally found
You need some soul searchin, the time is now
All I need is one mic.. yeah, yeah yeah yeah
All I need is one mic.. that's all I ever needed in this world, fuck cash
All I need is one mic.. fuck the cars, the jewelry
Yeah, it's Illmatic (yeah)
It's Illmatic (yeah!)
It's Illmatic, huh
(yeah kick that shit)
One time 4 your mind, one time
Yeah whatever
One time 4 your mind, one time
Yo whatever
One time 4 your mind, one time
Aiyyo Nas (whattup Paul) kick that fuckin rhyme
Check it out
When I'm chillin, I grab the buddha, get my crew to buy beers
And watch a flick, illin and root for the villian, huh
Plus every morning, I go out and love it sort of chilly
Then I send a shorty from my block to the store for Phillies
After being blessed by the herb's essence
I'm back to my rest, ten minutes some odd seconds
That's where I got the honey at, spends the night for sexing
Cheap lubrication, Lifestyle protection
Picking up my stereo's remote control quickly
Ron G's in the cassette deck, rockin the shit, G
I try to stay mellow, rock, well acapella rhymes'll
make me richer than a slipper made Cinderella fella
Go get your crew, Hobbes, I'm prepared to bomb troops
Got niggaz who's born, I shot my way out my Mom Dukes
When I was ten, I was a hip-hoppin shorty wop
Known for rocking microphones and twisting off a 40 top, yeah
One time 4 your mind, one time
Yeah whatever
One time 4 your mind, one time
It sound clever
Hey yo Nas, fuck that, man that shit was fat
But kick that for them gangstas man, fuck all that
Right, right, what up niggaz, how y'all, it's Nasty the villian
I'm still writin rhymes but besides that I'm chillin
I'm trying to get this money, God, you know the hard times, kid
Shit, cold be starvin make you wanna do crimes kid
But I'ma lamp, cuz a crime couldn't beat a rhyme
Niggaz catching 3 to 9's, Muslims yelling free the mind
And I'm from Queensbridge, been to many places
as a kid when I would say that out of town, niggaz chased us
But now I know the time, got a older mind
Plus control a nine, fine, see now I represent mine
I'm new on the rap scene, brothers never heard of me
Yet I'm a meance, yo, police wanna murder me
Heine(ken) Dark drinker, represent the thinker
My pen rides the paper, it even has blinkers
Think I'll dim the lights then inhale, it stimulates
Floating like I'm on the North 95 Interstate
Never plan to stop, when I write my hand is hot
And expand alot from the Wiz to Camelot
The parlayer, I'll make ya heads bop Pah
I shine a light on perpetrators like a cop's car
From day to night, I play the mic and you'll thank God
I wreck shit so much, the microphone'll need a paint job
My brain is incarcerated
Live at any jam, I couldn't count all the parks I raided
I hold a Mac-11, and attack the Reverand
I contact 11 L's and max in heaven
Yo, one time 4 your mind, one time
It sound clever
But one time 4 your mind, one time
Yeah whatever
One time 4 your mind, one time
Yo, from ninety-two to ninety-nine
Yeah that shit was greasy fat Paul, knowhatI'msayin?
But check it, you gotta another verse for me
I want you to kick it, youknowhatI'msayin?
(What?) Ever been in love? (C'mon)
Yeah.. are you ready? (uhh) For somethin real?
(Say what?) Cause it can't be fake
This ain't no game (C'mon)
You gotta be wit me, for real (uh-huh)
cause it's real out here (uh-huh)
So make up your mind, cause I ain't got no time
Y'know? (C'mon)
I'm the most wanted baby fathe, save the drama
We toast when I wine and dine ya -- all you need is me
I won't stress you but bless you
Mentally and sexual, we both intellectual
Can't forget how I met you;
you thought I was a boxer -- Prince Nasim
but I'm the mobster -- Nas from Queens
And when I gotcha - you ridin with me
You keep askin, "When do you have time for me?"
I'm never free always on the move, bidness oriented
Lifestyle expensive, attract women
You wanna search my pockets, and act all wild
Say I hurt your heart - ask how could I smile?
Wanna call back all my numbers - star 6-9 me
Check my car for rubbers, but quit tryin
before you find what you lookin for and get to cryin
You always sayin what you gon' do if you catch me lyin
You won't see me tonight {Yeah right} (Say what? Say what?)
You won't see me tomorrow {uh-huh} (uh-huh)
I'll be gone by daylight {Doubt that} (What?)
And you'll be so full of sorrow {Yeah right}
You'll go tell all your friends {That's right} (Say what?)
how you called and I follow {They know it}
But you won't see me tonight {You don't believe that}
No you won't see me tomorrow
Caramel kisses of Jezebel's sister
I feel no guilt when I twist ya
Turn the other cheek when I see the next freak witcha
You got your name on his lease, copy his key
That's your lil' spot where you rest your wig peice
Go 'head and live baby, I know you his lady
You page me, when you got the day free
but I be out with my peeps in them system jeeps
You wanna lay up in the sheets of presidential suites
like I'll massage you while you massage me, mami
But can you hang with a young man who's doin his thang?
Speak up, I wanna know if you can keep up
Timberland boots for girls, with the tree stump
Baggy sweatsuits, mystery what's underneath them
They for my eyes only, you call me when you lonely
but I like to make the baddest girls wait, I got G baby
Call you on a Monday
I'll call you back baby
Call you on a Tuesday
My cell is off baby
Call you on a Wednesday
I'm out of town baby
You won't be back til Thursday
I'll page you back baby
Call you on a Monday
I'll call you back baby
Call you on a Tuesday
I'm out of town baby
Call you on a Wednesday
My cell is off baby
You won't be back til Thursday
I'll call you back baby
You won't see me tonight (Say what?)
You won't see me tomorrow (Say what?)
I'll be gone by daylight
And you'll be so full of sorrow
You'll go tell all your friends (What what?)
how you called and I follow (Say what?)
But you won't see me tonight
No you won't see me tomorrow
Thinking of me you gettin the chills
Like a rush through your body when you think how it feels
Give me a call and my voice give you butterflies in your tummy
Tell your friends you in love with Nas not his money
And I'll prove I'm a man of my word - handed you furs
Iceberg - everything on this planet Earth a woman desires
You make a good wife to most men
I know I got you open; but -- you just my close friend
Get it baby?
You won't see me tonight (uh-huh)
You won't see me tomorrow (Say what?)
I'll be gone by daylight {Dayyyy-light}
And you'll be so full of sorrow {.. Word?}
You'll go tell all your friends {Tell your friends what?} (Say what?)
how you called and I follow {Uhh, uhh}
But you won't see me tonight {Not tonight baby}
No you won't see me tomorrow
The God, The God, The God, Nasir (You won't see me tonight)
The Queen, The Queen, The Queen, Aaliyah (You won't see me tomorrow)
Nah nah (I'll be gone by daylight)
(And you'll be so full of sorrow)
Uhh uhh (You'll go tell all your friends)
Tell your friends (how you called and I followed)
How you followed me (But you won't see me tonight)
Not tonight baby (No you won't see me tomorrow)
C'mon, c'mon c'mon
Tomorrow, what?
Daylight, ghost
Say what, say what? Yo (You won't see me tonight)
You won't see Timbaland tonight baby
Ohhh, or Nas Esco', check it
Let it ride
I carry the cross, if Virgin Mary had an abortion
I'd still be carried in the chariot by stampeding horses
Had to bring it back to New York
I'm happy that the streets is back in New York
For you rappers, I carry the cross
Y'all can keep y'all weak beats, from your corny producers
There's a new king of the streets, you're gonna get used to
I was the old king of the streets, that y'all once hated
But now I reinvented myself, and y'all all waited
NAS, N.A.S. mean Niggaz Against Society
Noisy I aim not silently, noose all surroundin me
I hang 'em I string 'em up ain't no thing I just drop 'em
to which doctor you copped and you locked and it ain't what it was
I changed it up from that pop shit it's hard to see R&B;
rappers arguably, started fuckin up the game horribly
Cause, I parted the sea, then these novices targetted me
Bitches infatuated say they love me lyin to me
What I've discovered is my brother's tryin to be
the next me, yeah I support him but he's blinded I see
jealousy he love me to death am I buggin I love him for life
We both still mournin on our mother's, life
And I don't need much but a Dutch, a bitch to fuck
A six, a truck, some guns to bust
I wish it was that simple, the last emperor, hit yo' ass
with the Nasty Nas, diary, get out my path
I can't keep a bitch cause none of them come up for a little Des
I can't be too rich, too many hoes, lined up for sex
I can't rest until my niggaz in houses with pretty maids
Water and flowers in 'em
While my niggaz walk around in they trousers grinnin
Gotta keep a lot of heat; 30 cals 10 millimeters
40 cals plus the heckler, to set y'all straight
You too light? I shoot your freckles out
You too dark? The infrared show you what the tec about
Huh? I'm stressin out, need more offices for bosses
Secretaries and meetings with big sharks, who mad greedy
We can sell mo', boats on the coast
Give, coats to the po' and give, hope to the broke then live low
But that ain't reality, I look happy but under the sky
You see a nigga who know, out of three women 2 out of 3
will love you but lead you to they own, hidden evil
BITCH! You the reason niggaz be beefin, hoe get on
'Posed to be Earth, ain't worth the pussy that you sit on
From here on, it's a new day
Million dollars ain't, what it was yesterday
Many problems, many niggaz, most involved but they fake
Hope y'all relate
Uhh, what, what, uhh..
Street dreams are made of these
Niggaz push Beemers and 300 E's
A drug dealer's destiny is reachin a key
Everybody's lookin for somethin..
Street dreams are made of these
Shorties on they knees, for niggaz with big G's
Who am I to disagree?
Everybody's lookin for somethin..
My man put me up for the share, one-fourth of a square
Headed for Delaware, with one change of gear
Nothin on my mind but the dime sack we blazed
with the glaze in my eye, that we find when we crave
dollars and cents, a fugitive with two attempts
Jakes had no trace of the face, now they drew a print
Though I'm innocent, til proven guilty
I'ma try to filthy, purchase a club and start up realty
For real G, I'ma fullfill my dream
If I conceal my scheme, then precisely I'll build my cream
the first trip without the clique
Sent the bitch with the quarter brick, this is it
Fresh face, NY plates got a Crooked I for the Jakes
I want it all, ArmorAll Benz and endless papes
God sake, what nigga got to do to make a half million
without the FBI catchin feelings
From fat cat to papi, niggaz see the cat
Twenty-five to flat, push a thousand feet back
Holdin gats wasn't making me fat, snitches on my back
Livin with moms, gettin it on, flushin crack down the toilet
Two sips from bein alcoholic
Nine hundred ninety nine thou from bein rich but now I'm all for it
My man saw it like Dionne Warwick
A wiser team, for a wiser dream we could all score with
The cartel Argentina coke with the nina
Up in the hotel, smokin on sessamina
Trina got the fishscale between her
The way the bitch shook her ass yo the dogs never seen her
She got me back livin sweeter, fresh Caesar
Guess, David Robinson's, Walle' moccasins
Bitches blow me while hoppin in the drop-top BM
Word is bond son, I had that bitch down on my shit like this
Growin up project-struck, lookin for luck dreamin
Scopin the large niggaz beamin, check what I'm seein
Cars, ghetto stars pushin ill Europeans
G'n, heard about them old timers OD'n
Young, early 80's, throwin rocks at the crazy lady
Worshippin every word them rope rockin niggaz gave me
The street raised me up, givin a fuck
I thought Jordan's and a gold chain was livin it up
I knew the dopes, the pushers, the addicts everybody
Cut out of class, just to smoke blunts and drink naughty
Ain't that funny? Gettin put on to crack money
With all the gunplay, paintin the kettle black hungry
A case of beers in the staircase I wasted years
Some niggaz went for theirs, flippin coke as they career
But I'm a rebel stressin, to pull out of the heat no doubt
The rest of my life
The rest of my life
LIFE, dead presidents, devilish meant
Overthrow king thrones just 'cause of their negligence
DEATH, real shit'll start comin' to light
Niggaz you ain't like dickin' your wife, WHAT?
Kind and underminding, grimy, stiff corpse shapin'
Pork bacon, double-cross Satan
HEATHENS, non-god-fearing, lace thong wearing demons
But glory go to God, y'all BENEATH HIM
If y'all don't know that, rap with a old cat
He'll show you streets where them big dealers DROVE AT
Where low-key killers let the fo' clap
Blocka-blocka-blocka -- OH
The glow, the 'dro, the dough for shows
Everything a hood brother thing he needs -- YO
You'll find a goal in a ghetto superstar's roadmap
And I'ma use that for the
For the rest of my life
For the rest of my life
Burnt-out, kicked to the curb
So I had to learn how to turn around a hundred thou' REAL FAST
In '95 that was my last, I went back to the ave thinkin' rap's a thing of the PAST
Rest in peace E Money Bags, no more cabs, got caught with the ratchet in the stash
Lawyer want CASH, my ba'y bro blast burners at cats who gell
They burnt a range with a mollet of COCKTAIL
My little man got fourteen-years for car-jackin' a undercover
Them cops SWEAR, my little nigga told on me
I'm thinkin, "Hello, where's the L-O, V-E"
Pigs play games, my little man'll never say names
Word to his pops with elephant veins
They both locked-up still, word to Will
I'll make it and chill for the
For the rest of my life
For the rest of my life
My man gave his mommy coke
So she wouldn't hit the block all crazy for the smoke
DAMN NIGGA, could you picture you supplyin' your own moms
so she don't have to bone for DIMES?
Or give dome for nicks' in the roofs of the projects
where dogs shit and PISS
Yeah, we all plan to get rich but it's all about how it's executed
Lexus coup-ed, brigettes from cubics
Mighta been stupid, but I got far from twenty-six BARS
To ten LP's, what can him tell me? Of them? Of y'all?
I'M NAS, on a track that's unorthodox
Like my life coulda been offed by THE COPS
Told y'all, Nas will prevail by the book when it's up for sale
About the rest
For the rest of my life
A lot of times it seems like, you ain't gon' make it where you wanna be in life
But, yo if you got a plan, believe me you gon' get there
You gon' get everything you ever wanted baby
That's my word
Trust, my niggas come home from long bids
They check for me before they see their own kids
I open up accounts for 'em, we bounce tour in
major cities, arenas, headline with big time singers
Cop Ferraris with navigational screens
guide us through your hood and any locality, head back to Queens
Piped out seats, Oakwood mb cord speakers
Bumpin' out old shit
That made me think of Old Easters '86 in a le tigre short sleeves
Lees, flip the cuffs up, gettin' fucked up
from Old E, Fresh Fest, niggas got hurt
100 niggas rush the door with Queensbridge tournament shirts
Back then, nobody wore a vest
Pull out razors, you had to put your hand skills to the test
Get your Pumas took, come home barefoot willin'
Look at the chain I snatched with a medallion worth a thousand
Cops rushed the garden made it home smilin'
Half of the crew probably on the island
Project call play puff ball the hoop was made out of a hanger
Playin' corners stick the elevator never thought
Project life was promised nothin' but to die trife
for steppin' on the next man's nikes my motto look for tomorrow
Today is yesterday look at the hood now, I'm mad that it turned out that way
Gats spray these shorties is killers
The older G's taught us well, what's wild now is that they're smaller
And they look at me like I'm on the outside lookin' in
Like 'who's you' when I cruise through
I call shorty took him in watch your friends, get ends
be clever, realize that today's the first day that begins forever
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, cuz time flies don't it
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
Cuz nothin' lasts forever
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, cuz time flies don't it
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
Cuz nothin' lasts forever
Nice cars, livin' like a star club hoppin'
Poppin' bottles at the bar love shoppin'
Gucci iceberg, coppin' two, three nice furs
One for your wife, one for your freak silver spurs
Rolls Royce too good to be true, houses worth 2.2
Pool parties beautiful view
You made it in life, Forbes Magazine style baggy jeans style
Pass the green while hoes wit' meanwhile
Asses, pretty mommies illest bodies pass glasses
Louis Roderra with Peach Schnapps you just relaxin'
Thinkin' damn wish my niggas could afford this
On the sand at your Malibu house holdin' a cordless
Talkin' to lawyers accountants investments
Money doubles, triples protected hard work you manifested
Worries of failure, when you buried will your familia
Keep your name prosperin' to the maximum
You should live, there's only one life that's the physical
Rich or poor in jail why the fuck should you be miserable
Things happen for reasons, the clock keeps tickin'
Love could have your heart beat skippin', thugs turn to religion
The bitch you love could start to hate you, the shit you use to do escape you
Things that make you laugh represent the past
Reminisce the block gamble gees on the floor
Niggas use to be the man, you don't see 'em no more
Your favorite restaurants and favorite stores, they tore 'em down
Turn 'em into shopping malls the hood is like a ghost town
Haunted by souls who thought that time stood still
Just live your life to the fullest, never look back, it's real
Everything must eventually come to an end
So try to savor your moments, cuz time flies don't it
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
Cuz nothin' lasts forever, ya know
I said everything eventually comes to an end
So try to savor your moments, cuz time flies don't it
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
Cuz nothin' lasts forever
Crazy
Yo pussy kill me
Huh, yeah, yeah
Huh, huh, huh, huh
Pussy kill me when I was born
Pardon me I rephrase it departed mommy wound decayin'
I look at the bright side, the fact that I got a life side
Born 73, September right Nas, true, Virgo child
The first thing I learned is money makes the world go round
On a small planet, it's 10 women to 1 man
I wonder how we managed
To say vows and walk a straight line in marriage
Niggas is some nasty creatures, bitches even nastier
They throw it at your boy and it's hard for me to pass it up
Freaky ho's licken niggas ass and nuts
Stupid bitch bragen till her baby dad went nuts
And now were looking for me, 2 cars deep
Rollin' up on niggas Barrel out da window, asking you Nas peeps
I can't here dat 2 4 5 nigga grad at
Pass it to me sucker for love niggas I blast at
I swear my dick is gonna get me into trouble, I pissin' bubble
I thought I felt a sharp pain betta stick to rubbers
When lain, hooker after hooker down and day
Watch out for diseases, the doctors can't name 'em
Just a thought we all fuck the same chicks
Some play like they innocent
Fucken entertainers, and basket ball players
The bitch is a ho
But still some of ya'll will say ya put your dick in her dough
You're just a nigger that life to her, she thought your crazy
Now your monkey ass want to shoot the pimp that pipes her
She had your baby, now you a lifa
The suicide note you write her, pussy killz
Oh, what a thrill inside a bitch feel
Gotta be strong and handle, it is real
Pussy killz
Mad shots keep a nigga open
Bitch have a nigga's gun smoking
Pussy killz
Oh, what a thrill inside a bitch feel
Gotta be strong and handle, it is real
Pussy killz
Mad shots keep a nigga open
Bitch have a nigga's gun smoking
Pussy killz
My nigga James got married same girl he went to school with
Nice girl, nerd with glasses, he was too stuck
Studied for her masters, part time nurse
I tell you how superb the ass is, but who's looking
And I mean that's my man, maybe I just took a peek
Maybe I wondered what it would be like, syke
'Cause James and me like, I was with A Z like
Luke and Han Solo, fuckin' with niggas girls, forbidden, that's a no no
It's death and we're real niggas civilized guards
And there ain't to many niggas like Nas I'm trust worthy
Plus I know a dude that caught his wife cheatin'
Killed his baby, killed his wife, and took his own life even
Happy for James 'cause real bitches hard to come by
This nigga found one, I told him he was lucky an clown something
Rollin' up duckies while watching Roy Jones in round one
He froze put his to the TV about an inch close
Move outa the way nigga what the fuck the matter with you, you blind
He pointed to the front row, thought he was losing his mind
She was supposed to be with her sick mother
Left for the weekend, stress when she was leaving
Now she next to some nigga cheesin'
He's having trouble breathing
He pictured them making noises, grindin' 'em and kissin' 'em
Yellin', ain't no telling where her lips have bin
Left her foul messages, she came home no lesser then
Ten minutes later and they start wrestling, and screamin'
She said she missed her flight that evening
She never left, she wasn't at the fight u speakin'
That's Vegas this is New York you bugin'
I held up my hand for dat, but he wouldn't touch it
I'm like when u started actin' like that, this is dumbness
Gave me a crazy look and started swingin' punches
I ducked couldn't believe it, the niggas so wet
He got his gad and started squeezin', hit two police men
Neighbors dialed 911 they heard the thumpin'
Wounded cops kicked in the door and started dumpin'
Me and his wife hit to the floor she smelt strange
My comrade was breathing no more they killed James
Oh, what a thrill inside a bitch feel
Gotta be strong and handle, it is real
Pussy killz
Mad shots keep a nigga open
Bitch have a nigga's gun smoking
Pussy killz
Oh, what a thrill inside a bitch feel
Gotta be strong and handle, it is real
Pussy killz
Mad shots keep a nigga open
Bitch have a nigga's gun smoking
Where my real niggas at
Theres a lot of real niggas out there
Theres a lot of real niggas everywhere
Thats why you don't fuck with just anybody
A lot of niggas is just on the low, chillin
Not botherin nobody, until one motha fucka fuck with em
And then all hell break loose
Quiet niggas will kill
Loud niggas talk shit
Them be the ones that get killed
It's wild where we walk kid
Is you brave nigga
Is you a slave nigga
Is you a made nigga
Or is you a paid nigga
Well known gangstas, in trust
That we bust
Your heart and soul lies with us
Boldly go where we once took a nigga before
Now the motha fucka beggin for more
Its the reason
Standin here shakin, hatin the haters
They watchin my paper
Realize, a 4 5 will open his eyes
Now what the fuck you think he saw before he drop
Nigga standin there just like a cop
Braveheart I'm screamin up the block
Now the soldier, cadet, general in fact
Don't let me get up and show yawl motha fucka's respect
Plans connect
The twinkle and diamonds upon my neck
More jazz than Hornecek
I blast and leave your corner wet
Straight on top of ya
Spittin like the trench coat mafia
In a school yard we make it hard
Was poppin yawl
We made our change was stoppin yawl
They spray your names rest in peace on the ?? wall
I wave gang signs at the youth, thats down for the cause
Cling them things in the ?? you betta get yours
Time is runnin out
Your streets is gettin smaller as we speak
Juliani turns these lights on so niggas can't creep
I miss the shit of days we did this
Please free John Gotti
They kept the black man eatin, not killin everybody
Drug wars is real
You have no friends in the outfield
Foul balls is deaf, umpires keep ice grilles
Theres no tomorrow its the bottom of the 9 9
Can't die a broke man with a bitch thats fine
My hearts full of braveness so who the fuck will want to save this
Fallen angel from fallen star and chaos on this nation
Don't play us on your station if you pussy or you hatin
You can find us in the hood; thuggin and regulatin
Don't play us on your station if you pussy or you hatin
You can find us in the hood; thuggin and regulatin
We here to eat food, my peoples, be lethal
Shots in your body make you see through
Quiet niggas become jail riot niggas
25 to life, big never cry niggas
Floss when they up north
Chest gettin bigger
Celebs on the V I respect that nigga
Rege on the regular chops is up; like a editor
Come through on man gang like the predator
If yawl wake I'll wet it up
Jungle set it up
The jackal rock you to sleep while I'm comin at you
Air out your area, Queens Bridge forever, what
Ill will the label
Bravehearts yawl scared of us
Yo when those niggas ran these niggas stayed
With these niggas switched up and bitched up afraid
These niggas clicked up and ripped up the gauge
Those niggas got jail and sick cause we paid
Don't even rep Q B
You ain't got hood stripes
Looters come through catch you frontin
And its good night
Know how much force this is
Juggle horse and whiz
Notin but horses kid
Represent, represent!!
Straight up shit is real and any day could be your last in the jungle
Get murdered on the humble, guns'll blast, niggaz tumble
The corners is the hot spot, full of mad criminals
who don't care, guzzlin beers, we all stare
at the out-of-towners (Ay, yo, yo, who that?) They better break North
before we get the four pounders, and take their face off
The streets is filled with undercovers, homicide chasin brothers
The D.A.'s on the roof, tryin to, watch us and knock us
And killer coppers, even come through in helicopters
I drink a little vodka, spark a L and hold a Glock for
the fronters, wannabe ill niggaz and spot runners
Thinkin it can't happen til I, trap em and clap em
and leave em done, won't even run about Gods
I don't believe in none of that shit, your facts are backwards
Nas is a rebel of the street corner
Pullin a Tec out the dresser, police got me under pressure
Represent, represent!!
Yo, they call me Nas, I'm not your legal type of fella
Moet drinkin, marijuana smokin street dweller
who's always on the corner, rollin up blessed
When I dress, it's never nuttin less than Guess
Cold be walkin with a bop and my hat turned back
Love committin sins and my friends sell crack
This nigga raps with a razor, keep it under my tongue
The school drop-out, never liked the shit from day one
cause life ain't shit but stress fake niggaz and crab stunts
So I guzzle my Hennesey while pullin on mad blunts
The brutalizer, crew de-sizer, accelerator
The type of nigga who be pissin in your elevator
Somehow the rap game reminds me of the crack game
Used to sport Bally's and Gazelle's with black frames
Now I'm into fat chains, sex and Tecs
Fly new chicKs and new kicks, Heine's and Beck's
Represent, represent!!
No doubt; see my, stacks are fat, this is what it's about
Before the BDP conflict with MC Shan
Around the time when Shante dissed the Real Roxxane
I used to wake up every mornin, see my crew on the block
Every day's a different plan that had us runnin from cops
If it wasn't hangin out in front of cocaine spots
We was at the candy factory, breakin the locks
Nowadays, I need the green in a flash just like the next man
Fuck a yard God, let me see a hundred grand
Could use a gun Son, but fuck bein the wanted man
but if I hit rock bottom then I'ma be the Son of Sam
Then call the crew to get live too
with Swoop, Hakim, my brother Jungle, Big Bo, cooks up the blow
Mike'll chop it, Mayo, you count the profit
My shit is on the streets, this way the Jakes'll never stop it
It's your brain on drugs, to all fly bitches and thugs
Nuff respect to the projects, I'm ghost, One Love
Represent y'all, represent!!
One time for your motherfuckin mind
This goes out to everybody in New York
that's livin the real fuckin life
And every projects, all over
To my man, Big Will he's still here
The 40 side of Vernon
My man Big L.E.S.
Big Cee-Lo from the Don
Shawn Penn, the 40 busters
My crew the shorty busters
The 41st side of Vernon posse
The Goodfellas
My man Cormega, Lakid Kid
Can't forget Drawers, the Hillbillies
My man Slate, Wallethead
Black Jay, Big Oogi
Crazy barrio spot (Big Dove)
We rock shit, Ph.D
And my man Primo, from GangStarr
(Ninety-four real shit y'all, Harry O!)
Fuck y'all crab ass niggaz though...
Where them gangsters at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where where them gangsters at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where them gangsters at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where where them gangsters at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where them gangsters at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where where them gangsters at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where them dumbs at?
Where where them dumbs at?
Where where them dumbs at?
I slow dance with the Devil
Snow setting in the bezzle
Mo' sipping, phantom bumping Aaron Neville
Polo black scented, eyes squinted
Air Force One's, with my own patent in it
Fresher than a star, glowing up in the galaxy
Pagan holidays, are way far from my reality
Far through Evisu jeans, lethal green
Oliver peoples shades when I creep through Queens
With no AKs, I'm the ambassador
Robin Hood in the Aston Mart.
Lotta blood gonna splash in war
Task force homicide, federalies gonna arrest
But y'all ain't never seen nothing
Not a word not a hint, on the kid from the Project Bench
That went Sony-BMG, to that new conglomerate
Island Def Jam, guess how many dollars was spent
To get the best man, yall niggaz ain't silencing shit
Ya bench been wanna police the dick
The big Benz, Imma model ya chick
Was that posing, cash froze her
Cats stroke her, once I smash it's over
Cold like ice, more chains than slaves
Dangerous ways, Poltergeist change the channel
Roll the dice, I bring change when I gamble
I could sell sand to a Arab, hot and my gun handle
The ill whip pusher, my spit wet ya
If you stand close to the woofer
Betcha get sprayed by my lecture
Any club with ladies or dimes, I'm a regular
Give it up smooth, I ain't beggin ya
Intelligent brainiac, brains maniac
Back of the Maybach, taste that, don't waste that
Eat with my elbows top of the table
Street etiquette with speech impediments
And s'til see presidents, no matter who paid
Cause you ain't take the last dollar made
Long as they keep printing it, there's chances of getting it
Money's my bitch, and we stay intimate
Ask about Nashwan, could ask about Jung
Ask about Bravehearts, and ask where I'm from
Q Boro, specifically The Bridge
Don't ask no more question, ya know what it is
Whether chrome sparking or loan sharking
Busting rachets or numbers rackets or drug traffic
My funds are wrapped up, no concerns who has what
Financer, skull doo wrapped up
Mob life, prizefights, plasma tvs or first floor
Diversified all my circle
Amid the most sickest groom the proof swiftness
Numero uno, annuit coeptis
That's the language of our Latin ancestors
On the back of a dollar, the plan and the message
In the Rolls Royce like the King of Nigeria
My criteria, smoke cigars
Change rap like Jimi Hendrix changed Rock And Roll
With a broke guitar, diamonds flashing
Almost put a million cash in, in my mommy casket
Ayo its poison, ecstacy, coke
You say its love, it is poison
Schools where I learned they should be burned, it is poison
Physicians prescripting us medicine which is poison
Doctors injecting our infants with the poison
Religion misoverstood is poison
Niggas up in my hood be getting shot giving poison
In hospitals, shots rittle the block
Little children and elderly women run for their lives
Drizzling rain come out the sky every time somebody dies,
Must be out my fucking mind, what is this, the hundreth time?
Sending flowers to funerals, reading rest in peace
You know the usual, death comes in threes
Life is short is what some nigga said
Not if you measure life by how one lives and what he did
Its funny how these black killer companies is making money off us
Fast food, colas, sodas skull and bone crossers
Sisters up in my hood trying to do good given choices
When pregnant drop out of school or have abortions
Stop working hoping that they find a man that will support them
Up late night on they mothers cordless, thinking a perm or
Bleaching cream will make better when they gorgeous
White girls tanning, lypo suction
Fake titties are implanted, fake lips thats life destruction
Lightskin women, bi-racial hateful toward themselves
Denying even they blood
I don't judge Tiger Woods but I overstand the mental poison
Thats even worser than drugs
Radio and TV poison, white Jesus poison
And any thoughts of taking me down is poison
Who want beef now, my heat shell annoyed them, plaow
Never to worry, all the wrong doers got it coming back to em
A thousand times over
Every dog has its day and everything flips around
Even the most greatest nation in the world has it coming back to em
Everyone reaps what they sew that's how it goes
Innocent lives will be taken, it may get worse but we'll get through it
Yall be strong
The China-men built the railroad
The Indians saved the Pilgrim
And in return the Pilgrim killed em
They call it it Thanksgiving, I call your holiday hellday
Cause I'm from poverty, neglected by the wealthy
Me and my niggas share gifts every day like Christmas
Slay bitches and party everyday like this is the last
I'm with my heckles connecting and we hitting the lad
This is my level, fuck if it get you mad
It's all poison, all of my words to enemies it is poison
Rappers only talk about ki's, its all poison
How could you call yourself emcees you ain't poison
Think about the kids you mislead with the poison
And any thoughts of taking me down is all poison
Who want beef now, my heat shell annoyed them, plaow
What goes around comes around my nigga
And what goes up it must come down my nigga
The soldiers found below the ground my nigga
Just hold it down we older now my nigga
What goes around comes around my nigga
And what goes up it must come down my nigga
The soldiers found below the ground my nigga
Just hold it down we older now my nigga
This nigga Ike with the Iverson jersey
Light skin with herpees
Fuckin' sisters in Harlem, Brooklyn and D.C.
This is the problem cause he never tell em he got it
From letting fags suck him off Rikers Island in nine-three
Drives in Benz, hangs in all the parties
All the concerts, backstage where the stars be
Rocking their shirts in bitches faces like clockwork
Whats your name, where you from, chain blinging
Thinking girls everywheres dumb, taking powder ruining their lives
So they could never have babies, and they could never be wives
He never used a condom, give him head he got ya
Met the wrong bitch and now he dead from the monster AIDs
I contemplate, believing in karma
Those on top could just break and wont be eating tomorrow
I know some bitches who be sleeping on niggas dreams
They leave when they nigga blow she the first bitch on her knees
Knowing dudes thats neglecting their seeds
Instead of taking care of em they spending money on trees
I pray for you deadbeat daddies
Cause when them kids get grown its too late for you
Now you old and you getting shitted on
Its all scientific, mystic, you know the Earth and the stars
Don't hesitate to say you heard it from Nas
What is destined shall be
George Bush killer til George Bush kills me
[Nas]
Third grade, singin Star Spandled Banner
Using proper manners, learned to handle anger
Animal behavior
Later on my block rockin wit my jocks on
Eating Bon Ton cheese popcorn, hummin a KISS rock song
Socks long to my knees
Summer breeze runnin through the leaves
Playin freeze tag, can I stay out, please dad?
Can I hang wit my little gang out?
Hearin shots rang out, heard my moms call my name out
Come upstairs, run up stairs
Take a bath, shit stained underwears
Wipe yourself wit paper
Bad little ass in my bed at 8:30
Wash my plate, ate dinner up late
Gazing at the wall, prayin basketball
Was my future for this young one
Hooping in the sun, proud to be where I come from
Later shootin guns fantasizing
Fascinated by gold rope chains
Looking back at my hood days but things ain't change
[Chorus] *all Nas samples* 2x
"Nasty-Nasty-Nasty Nas is a rebel to America"
"Lyrical professor, keep ya under pressure"
"It's like that, you know it's like that"
"Nas-Nas'll catch wreck", "You got the mad fat fluid"
[Nas]
Bumpy Johnson style, old timers, crocodile shoes
Pinky rings, bank robbers wit two's, boss of wild crews
Slacks overlapsed, apple jack hats, quarter field coats
Cadillacs wit white walls and chrome wheel spokes
They was organizing, investing in a piece of the hood
They had drugs, bettin numbers, police understood
They played the Cotton Club, red carpet, hoes on they arm
Plush minks, pimped out gangstas, civil rights wasn't won
E'ry Christmas they was Santa Claus
Nixon was the anti-christ
Bitches ass was bigger than sniffin nose candy white
Listenin to Malcom speak, talcum powder shaving cream
Layin back, barber chair, straight razor clean
Babies is born, big families started to blossom
Mad people just applied for apartments and got em
Used to be rules to this game of hustlers and dealers
From tommy guns to mac 10's
QB's new born killers (shit is changed)
Chorus 2x
[Nas]
Yo everytime I turn around, niggas shot, niggas stabbed
Winter nights, pregnant girls strugglin to get a cab
Fiends lurkin, D's searchin, pat pockets
Kids quick to bed but they heads from gats poppin
Queensbridge slingers hoppin out Benzes, don status
Dope fiends got syringes, poppin out they arms sractchin
I remember park jams
Gazelles, perfect wave shell
Adidas, smellin reefer way before purple haze
Private stock bare, niggas wit ill walks like Mark Clare
Hats tilted, wild niggas lickin shots in the air
Me and Pop was there, through the years our names would switch
Ain't nuttin changed but the names Nastradamus and Blizz
What project is this?
QB, Vernon and Tenth
12th Street, murderous pimps, hot as hell's heat
What could you tell me, nigga's seen it all in this game
When it's all said and done, just remember my name
"This ain't for everybody. Y'all know who y'all are
Yeah you, y'all know who y'all are. These are our heroes."
Let's hear it, one for the coons on UPN 9 and WB
Who 'Yes Massa' on TV, what ever happened to Wheezy? The Red Fox's?
Never got Emmy's but were real to me
Let's hear it, two for the spooks who do cartwheels
'Cause they said they played they parts well
Now they claim caviar, hate that oxtail
Lambda Sigma Phi badge on lapel
Whitey always tell him, "Ooh, he speak so well"
Are you the one we look to, the decent Negro?
The acceptable Negro -- hell nah
But they say, "These are our heroes"
Uh, Massa used to breed us to be bigger to go play
Athletes of today in the NBA, make me proud
But there's somethin' they don't say
Keep gettin' accused for abusin' White pussay
From OJ to Kobe, uh let's call him Tobe
First he played his life cool just like Michael
Now he rock ice too just like I do
Yo, you can't do better than that?
The hotel clerk who adjusts the bathroom mat?
Now you lose sponsorships that you thought had your back
Yeah, you beat the rap jiggaboo, fake nigga you
You turn around then you shit on Shaq
Who woulda knew, Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes
He love a little butt crack, got enough cash
Little kids with they bus pass who look up to you
To do something for the youth, stupid spoof
But you let them use you as an example
They would rep, but our heroes got they hands full
You Homey The Clown, bowtie, apple pie, Bo Jangles
But we love Bo Jangles, we know what he came through
But what's your excuse, duke? You talk Black
but your album sound like you give your nuts for a plaque
You don't ride for the facts like um, say Scarface
You don't know what you feel, y'all too safe
Election done came and went, y'all worked so hard for it
Huh, and in the end we all got dicked
These are our heroes, thanks a lot public school systems still rot
Still harassed by cops, snitches on blocks
Sellin they peoples out - some real folks with clout
Tavis Smiley, Michael Eric Dyson
Stokely Carmichael, let's try to be like them
Nicky Giovanni poetical black female
Jim Brown to the people who sing well from
Fela to Miriam Makeba
The mirror says you are the next American leader
So don't be, acceptin new 'We are the World' records
These pickaninnies get with anything to sell records
Cause it's trendy to be the conscious MC
But next year, who knows what we'll see?
Ha-Ha, these are our heroes
"Yeah, I wanna give a special shoutout to the -- y'know
the crew doin' they thing out there reppin' us hard
Big up to Tiger Woods. Yeah, ya don't stop. Big up
to Cuba Gooding Jr. Y'know, yeah, y'know. Tay Diggs
what up my nigga. Yeah, ha-ha. And you don't quit
and ya don't quit, and ya don't stop and ya don't quit."
"Yeah-Yeah, what you doin' for the hood though
homie? What you doin' for the hood, man? Look at
all that paper. Drivin' around like a playboy in
my hood. What type of shit is that?"
"I'm outta here. Please, excuse me, 'xcuse me -- please
Let me get to my limousine, I'm outta here. I know, I
got a plane to catch. And I love you back. Ha-Ha
yeah yeah -- And I'm outta here. A-ha-ha -- PEACE."
"Come on nigga, give back to the hood. Cocky
Uh..
Pacino life, G a roll, casino dice
at the Mirage, Vegas strip, neon lights
Gamblers, puffin cigars, couples and stars
Flashin cameras, dealers, shufflin cards
Spent the weekend, already miss New York and it's odd
cause I'm the first to say it got too many hustlers who rob
I never hang out, when we do we bust the four-five
cause shells comin back at us while we jump in the ride
Flyin, duckin, our bitches in the club cluckin
Tellin my wife who I was dancin with like I was fuckin
Flew back, Monday evening from the bottom where the sun was beamin
to the concrete jungle of cement
Limousine's from LaGuardia airport, sleepin
Told my dogs peace, kept in movin, I was beat when
got to my crib, where the hell my keys went?
Ringin the bell, heard a yell but wasn't sure
Dropped my luggage to the ground, put my ear to the door
Slow music, H-Town, no that's down low
My baby's, drop Mercedes is parked, I creep around yo
to the back, she must be inside and can't hear
Probably upstairs, in the mirror, doin her hair
I walked in through the back door entrance
Shocked it was unlocked, when I walked in, I smelled incense
chased by a weed aroma, empty Guinnesses
and lipstick marks on like three empty Coronas
A pair of blue jeans on the carpet; size 12 Timberlands
Somethin swingin on the ceilin fan, I stopped it
Swingin slower and slower..
On the last swing I saw it was a G-string and heard laughin
Thought about my nine-side Glock but somethin made me disregard it
Started my way up to where the noise and music was at
Froze, I couldn't react
Bedroom door opened a crack, seen wifey layin with some nigga
mumblin shit, he had one hand on her ass
and she was rubbin his dick, toastin wine glasses
Cherry scented candles was lit, couldn't handle the shit
Searchin for words I found none, without a sound
I left the house with a sick smile and took my gun
Now I'm out buggin, whylin, what I'm gon do?
Call my man Horse, meet me outside, I'm comin through
I thought you loved me
I thought you cared for me
I thought you needed me
Did you believe in me?
Got up with Horse, showed a look on my face was mad lost
I ain't know whether to cry or just, try to laugh it off
"Son you home early -- they wiped you out that quick?"
I said, "Nah," showed him the plastic with nine in the clip
Hopped in the whip, popped in the disc, pressed play
To the Grand Central, from the Van Wyck Expressway
I said, "Bet you'll never guess in a million years
what I just saw happenin -- and probably still is
Snuck in my crib - some nigga fuckin my wiz
I saw dem, they ain't see me, I ducked and I slid
I'ma grab shorty, I need you to grab the nigga for me"
Just when I thought I found love, she shitted on me
Shopped in Vegas, a present, for our engagement
20 G's on a ring I would have hit her today with
My surprise couldn't match the one she had for me
We pulled up, he was walkin out the house backwardly
Parked in the back of my house, they couldn't see us
Ran to the side of my house, cocked the heater
Walked to the front when I talked he had junk
Bitch tried to slam the door shut, got caught in Horse foot
Shot the Spanish kid in the rib, drug him in
Grabbed her face, say goodbye to your undercover friend
One between the eye, she's died, by mistake
Must've held the gat too tight, pointed at her face
Heard somebody knock -- Horse helped me hide the bodies
Heard si-rens, I guess we goin out we out like kamikazes
We surrounded, red lights flashin, who's inside?
Came out a bullhorn, I'm contemplatin suicide
Horse asked me for the Mac, he gave me dap, one love
Cocked the strap, then he ran out the back
Mad shots couldn't tell what was goin on
Sat on the floor near my dead girl, put her in my arms
Pulled her ring out my pocket I was savin
Put it on her ring finger cocked the glock, and started prayin
to Muhammad and Allah, the most beneficial
through you, all things are possible, I know you're listenin
I never meant for this to happen, I never dreamed
this'd be my fate, such a grotesque, murder scene
On that note, same time, the cops busted in
Kissed my lady, her blood on my lips, I said "Amen"
Put the nine to my head, pulled the hammer, held her close
Squeeze the toast, said to her, "Now unto God, we elope"
Silent, silent
Murder
It's sort of like the conclusion, the color purple
Niggas is losing, confusion, with one time all pursuit moves in
Grabbing niggas up in this movement to rule shit
Cop verses the block, shorties is too quick
Lesson number one. If you're arrested and hung
Where niggas is from gotta keep a lid on your tongue
It's like silent murder, I hit blunts hard like Ray Mercer
the violent words of a prince in a palace of Persia.
The cognac plurger plus the trees,
but whose the faul one to make his nose take a freeze,
and got enough gold to rock ice in all hype.
Used to be a general but just lost his stripe
Pipe dreams and white feinds and all-nighters, collect calls from lifers
Astoria walls with cypress, since I got a problem with the law-writers,
I kick some more items just to explore horizons,
the palm lady dreamt of this day so I'ma play,
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
They say the arms of Nicki Barnes would be enough to blast,
a lot of rich niggas fell and started pumping gas
Was it the mind of CIA that bumped off Malik Shabazz
Fuck what they teach in class I'ma reach the mass
Strap up, no back up, it's jungle tactics
Livin' practice, out of line niggas get smacked backwards
So wear it if the cap fits, fold it up money and mad clips
A stack right under my matress
To smoke a nigga like a Hugh Bros. motion picture
Niggas gettin' open cruise, won't be olding niggas
April fools they laugh the jokes on the benches
Cease outside my nigga spoke on his sentence
Silent
Silent, silent
Murder
My right handers never play too close to cameras
It's nighttime scanners circle that allow gamblers
Peace-making niggas pep talk
the peace-makin 'niggas walk off the hot avenues with they brew.
Time to get this loot countless, 'cuz sun it ain't no youth fountains
Niggas take cash and shoot, bounce and Pakistanians is took hostage
Locked up inside a linen closet known for spending pies up
What's the flavour when your neighbors do jake favours?
Lock them real niggas down and lettin fake players
roam around the project this lyrical logic I dilute,
the weak can object the right composite
We're plottin' all murderous schemes,
it seems I'm ghostly called by the essence of queens
the palm lady dreamt of this day, so I'ma play
the crib close smokin' with the big toast and lay
And Cain killed his brother Abel when God accepted Abel's
offering and not his.
Abel's offering showed that Cain was not giving his best to God,
and Cain's jealous anger drove him to murder -
Fake thug, no love, you get the slug, CB4 Gusto
Your luck low, I didn't know til I was drunk though
You freak niggaz played out, get fucked and ate out
Prostitute turned bitch, I got the gauge out
96 ways I made out, Montana way
The Good-F-E-L-L-A, verbal AK spray
Dipped attache, jumped out the Range, empty out the ashtray
A glass of 'ze make a man Cassius Clay
Red dot plots, murder schemes, thirty-two shotguns
Regulate wit my Dunn's, 17 rocks gleam from one ring
Yo let me let y'all niggaz know one thing
There's one life, one love, so there can only be one King
The highlights of livin, Vegas style roll dice in linen
Antera spinnin on Milleniums, twenty G bets I'm winnin them
Threats I'm sendin them, Lex with TV sets the minimum
Ill sex adrenaline
Party with villians, a case of Demi-Sec to chase the Henny
Wet any clique, with the semi-tech who want it
Diamonds I flaunt it, chickenheads flock I lace em
Fried broiled with basil, taste em, crack the legs
way out of formation, it's horizontal how I have em
fuckin me in the Benz wagon
Can it be Vanity from Last Dragon
Grab your gun it's on though
Shit is grimy, real niggaz buck in broad daylight
with the broke Mac it won't spray right
Don't give a fuck who they hit, as long as the drama's lit
Yo, overnight thugs, bug cause they ain't promised shit
Hungry-ass hooligans stay on that piranha shit
"I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death" ->
"I ain't the type of brother made for you to start testin" ->
I peeped you frontin, I was in the Jeep
Sunk in the seat, tinted with heat, beats bumpin
Across the streat you was wildin
Talkin bout how you ran the Island in eighty-nine
Layin up, playin the yard with crazy shine
I cocked a baby 9 that nigga grave be mine, clanked him
What was he thinkin on my corner when it's pay me time
Dug em you owe me cousin somethin told me plug him
So dumb, felt my leg burn, then it got numb
Spun around and shot one, heard shots and dropped son
Caught a hot one, somebody take this biscuit 'fore the cops come
Then they came askin me my name, what the fuck
I got stitched up and went through
Left the hospital that same night, what
Got my gat back, time to backtrack
I had to drop so how the fuck I get clapped
Black was in the Jeep watchin all these scenes speed by
It was a brown Datsun, and yo nobody in my hood got one
That clown nigga's through, blazin at his crew daily
The 'Bridge touched me up severely hear me?
So when I rhyme it's sincerely yours
Be lightin L's sippin Coors, on all floors in project halls
Contemplatin war niggaz I was cool with before
We used to score together, Uptown coppin the raw
But uhh, a thug changes, and love changes
and best friends become strangers, word up
"Y'all know my steelo" ->
"There ain't an army that could strike back" ->
Thug niggaz
Yo, to them thug niggaz gettin it on in the world you know?
To them niggaz that's locked down
doin they thing survivin yaknowmsayin?
To my thorough niggaz, New York and world wide
Yo to the Queensbridge Militia
9-6 shit.. The Firm clique, Illmatic nigga
It Was Written though
It's been a long time comin
Y'all fake niggaz, tryin to copy
better come with the real though
Fake ass niggaz yo..
(They throw us slugs we throwin em back, what?)
Bring the shit man, live man
(Fuck that son)
Verse One:
In the Rotten Apple take a bite taste the worm
Embrace the world of reality we're faced to learn
Coke connection drug bust graveyards where thugs rest
I keep my mug blessed the evil is illegal substance sold
Roll mob deep guns in the black Jeep
Mac 11's and legends cracks in the streets
Patroller gold money folder gun happy soldiers
Never sober takin over my blood is colder
Niggaz respect violence so I become it
I'm from it, I even done it blunted so run it
Yeah son, you know what this is
Take it off [come on dunn, don't even come at me like that]
[dunn, come on dunn]
Chorus:
Imagine this, no guns no knife
It's a one on one so now we gots to fight, son
Imagine this, no gun no knife
It's a one on one now we got to fight, yeah
Imagine that, no gun no knife
It's a one on one now we got to fight, yeah
Imagine this, no gun no knife
It's a one on one, son
Verse Two:
Yo I'm a cream fiend, with a mean dream
Brain full of schemes, my crew's rollin fresh out the greens
Give you what you never seen, the ips on the Mac-10
It's 2:10 in the A.M. in the streets of Queens
Try hard and die hard
Chances of survivin the game is like tryin to feed Allah lard
A walk a piece with a deadly shadow
They want to blow me with the double barrel, found no sorrow
I brawl with Blanka, caught Bison in a thinker
Don't make hell your new home, with the blue chrome
Mistakes want me, sauve fellow but raunchy
The soul of a cold body haunts me, I flee the country
But only to shed tears for years
Too wild for my own self, hopin help is near
Street Fightin was cool but in school I brought a new tool
Toolin with the devil, a rebel, a fool
Chorus:
Imagine this no guns no knife
Just a one on one where we got to fight, yeah
Imagine this no gun no knife
Just a one on one where we got to fight, yeah
Imagine this no gun no knife
Just a one on one where we got to fight, yeah
Imagine this no gun no knife
Just a one on one, a one on one
Yeah, take it to the bridge -- Queensbridge
Yo whassup money? [Yo yo do you remember this face?]
[Yeah yeah yeah, run these, run these]
*sounds of brawl* [Break you down! Get broke!]
[No hands, run that, run that, run that, no hands]
Verse Three:
I hear Jake walkie-talkies in my sleep
Marked money I keep, play the bitches all week
I visualize Coups, alligators in suits
Elevators in my mansion that rises to the roof
Sippin eighty proof, watchin Juice, but hold up
I see some brothers tryin to roll up, wishin I could fold up
It's hard to see their faces in they hoodies, I better boogie
Too late, I tried to swing when they jigged me, I'm out...
Yeah yeah kid, don't front, 360 degrees, knowhatI'msayin?
That's how it comes back at you. Queensbridge, that's how we live.
South side, all that. New York, light it up, light it up.
Yo yo you saw how I snuffed that kid? [Yeah I saw that, I saw that]
You know how we steppin. That's how we do out here in the street fight!
I gotta lay down the block, when the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
I gotta lay down the block, when the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
Yea, Feds feast on street dons, look at their teeth showin'
Salivatin' at the mouth, South to East Orange
Keep pourin' that liquor, but nigga don't sleep on it
You'll be givin' up your Jesus piece to your peeps to pawn it
For legal fees in the penal dorm
Screamin' on the horn with 'bout thirty years on your conscience
I'm watchin' brothers disappear, it's appallin'
Some dudes had just only a year of ballin'
Counter-intelligence found a strange evidence (When the block is hot)
Still we behind the wheel with heat on us, hangin' with predicates
Position we placed in caves in, so they got us caged in
Ways spinnin' like Mike Bivens from New Edition aging (I gotta... When the block is hot)
I got families I'm feeding 'cause my mans is bleeding
Every five seconds look in all directions
I come through prepared; I give 'em a call
I'm close, bring them guns downstairs
I gotta lay down the block, when the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
I gotta lay down the block, when the block is hot (hold it down)
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
Uh, uh, it's beef week, Monday, murder
Two niggaz dead, Tuesday
Wednesday and Thursday is hearse-day
Friday, somebody-gotta-die-day
Saturday, put the gat away
Chillin' wit your chick and a bag of haze
Wonderin' how it's all gon' end and what type of way
'Cause Sunday back to gunplay
Mo' shit start over nothin'
And get finished quick 'cause the art of repercussion
Yeah, I seen it, a G' going out indecent (When the block is hot)
Takin' a plea agreement, thinkin' he secret
Escape the crime scene, now you live straight like 9:15
Then one-time intervene (I gotta lay...)
My man ain't like me sayin' I don't care if I die
But the SIG Sauer on me now I'm scared to die
You thinkin' the one I send to clap you be a shorty
But he old school, holdin' a .38, he in his forties
I gotta lay down the block, when the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
I gotta lay down the block, when the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
(I gotta...) Anytime brothers can't get jobs, then they rob
(When the block is hot) A man rather die than live on his knees and starve
Cops steady askin' your man what happened
First he tell then he stop, like he not really rattin'
Guess he not really in that casket from a sawed-off (When the block is hot)
Listen, peep game from the brain of an all-star
The rain hurt niggaz bones who been shot
Metal pins in their leg, they walk with a limp-hop
The streets lie, (When the block is hot) so you better be cautious
Your man'll fry you plus, everybody talkin'
A vet, a General, don't step where I walked in
Make your own path, be a legend in your skin
(Hold down the block, when the block is hot)
Make your own cash, don't stress what I'm forcin'
Don't expect more when you put in less work than all them
Queensbridge projects has taught him, and that's for life
You heard me right, I got the block (When the block is hot)
When the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
I gotta hold down the block, when the block is hot
I gotta use my imagination, to change the situation
I gotta hold down the block, when the block is hot
Yeah yeah yeah yeah y'all... New York City...
Tryna to see where I'ma go tonight...
The most famous town in the whole fuckin' world...
The other night, nigga was at Lotus...
I hit P and them I was Dom P'ed up in there, you know...
But I found this new spot we went to the other night, yo
Check it out check it out how it went
It was just cool like, smooth night wit' my jewels bright
Goons left goons right, coupe wit' blue lights
Bad girls in black pearls, gave us cat calls
Took 'em back to the crib to break they ass off
In the loft mixin' hash and 'dro
Honey spreaded that asshole like a wide mouth bass
Sippin' wine out the glass, Teddy Pendergrass blast
When the phone ring, the house lights flash
Turned down the sound, let's get down to bidness
Shit about to go down wit' some foul niggaz
What the voice said, "what up pop? Who want it?"
I put the guap up, get the boy popped
He say "son stop, it's dudes you feedin'
Who feedin' other dudes, but they really not eatin'"
Dog, why you callin' me? This our food
You, handle the mouths that it trickles down to
Niggaz want beef, I want some of that cow too
But I'm in my princely robe, simply rich
Don't bother me wit' silly shit, call Rico
He said "it IS Rico, of all people
Gave his moms furs, called up the mayor
To get his crime pardoned, his son's godfather"
Said the nigga shot up my cars
Last night he laid for me to come out my doors?
Niggaz always on that bullshit
To make a nigga wanna open up a full clip
Niggaz always on that bullshit
Now ya funeral, the preacher's at the pulpit
Niggaz always on that bullshit
To make a nigga wanna open up a full clip
Niggaz always on that bullshit
Now ya funeral, the preacher's at the pulpit
You can't kill me
High, fly, send a fella loaf or glass?
Fold up cash, you ain't heard the soldier's half
You speakin' hogwash, silly shit, ??? to dash
I got the live sparked, Phillies lit, smoker's jacket on
The son of a Cap-ricorn, my dad's a don
What you think that he spawned? A slacker? Nah
Packed the nines, yo this nigga's asinine
Smack ya mom, relaxed and calm, then mack ya mom
In a casket, you'll get ya fashion on
You'll be in a suit and tie, you'll die
You'll make maggots turn to flies, fuckin' wit' Nas
Remember anyone can get it at anytime
Lames'll swear by ya name, when they lie
Get hit wit' the lone star, ripped where ya bones are
So tell me how yo' ass gon' run, from a C-Z-P-O-1?
In the midst of real steel movers, you a loser
Merk you wit'cha own shooters
All you want is a name, pissed and insane
My security system, my playspot a fireplace, listen
Then it goin' off, start spittin'
Niggaz try to bring it where I live in
Trustin' you, knew where all of the cribs at
So we waited wit' the cigs blat, blat, blat!
Uh, I knew a few pharmacists, fuck frozen
They kept pneumonias on their arms and wrists
The main dude, Sekou, face look hard as shit
Remember like yesterday, they were the kings of ecstacy
Kept sellin' it, he blends in everywhere, has a mixed heritage
Bitches let him hit on the reg', waterbed seats in his car
All red ferari, Florida where we met at a redlight
Homeboy bumpin' my old shit
They wildin' with some freaks from the islands
piled in behind him, limosine, Benz
He shouted, "Nas, roll with us"
I'm bored so I followed him
Nikki Beach, here's where the scene begins
He put me on to Don, nice ass with a set of mean twins
Had a pocket full of cash, Sekou wasn't lettin' me spend
I was there for the weekend, packed and prepared for anything
Then he brings me to his castle in Coconut Grove
War stories about dudes both of us know
Never heard drunken words spoken so slow
A year go by, the nigga was fly
Prada shoes, a lotta jewelry, stayed high
Got a call, he's in N.Y
Needs a couple of G's 'til tomorrow, I dips by
for a season where he's at
Greets me with a smile, told him "Here keep that"
Next week got a call from his wife
Said somebody done took son life
She said
"Who gon' hold me down now? Hold me down now
Tell me that huh -- who gon' hold me down now?
Who gon' hold me down now? Who gon' hold me down?
Tell me that huh -- who gon' hold me down now"
Forget about them other dudes, they talkin' to me rude
'Cause I always knew the truth, they hated Sekou
H2 full of holes, the drove him off the road
Left him there on this 'cain, clothes stained with his brain
My soul shattered, my man's toe's tagged up
Arrangement's a closed casket
See now a hoe has to, maintain with his fake gang
sheddin' fake tears, I won't have it
Look, this kid's Jamaican -- half Hatian, half Asian
Brag about how the streets needed a changin'
Son, you the only one a bitch could call
You remind me of my dude, help me get them all
"Di-sci-ple"
"You remind me of my dude, help me get them all"
"Di-sci-ple"
featuring Noreaga
Nas talking:
Yo Nore I just can't understand
what be going through brothers minds man
Know what I'm saying!
You try to tell a brother when he going the wrong way
try to put him on the right way
he don't wanna hear that though
so you just gotta let a nigga go
(Nas)
Death followed'em
before it swallowed'em whole
it was signs he shoulda read
that was inside of his soul
niggas light dutchies to'em now, so long
missa muthafucka, but still
life goes on
hope I'm rich on my last day
clutching some ass,
niggas say he came and went
got a nut when he passed, an old man
laying dead on my bed, wit some young shit
screaming out FREEDOM
when I slung to her chest
after that chill, be a bitch wit a hex
every nigga she sex, be the next
put ta rest
(Noreaga)
Yo if you live, you a member in 85
when it was just bats and knives,
made men and made wives
things changed, sell the Jetta, cop the Range
sending slugs that a leave that ass cripple
as a child had nemia wit out the sickle
N-O-R-E, nore, grand markey
always wanted to be in this game since Biz Markie
we fuck it up what
light dro, throw the chalk up
ever since crack came in little capsules
we control blocks, rock flat-tops
had two spots, selling blue tops
seeing Benni cop new rocks
(Nas)
Four wheel flow wit the rowdy thugs
Queens out,smoke Cali budd
feened out, my thoughts leak out
I speak out, what's worth dying for
freedom,respect or both
what's worth ya tears
being broke or when ya man get smoked
it all depends if you used to having ends in his ceased
instead of cry, more see,
whoevers fly in the beef
on the other hand, if it's not ya real fam deceased
and you used to funerals, then it ain't that deep
so when you kep slingin
me myself, I do my thing in the streets
since i was young I was anxious to eat
(Noreaga)
Yo since a young sibling
had every flavor Timberland
always had jumpshot, and always dribbling
yo macarole, Jose lay
like casserole, dolomite type
the Jungle low, cut the China white
come check ya,mix henney wit the nectars
on straight flights while y'all catch connectors,
if it was up to me
the whole world would be comfortably
since it's not, y'all niggas stay fucked up
I think about y'all too much
and be bankrupt,so nigga get yours, I got mine
so WHAT WHAT
(Nas)
Sex and money go togother like techs and nine shells
swiss cheese you and cover it up like Rahswell, cartel
yo ain't seen no iller regime
the Stellarsteen profecy
project warrior, owns property
crack is hated, cops get jealous
cause I stay wit
the 98 temporary plates on my whip
the system think its not right
Arista could fuck a cops awife
cause I'm on, televisi-on
and live the pop life
I rock mics, make mils
soundscan sales, one point whatever records
professionist skills, moneys the root of evil
but it make you happy
don't wanna shoot my people
but still they might clap me
cause I talk like Dr.Malacayork
play the sidewalk, hold fort
diamond plate chaiun, gold fort
get in tune, rich like Ricky form Silver Spoon
Frank Lopez crib, elevators and living rooms
(Noreaga)
A yo we still in Queens
same place where we used to be
most people don't see us
cause we usually out touring
leave the hood, now the hood boring
NORE, you know me, we regulated
straight from Iraq to QB, affilated
it's like a Higher Learing
from 99th street down to Vernon
letting our heat burst burning
like Henney wet, throwing up my set
catch me on the Startek
bout to set the connect
Yo Sex,Drugs, Money and Murder
beers and sex, Lands and Lex
in the projects
the fourth floor, where we score through our cooker
D's shook up, hit the block
now you looker!
(Nas and Noreaga talking)
NAS: It's like the battle will symbolize the war,
and the war symbolize the winners of the battle,
no what I mean, go at ya neck!
Either you in it or you in the motherfucking way baby!
NORE: Word up, we analate ya ass!
NAS: Queens style, no what I'm saying!
NORE: Ish me Allah da men a Raheem!
NAS: Queens style, Brooklyn style!
NORE: Went from selling cracks to making raps,
to fucking hoodrats!
NAS:Lefrak and QB!
The phone rings
Another peaceful moment is lost
Latifah's chest jingle in "Set It Off"
I press pause in the bed as a king
I let it ring 4 or 5 times
Answer while I'm puffin' my green
It's Tamika sayin', "Hi Nas"
I caught a flashback of her askin' me was I asthmatic 'fore I tapped that
She offered me dinner under the moon
I said, "Sorry. I made plans at Ray's Boom-Boom Room"
Nine push-ups... Strength's gone at the tenth one so why hook up
The pimp's gone off the Platron Tequila
Put on my Lee's and the original Fila's
Sedated from L's, 380 cocked, naked ladies laid up in tails
Like Whodini I chose, gazelles don't lean on my nose
Drivin' by the clubs gleamin' and go
Heads turn it's a freak show
I need them to know... When will they learn
Nas need a queen not a hoe to...
Point out my enemies, a girl who's into me
But not a hype chick- someone with proper energy
Someone who's into me but won't fuck with my enemies
And you can sing along 'cuz I'm feelin' ya energy
Hey Nas... How ya doin'?
Take my name... And my number
Meanwhile... We'll be groovin'
But let's take... it... slow
One for the honeys who roll blunts up but don't smoke
Two for the few who see potential in you when you broke
Three for the G they got, they game is hot I give it to you
Double life wife- play with the man that's livin' with you
Here's the issue... A woman gotta be stunnin'
Get to a man's heart through his stomach
You gotta be skilled in the culinary arts
Know a brother stay mad hungry when he spark
Hit the museum, maybe Central Park, you mentally smart
Picture we in Tiffany, you becomin' my counterpart
If I want Chinese then you buy me a wok
If you want barbeque I call Professor and Ock
'Cuz u... point out my enemies, someone who's into me
But not a hyper chick- someone with the proper energy
A girl that's into me who won't fuck all my enemies
And you could be the one 'cuz I'm lovin' ya energy
Hey Nas... How ya doin'?
Take my name... And my number
Meanwhile... We'll be cruisin'
But let's take... it... slow
Slow is the way
Holdin' hands, tongue and hickeys
Hope and I pray where I run at you run away with me
That's if my gun get busy we gotta get outta there
Hear sirens jump in the stick drop a Sedan and hide for years
Like noone else in the world did this except for us two
You gotta trust me, I gotta trust you
If coppers bust me it's me you rescue, this to the death boo
You rep me respectfully that's how I rep for you
Retired from pimpin', perspire is drenchin'
As we... suck and fuck each other's minds out commission
Time's out forbidden
Until we pass out, that's when we stop
We give it all we got, give it all we got- we hot
Give it all we got, give it all we got- we rock
Give it all we got, give it all we got
You 'bout the baddest thing
Since Michael had Billy Jean
And Prince gave you diamond's and pearls
But to be my queen you must...
Point out my enemies, a girl who's into me
But not a hype chick- someone with proper energy
Someone who's into me who won't fuck all my enemies
And you can be the one 'cuz I'm feelin' ya energy
Hey Nas... How ya doin'?
Take my name... And my number
Meanwhile... We'll be cruisin'
But let's take... it... slow
I can be... What you said
That you need... I can be...All that
("HIT MEH!!")
Redhead Kingpin, Tim Dog, have you seen 'em?
Kwame, King Tee or King Sun
Super Lover Cee, Casanova Rud
Antoinette, Rob Base never showin up
You see Black Sheep, Group Home, Busy Bee?
Ask Ill and Al Skratch, (Where My Homiiies?)
Leave it to y'all, these niggaz left for dead
Last week my man swore he saw Special Ed
Rap is like a ghost town, real mystic
Like these folks never existed
They the reason that rap became addictive
Play they CD or wax and get lifted
I recommend when your kid turn ten
Let him hear Spice 1, made plenty noise
.. Positive K, Father MC, the Skinny Boys
Where are they now?
(HEY!! Where are, where are they nooooooow, huuuhhhhhooohhhh HEY!)
Where are they now?
(HEY! Hit me! Where are they nooooooow?)
("HIT MEH!!")
See I remember them forever
The original Spinderella
Lakim Shabazz, 9 MM
Fu-Schnickens, Buckshot, Finesse, and Sequence
..Who was a (Rappin' Duke?) Da-ha!
Silk tie and leather was cute
Body and soul was Dee from Pump It Up's group
Oaktown 357, J.J. Fad too
had pop hits and gold ropes
Where my man Young MC and Tone Loc?
Kris Kross, the BO$$, Divine Styler
Def Jef of course let's break it down ta
Mic Geronimo, Pharcyde and Coolio
I heard Craig Mack back in the studio
Have you seen these lost MC's?
Funky Four Plus One, Force M.D.'s
Miss Melody, I hope she packin' a bankroll
As well as educated rap for ice and Kangol
Shante, she from around my way yo
EPMD, K-Solo, where are they now?
(HEY!! Where are, where are they nooooooow, huuuhhhhhooohhhh HEY!)
Where are they now?
(HEY! Hit me! Where are they nooooooow?)
("HIT MEH!!")
QB...
First off this ain't no diss record
This for some of my homies that were misrepresented...
Legends of the game, y'know?
What up to Moe Dee the legend? Rest in peace Cowboy!
Yeah, all the rappers...male, female, DJ's, e'rybody!
Rest in peace Jam-Master Jay, the whole crew, word up...
Juice Crew All-Stars, MC Shan, Tragedy, Craig G...
Yeah nigga, yeah nigga...
Shan whaddup baby?
Verse One:
Yo the Lord is my shepard
The sword is my weapon
Reward is a blessin' that comes from the struggle
shoes been scuffled blood's been shed another Mother loses a son
'cause where I'm from the young chooses a gun
before they choose an education
but once dead their ain't no awakenin'
so like once said life aint for fakin
yo you wit' me when I say duct tape 'em?
fuck waitin'
got the truck outside, Benz jeep for navigation
everything in position, they'd rather be fuckin' wit' Satan
when I aim I aint missin', master of assasination'
I heard he call himself Esco, drive a Lexo
rocks his hat sideways, showin' off his waves with a chipped tooth
is this the truth?
this is what we do, sip a brew
wait around his crib until it turns around two AM
as soon as he walks in the door we slay 'em
you guys got fat while I was away, so start payin'
Chorus - Okay, you wanna play rough?!
(gun shots) (scratching - a thug changes, and love changes) repeat 3X,
Okay yo, we could play rough!
Verse Two:
Okay now, drive up to my crib, am I high enough?
who these niggas tryin' to hide in their truck
I aint order cable, why in the fuck these niggas
ducked in they seat? are they lookin' for me?
but I aint do shit, could it be that niggas thought
I slept like B.I.G. and Pac did
may they rest in peace, but while I'm alive I pop shit
P-11 glock spits 17 shot clips
put these niggas in boxes, where they Moms and Pops is
pull the strap from under the seat
back up in the street
watch these niggas thats tryin' to watch me, I carefully creep
take off my shoes, barefoot nigga poppin' my heat
empty every shell in their direction
its you, I should've guessed it!
same niggas that I was connected wit', I know sent you
now I'm'a take you off here, you dont know what you got into
Chorus
Verse Three:
Walked in his house, smackin' him up, "what you talkin' about?" he said
shut-up nigga! knocked him in his head with chrome
never thought I'd be in his home
with his wife taped up for my niggas to bone
fuckin' with me, you should've known
I'll have 'em write "stupid nigga" on your tombstone
what money can do, get you hit for less than a G
for threatenin' me
I'm'a do it myself, take you to Hell, this ones for free
killin' you niggas with nothin'
left him dead, engine runnin'
you the only I'm makin' sure that gets whats comin'
look at your Woman, anal ripped out, its your fault
they gang banged your bitch out in your face and you saw it
but before I let you have it I'm searchin' your crib
for pictures of relatives, addresses to where they live
shit like that, incase a nigga wanna strike back
I'll be right up in his ass to blow 'em out with the Mac
niggas treat you like Fam, and you on it like that?
now you gotta lay flat, gettin' eatin' by rats
gettin' even's never wrong, its only right to react
eye for an eye, 'cause the sweetest part is payback
somebody kncokin', who dat?
"a cop man", let him in
and give that mothafucka one under the chin
cant believe this nigga down with the Feds!
the copped screamed out your government before he dropped dead
dont explain, I put the pound on his head
blew 'em! before that I cant remember the last time I said......
Okay, so we gonna play rough!
Chorus
Uh, If I can teach somethin' so dear
And hope somebody learn somethin' from it
And give it back
They can't break me or shake me
They too fake to come kill me
Think they faith this was satan
They mistake me I'm filthy
Rich off the ghetto madness, so now they wanna dare me
It's gonna be a murder confront me, the burners are empty
Middle Passage I made it I'm from the land of David
The Nazarene of Bethlehem they had me wrapped in blankets
That bunch of backward gangsters
That sign of Alpha Davis
Snitches with smile-like faces got you blowin' trial I hear this
Hopin' my child can see through this tryna be a good daddy
I was there when she was born and she'll be there when I'm buried
Kind o' waitin' is scary
All my years have prepared me
What I fear is my temper, I subject to the center
Right through a man's soul
Straight through his eyes, straight through his heart I'm still alive how did I make it this far
'Cause I been high I been low, searchin' for a way to go
Every single night I pray
And Lord I'm on this battleground, lost just waitin' to be found
I guess it's just a warrior's way
This is the song, for my warriors
A warrior song Bravehearted and strong, definition of a warrior
Definition of a warrior
Gonna keep marchin' on, to the sound of her own beatin' drum
Like King Nasir fightin' the
British regime I can't cope my existence is hope for younger teens who lost in their world
Earlier this year I buried my queen in a gold casket
Your mother's the closest thing to
God that you ever have kid I'm askin, what would you do at your own mom's funeral
Wanna pick her up out of it, this can't be real
Tellin' my daughter grandma's gone, but
I can't keep still I can't go on, responsible for so many
Her last days at the hospital
Visits from family I'm tryin' not to bust shots at niggas
Wishin' death on other nigga's mothers ain't right but why mommy
She raised me in the projects alone
Her untimely exit from her, heavenly body
Got me ready to embody somethin' quickly
Can't be happy, fuck a party she can't party with me
So your apologies are burnin' ya own souls
To the kids with no parents at home, grab a whole
This is the song, for my warriors
A warrior song
Bravehearted and strong, definition of a warrior
(Uh, warriors)
Gonna keep marchin' on, to the sound of her own beatin' drum
Fight 'til the fight is over, for my peoples I die see
When you thought they were soldiers they turned out to be nobodies
I think they out to get me, helpless was livin' sinful If you was me
all this pain I'm feelin would bend and killed you
(I'm a Warrior)
It only made me stronger
But in my head it gets darker who wishin' evil on ya
Sometimes I wish I was dead
But I took heed to the cause
(I'm a Warrior, yeah)
'Cause I been high I been low, searchin' for a way to go
Every single night I pray
And Lord I'm on this battleground, lost just waitin' to be found I guess it's just a warrior's way
To my warriors
To all these, baby Krucial
Keys! Braveheart y'all
This to all my warriors, who breathe with the heart of a lion
To everybody that lost their mother, their father
Rest in peace moms!
My mother's last words:
Never give up
A true warrior, who raised me in the hood, in a war
Love ya girl, y'kno keep marchin'
Yea yea yea, you never give up
To all my warriors, haha
Braveheart, Braveheart
Some of us have angels -- the kingdom, the power
Some of us have angels -- the power, the glory
Some of us have demons -- greed, and lust
Some of us have demons -- lust, temptation
Now this is you, dressed in all black, fatigue hat, ready for combat
A good nigga, you don't leave tracks
A hood nigga wantin G-stacks, do what you gotta do to get that
You feel you need that, where the jooks at?
These are your niggaz, creepin they be leavin niggaz sleep witchu
Loc' style, quiet no smile, it's the official
Sometime they grimy, speakin on they own people
They snake you if they have to, raised tattoos
Now these are your bitches, phonin lonely homey chickens
All the homies stick em, you think you own em man listen
She stab you in your sleep with a knife from out the kitchen
Put a root on you, next week they find you missin
Dead in your Expedition in the forest, fell off the cliff and
tumbled til you blew up, Feds told her and she threw up
Fake bitches, actresses, wicked witch practices
Two sides of us, negative or positive
Now this is your mom, your good luck charm
Pushin you to do no wrong, prayin for you that you live long
Nobody kill my baby, but she know her baby crazy
In and out of jail, mom's screamin, "God take me!"
This is your pop, chip off the old block that made him
The man of the house, mom and pops seperatin
Spittin image of a gangster the way pop walked
the way pop talked, got older and you thanked him now
This is your hood, poor folks drugs and robberies
Turnin into the things moms wanted you not to be
Crime followin the wrong dudes who have no values
Life's cheap as the dime in the minds of those around you
This is the test, the stress, the conflict the ups and downs of
niggaz around you make threats
They tell you keep it gangster, no matter the predicament
Even though your decision won't help you benefit
Now once again this is you, entertainin your desires
Bitches money and guns, aimin and you fire
Everyday is grief, if it ain't beef, it's feedin your seed
Tryin to eat? You form material needs
The weed make your brain sizzle, a pistol make it cool off
by stickin up niggaz, make them take they jewels off
His reputation is, bigger than his whole life span
He never planned to fail, he just failed to plan
What does it take to realize, Satan's alive, he whispers
And any chance he get, he can take niggaz
He comes in all shapes and sizes, his best disguise is
when he stand beside us, but God is inside us, within me
You are your worst enemy - my mom's words echo in my head
And if I let go I'm dead
He stepped at my door, the ? motivate my spirit
And now the body experience, so now I feel it
Lookin at my blessings, the bullets - that missed me coulda hit me
Them court cases coulda put me in the penitentiary
I never hate, that's just wasted energy
The past is gone, the present's a gift, so what's the mystery?
The future - and time only reveals, what fear is
False expectations, appearin real
We only human, love thy neighbor, so I was told
Look here see
Pretty Mike shanked Two-Face Al over some gal
Found the body dead in the isles
Death by strangulation
Microphone cord, a dirty broad
Guess they'll never play it again Sam
Damn that was my jam
Now she's on the lamb
She made it out with 200 grand
What a scam
While these two compete on who's the star of the show
Golden legs there makes off with the dough
I read the paper there with Joe the Butcher
He said one glance is all it took ya
She's a real looker
They say her old mans a bootlegger
Transporting in any weather
And at this rate we'll never get her
Fellas, think it's time to call it a night
All this talk of this mystery dame's gettin' me tight
Thought I saw her in my eyesight, right
Hate to spoil the party
What are you guys havin', the same?
Waiter another round for the gang
It's strange how I always felt outta place
Joe The Butcher's my ace, but in comes Freckle Face
So I said see you later
'Fore I hurt him and his two ugly thumb breakers
He met them in Louisiana wrestling gators
An idiot can tell they're involved with the caper
So I pulled the revolver on my waist up
Between the patrol car and the gray truck
Behind the street lamp was a silouhette
White gloves and a real long cigarette
What do ya know all this time she's got me in her scope
She spoke says the devil got you guys by the throat
Your conspiracy theories won't work without evidence
That's the reason why Eric B is not president
Well what do ya say
Ya see?
Look here see
I know you got soul your trying to hide it
How did you kill a man out in cypress
One Eyed Charlie
He only hangs with the criminal minded
Says you guys did it doggy style is he lyin'
She says, (Walk This Way) I'll tell you a (Children's Story)
We hit the bodega got her a few 40's
We jumped in my ride we drove and she cried
Twisted off the cap there and opened her mouth wide
Swallowed it, whole bottle's half empty
Drinks like a fish now she's past tipsy
The truth came out as we got to her suave house
(Chopped and screwed) her mouth and sat me on the couch
I said it's gettin late c'mon give it to me straight
Who's ya sponsor lady? She says Bill Gates
What are ya born 77 or 78?
She says, Nah it goes way to an earlier date
Slave times, claims the slaves said rhymes
But she fell in love with some fella named Clive
Who? Clive Campbell from Sedgwick Ave, the Bronx
Now she shows me the cash
I said who's Clive, don't play with me skirt
She said Clive Campbell
He's Kool Herc
Ah ha! Ah ha!
Listen up sweetheart
Now we gettin somewhere
As she's talkin, she starts vanishing in thin air
But before she drops the money bag on the floor and died
Braveheart for life
So y'all wit me? Yea, What, Yea
Why don't y'all blast on these niggas, man
Tuck in your chain put your watch in your pocket
Here come the Braveheart straight out the projects
We live the life where the blood spills
Same thing that get you cash nigga, get you killed
Warnin', Jungle always keep a gun on him
Pull out, {*shooting sound*}, four head gone 'n
Sloppy, droppin' you birds
Close range so my bullets don't swerve, curve
No bullshit
Back in ya hand, find me
Call Earl, death is the ways of the world
Y'all made criminals
Tryin' to wild out there so crack, bust guns at Bow Wow's age
Fightin' in jail, lookin' for heaven, livin' in hell
Fuckin 'em hos, born to cope since I was 12
Way too foul walk around all the time
With a gray Mack 10 and a pocket full o' dimes
Braveheart to the graveyard, let's go niggas
Scared straight, but FUCK them hos
Keep it, dead serious
Believe it don't believe us, until you see me creepin',
Now you sleep with them fishes
G-W-I-Z, so delicious
To all them ghetto and solo bitches in 'burban districts
I'm movin on passin' chumps, and very thoroughly promoted by God's Son
And this is the military turn it up
My uzi weighs a ton, your son less thump nah
Heat talk feet walk you run uh
Rat ta-tat, Hear them shots come
Drop son, pull out
You better send 'em back son, or feel that casket
The peeps be like one (one)
I'm movin on passin' chumps, and very thoroughly promoted by God's Son
G-O-D S-O-N I S-O-O-T-H-E a female's estrogen
With my testosterone, male hormone
Enough for a giant's body, science S-C-I-E-N-C-E
Don't tempt me, EMS against you, me I'm just, invincible
Like Mike Jack said, for me and Al Sharpton won't be Broke in Harlem
That's that, who made this style, solo or X
Are you TFO's doctor or Mobb Deep
Whoever, I freaked it yes, so meet ya death
I never wear Esco, I got a New Line comin' like cinemas
Remember the, original, y'all still tryina show niggas are rich
Town house niggas
I'm six cribs deep, six bank accounts in six countries
Na I'm lyin', who gives a fuck that's so tired
While pictures of Bravehearts just livin' it up
A million of us, each nigga inchin' a bus
You got a house in Virginia
The only way you sicker than us
Gettin' bagged with .22's now you's a ridiculous fuck
No need for the gun play, it's ok, 'cause you dyin' anyway
Yo, this is for them High school drop outs
Niggas who copped out
If you prefer shots over knockouts
Sniffin' coke, smokin' weed
Sellin' crack, sellin' smack
You thuggin' it, you ain't turn it back
Braveheart's gettin' money ruthless 'till the world end
Gettin' high with my enemy's girlfriend
I used to have a bike on a bench
Now I got a jeep on this trip
Coke in the pot, heat on my head
Nigga dont stop blazin' cuz ya target's movin'
Shoot 'till the gun's empty stupid, Queens
Niggas so ruthless, really excuses is
Useless to these swift executioners
And thats Queensbridge nigga, all day
Pump packs o' crack, smoke purple haze
Runnin from D's quickly knockout rookies
G Wiz you know what I'm all about
Uh uh, yo
They plan was to knock me out the top of the game
But I overstand they truth is all lame
I hold cannons that shoot balls of flames
Right in they fat mouth then I carve my name
Nas - too real, Nas - true king
It's however you feel, g'head, you swing
Your arms too short to box with god
I don't kill soloists only kill squads
Fame went to they head, so now it's "Fuck Nas"
Yesterday you begged for a deal, today you tough guys
I seen it comin
Soon as I popped my first bottle I spotted my enemies tryna' do what I do
Came in with my style, so I fathered you
I kept changin on the world since "...Barbeque"
Now you wanna hang with niggas I hung with
Fuck bitches I hit, it's funny I once said...
If I, ever make a record
I take a check and put something away for a rainy day to make my exit
But look at me now, ten years deep
Since the project, ??
I never asked to be top of rap's elite
Just a ghetto child tryna' learn the traps of the streets
But look at me now
"You're the man" "You're the man"
"You're the man" "You're the man"
"You're the man" "You're the man"
"You're the man" "You're the man"
"You're the man" "You're the man"
But wait a sec', give me time to explain, women and fast cars
And diamond rings can poison a rap star
It's suicidal, how I smoke in so much la'
I saw a dead bird flyin through a broken sky
Wish I could flap wings and fly away
To where black kings and Ghana stay
So I could get on my flesh right away
But that'll be the day when it's peace
When my gat don't need to spray
When these streets are safe to play
Sex with death, indulge in these women
Vision my own skeleton swimmin in eternal fire
Broads play with pentagrams in they vagina
Like the Exorcist, then they gave birth to my seeds
I beg for God's help, why they love hurtin me?
I'm your disciple, a thug certainly
I'm the N the A to the S-I-R
If I wasn't I must've been Escobar
Forty-five in my waist, starin at my reflection
In the mirror, sittin still in the chair like my conception
When everything around me got cloudy, the chair became a king's throne
My destiny found me
It was clear why the struggle was so painful
Metamorphosis, this is what I changed to
Still somehow I believe, we always survive.. but why?
To my dogs.. wherever you are
Whattup Big? You know shit is rough after you slid
You in God's hands now, keep a place for me kid
Ain't nuttin changed -- still _Party and Bullshit_
We used to +Fuck R&B; Bitches+ and see who rhyme sickest
For every hit you made, more rappers afraid to come out
_Machine Gun Funk_, from Queens I came through to smoke blunts
You came to my hood, we was broke
I wonder if we stayed that way, would there have been gunsmoke?
Still on the block around fiends numb from coke, I guess so
Cause now with paper, shit is still ghetto
But fuck it black, you livin your life, though your loved ones
Peace to your daughter and your newborn son
It used to be fun, makin records to see your response
But, now competition is none, now that you're gone
And these niggaz is wrong -- usin your name in vain
And they claim to be New York's king? It ain't about that
It's more serious, I plan to toast it up with you
Joke with you, happy we on top, the most official
Ain't too many real ones out there; I feel some
but doubt they're, capable, to take it where you took it to
I missed your wake not cause I'm fake
cause I hate to see somebody so great in that way
I woulda stayed so long with so much to say
I had to put it in writin to keep me and Brooklyn from fightin
Tellin me to pay my respects and move to the side
But I probably wouldn't have got off my knees to let people by
You can't kill nothin that's _Ready to Die_
You was like God to us in the form of Allah
Still somehow I believe, we always survive.. but why?
Still, we, will survive
No matter what, my people just stay alive
Still, we, will survive
No matter what, my people just stay alive
Thug Life never die..
Dear 'Pac, every thug sheds a tear drop -- and use teeth
to bite off beer tops, and _Pour Out a Lil' Liquor_
You was more than just the wildest nigga
+2Pacalypse+, I understand your style nigga
It's goin on the third year, since you've been gone
On the East and West Coast the same shit is goin on
The industry be talkin, offendin me often
They don't believe you dead, wanna see you in your coffin
I can relate, shootouts and court dates
+All Eyez on You+, niggaz in your face invadin your space
You asked if I could trade in your place, how would I hold up?
How long would I ride, before I fold up?
How did you know through your rhymes it was your time to go?
You predicted it in every line, all in your flow
There could _Never Be Peace_ I have to quote
Can't believe I heard my name on "the realest shit you ever wrote"
We had words cause the best supposed to clash at the top
but kept it brotherly, when we seen each other and stopped
in NYC, at MTV, people watched
We was both deep, after you left, I got no sleep
Think about how us real niggaz would be
If we united, a nation of thugs, who could fight it?
You was caught in a wild homicide, or were you crucified
like the son of God, when Lucifer lied
and make the world think, young blacks should be extinct?
But Thug Life'll never die, we stay high and just link
Will there ever be another MC as nice?
Will you return to us like the resurrection of Christ?
Still somehow I believe, we always survive.. but why?
Still, we, will survive
No matter what, my people just stay alive
Still, we, will survive
No matter what, my people just stay alive
I wonder what the Commodores went through on tour?
Did Smokey Robinson, have to shoot his way out a war?
What has Al Green seen, that made him religious?
Was it the drugs -- put an end to the music business?
If so, should I put out the indo right now and write down
a plan and pursue my dream turn my life around
Cause I'm bound for the movie screen, cuties that scream
I'll need a extra Uzi riding through my own hood in Queens
It be the ones you always knew, that want it on
Tellin everybody it was him, that you fronted on
Thought we walked a million miles it was just twenty
Not used to walkin in the path of legit money
I thought I made it but we only took baby steps
Up the success ladder, where they pay me checks
To my clicks when I got it I said "Baby bless"
That was the 80's, but now look at this crazy mess
We in the 90's, and finally it's lookin good
Hip-hop took it to billions, I knew we would
A lot of ups and downs in the game, could lose or gain
a couple pounds tryin to maintain -- one day you here
the next you not; when you around niggaz, check 'em out
Some is bout it, most individuals plots
and run the spots, some choose to stay to theyselves
While others have no cares and stay in jail
More than fifty percent of us
endin up with holes through the chest
through the head, through the gut it shows
The future for us young shooters and old killers
Who become rich as dope dealers?
Nothing left for us but hoop dreams and hood tournaments
Thug coaches with subs sittin on the bench; either that or rap
We want the fast way outta this trap
Whether it be 9 to 5 or slangin crack
To my deceased Gods wishin I could bring you back
But life is a dream and y'all taught me that
.. always survive.. but why?
Always survive, always
Still, we, will survive
No matter what, my people just stay alive
Still, we, will survive
No matter what, my people just stay alive
Still, we, will survive (no matter what)
Still, we, will survive (no matter what)
Still, we, will survive
They never realized, how real Nas, is so decisive
It's just the likeness, of Isrealites mist, that made me write this
A slight twist, of lime rhyme, be chasin down your prime time
Food for thought or rather mind wine
The Don Juan, features the freak shit, my thesis
on how we creep quick, fuckin your wife that ain't so secret
It's mandatory - see that pussy, they hand it to me
I got no game, it's just some bitches understand my story
There ain't no drama that my niggaz never handle for me
My gator brand is Maurry, walkin through rough land before me
where the snakes put a smile on they face, hopin and prayin I'm stuck
Scopin they lay in the cut, weighin my luck
Player haters play this in cell blocks and rock stages
Winkin at some females cops with cocked gauges
Really it's papers I'm addicted to, wasn't for rap then I'll be stickin you
The mag inside the triple goose
Face down on the floors, the routine
Don't want hear nobody blow steam, just cream or it's a smoke screen
Imagine that - that's why I hardly kick the braggin raps
I zone, to each his own and this ghetto inhabitant
Watch dem niggas that be close to you
And make sure they do what they supposed to do
Cause you know they be thinkin about smokin you
Never personal, nowadays, it's the ways
Now how can I perfect this (uhh, what)
livin reckless, die for my necklace
Crime infected, drivin a Lexus with a death wish
Jettin, checkin my message on the speaker
Boppin to Mona Lisa brown reefer, ten G's, gun and my Visa
CD crankin, doin ninety on the Franklin-D-Roosevelt
No seat belt, drinkin and thinkin
My man caught a bad one son, niggaz is frightened
Secret indictments, adds on to one seekin enlightment
My Movado says seven, the God hour, that's if you follow
traditions started by the school not far from the Apollo
My "Fuck Tommorrow" motto through the eyes of Pablo
Escobar the desperado - word to Cus D'Amato
Got to watch dem niggas that's close to you
And make sure they do what they supposed to do
Cause you know they be thinkin about smokin you
Never personal, nowadays, it's the ways
Watch dem niggas that's close to you
And make sure they do what they supposed to do
Cause you know they be thinkin about smokin you
Never personal, nowadays, it's the ways
Some niggaz watch you (uh) see you when you think on the low
Ain't hard to spot you, you swore to keep it real after you blow
Three ki's, new V's, went to Anguilla with your hoe
Stayed around the hood, smoothest cat, gettin the dough
Them old timers, advise you to them problems that's ahead
Drama with the Feds, not listenin just bobbin your head
Your Roley shinin, thinkin to yourself nobody's takin mine
At the same time, your hoe is gettin snatched from behind
Put in the van, where's the hundred grand, script in her hand
From all the ice, wouldn't you know -
- you knew these niggaz all your life
What made them mark you victim, you fucked up somehwere down the line
now they had to target your Wisdom
She took em to your place, straight to your safe
You doubted it could happen sick of yappin
Dump in your ride, headed to your side
Puffin ganja get to your crib, can't find her
Just a reminder shit and have your stash house where you crash out
Coulda passed out, your coke was gone, now you assed out
Dead bitches tell no lies, you should use your eyes
Got to watch dem niggas that's close to you (uhh)
And make sure they do what they supposed to do (what, hah)
Cause you know they be thinkin about smokin you (mmm)
Never personal, nowadays, it's the ways
Watch dem niggas that's close to you (uhh)
And make sure they do what they supposed to do
Cause you know they be thinkin about smokin you (uh-huh)
Never personal, nowadays, it's the ways
"Two-thousand-four, yeah. L, whattup?"
"Prophesy!"
"Yeah."
"Prophesy baby!"
Disciple, Disciple (What?!) Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (Let's go!)
Word to mama, any lineup of rhymers
Could bring any drama, anytime, the city's mine
Nas Is Like, Love Undying, Money's My Bitch
In Thugz Mansion, thugs dancin' around the fly shit
Pharaoh garment's Prada, Egyptian camelback-riders
Pyramid architects, Perignon bottles, money, jewelry want me to come
Get me, hit me but don't miss me, you history
Lead flowin' around like a Frisbee, Italian dons from Sicily kiss me
This ain't 50, this ain't Jigga, this ain't Diddy, this ain't Pretty
Pain, power, pussy and pistols, lyrically no one, hold none near me, hear me
Kids cheer me like The Count of Monte-Cristo
Steady poundin' soundin' like G without the lisp though
My big bro told me plain and simple, "Nas do not look back"
Watch where you took rap, no bookbags and trucker hats
Just army jacks and diamonds that's flashin'
What the fuck is that, freestyle
Disciple, Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (Esco!)
Like Paul, Michael and Matthew, Peter, James and Andrew
Phillip, Simon and Judas -- I'm disciple of music
Street beats is the main thing minus the traitor
And I'm not a dictator, I'm the righteous invitin' you haters
Inside the life of the greatest, it'll take you through something real
Get a smack in your face, 'cause I hurt up, trauma-tize, llama
Bust shells, destroy yet try'ta prevent violence
If I present iron somebody dyin', don't even worry 'bout it
Then dress warm for the cemetery climate
When I speak I need cemetery silence, terror
See me, gold Hummers, Lamborghinis, man who stole the summer
Hand straight gleamin', if I don't know you toe-tag you
Drag you through the cement, fo-fo maggie
Body parts in my man's Maserati car, then party hard in Madagascar
While rigor mortis'll grab ya, him retarded, I'm pass that
Gloves on, where the mask at? Too many love songs
All the thugs gone, what happened? Where's the passion?
Rappers battlin' non-rappers, carryin' on backwards
Laughin' sayin' Nas thinks he's Farrakhan preachin' blackness
Hell yeah, awareness is my alias
Word to the 'Braveheart' written on my bare chest
The realest, HERE IT IS!
Disciple, Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (STREET'S!)
Disciple (Street's!)
Disciple (Street's!)
Some people (Yeah)
Some people (unh-unh)
Some people really are
Still dreaming (And as the sun sets
and the night falls)
They are still dreaming (and them hoes call)
He pulled up at 6:30 in his 745
As he wavin' his shorty hi, you know he showin' his bling out
She got in the car, he drove, he pulled his thing out
His girl call, feelin' she mad, she threw the ring out
How she found out, she dreamt the whole thing out
Y'all be goin' through problems you gotta work the kinks out
When you go to sleep, what do you think 'bout?
If y'all get a divorce she gon' take everything except the kitchen sink out
Make it so cold that you gotta pull ya mink out
Or grab ya roller skates and, turn a roller rink out
You now back up in the club, in the club, tryna min-gle
Meanwhile, she out, doin' the same thing now
Nightmares from your dream gal make ya scream out
Some people really (still dreamin')
Some people really (make ya scream out)
Some people really are (still)
Still dreaming (st-still dreamin')
(O-o-o-o-one two one two
Some dreams stay dreams some dreams come true)
They are still dreaming
(O-o-o-o-one two one two
Some dreams stay dreams some dreams come true)
Some people really
Some people really
Some people really are
How you a man waitin' for the next man to get rich?
Yo' plan is to stick out yo' hand real quick
So if he feed ya family and he serve you shit
Then he need that head you get and he deserve your bitch
Since you wishin' cash fall from the sky all ya life
Dwellin' on the past when you was alright
When you was gettin' cash but wasn't too bright
Now ya luck down you feel like, bustin' them shells
Nobody owe you, can't do nothin' for self
Want niggaz to show you, how to come up wit' green
I scheme since I'm fourteens, what the fuck was your dream?
Rental cars, little broads, sayin' you was seen
Wit' little niggaz wit' a chain you was doin' ya thing
How high was I? You the thousandth guy
That came around thinkin' we can see, eye to eye
We on a different echelon, coulda got bread together
Now you gets deaded on
Some people really (so keep dreamin')
Some people really
Some people really are (still dreamin')
Still dreaming
(O-o-o-o-one two one two
Some dreams stay dreams some dreams come true) (still dreamin')
They are still dreaming
(O-o-o-o-one two one two
Some dreams stay dreams some dreams come true) (still dreamin')
Some people really
Some people really
Some people really are
She had several cars, she had credit cards, a castle
Large master bathroom, gettin' a pedicure
Belaney by the glassful, said she been meanin' to ask who
Would need a cash rule, who could blast tools
And I'm eatin' cashews, knew she was bad news
But we mad cool, nothin' sexual 'cause I knew her since high school
Grew up wit' my dudes, like one of my crews
She worked for Fox News
One of her mans that she lent her drop to
Won't come back wit' it so she want him clapped in it
Says it's important that it looks like an accident
She was snortin' and her eyes had bags in it
Sheets was recordin had a wire, askin' shit
Four days before I came by she got bagged wit' bricks
Crossed the line from her world of news castin'
To a world of entrapment, a good girl gone backwards
QB the whole NYC
We gonna bounce to this
To all my niggaz (yeah yeah)
To all the ladies
Chorus:
Sometimes I wonder
Will a nigga go under because of his hunger
This game is risky
If a nigga slips six deep
Will these niggaz really miss me
Dead partners too soon
All these niggaz flipping on me
Cause I won't give no loot to them
Sometimes I wonder
Sometimes I...
(Nas)
Top of the world is what I'm aiming at
These niggaz is flaming gats at my circle
I catch you, my first reaction is to hurt you
I hit your bird too, two in your scalp then you out
Your thug crew is out, blood oozing out
Some serving caine
Knowing nothing about this murder game
Its easily told but hard to hear
When niggaz finally find out its real
Thats when they heart pumps fear
The real remains the weak will disappear
My words is 20/20, my vocals are crystal clear
911 style sits on your mind like chrome
Lets say your brains is V12, put it in drive let it roam
What color? Might as well make it same as your dome
You need your thoughts together, that means destination is unknown
As we travel on this road, an infinite path, I get into this math
Drop and get intense for this cash
Will I be subject to kill, live my life by a gat
Just when I think I made it out, the street is calling me back
Chorus:
(Nature)
I know a lot of fiends by they first name
Living in Queens, a lot of cats getting stuck for they chains
Holding dirty guns, the young owe dirty ones
Running wild, niggaz I raise hell above ground
Live in sin, holding rocks, benjamin grin
Figure once I got knocked, it would end
Never that
They try to tell me I don't love my own
The thugs know, they ride my zone
Like the cyclone trademark
For coney isle, yeah you know me now
I'm giving fake hugs, phoney smiles
Stack profits, you know how the niggaz on the block get
Try to give you dap to stare at your pockets
Cruise advance nothing new just the rules of the land
You could tell if they wolves or lamb
You could fight a few, there's a few that ran
Or you could feed them and lose your hand
What you wanna do?
Chorus:
(Nas)
Blessing be to the ones who left us
Transcend into spiritual essences
In Allah's arms you rest in
To him we pray for my peeps
Floyd, Twin and Taiyeh, Mr. Sunny back in the day
Get the money yam, he use to say not only nice with hands
But streetsmart he was twice a man
I try to understand life's deep plot
I think of Weewop, Shikeisha they both was mad nice on the rocks
They could have went pro but only God knows why not
Like my nigga Bing, let your sneakers not be clean
He'll start snapping on you, making a scene
Kept the lye, a cool nigga warm heart and stayed fly
You still alive, I see you in your sister's face
Are you there pa? Or looking on from a distant place?
My thoroughbreds, Blackhead quiet but real
Expect to see your black jeep fly over the hill
In the spirit of Richie Lou tribute
Remind the world of the crimes that NY pigs do
We miss you, Harry and Sonia
Rest in peace to Marty, a 41st side of Vernon soldier
T.J. Black better known as Killer
I can't replace you, but in me Havoc will always have a brother my nigga
My man Will till we meet again
You hold it up there, I'll hold it down here
I hope you hear my prays clear
Chorus:
Repeats 3x
Uhh, y'know, I still run with that, that blood of a slave
Boilin' in my veins, it's just hot
Until a nigga can't take it no more
Blood of a slave, heart of a king turn my voice up
Aiyyo, the brother's stillmatic
I crawled up out of that grave, wipin' the dirt, cleanin' my shirt
They thought I'd make another illmatic
But it's always forward, I'm movin'
Never backwards stupid here's another classic
C notes is fallin' from the sky, by now the credits roll
They're starrin' Nas, executive poet, produced directed by
The Kid Slash Escobar narration describes
The lives of lost tribes in the ghetto tryin' to survive
The feature opens with this young black child, fingers scratched
Cigarette burns on the sofa, turnin' the TV down
While Mary Jane girls, 45's playin', soft in the background
Food from C Town's, mornings was hash browns
Stepped over dopefiends, walkin' out the door, all of us poor
I learned the difference between the snitches
The real ones, and who's soft and the murderous, hungriest crews
People jumping from roofs, shotguns pumping, made it through my youth
Walking very thin lines, ages seven and nine
That's the age I was on my album cover, this is the rebirth
I know the streets thirst water like Moses
Walking through the hot desert searching to be free
This is my ending and my new beginning nostalgia
Alpha and Omega places, it's like a glitch in 'The Matrix'
I seen it all, did it all, most of y'all will pop for a minute
Spit a sentence then the game'll get rid of y'all
Y'all got there but y'all didn't get it all, I want my style back
Hate to cease y'all plan it's the rap repo man
To them double up hustlers, bidders, niggaz who real
Professionals, stickup kids dreamin' for mills
Let my words guide you, get inside you
From Crip to Pirus this is survival
Blood of a slave, heart of a king
Blood of a slave, heart of a king
Blood of a slave, heart of a king, braveheart
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that"
Yo; I never brag, how real I keep it, cause it's the best secret
I rock a vest, prestigious, Cuban link flooded Jesus
in a Lex watchin Kathie Lee and Regis
My actions are one with the seasons
A tec squeezin - executioner, winter time I rock a fur
Mega popular, center of attraction
Climaxin, my bitches they be laughin
They high from sniffin coke off a twenty-cent Andrew Jackson
City lights spark a New York night
Rossi and Martini sippin, Sergio Tachinni flippin mad pies
low price, I blow dice and throw em
Forty-five by my scrotum, manifest the "Do or Die" slogan
My niggaz roll in ten M3's
Twenty Gods poppin wheelies on Kawasaki's
Hip-Hop's got me on some ol', sprayin shots like a drumroll
Blankin out and never miscount the shells my gun hold
I don't stunt, I regulate
Henny and Sprite, I seperate, watchin crab niggaz marinate
I'm all about tecs and good jooks and sex
Israelite books, holdin government names from Ness
MC's are crawlin out, every hole in the slum
You be aight like blood money in a pimp's cum
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"
Currency is made in trust of the Messiah
I'm spending it to get higher
Earth, Wind, and Fire singing reasons why I'm
up early, trustworthy is a nine that bust early
Sunshine on my grill, I spill
Remi on imaginary graves, put my hat on my waves
Latter Day Saints say religious praise
I dolo, challenge any team or solo
You must be buggin out, new to my shit, home on a furlough
Ask around, who's laid up, sharp and straight up
Mafioso, gettin niggaz wigs sprayed up
Skies are misty, my life's predicted by a gypsy
I'll one day walk into shots drunk off champange from Sicily
This be the drama, I'ma pause like a comma
in a sentence, paragraph's indented
Bloodshot red eyes, high, yellow envelopes of lye
Openin cigars, let tobacco fly
Condos are tuneproof, we're looking out the sky's moonroof
Shittin like gin and prune juice
Yo the system wants the coon's noose, hang em high
Courtrooms filled up, it's off the hook while I
just wrote a statement, like I'm facing twenty years
in the basement - chilling on the via with Mumia
for wearin chrome - I told the judge snakes slither
like Sharon Stone, but like Capone I'm thrown (yo)
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"
Lyrical, ly-lyrical mission..
Lyrical..
Yo the time is wastin, I use the mind elevation
Dime sack lacin, court pen pacin
Individual, lyrical math abrasion
Psychic evaluation, the foulest nation
We livin in, dangerous lives, mad leak and battered wives
A lifestyle where bad streets is patternized
Wise men build and destroy
While the real McCoy dopefiend, named Detroit is still dealin boy
Coke suppliers actin biased
Cause rumors say that niggaz wear wires and we liars
But every night the gat's fired, and every day a rat's hired
I still remain the mack flyest in the phat Kani, it's --
-- just the killer in me, slash drug dealer MC
Ex-slug filler, semi mug peeler
Demi, bottles of Mo', yo simply follow me flow
Put poetry inside a crack pot and blow
rough holes for cracked out pussies and buttholes
Bring the G's and the D's roll, they can't touch those
Why shoot the breeze about it, when you could be about it?
My degrees are routed, toward the peasy haired brick houses
instead of the fake medallions
Rich niggaz transport in thousands
Foreign cash exchange amountin to millions
Doors is locked, rocks is chopped, watch the cameras in the ceilings
Trick bitches catching mad feelings
Peelin off in the Lex Jeep, techniques is four-wheelin
I bet it be some shit when we connect with Stretch
When we catch them sex niggaz with the tecs you blessed, word
So now it's on, never wasted a slug,
Time is money when it comes to mine, take it in blood
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that"
"I made it like that, I bought it like that, I'm livin like that..
.. for, you wack MC's"
Yeah, Capone-N-Noreaga
Yeah, yo, offical Queensbridge murderers
Mobb Deep keep it real though
Motherfuckin AZ yo
'Mega, 'Mega, whatever
Scarlett O'Hara
Yo, Fox Boogie
East New York
Gambo, Brownsville
Wizard, Fort Rockaway
Big Jersey
Connecticut, D.C., Sudan
V.A. ?? N.C., L.A.
So on and so on...
Big Ha, Houston Fifth Ward
It was a murder
Jake just hit the corner people swarming
Three in the morning I jumped out my cab like "Fuck,
niggaz is buck," mega bloodshed, the tapes red
I heard some bird whisper, "Yo he should have ducked"
I puffed the lilla, just before I hit the scene for rilla
I'm all high it's late I'm looking down at the fella
Shit's pushed in, ambulance placed him on some cushion
His mom's had a stare I wouldn't dare second look when I murk
It hurt, kind of took it as a brief reminder
that the street's designed to stop your life, plot
The beast in time yeah, cell to cell suspect ass nigga you fell
First time locked in crime stop my mind blocks the frail
Bursting blasting at your forty cal shell, split your dry cell
My niggas never snitch why tell
We roll with no regrets, destiny's, fifty's and equities
Queens'll be the death of me
To the suspect witness don't come outside
You might get your shit pushed back tonight
(Suspect witness don't come outside
You might get your shit pushed back tonight)
Dear God, I want the riches, money hungry bitches infested
Giving the jealous niggas sickness, the witness
My crew dresses, in vest-es, feel the essence
Try to test this, scientist, able and reckless
Slaughter, Nautica'd down, frames look petite
Ten millis, mix designed just for my physique
I keep a low pro as if I owe, bless the flow lovely
My pants hang low while I'm dancing, sipping the bubbly
Hey, me no worry, hashish keep my eyes Chinese
Rollin two Phillies together make blunts Siamese
I meant it, I represent it, descendant made of
early natives that were captured and taught to think backwards
Trapped us in a cracker psychiatric, it's massive
A Million Man March, alert the masses
Ten glocks, Armani in small print, upon my glasses
Don assassins, armageddon, the wettin'
Never freakin the beast, seven heads, got the righteous threatened
Life Was Written, the plot curves behind the settin'
Comprehend the grammar, Manfrione -- are you the type of nigga
to shoot a leg to get your name known? I flip the brain tome
Niggaz get hit and wrap the plastic
The mic I strike in vain givin the pain of what a Mack is
What you with? Luchi or drama, no sleep means insomnia
No need to check the clock, the streets are timin you
It justifies, Nas Escobar's leavin shit mesmerized
Mega live, like the third world
Decipher my deceiver make him a believer
Spitting jim stars, words in my mic ttype receiver
Bond is my life so I live by my word
Never fraudulent Queensbridge don't make no herbs
Spread my name to deacons, politicians while they speakin
Featuring: Pete Rock
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? It's yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this?
I sip the Dom P, watchin' Gandhi 'til I'm charged
Then writin' in my book of rhymes, all the words pass the margin
To hold the mic I'm throbbin', mechanical movement
Understandable smooth shit that murderers move wit
The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right
The fiend of hip-hop has got me stuck like a crack pipe
The mind activation, react like I'm facin' time like
'Pappy' Mason with pens I'm embracin'
Wipe the sweat off my dome, spit the phlegm on the streets
Suede Timbs on my feets, makes my cypher, complete
Whether crusin' in a six-cab, or Montero Jeep
I can't call it, the beats make me fallin' asleep
I keep fallin', but never fallin' six feet deep
I'm out for presidents to represent me
I'm out for presidents to represent me
I'm out for dead presidents to represent me
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? It's yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this?
To my man Ill Will, God bless your life
To my peoples throughout Queens, God bless your life
I trip we box up crazy bitches aimin' guns in all my baby pictures
Beef with housin' police, release scriptures that's maybe Hitler's
Yet I'm the mild, money gettin' style, rollin' foul
The versatile, honey stickin' wild, golden child
Dwellin' in the Rotten Apple, you get tackled
Or caught by the Devil's lasso, shit is a hassle
There's no days, for broke days, we sell it, smoke pays
While all the old folks pray, to Jesus' soakin' they sins in trays
Of holy water, odds against Nas are slaughter
Thinkin' a word best describin' my life, to name my daughter
My strength, my son, the star, will be my resurrection
Born in correction all the wrong shit I did, he'll lead a right direction
How ya livin' large, a broker charge, cards are mediocre
You flippin' coke or playin' spit spades in strip poker
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? It's yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? Yo, the world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? It's yours
It's yours
I'm the young city bandit, hold myself down singlehanded
For murder raps, I kick my thoughts alone, get remanded
Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne
I'm deep by sound alone, caved inside in a thousand miles from home
I need a new nigga, for this black cloud to follow
'Cause while it's over me it's too dark to see tomorrow
Trying to maintain, I flip, fill the clip to the tip
Picturin' my peeps, now the income make my heartbeat skip
And I'm amped up, they locked the champ up
Even my brain's in handcuffs
Headed for Indiana stabbin' women like the Phantom
The crew is lampin' big Willie style
Check the chip toothed smile, plus I profile wild
Stash through the flock wools, burnin' dollars to light my stove
Walk the blocks wit a bop, checkin' Danes plus the games
People play, bust the problems of the world today
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? The world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? It's yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? Yeah the world is yours, the world is yours
It's mine, it's mine, it's mine
Whose world is this? It's yours
Break it down
Yea aight? To everybody in Queens, the foundation
The world is yours, to everybody uptown, yo, the world is yours
The world is yours to everybody in Brooklyn
Y'all know the world is yours
The world is yours
Everbody in Mount Vernon, the world is yours
Long Island, yo the world is yours
Staten Island, yea the world is yours
I know you think you got it together player, but fuck the bird you with
And listen close to the makings of a perfect bitch
Listen close to the makings of a perfect bitch
There's always one thing wrong and you wish that you could switch
Or fix, while you shapin' every curve and hips, you heard of this?
The makings of a perfect bitch
A ghoul at night, I role like Jack the Ripper trying to choose my wife
I need a ass of a stripper, fat lipper
Mad niggaz in this one predicament
You try to choose a loyal one and stick with it
My stupid dick again searching for something to jump and then start humpin'
Convincing me that the history of a woman is about leaving a nigga with nothing
So my experiences taught me how to come up with a plan to make a right one for the man
A toy for the boy, the one that righteously will understand
And since I can't find her I guess I gotta make her
I creep in the night like a kinky undertaker
I think I'm on a caper to abduct a nerd from the Ivy League
Next stop at the strip club snatch a bad one and flee
What's next, I'm stakin' out a five star restaurant to kidnap the chef
Say goodbye to the stress
I stitch 'em together then I kiss 'em forever
These surgical gloves are made of love, couldn't be better
Four cycles of blood, child birth first
Men-e-stral cycle, last men-e-stral cycle then death
That's four, so I guess rebirth is the fifth
Put 'em together, that's a genius, a slut and a chef
Holdin' the scalpel while cutting the flesh
Heavy bleeding, so I need suction, it's such a mess
If she survives she'll be sucking me next
Dark nipples on her D-cup breasts so I could titty fuck while she do
my taxes for the IRS
So I could just relax, shit, by now I'm blessed
I'm her daddy, I'm her messiah, I'm god
Cause I injected obedience and loyalty in her heart
Know you mad cause you with a bitch that nag you to death
I smack mine on the ass and she breathe her first breath
Gimme Sade's mystique, she gotta know her way in the streets
Like Billie Holiday in Harlem
Body from Ketoi Johnson and Kenya Moore and Apple Bottoms
Maya Angelou's brain and some groove from Terry McMillan
Them Angelina Jolie lips, Angela Davis, Sista Souljah's wit
Helping me load clips
Some words form a pimp was, "Nas, it just don't exist"
But homes is twisted, a home ain't a home without without the misses
All the girls that I named are queens, no disrespect
But I need me someone to disappear, reappear like I dream of Jeannie
Black hoods cops and projects
Sewers flooded wit foul blockage
The gutters wild and every child watches
Chains and top locks get ripped off hindges doors kicked off
Drunks stagger off smeared off wipe your beard off
Crippled dope fiends in wheelchairs stare vision blurry
Cause burried deep in their mind are hidden stories
Bet he's a mirror image of the 70's error
he's finished for the rest of his life til he fades out
the liquor store workers miss him but then it plays out
So many ways out the hood, but no signs say out
Mental slave house where gats go off
I show off, niggas up north
Prisonology talks till they time cut off
You used to chill you short, prepare deep thought
They hit the streets again, get it on
Get this paper and breed again
Planet leave somethin behind, so your name will live on
No matter what the game lives on......
Chorus: (there is no chorus, the beat just plays on)
Uh, yo, if this pianos
The cake and my words to the candles
Light it up, make a wish and them angels will grant you
And patience one try, puttin those angles as bamboo
They lit it up, (nas inhales 2 times)
hit it up, (nas inhales once) now they dismantle
Think the whole world is crazy, got a nine
Watch where you walk, two dollar fine
Sign of the times, hearin New York high satin
United Nations quietly takin toll on your soul
take it or leave it, just my evaluation
Stack newly guns, teach the girls karate school your sons
Not to hate, but to stay awake
Cause the scars a razor make is nothin in comparison
To the gas left on his whole mask, if we dont get it controlled fast
Might as well be, laughing with Malcom X's assassin
As we die slow, parishin brain dead from an Ericson
Words of the medicine, two teaspoons for goons
A couple of it for those thuggin it
Yall sing the tune.......
Chorus
Another day another dollar my mother will holler
She said go and see the world for myself, in my brothers Impala
Pops was smooth from his top to his shoes
He sang the blues, guitar strings he played Smokin in School
Two pellican hats, picture this yo, 70's cat
He rolled his music in the back of the crib, I did my homework
At night the windows and speakers, pumpin life out
A fight people screamin, cause somebody pulled a knife out
So I look at this room, I'm hooked to this tune
Every night the same melody
Hell soundin so heavenly...........
Uh, light somethin',
stop frontin'
how much money's enough, think maybe like a trillion' figures
pray my daughter don't wild like them Hilton sisters,
that'd kill me yo, filthy rich, my daughter pass it onto the next generation,
throwin' carnations
at my tombstone,
in my new home,
meet mom's in my east st. laurent suit on,
then we do a dance like my man
luther dan,
but my verse came first,
i stole change out her purse,
now i wanna dig her up outta the earth,
two more but lean forward, toward a new paragraph,
blue carrots, D-class,
strictly that Kush in the weed bags,
tryna' figure out what Barry Gordie (?) had,
put in production,
studio's smokey now, hard like Davin Ruffin,
hit a spliff through a seance,
and I, play on playa
Finest females, i spit game on, i spray tha, gotta' get your papes on, playa on playa,
before it's all gone, sip don, tip weight up, do y'all thing when i swing, baby,
spend dub's on yeh rugs(?), gotta' live crazy,
finest females, i spit game on, i spray tha, get your papes on,
playa on playa, get your papes on, play on playa, get your papes on..uh
Ruby red grapefruit juice
with grey goose,
rubies in the Jesus
piece,
pimped out like Snoopy,
but a East Coast thing,
my girl's stocking,
tied up in a knot top a' my beanhead,
billion dollar dream head,
went from triple beams to digitals,
servin' fiends to minimal,
sixty g's no criminal,
no mo',
jus mo' doe,
my motions pouring,
Oprah's earrings,
on fingers while your girl performs cunning lingas,
cause' there's big money a rumour lingers,
barber cleans his blade,
then they give me a fade,
hot towel on the face,
hot models who vommit after they eat so they can stay lightweight,
swallowin' my protein like an ovaltine shake,
come thru' like mo green from Godfather,
so clean where i step i 'Clorox it',
keep twenty g's on both sides of the thighs,
that's four pockets, eighty thousand, browse for the nicest price,
but we ain't into buyin' conflict ice,
that's the shit they stole from the Congo,
and other block soil,
true mack foil,
nappy hair jus spinnin',
hunny gave me a massage with the happy ending,
finest females i jus came on,
and sprayed uh, gotta get yeh papes on, play on playa
It's kinda hard for a playa like you,
but let me show you how a nigga like me, get revenue,
what ya never do
is punk out whatchu better do,
never let the game get ahead of you,
get a better view,
better yet, a better clue,
praise God, imma marry you,
get your hoe to, carry you,
bury you,
slowly, roll me another blunt,
stuff it,
lick it,
puff it,
tuck it,
fuck it,
that man,
that game,
that thang
it busts,
in D.O Double G we trust!
yup, yup, young roll with the two steps,
he creepin' with tha two tec's,
they sleepin' with two chicks,
right before we blast all you heard was two clicks,
end of existence,
for instance,
rewind,
replay it,
re-chop it,
remix it,
we twist it,
goddamn D.O Double G, cuz we missed it,
travel slow,
im an indian, but not a navajo, i
smoke the big leaf
end all the big beefs,
my hair in two braid's, im the big chief,
ladda da' beep bah baddda!
yeah, break that down, how fresh yeh are,
the king from Queens, Mr.Escobar,
connect with the best from the west, yes yes, yah are,
oh my god, it's Snoop Dogg and Nas,
playa play on, play on, play on,
Bis-Mi-Allah A-Rahman A-Rahim
(To the Gods.. to the Gods.. to the Earths)
Pass that shit homey
Now tell me what y'all smokin
What kinda heat y'll holdin
Well is your creep move potent
I got a bunch of bullets and a bag of guns I pass 'em to my niggaz c'mon
We bi-coastin, keepin our po-ckets bulgin
We got the plan in motion
I got a bunch of bullets and a bag of guns I pass 'em to my niggaz c'mon
Zoom, from outer space he comes
Blunt in his mouth with his hand on his gun
Bitches flappin they gums, do he be clappin and shootin guys
Actor or a movie star, rapper revolutionized
What is his race nation or creed?
Is he arabic, black, latin, asian they read
Magazines say I walked on water, talked to the heavens
Spit at judges, stepped on peasants
But in reality, I just entered your galaxy
September '73, up in these wild streets
Fuckin these wild freaks, a harem of hoes (God damn)
And my mystique got 'em tearin my clothes
My nigga smoke with one lung
If he cough he might die, passin me trees
The liquor bottle's almost empty
We about to collide, with the enemy
Only way you die if it's meant to be
You fuckin with a general
No discussion is the principle we bustin it's the end of you
Now we knockin on your mama door
Like we cam to fix the sink; my kind of war
Death, angels comin for you
Spirit horse runnin from your body like Young Guns 1 and 2
Paramedics fightin for you, who's gon' win?
The hands of time, or the hands of medicine
Don't cry, witness your fate, this is your wake
Walk by your casket, spit in your face
Enter the fog dog, the light is your guide
And when you're gone all your niggaz gon' light it with Nas
Pardon but I gotta question of life now
Look at the nigga next to you right now
Is he real, fake or scared
Do it like this niggaz right hands in the air
Ball it to a fist and put it over your heart
Now let's say it all together let the ceremony start
I shall - stay real stay true stay holdin figures
Never put a bitch over my niggaz
I shall never, cooperate with the law
Never snake me I always hold you down in war
If they take one of mine, I take one of theirs
I never break the oath to the death I swear
I swear that's how we pledge alegiance, to the alliance
of underworld's killers and thugs, though the science
of a nigga still yet to be found
So light up some green, and pass it around (just pass it around)
Wanna get high, come smoke with me
Yo, release what's in me
Besides the Henny, it's eyes that's seen plenty
Fiends get skinny as if Queens was a Craig Jenny
Instead of diet plans it's crack 200 grams
I pump a G-pack, peeping for where the D's at
It's slow, lookin for Rambo, the cop who got grazed
Back in the days, chasin niggaz through my project maze
That cop he got a death wish
He run behind niggaz until you breathless
Everyday he makin ten arrests, sheeit
My nigga check this, I know the bitch he rest with
I even blessed it, forty-dash-ten inspect it
(Already checked it Dunn, near his ankle you could see his gun)
Peep, he parked his Jeep in the back of the slum
to check Tanisha, fat ass real fly, with the blonde caesar
Vetacini summer gear, she push the two-seater
I heard she brag about the way he eat her
A Irish man short slim with a tan, they say he laced her cheeba
She do be lookin weaker, now her teeth are foul
Speakin loud, peep her style, in and out of every reefer cloud
Fat ass dissolvin, like cotton candy in a mouth that's starvin
Rock the same gear daily, like a soldier in my squadron
I heard she let Jake investigate from her window
cause she's a nympho, suckin dick and coughin up info
So now it's set up, her and the beast to get wet up
I know he vest up, we blazin from the neck up
(Yo let me knock first) Soon as he open it your glock burst
They had the chains on, son hit the lock first
We busted in the cop jerked
Jungle popped one in his shirt
I grabbed the bitch by her tits, she tried to say she Earth
We saw the cameras, tape recorders, and the monitors
They eyein us (Nas yo he survived one from the fo'-five)
Pull his shades down, they seen his last days now
There's no way now, we can be treated just like a slave now
Two in the dome, he's laid down, aiyyo the bitch is saved now
She's living in a snitch grave now
Shootouts is similar to Wild West
Broad daylight, face to face without a vest
You know the episodes, thugs camouflage the spectacles
Please God to save the life that the Devil sold
See +It Was Written+ but was never told
Peep the jewels black man, it's even better than gold
Niggaz roll with iron, police roll in hot pursuit
tryin to stop the loot, fuck Jake, cock and shoot
Still on the streets with my peeps so deep
We threw a block party for my man goin up creek
to do his two to four, niggaz show love, from all around the board
Peace Lord, Sony Handi-Cam on record
Pop a bottle, cause when you come home we still got it sewn
We can watch the tape play back and just zone
Film all the bitches, on the benches with ill extensions
We block the streets off, only crew cars can enter
Music was loud and it was crowded
Barbecued wings we fed the fiends (gamble in the back) Killa shouted
And Frank tried to stop the bank loss, about what a Roley cost
Guzzled his drink, and staggered off
He's a Big Will, used to slang krill, now he own the hill
Couldn't take losin his cash, and I could feel
somethin in the air yeah, Frank returned with Pierre
A gun slinger, who niggaz hadn't seen in a year
I usually be holdin - 'specially this type of weekend
And everyone except for me had started reachin
They had gats in each others faces, with kids
and grandmothers around, Frank's only concern was his paper
My man Killa let off, half of them fake niggaz jet off
Police blitz quick, waitin for that to set off
Runnin the static, it got me mad cause they a bunch of faggots
Startin shit in my hood, I can't have it
Yo High, get the 40-cali stainless, Jake is still out
Let's make it real and still make them niggaz famous
Dip behind trees in fatigues and squeeze, dodge and weave
Hearin Jake retaliatin, and Wiz was up the alley waitin
We breeze, jump in the ride, heard Pierre died
Yeah, check check, testing
It's clear out there? Yeah
It's like I'm hang gliding over the hood, ha
Never worry (ohhh, no, no, no)
Check, let there be light
No gang banging in New York tonight
Just murals of Biggie Smalls, bigger then life
Turn up the kid mic cuz ya'll ain't listening right
What's all this talk that Nas got bought?
I'd rather outline my body in white chalk
Ain't nobody been where I been, they at a stand still
This is all overseen by my man Will
As I walk through the shadow of death
I know that I ain't got much time left
And they don't really wanna see the good in me
Ain't satisfied until they see the fool in me
(And I) I know my business, so my sins great
(And I) I thank the hood for all the love they gave
(And I) Forgive 'em all, they did they best to hate
Oh, let there be light
This ain't the glorified, just painting the street picture
There's no God in sir Bibles, just blunt and switches
Gillettes cut pain in kitchen
Now every rapper wanna claim he hang with Kenneth "Supreme" Griffith
It's like the same difference cept when niggaz get arraigned
They don't want the same sentence, niggaz get to snitchin
If I could reverse the monsters and turn forward the razas
And bring back the niggaz who was livest
Old hustlers, reminscing on better days
They home, doing nothing, might as well be in a cage
Hating on young brothers, one foot in the grave
They used to love us till we found our own way thru the maze
New York, set trippin and flaggin
Got the West Coast laughing, now Esco's asking
What happened? My homegirl from upper Manhattan
She remembers the quarters that's Latin, alotta rat-a-tat-tatting
The son of the audio cassette era, tech wearer
Bullets and begets, Binzbo's speaker terror
Till man I get mine till I'm dead, so I can drive sumpthin red
Like that horse standing on it's hind legs
Since Arnold and Willis in they bunk beds
I wanted bread like Wonder, not manned-a-wanno like the parent of Lionel
Nas is the Ghetto American Idol
No matter what you do you're never getting my title
I can't sound smart cuz ya'll'll run away
They say I ain't hungry no more and I don't talk about 'ye
Like there's no other way for a ex-hustler
Cake ya, the x-ray splitter to touch ya, I beg to differ
When you're four years into the game, we can have a conversation
Eight years in the game, I invite ya on vacation
Ten years in the game, after I've enjoyed my fame
Only then I let ya pick my brain, niggaz
(And I) Right about now (And I) (They don't really know)
(And I) (They don't really see) I don't even deal with all that garbage
(No, no, no) We getting real right, ya know?
(And I) (Though I walk through the valley) That is Tre Williams ladies and gentlemen
(And I) (They should fear no) (And I) (no, no-oh)
Focus on good things man, good times, Heh-heh, alright
Oh let it be, let it be, yeah
My niggaz got scarred grills
Skully hats and gats be fullys
Brrrat, cars peel, the East Coast cartel
Rats get their tails snapped and trapped
The snitches in the streets and the snitches who rap
Pure euphoria, a dose of death to all of ya
Coroner choruses sung from The Bridge to Astoria
Dreams of fallin' in the elevator, passin' floors
Suddenly stop, the doors open up to a brick wall
I can smell the haters, wishful thinkers, bad luck prayers
Picture your tarot cards and bodyguards gettin' sprayed up
Sabotagin' my makeup, my watches get laced up
Even if they indicted Jacob
Forensics, Paramedics carry cowards off
Defibrillators shock to your chest, try to cough
They die and hit Hell from an iron
I'm flyin', wire or cell, I'm paid from this shit
Got bitches high as hell, and they fuckin' like AIDS don't exist
They get sent to your hotel, a maid and shit
Put a barrel in a capo mouth, 'til his scalp come out
You a kid, you don't live what you rap about
King poetic, too many haters to count
Too much paper to count, QB BITCH!
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
(Money Over Bullshit), pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
(My own strength nigga, that's what I'm scared of, ha-ha)
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
(Money Over Bullshit), pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Got seven candles lit, black wallpaper, black carpet
Thinkin' about which nigga to target
You kill a nigga today, he lives forever
So I plotted out smarter, there'll be no Martyrs
Black Tec on the table, Mag .44
Black negligee on my bitch, she's at the door
Black fish eggs, nigga, that's the caviar
You niggaz fish-made, y'all niggaz is fifth grade
Niggaz, it's fifty ways to disect the General
If I give ya the top five, you will not survive
Rule 1: cocksucker, keep my name from your tongue
Rule 2: thought ya knew don't fuck with God's Son
Rule 3: see, matter fact, I just wait
If y'all reach top five, then I'ma eat y'all alive
Each one of you guys that claim Hip-Hop is still alive
Like y'all ain't in agreement wit Nas
That shit is dead motha'fucka, it's dead bitch
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
(Money Over Bullshit), pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
(My own strength nigga, that's what I'm scared of, ha-ha)
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
(Money Over Bullshit), pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
From crack pushers to Lac' pushers and ambushers
And morticians to fortresses, case-dismisses
Laced in riches, cake ridiculous
From nickel and dimin; to trickin; them diamonds
Vegas, places in Switzerland
From non-blastin; to auto, I don't have to blast mine
They blast mine, black nine, you flatline
My cash climb, buy rare art
Antique pieces, Mona Lisa's, own no leases
Five-star restaurant eaters; don't forget who your peeps is
'Sposed to dine with you, sip that good wine with you
Only if they grind with you - or slang for ya
Seen niggaz live, laugh, party, and die in that very same corner
Pretty girls glance at us, status unconceivable
Private planes landed out in Teterboro, weed I twirl
Once even gave me a phobia
That I be in a spot trapped like Madame Zenobia's
With this kid eyein' my Rolly, y'all
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
(Money Over Bullshit), pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
(My own strength nigga, that's what I'm scared of, ha-ha)
Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn
(Money Over Bullshit), pistols over brawn
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength
Seven News Logo |
|
Division of: | Seven Network |
---|---|
Founded: | 1958 |
Headquarters: | Martin Place, Sydney, Australia |
Area served: | Worldwide |
Broadcast programs: | Sunrise Weekend Sunrise Seven Early News Seven Morning News Seven 4.30 News Today Tonight Sunday Night |
Parent: | Seven West Media |
Website: | Seven News website |
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network in Australia.
National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The network also produces Seven Local News bulletins for parts of regional Queensland. The news service is retransmitted via a number of regional affiliates, including Prime Television, the Golden West Network, Southern Cross Television and WIN Television in South Australia. It draws upon the resources of BBC, NBC, CNN, APTN and Reuters for select international coverage.
Peter Meakin is the current head of news and current affairs for the Seven Network, and in recent years, Seven News has overtaken Nine News as the most watched television news service in Australia.
Contents |
Seven News, previously known as Channel 7 News, Seven Eyewitness News, Seven National News and Seven Nightly News, is one of Australia's longest-running television news services, along with Nine News on the rival Nine Network.
In 2003, former Nine Network news and current affairs chief Peter Meakin was appointed to Seven News.[1][2]
Ratings have gradually increased since 2004. Seven News was the top rating news service nationally in both the 2005 and 2006 ratings seasons,[3][4] partly attributed to the success of television game show Deal or No Deal, which provides it with a significant lead-in audience.[5]
In 2007, Seven News beat National Nine News in ratings for the first time in the Melbourne market. During the year, they ranked highest nineteen weeks in a row compared to Nine's thirteen weeks. Previously, in 2006, Seven had ranked on top 16 weeks in while Nine had 24 weeks on top in Melbourne. In 2005, Seven only meet Nine during one week. Following the coverage of AFL player drug use, ratings went into decline, with The Age attributing the drop to AFL player spurred boycotts of the network for allegedly sharing confidential player health records.[6]
During 2008, from weeknight to weeknight, Seven and Nine had similar ratings, often changing the most popular show from night to night.[7]
Ratings for Seven News were strong in 2012. In March, the news on Sunday had 1,406,000 viewers.[8]
Seven Early News is presented by Natalie Barr, and includes news, business, finance and weather with sport presented by Mark Beretta. It airs from Seven's Martin Place studios, and commences at 5:30am, concluding at 6:00am, with breakfast show 'Sunrise', followed by.
The bulletin first aired on 14 July 2008, presented by Simon Reeve, and draws upon overnight news stories from the network's international news resources as well as additional weather forecasts and financial news reports.
Fill-in presenters for the bulletin are Samantha Armytage, Jessica Rowe and Simon Reeve (sport).[9]
Sunrise is the network's breakfast program, aired weekdays from 6am to 9am and weekends from 7am to 10am as Weekend Sunrise. The show is broadcast live from Seven's Martin Place studios, and is based on a mix of human interest, showbiz and entertainment alongside half-hourly national news & sport bulletins and weather updates.
The program is presented by Melissa Doyle and David Koch with news presenter Natalie Barr, sport presenter Mark Beretta and weather presenter Grant Denyer. Samantha Armytage and Andrew O'Keefe present Weekend Sunrise with Jessica Rowe as news presenter and Simon Reeve as the sport presenter and James Tobin as weather presenter.
Seven Morning News airs at 11:30am on weekdays and is presented by Ann Sanders from Seven's Martin Place studios.
Chris Bath previously presented the bulletin from 2004 until 2006. In 2006, Bath and Sanders swapped roles with Bath appointed weekend presenter on Seven News Sydney and Sanders appointed presenter of Seven Morning News.
Fill in presenters for the Morning News include Talitha Cummins, Samantha Armytage, Chris Reason and Sarah Cumming.
Seven 4.30 News airs at 4:30pm on weekdays, with two separate editions broadcast, from Seven's Martin Place studios and TVW's Perth studios.
Fill in presenters include Ann Sanders, Talitha Cummins, Sarah Cumming, Rebecca Maddern, Chris Reason, Mark Ferguson and John Mangos while the fill in sport presenters include Tony Squires, Matt Carmichael and Leith Mulligan and Sarah Cumming being a fill in weather presenter.
The national bulletin was introduced in 2003 as Target Iraq, during extensive coverage of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and presented from Sydney by David Johnston. The program was retained after the initial invasion and moved production to Melbourne. Johnston retired in September 2005 and succeeded by Rebecca Maddern until production returned to Sydney in July 2006. Former US correspondent Mike Amor took over as anchor but was replaced three months later by Samantha Armytage. On 3 December 2010, the bulletin was extended to 60 minutes and began to feature a sports bulletin.[10] However, on 7 May 2012, the bulletin was truncated back to 30 minutes as The Price is Right returned back to the 5:00pm timeslot.
Seven News Sydney is presented by Chris Bath on weeknights and Mark Ferguson on weekends from the Martin Place studios. Weeknight sport and weather are presented by Tony Squires and Sarah Cumming, with Matt Carmichael presenting on weekends.
Seven News Sydney's attempts to boost ratings began in late 2003 when Ian Ross was appointed as main weeknight anchor and the news service relocated to new street-level studios in Martin Place in late 2004, allowing bystanders to watch bulletins being broadcast live. After two years of presenting the national morning news, Chris Bath returned to her former role as weekend news presenter in 2006. Ross presented his final bulletin for Seven News Sydney on Friday 27 November 2009. Bath took over as main weeknight presenter from Monday 30 November 2009 while former Nine News presenter Mark Ferguson took over as weekend presenter on Saturday 28 November 2009.[11][2]
Seven's 6pm Sydney bulletin retained its ratings lead until 2011 when the rival Nine News bulletin overtook Seven in the ratings for the first time in seven years, winning 21 weeks compared to Seven's 14 weeks.[12]
Seven News Melbourne is directed by Steve Carey and presented by Peter Mitchell on weeknights and Jennifer Keyte on weekends from Broadcast Centre Melbourne. Weeknight sport and weather are presented by Sandy Roberts and David Brown, with Tim Watson presenting on weekends.
Current weeknight presenter Peter Mitchell held the role of weekend presenter for Seven Nightly News between 1987 and 2000 when he replaced the short-lived presenting duo of David Johnston and Anne Fulwood. Jennifer Keyte was appointed as main weeknight presenter in 1990, becoming Australia's first solo female primetime commercial news presenter.[citation needed] In a network reshuffle in 1996, Keyte terminated her employment after the Seven Network attempted to pair her with David Johnston, who went to present solo for three years.[citation needed] She returned in 2003, assuming the role as weekend presenter, succeeding Jennifer Adams.
Following decades of coming second in television ratings to Nine News Melbourne and Ten News Melbourne, Seven News Melbourne went into a tight contest to win the ratings battle in 2005. In recent ratings reports, Seven News has gained the number one position.[13] This was subsequently followed by a series of advertisements and promos which have touted Seven News Melbourne as Melbourne's New #1 and Nine altering their promotions to simply say Melbourne's Best News - a throwback to the 1980s when National Nine News Melbourne was being beaten in the ratings by ATV-10's Ten Eyewitness News.
The bulletin is simulcast throughout regional Victoria and New South Wales/South Australia border areas that receive television services from Victoria through Prime7, and to viewers in Darwin, Northern Territory through Southern Cross Television (TND-34).[14]
Seven News Brisbane is directed by Rob Raschke and presented by Kay McGrath and Rod Young on weeknights and Sharyn Ghidella on weekends from Seven's Brisbane studios, located at Mount Coot-tha. Sport is presented by Pat Welsh (Monday to Wednesday) and Shane Webcke (Thursday & Friday) and weather is presented by John Schluter. On weekends, Pat Welsh presents sport with weather presented by Liz Cantor.
The bulletin is also simulcast in Brisbane on local radio station 96.5 Family FM, to regional Queensland viewers in the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay-Burnett, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns television markets via the Seven Queensland network and across central & remote areas of eastern Australia, on Southern Cross Central.
Previously, Tracey Challenor presented the weekend news for many years until her resignation in February 2007. Cummins was first appointed to the weekday weather in 2005 after more than a year of the Brisbane bulletin not having a weather presenter; former kids show presenter Tony Johnston had this role in 2003. Cummins was replaced by former Nine weatherman John Schluter in early 2007, meaning she was moved to weekends. She does however, fill in on weekdays if Schluter is away. Ghidella joined Seven News Brisbane in 2007 and occasionally presents on weeknights filling in for Kay McGrath.
In October 2002, Rod Young moved from ABC News in Brisbane to co-anchor with Kay McGrath. She had presented Seven News Brisbane solo for the previous nine months following the retirement of Frank Warrick. Their dual presenter format has proved to be successful. Following a couple of lean years coming second to Nine News Brisbane, Seven News Brisbane regained its ratings lead by 2007, helped by the recruitment of ex-Nine weatherman John Schluter and director of news Rob Raschke. In 2008, Seven News Brisbane was officially the #1 bulletin in Brisbane, winning all 40 ratings weeks.
News updates for Brisbane are presented by Kay McGrath, Rod Young or Sharyn Ghidella throughout the afternoon and the early evening. Sharyn Ghidella, Patrick Condren, Bianca Stone and Jillian Whiting are fill-in news presenters, with Ben Davis, Shane Webcke or Rohan Welsh presenting sport, and Liz Cantor or Angie Asimus presenting the weather.
Seven News Adelaide is presented by Jane Doyle and John Riddell on weeknights and Graeme Goodings on weekends with sport presenters Bruce Abernethy (weekdays) & Chris Dittmar (weekends) and weather presenter Melody Horrill (weeknights). The bulletin is presented from studios located at Hindmarsh.
The Adelaide bulletin is simulcast to the regional areas of South Australia on Southern Cross Television GTS/BKN in the Spencer Gulf region and Broken Hill in New South Wales, and through WIN Television South Australia in the Riverland and Mount Gambier/South East regions of the state.
Previously, Goodings presented on weeknights and John Riddell on weekends, until Goodings was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Both presenters swapped roles in 2004 and had been presenting Seven News Adelaide alongside Jane Doyle since 1989, which has proven to be a ratings success, leading its main rivals since that time.[citation needed]
Prior to 27 December 1987, the presenters and production crew of Seven News Adelaide produced Ten News Adelaide (then known as Ten Eyewitness News). However, as the television industry was consolidating in Australia, these news services had each become associated by ownership with inter-state news services being broadcast on opposite frequencies; therefore, to simplify network interaction, their respective networks agreed to swap channel assignments and network affiliations in Adelaide.
In December 2007, production of Seven News moved from studios located at Gilberton to a new purpose-built space at Hindmarsh.[15]
During the AFL season, Seven News Adelaide does not air at the regular time on Saturdays or Sundays if there is a twilight match involving Port Adelaide or Adelaide, in which case, a shortened edition is broadcast at half time, replacing analysis of the AFL matches broadcast.
Fill-in presenters include Jessica Adamson, Susan Couhbor & Mike Smithson (news), Mark Soderstrom, Tim Noonan and Caroline Kelly (sport and weather). The Adelaide news director is Terry Plane. News updates are regularly presented by reporters or fill-in presenters.
Seven News Perth is directed by Howard Gretton and presented on weeknights by Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr, with sports presenter Basil Zempilas and weather presenter Natalia Cooper. Emmy Kubainski, Natalia Cooper, Samantha Jolly or Sally Bowrey present the weekend news with Adrian Barich presenting sport. Seven News Perth is also simulcast on the GWN network to regional and remote areas of Western Australia.
Long standing Seven News Perth presenter Jeff Newman announced his retirement from television on 1 July 2009, and retired from his role on Monday 10 August 2009. He has been replaced by former Nine News Perth weather presenter Natalia Cooper, who began her new role during September.
In 2005, Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr celebrated a twenty year anniversary as a news reading duo. They are one of the longest serving dual news presenter teams in the world and their dual-presenter format of Seven News Perth has been highly successful. Seven News Perth has led in the ratings for decades, well ahead of Nine News Perth by as many as 100,000 viewers.
News updates for Perth are presented by Natalia Cooper, Susannah Carr or Rick Ardon throughout the afternoon and by Susannah Carr or Rick Ardon in the early evening. Yvette Mooney was the weekend news presenter until she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and subsequently left the network in June 2008. Chris Young is the current sport fill-in.
Seven Local News bulletins are broadcast each weeknight with six separate editions for Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Wide Bay, the Sunshine Coast and Rockhampton. They are followed by Seven News Brisbane, in place of Today Tonight.
The bulletins are presented by Rob Brough, with Joanne Desmond co-anchoring the Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton editions. Nathan Spurling presents sport with Livio Regano presenting weather for all six sub-regions.
In early 2004, Seven Local News was re-introduced in the Townsville and Cairns sub-markets as a result of regulations regarding local content on regional television introduced by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (now the Australian Communications and Media Authority).
The most successful edition of Seven Local News is broadcast on the Sunshine Coast. In early 1998, WIN Television launched a competing service publicly stating that it would beat Seven in the ratings within six months. At the end of the 1998 ratings season, after a new station head had overseen a comprehensive re-vamping of the program and its external promotions, Seven Local News had actually increased its audience share by six ratings points.
Reporters and camera crews are based at newsrooms in each of the six regions with studio presentation for the Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Wide Bay bulletins pre-recorded at studios in Maroochydore. The Sunshine Coast edition of Seven Local News is broadcast live. News editing is undertaken by the local newsrooms, and sent to the main Maroochydore studios for transmission.
On 5 March 2007, Seven Local News bulletins commenced production and broadcasts in a widescreen standard-definition digital format. Seven Local News was the first regional news service in regional Queensland to convert to widescreen.
On 22 November 2010, Seven Local News launched a sixth edition for the Rockhampton/Gladstone and Central Queensland region.
The news service, and in particular its news director Peter Meakin and reporter Adam Walters, came under heavy criticism in 2010 for the decision to air a story on then-New South Wales Transport Minister David Campbell as homosexual.[16] Campbell, a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for over two decades, was forced to resign after Meakin chose to air a story by Walters showing Campbell leaving a gay bathhouse. Amidst criticism of the story former NSW Labor Premier Barrie Unsworth condemned Campbell's actions.
"Campbell has been the police minister and he's been on the state crime commission, and he's frequented places where he's easily recognised," Mr Unsworth told The Australian newspaper.[17]
"The threat is not from Channel 7 lurking outside but by the people inside. We've got a criminal milieu in this city and he laid himself open to all sorts of threats and blackmail."
Seven's decision to run the story was derided by other politicians and several rival media outlets as "not a good moment for the media coverage of Macquarie Street",[18] "old-fashioned"[19] and an act of "pathetic snooping".[20] However for NSW Labor Premier Barrie Unsworth condemned Campbell's actions.
“ | But this was an act of naked homophobia. Well, I’ve got a message for Channel Seven. In Australia, we’ve gone beyond that. Or most of us have. Your action was shameful. | ” |
—Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby[20] |
Seven's justification for airing the story was initially that Campbell had misused his Ministerial vehicle,[16] however this allegation was quickly shown to be untrue by other media outlets, as New South Wales Ministers have full private use of their Ministerial vehicles.[19] The justification later put forward by Seven to defend its actions was that it was in the public interest to make the allegations public because of the risk of blackmail. The Australian Communications and Media Authority instigated an investigation into Seven's conduct in this matter, under the industry's self-regulated code of conduct. It accepted the public interest justification put forward by Seven, that Campbell's actions left him "vulnerable to compromise or blackmail".[21]
In 2011, Seven News obtained footage under freedom of information laws showing Opposition Leader Tony Abbott speaking about the recent death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan. Seven news edited the clips broadcast that evening taking the comments out of context. After the incident, many media websites labeled the story a "ratings grab" for the network. Seven News reporter Mark Riley appeared on Sunrise and many other radio shows defending the claims and the report that aired.[22]
The following morning, rival networks, obtained the same footage as Seven News and broadcast another part of the interview not seen on the original report showing military leaders agreeing with Tony saying "It certainly does", backing his claims that his words had been taken out of context. Mr Abbott maintains that he was discussing whether the unit had had sufficient firepower support during the incident. Much support was shown for the Opposition Leader on social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook. Seven News reporter Mark Riley appeared on Sunrise and many other radio shows defending the claims and the report that aired.[23]
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Country | ![]() |
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Residence | Bradenton, Florida, United States |
Born | (1987-04-19) April 19, 1987 (age 25) Nyagan, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] |
Weight | 59 kilograms (130 lb)[1] |
Turned pro | April 19, 2001 |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
Career prize money | $ 19,323,417[2] |
Singles | |
Career record | 441–109 |
Career titles | 26 WTA, 4 ITF |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (August 30, 2005) |
Current ranking | No. 2 (May 28, 2012)[3] |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | W (2008) |
French Open | SF (2007, 2011) |
Wimbledon | W (2004) |
US Open | W (2006) |
Other tournaments | |
Championships | W (2004) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 23–17 |
Career titles | 3 WTA |
Highest ranking | 41 (January 30, 2012) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | 2R (2003, 2004) |
US Open | 2R (2003) |
Last updated on: May 28, 2012. |
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Russian: Мария Юрьевна Шарапова [mɐˈrʲijə ˈjurʲjɪvnə ʂɐˈrapəvə] ( listen), US: /ʃɑrəˈpoʊvə/, UK: /ʃærəˈpoʊvə/; born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player and former world no. 1. A United States resident since 1994,[4] Sharapova has won 26 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open. She has also won the year-end WTA Tour Championships in 2004. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked Sharapova world no. 1 in singles on four separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on August 22, 2005, and last regained the ranking for the fourth time on May 19, 2008. As of May 28, 2012, Sharapova is ranked world no. 2. She has been in six Grand Slam finals with the final record 3–3.
Sharapova made her professional breakthrough in 2004 at age 17, when she defeated two-time defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final for her first Grand Slam singles title. She entered the top 10 of the WTA Rankings with the win. Despite not winning a major in 2005, Sharapova briefly held the no. 1 ranking, and reached three Grand Slam semifinals, losing to the eventual champion each time. She won her second major at the 2006 US Open defeating then-world no. 1 Amélie Mauresmo in the semifinals and world no. 2 Justine Henin in the final.
Sharapova's 2007 season was plagued with a chronic shoulder injury and saw her ranking fall out of the top 5 for the first time in two years. She won her third Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Henin in the quarterfinals and Ana Ivanović in the final. After reclaiming the no. 1 ranking in May 2008, Sharapova's shoulder problems re-surfaced, requiring surgery in October and forcing her out of the game for 10 months. Sharapova returned in May 2009 and was ranked no. 126 in the world due to her extensive lay-off. Since her comeback, Sharapova has won seven singles titles (bringing her career total to 26) and improved her ranking to no. 2 in the world.
Sharapova has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She has been featured in many advertisements, including for Nike, Prince and Canon, and is the face of several fashion houses, most notably Cole Haan. Sharapova was the most searched-for athlete on Yahoo! in 2005 and 2008.[5][6][7] Since February 2007, she has been a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, concerned specifically with the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme. In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.[8]
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Maria Sharapova's parents, Yuri and Elena, are from Gomel, Belarus. Concerned about the regional effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, they left their homeland shortly before Sharapova was born.[9] When Sharapova was two, the family moved to Sochi. There her father befriended Aleksandr Kafelnikov, whose son Yevgeny would go on to win two Grand Slam singles titles and became Russia's first no. 1 world-ranked tennis player. Aleksandr gave Sharapova her first tennis racket at the age of four, whereupon she began practicing regularly with her father at a local park.[10] She took her first tennis lessons with veteran Russian coach Yuri Yutkin, who was instantly impressed when he saw her play, noting her "exceptional hand-eye coordination."[11]
At the age of seven, Sharapova attended a tennis clinic in Moscow run by Martina Navratilova, who recommended professional training at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, which had previously trained players such as Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, and Anna Kournikova.[10] With money tight, Yuri was forced to borrow the sum that would allow him and his daughter, neither of whom could speak English, to travel to United States, which they finally did in 1994.[11] Visa restrictions prevented Sharapova's mother from joining them for two years.[9] Arriving in Florida with savings of US$700,[11] Sharapova's father took various low-paying jobs, including dish-washing, to fund her lessons until she was old enough to be admitted to the academy. In 1995, she was signed by IMG, who agreed to pay the annual tuition fee of $35,000 for Sharapova to stay at the academy, allowing her to finally enroll at the age of 9.[10]
Sharapova first gained attention on the tennis scene in November 2000, when she won the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships in the girls' 16 division at the age of just 13.[12] She was then given a special award, the Rising Star Award, which is awarded only to players of exceptional promise.[13] She made her professional debut in 2001 on her birthday on April 19, and played her first WTA tournament at the Pacific Life Open in 2002, winning a match before losing to Monica Seles. Due to restrictions on how many professional events she could play, Sharapova went to hone her game in junior tournaments, where she reached the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2002. She was the youngest girl ever to reach the final of the Australian Open junior championship at 14 years and 9 months.[14]
From 2003, Sharapova played a full season, and made a rapid climb into the top 50 by the end of the year.[15] She made her debuts at both the Australian Open and the French Open, but failed to win a match in either.[16] It was not until the grass season that she began to fulfill her promise, beating a top-20 player for the first time and reaching her first semifinal at the WTA level. Then, as a wildcard at Wimbledon, she defeated 11th seed Jelena Dokić to reach the fourth round, where she lost in three sets to Svetlana Kuznetsova.[16]
By the end of September, Sharapova had already captured her first WTA title at a smaller event, the Japan Open Tennis Championships, before winning her second in her final tournament of the season, the Bell Challenge. To cap off her first full season as a professional, she was awarded the WTA Newcomer of the Year honor.
Sharapova was defeated in the third round of the Australian Open by seventh seed Anastasia Myskina.[17] The highlight of the remainder of her spring hard-court season was a run to the semifinals at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup, where she ultimately lost to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva.[17]
During the spring clay-court season, Sharapova entered the top 20 on the WTA world rankings as a result of reaching the third round of the Qatar Telecom German Open[17] and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, both of which were Tier I events.[17] At the latter event, she defeated a player ranked in the top 10 for the first time with a straight-sets win over world no. 10 and 2004 French Open finalist Elena Dementieva. Later that clay-court season, she went on to make the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time at the French Open, losing there to Paola Suárez.
Sharapova won the third title of her career at the Wimbledon warm-up DFS Classic, defeating Tatiana Golovin in the final.[17] Seeded 13th and aged 17 at Wimbledon, she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal by defeating Ai Sugiyama. There, she came back from a 6–2, 3–1 deficit to defeat fifth seed and former champion Lindsay Davenport. In the final, Sharapova upset top seed and defending champion Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam singles title, and become the third youngest woman to win the Wimbledon title, behind only Lottie Dod and Martina Hingis. Sharapova also became the second Russian woman (after Anastasia Myskina had won the year's previous major at Roland Garros) to win a Grand Slam singles title. The victory was hailed by the media as "the most stunning upset in memory",[18] with other writers commenting on her arrival as a serious challenger to the Williams' dominance at Wimbledon.[19] She entered the top 10 in the rankings for the first time as a result of the win.[17]
Following her Wimbledon win, attention and interest in Sharapova in the media greatly increased, a rise in popularity dubbed as "Maria Mania."[20] However, on court, she was struggling to achieve results, winning just three of six matches in her preparations for the US Open. At the US Open itself, she reached the third round, before being eliminated by Mary Pierce. In order to regain confidence, Sharapova played and won consecutive titles in Asia in the fall, the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships and the Japan Open Tennis Championships.
In October, Sharapova defeated Venus Williams en route to making the final of a Tier I event for the first time at the Zurich Open, losing in the final to Alicia Molik. She then made her debut at the year-ending WTA Tour Championships. There, she won two of her three round-robin matches (including a win over US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova) in order to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated Myskina. In the final, she defeated Serena Williams, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, after trailing 4–0 in the final set.[17]
Sharapova started the year at the Australian Open, where she defeated fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova to reach the second Grand Slam semifinal of her career. Sharapova held match points in the third set of her semifinal match, before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams.[21] In February, Sharapova won back-to-back tournaments, the Toray Pan Pacific Open and the Qatar Total Open,[21] allowing her to reach the top 3 in the world rankings for the first time.
In the semifinals of the Tier I Pacific Life Open, Sharapova was defeated by Lindsay Davenport, 0–6, 0–6, the first time she had failed to win a game in a match.[21][22] The following fortnight, she defeated former world no. 1 players Justine Henin and Venus Williams to reach the final at the Tier I NASDAQ-100 Open, where she lost to Kim Clijsters.[21]
Sharapova made the semifinals of a clay-court tournament for the first time at the Italian Open, where she lost to Patty Schnyder.[21] Sharapova would have become world no. 1 for the first time had she won the tournament.[23] Sharapova then reached the quarterfinals of the French Open for the second consecutive year, before losing to eventual champion Henin.[21] On grass, Sharapova won her third title of the year when she successfully defended her title at the DFS Classic, defeating Jelena Janković in the final. As the defending champion at Wimbledon, Sharapova reached the semifinals without dropping a set and losing a service game just once, extending her winning streak on grass to 24 matches. However, she was then beaten by eventual champion Venus Williams.[21]
A back injury sustained by world no. 1 Davenport at Wimbledon prevented her from playing tournaments during the summer hard-court season, which meant she could not earn new ranking points to replace those that were expiring from the previous year. Sharapova, although also injured for much of this time, had far fewer points to defend, and so she became the first Russian woman to hold the world no. 1 ranking on August 22, 2005.[24] Her reign lasted only one week, however, as Davenport reclaimed the top ranking after winning the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament.[24]
As the top seed at the US Open, Sharapova lost in the semifinals to Kim Clijsters, meaning she had lost to the eventual champion in every Grand Slam of the season. However, she once again leapfrogged Davenport to take the world no. 1 ranking on September 12, 2005. She retained it for six weeks, but after playing few tournaments while injured, she again relinquished the ranking to Davenport.[24] To conclude the year, Sharapova failed to defend her title at the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Los Angeles, defeating Davenport in one of her round-robin matches, but ultimately losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Amélie Mauresmo.[21]
Sharapova started 2006 by losing in the semifinals of the Australian Open in three sets to Henin,[25] also losing a rematch several weeks later at the Dubai Tennis Championships, having defeated former world no. 1 Martina Hingis and world no. 3 Lindsay Davenport in earlier rounds of the tournament.[25] Sharapova claimed her first title in nine months at the Tier I tournament in Indian Wells, defeating Hingis in the semifinals and Elena Dementieva in the final.[25] The following fortnight, she reached the final in Miami before losing to Kuznetsova.[25]
Missing the entire clay-court season with injury, Sharapova returned for the French Open. There, after saving match points in defeating Mashona Washington in the first round, she was eliminated by Dinara Safina in the fourth round.[25]
On grass, Sharapova was unsuccessful in her attempt to win in Birmingham for the third consecutive year, losing in the semifinals to Jamea Jackson.[25] Despite that, she was among the title favorites at Wimbledon, where the eventual champion Mauresmo ended up beating her in the semifinals.[25]
Sharapova claimed her second title of the year at the Tier I Acura Classic, defeating Clijsters for the first time in the final.[25] As the third seed at the US Open, Sharapova defeated top seed Mauresmo for the first time in the semifinals, and then followed up by beating second seed Justine Henin[25] in order to win her second Grand Slam singles title.[25]
That autumn, Sharapova won titles in back-to-back weeks at the Zurich Open and the Generali Ladies Linz.[25] By winning all three of her round-robin matches at the WTA Tour Championships, she extended her win streak to 19 matches, before it was snapped in the semifinals by eventual champion Henin.[25] Sharapova would have finished the season as world no. 1 had she won the event. As it was, she finished ranked world no. 2, her best year-end finish yet.
Sharapova was the top seed at the Australian Open due to top-ranked Justine Henin's withdrawal. After being two points away from defeat in the first round against Camille Pin, rallying for a 6–3, 4–6, 9–7 victory, she went on to reach the final of the tournament for the first time, but was routed there by Serena Williams, 1–6, 2–6, ranked world no. 81 at the time.[26] After reaching the final, Sharapova recaptured the world no. 1 ranking.[24] She held it for seven weeks, surrendering it back to Henin after failing to defend her title at the Pacific Life Open, instead losing in the fourth round to Vera Zvonareva after struggling with a hamstring injury. The following fortnight, she defeated Venus Williams in the third round of the Sony Ericsson Open, before suffering another defeat, 1–6, 1–6, to Serena Williams.
A shoulder injury forced Sharapova to miss most of the clay-court season for the second consecutive year, resulting in her only tune-up for the French Open being the Istanbul Cup, where she lost in the semifinals to Aravane Rezaï.[26] Despite her lack of preparation, she reached the semifinals of the French Open for the first time in her career (having saved match points against Patty Schnyder in the fourth round), before losing to Ana Ivanović.[26]
On grass, Sharapova was runner-up to Jelena Janković at the DFS Classic.[26] Following that, she experienced her earliest Wimbledon loss since 2003 by losing in the fourth round to eventual champion Venus Williams.[26]
Sharapova clinched the US Open Series by defending her title at the Acura Classic, her only championship of the year, and reaching the semifinals in Los Angeles.[24] In her US Open title defense, Sharapova was upset in her third round match to 30th seed Agnieszka Radwańska,[27] making it her earliest exit at a Grand Slam singles tournament since the 2004 US Open, where she lost in the same round.[24]
Following the US Open loss, Sharapova did not play again until the Kremlin Cup in October, where she lost her opening match to Victoria Azarenka.[26] Shortly after this, she fell out of the top 5 in the world rankings for the first time since 2004. She qualified for the eight-woman year-end Sony Ericsson Championships due to a withdrawal by Venus Williams before the start of the tournament.[24] Despite having not previously won a match in two months, Sharapova topped her round-robin group at the tournament, after winning all three of her matches, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanović, and Daniela Hantuchová. She then defeated Anna Chakvetadze in the semifinals.[26] In the final, she lost to world no. 1 Henin in a match that lasted 3 hours and 24 minutes. Sharapova reached the top five again to end the year.
===2008=== Shoulder Injury Sharapova was seeded fifth at the Australian Open,[28] but was not considered a favorite. Nevertheless, she defeated former world no. 1 Lindsay Davenport in the second round, and then world no. 1 Henin in the quarterfinals,[29] ending the latter's 32-match winning streak.[30] She proceeded to the finals by defeating Jelena Janković in the semifinals, where she defeated Ana Ivanović to win her third Grand Slam title,[31] having not dropped a set all tournament.
After the Australian Open, Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 matches.[31] This run encompassed two wins in singles rubbers when making her debut for Russia in the Fed Cup[32] against Israel[31] and victory at the Tier I Qatar Total Open.[31] Her winning streak was ended in the semifinals of the Pacific Life Open by Kuznetsova.[31] In April, Sharapova won the Bausch & Lomb Championships, having survived her longest-ever match, at 3 hours and 26 minutes long, in the third round against Anabel Medina Garrigues.[33][34] The following week, at the Family Circle Cup, she lost in the quarterfinals to Serena Williams, her fourth consecutive loss to the American.[35]
In May, Sharapova regained the world no. 1 ranking because of Henin's sudden retirement from professional tennis and request to the WTA that her own ranking be removed immediately.[36] As the top-seeded player at the French Open[31] Sharapova was within two points[37] of being knocked out by Evgeniya Rodina in the first round, before eventually winning.[38] As a result of losing to eventual finalist Dinara Safina in the fourth round (after serving for the match),[39] she relinquished her no. 1 ranking.[40] Her dip in form continued at Wimbledon, where she lost in the second round to world no. 154 Alla Kudryavtseva.[31] This was her earliest loss ever at Wimbledon, and at any Grand Slam in almost five years.[41]
Sharapova withdrew from the Rogers Cup tournament in August due to a shoulder injury.[42][43] An MRI scan revealed that she had been suffering from a rotator cuff tear since April, forcing her out of all tournaments for the rest of the season, including the Beijing Olympics, the US Open, and the WTA Tour Championships. In spite of that, she still finished the year ranked world no. 9.[44] In October, after a failed attempt to rehabilitate the shoulder, Sharapova had surgery to repair the tear.
Sharapova did not attempt to defend her Australian Open title, as she continued to recover from surgery.[45][46] She returned to the sport in March, in the doubles tournament at the BNP Paribas Open, but she and partner Elena Vesnina lost in the first round. After this, Sharapova withdrew from further singles tournaments, resulting in her standing in the world rankings being severely affected. She dropped out of the top 100 for the first time in six years in May, the nadir being world no. 126.
Playing her first singles tournament in nearly ten months, Sharapova made the quarterfinals of the clay-court Warsaw Open in May, losing to finalist Alona Bondarenko. The following week, in the first Grand Slam appearance since her surgery, she reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, before her run was ended by Dominika Cibulková.
During the summer grass-court season, Sharapova played in Birmingham, losing in the semifinals. Sharapova then played at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships as the 24th seed. She was upset in the second round by Gisela Dulko in three sets.
Sharapova enjoyed considerable success in the summer months, reaching the quarterfinals at the Bank of the West Classic, the semifinals at the LA Women's Tennis Championships, and finishing runner-up at the Rogers Cup to Elena Dementieva. At the 2009 US Open, Sharapova was seeded 29th. She entered her way into the third round defeating Tsvetana Pironkova and Christina McHale all in straight sets. She was stunned in the third round by American teenager Melanie Oudin 3–6, 6–4, 7–5. It was the first time in Sharapova's career that she lost to a teenager at a Grand Slam event. The devastating loss made Sharapova's ranking go down to no. 32.
The final stretch of the season brought Sharapova her first title of the year in Tokyo, after opponent Jelena Janković retired after being down 2–5 to Sharapova in the final. By virtue of that result, she was the recipient of a bye at the China Open, but failed to capitalize on it, losing to Peng Shuai in the third round. She ultimately finished the season at world no. 14, having improved from no. 126 when she starting her comeback from injury.
After playing two exhibition tournaments in Asia, Sharapova officially began her season at the Australian Open, where she was upset in her first-round match against Maria Kirilenko. The loss meant that for the first time since 2003, Sharapova had lost her opening match at a Grand Slam event.[47] She then rebounded by winning a smaller American event, the Cellular South Cup, her 21st career WTA title and first of the year.[48]
At the BNP Paribas Open, Sharapova lost in the third round to Zheng Jie, aggravating a bruised bone on her right elbow in the process, which resulted in her eventual withdrawal from the Sony Ericsson Open[49] and the Family Circle Cup.[50]
Returning at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, Sharapova lost in the first round to Lucie Šafářová. She continued her French Open preparation at the Internationaux de Strasbourg as a wildcard, advancing to the final, where she beat Kristina Barrois. This was her first title on red clay and 22nd overall title.[51] At the French Open, Sharapova's brief clay season culminated with a third-round loss to four-time champion Justine Henin.
Sharapova began her preparations for Wimbledon at the AEGON Classic. She advanced to the final for the fourth time, where she lost to Li Na. As the 16th seed at Wimbledon, Sharapova lost in the fourth round to world no. 1 and eventual champion Serena Williams, 6–7, 4–6, despite having three set points in the opening set.[52] The match was seen as another encouraging performance for Sharapova, with some stating their belief that she was approaching the form that would see her contending for Grand Slams once more,[53] and Sharapova herself that stating she felt that she was "in a much better spot than I was last year."[54]
During the US Open Series, Sharapova made two straight finals, losing to Victoria Azarenka at the Bank of the West Classic, and to Kim Clijsters at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open. In the latter match, Sharapova held three match points while leading 5–3 on Clijsters's serve late in the second set, but could not convert them.
At the U.S. Open, Sharapova was the 14th seed. She made it to the fourth round, where she played top seed and 2009 finalist Caroline Wozniacki and lost, 3–6, 4–6.
Sharapova's last two tournaments of the season ended in disappointment. She played in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she was upset in the first round by 39-year-old former world no. 4 Kimiko Date-Krumm.[55] Her last tournament of the year was the China Open, where she lost in the second round to fellow Russian Elena Vesnina.[56] Days later, she announced the end of her 2010 season.[57] She ended the year at number 18 in the world.[58]
It was announced that Sharapova would bring in Thomas Hogstedt as a coach for the 2011 season, joining Michael Joyce.[59] On December 5, Sharapova played an exhibition match against world no. 2 Vera Zvonareva in Monterrey, Mexico. She won the match 6–1, 7–5.[60] It was also announced that Maria would start endorsing the Head YOUTEK IG Instinct Racquet range. This ended her career long use of Prince racquets.
In Sharapova's first ever official Australian Open warm-up tournament at the 2011 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, she was seeded 1st. She lost to the Hungarian veteran and eventual champion Gréta Arn 2–6, 5–7 in the quarterfinals. After the ASB Classic, Sharapova decided to take a hiatus from Joyce's coaching, despite having worked together for a number of years, including during her successful years where she became a multiple Grand Slam champion.[61]
Sharapova participated in the first Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open, where she was the 14th seed, but lost to Andrea Petkovic, 2–6, 3–6 in the fourth round.[62]
Sharapova's next appearance was at the 2011 Fed Cup tie against France, which she lost to Virginie Razzano, 3–6, 4–6. She then withdrew from the 2011 Open GDF Suez in Paris because of viral illness.[63] She also had to pull out of the 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships and 2011 Qatar Ladies Open due to an ear infection.
Sharapova returned to the tour in March by taking part in the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, where she was seeded 16th. She defeated former world No. 1 Dinara Safina, 6–2, 6–0, in the fourth round en route to the semifinal, where she lost to world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, 1–6, 2–6. With this result, Sharapova returned to the top 10 for the first time since February 2009.
At the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Sharapova upset fourth seed Samantha Stosur in the fourth round. She then defeated 26th seed Alexandra Dulgheru 3–6, 7–66, 7–65 in the quarterfinals in a match that lasted 3 hours and 28 minutes, the longest match of her career. In the semifinals, Sharapova took her Australian Open reprisal on Germany's Andrea Petkovic by defeating her 3–6, 6–0, 6–2. In the final, she was defeated by Victoria Azarenka, 1–6, 4–6, despite a late comeback in the second set.
During the clay-court season, Sharapova participated in 2011 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, where she lost to Dominika Cibulková 5–7, 4–6, in the third round and the 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, where she was seeded seventh. She defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals and sixth seed Samantha Stosur, 6–2, 6–4, in the final to take home the title, marking her biggest clay-court victory to date.[64]
At the 2011 French Open, Sharapova was seeded seventh. She defeated French wildcard Caroline Garcia in the second round, despite trailing 3–6, 1–4, before winning the last 11 games of the match. In the quarterfinals, she defeated 15th seed Andrea Petkovic, 6–0, 6–3, marking her first Grand Slam semifinal since her comeback from the career-threatening shoulder injury. She then lost to sixth seed and eventual champion Li Na, 4–6, 5–7, in the semifinals, ending her clay season with a win-loss record of 12–2.[65] This marks her most successful clay season to date.
At the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, Sharapova had not dropped a set entering the final, before losing to eighth seed Petra Kvitová in straight sets, 3–6, 4–6.[66] This marked her first final in over three years at a Grand Slam event.
Sharapova started her summer hard court season at the 2011 Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, USA. In a highly anticipated match, Sharapova lost to the eventual champion Serena Williams 1–6, 3–6, in the quarterfinals.[67] In her next event at 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada, Sharapova lost to Galina Voskoboeva in the third round, marking her 100th career loss.[68]
Sharapova then contested at the 2011 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the fourth seed, she received a bye into the second round. On the way to her fourth final of the year, she beat Anastasia Rodionova, 6–1, 6–3,[69] 14th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–2, 6–3,[70] 10th seed Samantha Stosur, 6–3, 6–2,[71] and 2nd seed Vera Zvonareva 2–6, 6–3, 6–3.[72] In the final, she defeated fellow former world no. 1 Jelena Jankovic, 4–6, 7–6, 6–3, in 2 hours and 49 minutes, making it the longest WTA tour final of the year.[73] She subsequently moved up to world no. 4, her highest ranking since August 2008 and the highest since her comeback from her shoulder injury.[74]
Sharapova entered the US Open in fine form, where she was seeded third. She beat British up-and-comer Heather Watson, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, and Anastasiya Yakimova, 6–1, 6–1, to reach the third round. She was then upset by Flavia Pennetta, 3–6, 6–3, 4–6. However, because of the fall of Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva in the rankings, Sharapova climbed to world no. 2.[75]
Sharapova's next tournament was the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan. As second seed, she received a bye into the second round, where she beat Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6–2, 7–5. She then beat 13th seed Julia Goerges 7–6, 7–6, before retiring against Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinal, 3–4, after slipping on the baseline, suffering an ankle injury. This also forced her to withdraw from the 2011 China Open the following week. Sharapova then flew to Istanbul to prepare for the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, her first time qualifying since 2007. During the WTA Tour Championships, Sharapova withdrew during the round-robin stage after defeats against Samantha Stosur, 1–6, 5–7, and Li Na, 6–7, 4–6, due to the ankle injury she had suffered in Tokyo.
Sharapova ended the year as number 4 in the world, her first top-10 finish since 2008 and first top-5 finish since 2007.
Sharapova withdrew from the 2012 Brisbane International because of her ongoing ankle injury.[76] Her first tournament of the season was the 2012 Australian Open, where she was seeded fourth. Sharapova advanced to the fourth round conceding just five games, defeating Gisela Dulko, Jamie Hampton and the 30th seed Angelique Kerber en route. In the fourth round, Sharapova defeated the fourteenth seed, Sabine Lisicki in three sets, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3 to reach her first hardcourt Grand Slam quarterfinal in 4 years. She then defeated compatriot, Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets, 6–2, 6–3 to reach the semifinals. There she defeated the world no. 2 Petra Kvitová, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 to reach her third Australian Open final, and her sixth grand slam singles final overall. She lost to Victoria Azarenka in the final 3–6, 0–6. As a result her ranking improved to world no. 3.
In February, Sharapova aided Russia to a 3–2 victory over Spain during the 2012 Fed Cup quarterfinal with a 6–2, 6–1 win over Silvia Soler-Espinosa.[77] She then played in Paris, where she lost in the quarterfinal to eventual champion Angelique Kerber 4–6, 4–6. As a result her ranking improved to World No. 2. At Indian Wells, Sharapova faced Gisela Dulko in the first round and won 6–2, 6–0. Sharapova defeated Simona Halep and Roberta Vinci en route to reaching the quarterfinals. After battling for over 3 hours, she defeated compatriot Maria Kirilenko 3–6 7–5 6–2, to set up a semifinal meeting with Ana Ivanovic. Sharapova won the first set 6–4 and advanced to the final after Ivanovic retired due to a hip injury. In the final she played world no. 1 Victoria Azarenka in a rematch of the Australian Open final, but lost again 2–6, 3–6.
Sharapova's next tournament was the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open, where she was seeded 2nd. She received a bye to the second round where she faced Shahar Peer and won in three sets 4–6, 6–3, 6–3. Her next opponent was Sloane Stephens. Sharapova won in straight sets 6–4, 6–2. In the fourth round she won in straight sets, 6–4, 7–6 against countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova and advanced to the quarterfinals where she faced Li Na, whom she beat 6–3, 6–0. Her semifinal opponent was fellow former world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki. After an inconsistent first set, Sharapova won the match 4–6, 6–2, 6–4. In the final, Maria lost in straight sets to 5th seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 7–5, 6–4. This was her third loss of the year in finals out of four tournaments played so far. Sharapova's next tournament was the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she was seeded second. She had a bye in the first round, and advanced to the third round after Alize Cornet retired in the second set. In the quarterfinal, she defeated No. 5 Samantha Stosur 6–75, 7–65, 7–5 after saving a match point in the second set, and advanced to the final with a 6–4, 7–63 win over No. 3 Petra Kvitova. She won her first title of the year in Stuttgart after defeating world number one Victoria Azarenka 6–1, 6–4. In doing so, Sharapova defeated three current Grand Slam title holders to win the tournament. It was also her first win against Azarenka in five finals, and the third of such this season.
Sharapova's next tournament was a premier mandatory event, the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open. She eased through the first round in straight sets against Irina-Camelia Begu 6–0, 6–3. In the next round she faced Klara Zakopalova and also won in straight sets with 6–4, 6–3. In the third round Sharapova's opponent Lucie Safarova was unable to compete and with drew from the tournament, earning Sharapova a walkover into the quarter finals. She was then beaten by eventual champion Serena Williams in straight sets 6–1, 6–3.
As the defending champion and number two seed at the Italian Open, Sharapova had a bye in the first round. She battled through the first round against 20 year-old Christina McHale and prevailed 7–5, 7–5. She then faced thirteenth seed Ana Ivanovic and won 7–64, 6–3 in 1 hour 47 minutes to advance to the quarterfinals. Sharapova then defeated former world no. 1 Venus Williams 6–4, 6–3, meaning that Sharapova has reached the quarterfinals or better in all nine tournaments she has played this year. In the semifinals, Sharapova avenged her defeat to Angelique Kerber in Paris earlier in the year by beating her 6–3, 6–4 to advance to the final for the second year in a row. In the final, Maria saved match point for a 2 hour 52 minute, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6(5) win over Li Na for her 26th career title.[78] This marked the fourth time Sharapova had successfully defended a title.
Sharapova's currently in action at the French Open, where she is seeded 2nd. She moved through to the second round by defeating Alexandra Cadantu 6-0, 6-0 in 48 minutes. She defeated Ayumi Morita 6-1, 6-1 to reach the third round, where she will face Peng Shuai.
Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven, but retains her Russian citizenship, and is therefore eligible to play in the Fed Cup for Russia.[79] However, the behavior of Sharapova's father during her matches on the WTA Tour, combined with a perceived lack of commitment by her to the Fed Cup, has made her selection for the Russian Fed Cup team cause controversy in the past.
After Sharapova had beaten fellow Russian Anastasia Myskina at the 2004 WTA Tour Championships, Myskina criticized Sharapova's father, saying: "He was just yelling and screaming instructions to her and I thought he just might jump right on the court at one point in the match." At the Fed Cup semi-finals two weeks later, Myskina stated she would stop playing for Russia if Sharapova joined the Russian team the following season: "If she joins our team next season you won't see me there for sure. His behaviour is totally incorrect, simply rude. I don't want to be around people like him." Larisa Neiland, assistant to Russia Fed Cup captain Shamil Tarpishchev, added: "Her father's behaviour (at the WTA Tour Championships) was simply outrageous. I just don't see how he could work with the rest of us." However Tarpishchev himself played down the problem, insisting: "I feel that things will calm down soon and we'll have Myskina, Sharapova, Kuznetsova and everyone else playing for Russia."[80]
At the end of 2005, Sharapova stated she was now keen to make her Fed Cup debut[81] and was set to play against Belgium in April 2006, but withdrew.[82] She later withdrew from ties against Spain in April 2007[83] and against the United States in July 2007 because of injuries.[84] The latter withdrawal led to Russia's captain saying she would be "ineligible for selection" for the Fed Cup final in September.[85] However, Sharapova attended the final, cheering from the sidelines and acting as a "hitting partner" in practices, resulting in some of her Russian teammates implying that she was attending only to enable her to play at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (rules state that players must have "shown commitment" to Fed Cup in order to play). Svetlana Kuznetsova said, "She said she wanted to be our practice partner but if you can't play how then can you practice?"[86]
Sharapova finally made her Fed Cup debut in February 2008, in Russia's quarterfinal tie against Israel.[32] She won both her singles rubbers, against Tzipora Obziler and Shahar Pe'er, helping Russia to a 4–1 victory.[87] For the semifinals, she was given permission to skip the tie, with Tarpishchev announcing that she will be on the team for the final.[88] However, the date of the final coincided with the lay-off from her shoulder injury, and thus she did not play.[89]
In the 2011 first round tie, Maria played Virginie Razzano of France and lost. Maria was supposed to play Alize Cornet, but Sharapova was suffering from a viral illness. So teammate, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova played instead of Sharapova where she would go to help Russia come back from their 0–2 deficit by beating Alize Cornet 3–6 6–3 6–2 and secure the win for Russia against France 3–2. Maria continued to participate in 2012 and helped Russia to a 3–2 win against Spain in the first round tie. Sharapova defeated Silver Soler Espinosa in the first rubber, but was unable o play her second rubber due to illness.
Sharapova is an aggressive baseliner, with power, depth, and angles on her forehand and backhand.[90] She is one of the few players on the WTA who uses the reverse forehand a lot. Instead of using a traditional volley or overhead smash, she often prefers to hit a powerful "swinging" volley when approaching the net or attacking lobs.[91] Sharapova is thought to have good speed around the court, especially considering her height.[90] At the beginning of 2008, some observers noted that Sharapova had developed her game, showing improved movement and footwork and the addition of a drop shot and sliced backhand to her repertoire of shots.[92][93] Despite her powerful game, Sharapova's greatest asset is considered to be her mental toughness and competitive spirit, with Nick Bollettieri stating that she is "tough as nails". Hall-of-famer John McEnroe said of Sharapova, "she's one of the best competitors in the history of the sport."[94] Sharapova is known for on-court "grunting", which reached a recorded 101 decibels during a match at Wimbledon in 2005.[95] During her second round match in Birmingham in 2003, Sharapova was asked to tone down the level of her grunt after opponent Nathalie Dechy complained to the umpire, with Sharapova's response saying that her grunting was "a natural instinct."[96] Monica Seles suggested that grunting is involuntary and a part of tennis.[97] When questioned by the media about her grunting, Sharapova urged the media to "just watch the match."[98] Her defensive game has been worked on by her new coach, and this has reflected in her results, making consecutive semi-finals at premier mandatory events on the tour.
Early in her career Sharapova's first and second serves were regarded as powerful,[90] and she was believed to possess one of the best deliveries on the Tour.[99] Since the beginning of 2007, however, problems with her shoulder have reduced the effectiveness of her serve.[99] The shoulder injury not only resulted in her inconsistent first serves, but also her hitting high numbers of double faults.[100] Two-time US Open singles champion Tracy Austin believes that Sharapova often loses confidence in the rest of her game when she experiences problems with her serve and consequently produces more unforced errors and generally plays more tentatively,[101] while tennis writer Joel Drucker remarked that her serve was the "catalyst for her entire game", and that her struggles with it left her "unmasked."[99]
In her return from layoff in 2008 to 2009, she used an abbreviated motion, which was somewhat less powerful, and though producing aces also gave a very high number of double faults. After her early loss at the 2009 US Open, Sharapova returned to a more elongated motion, similar to her pre-surgery serve. She has since been able to produce speeds greater than before, including a 121 mph serve hit at the Birmingham tournament in 2010 – the fastest serve of her career.[102]
However since her shoulder operation Sharapova has been unable to control her serve. This has led to numerous faults, as she can't feel how much power she is generating.[103] The new action led to an elbow injury, but under Thomas Hogstedt it has improved but can still be erratic.[104]
Because she predicates her game on power, Sharapova's preferred surfaces are the fast-playing hard and grass courts, as evident through her 24 victories on hard court and grass court. This is most notable when she won the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 U.S. Open and 2008 Australian Open crowns, where she had her career breakthrough and played her peak tennis level, respectively.
Sharapova, however, is not as well-suited to the slower clay courts as she is on hard and grass courts. Sharapova has admitted that she is not as comfortable with her movement on clay compared with other court surfaces and once described herself as like a "cow on ice" after a match on clay,[105] due to her inability to slide. Despite this, she has shown improvement on this surface with respect to experience, as evident with her first WTA red clay title at the 2010 Internationaux de Strasbourg, 7 years since playing on the WTA circuit. Less than a year later, she won her biggest red clay title at the Tier I 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Sharapova is still showing rapid improvement on clay courts as evident by winning the 2012 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and then a month later being able to successfully defend her 2011 title in Rome, by winning the 2012 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, these results are making Sharapova an obvious favourite for the 2012 French Open.
Sharapova is also known for her phenomenally accurate and powerful groundstrokes. She has a powerful forehand which tends to set up points and create successful winners. Sharapova occasionally utilizes a reverse follow-through on her forehand, similar to that of Lindsay Davenport and Rafael Nadal, which allows her to hit the ball later than normal and add top-spin, while it can also lead to timing issues resulting in errors. The backhand, although not as dominant in setting points up, is her more reliable shot with many tennis analysts[who?] considering this to be her best asset, and one of tennis' great shots. Her net play is good when on the attack, often she will choose to drive the volley instead of slice volleys, but this is not seen as a strength—this seems to be continually worked on.
Sharapova has lived in the United States since moving there at the age of seven. She has a residence in Manhattan Beach, California and in Netanya, Israel.[106][107] Sharapova is engaged to Slovenian professional basketball player Sasha Vujačić, who plays for the Anadolu Efes S.K. in Istanbul, Turkey.[108][109] The two have been dating since 2009.[110] In 2011, Sharapova was named in Forbes Celebrity 100. This lists her as one of the top 100 most powerful celebrities of the year.[111] Sharapova has made varying remarks on how long she intends to maintain her tennis career. Following the retirement of 25-year-old Justine Henin in 2008, Sharapova said, "If I was 25 and I'd won so many Grand Slams, I'd quit too."[112] In an interview after the 2008 Australian Open, she balked at the idea of playing for another ten years, saying that she hoped to have a "nice husband and a few kids" by then.[113] However in an interview before her 2012 Australian Open semifinal, Sharapova changed her stance, claiming she intended to continue playing tennis for as long as she enjoyed playing the game. Sharapova stated "I'm sure when I was 17 years old and someone said, you'll be playing for another eight years, it would be like, you're not going to see me at a press conference at 25 years old. But years go on. I missed a year in my career—I didn't play that year. I've said this, just before the tournament, a few weeks before, I woke up and I was just so happy to be going back on the court. I felt so fresh, full of energy, just with a really good perspective. Times change, obviously. I see myself playing this sport for many more years because it's something that gives me the most pleasure in my life. I think it helps when you know you're good at something, and you can always improve it. It obviously helps with the encouragement."[114]
At the 2004 US Open, Sharapova, along with several other Russian female tennis players, wore a black ribbon in observance of the tragedy after the Beslan school hostage crisis, which took place only days before.[115] In 2005, she donated around US$50,000 to those affected by the crisis.[24] On February 14, 2007, Sharapova was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and donated US$210,000 to UNDP Chernobyl-recovery projects. She stated at the time that she was planning to travel back to the area after Wimbledon in 2008,[116] though it didn't happen as she had to travel back to the US because of shoulder injury.[117] She fulfilled the trip in late June – early July 2010. Sharapova has helped to promote the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[118] In addition, with Angela Haynes, Maria Kirilenko, Nicole Vaidišová, Rennae Stubbs, Governor Jeb Bush and Jennifer Capriati, Sharapova participated in an exhibition in Tampa in December 2004, raising money for the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund.[119] In July 2008, Sharapova sent a message on DVD to the memorial service of Emily Bailes, who had performed the coin toss ahead of the 2004 Wimbledon final that Sharapova had gone on to win.[120]
Sharapova's tennis success and appearance have enabled her to secure commercial endorsements that greatly exceed the value of her tournament winnings.[121][122] In March 2006, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of over US $18 million,[123] the majority of which was from endorsements and sponsorships. She has topped that list every year since, even after her 2007 shoulder injury.[124][125][126] In April 2005, People named her one of the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world.[127] In 2006, Maxim ranked Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year. She posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 Valentine's Day issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, alongside 25 supermodels.[128] In a poll run by Britain's FHM magazine, she was voted the seventh most eligible bachelorette,[129] based on both "wealth and looks."
Immediately after her win at the 2004 Wimbledon Championship, mobile phone company Motorola signed Sharapova to endorse their mobile phone line.[130] Additionally, she appeared in commercials for Land Rover and Canon, as well as approved of namesake items by watch brand Tag Heuer and jeweller Tiffany.[130] Tiffany also provides Sharapova with earrings from the "Tiffany for Maria Sharapova" collection at the four major events, that are also retailed globally.[131] She also starred in an award winning campaign for the sports clothing brand Nike, "Pretty", in the summer of 2006. She signed a sponsorship deal in January 2007 with Gatorade and Tropicana.[132] In 2007, Sharapova was featured in a number of Canon USA's commercials for the PowerShot.[133] Sharapova has also been depicted in many tennis-related video games. Some of the titles include the Top Spin series, Virtua Tennis series, and Grand Slam Tennis series. During the layoff due to her shoulder surgery, sensing the fleeting nature of a professional athlete's career, Sharapova decided to focus on developing her name as a brand, beginning with meeting with her sponsors more extensively to further her brand.[130] In January 2010, it was announced that Sharapova had renewed her contract with Nike, signing an 8 year deal for $70 million. This is the most lucrative deal ever for a sportswoman, dwarfing the previous record, which was Venus Williams' $43 million deal with Reebok.[134]
Following in the footsteps of tennis players who started clothing lines such as Fred Perry and René Lacoste, Sharapova launched her own tennis apparel line, the "Nike Maria Sharapova Collection", in 2010. The collection includes dresses that she designed for all the major tournaments, in collaboration with Nike and Cole Haan.[135] She had previously found that the outfits given to her by Nike did not suit her frame and were worn by too many other players.[130] She comes up with design ideas and sketches in a process that begins 18 months before the event[135] and receives royalties from the sale of the collection, of which the corresponding dresses are coordinated to be available simultaneously with the corresponding major tournament.[130] The collection is worn by other WTA players, including Sofia Arvidsson, Kai-Chen Chang, Andrea Hlavackova, Madison Keys, Anastasia Pivovarova as well as junior players such as Indy De Vroome.[135] Sharapova had earlier collaborated with Nike on the "little black dress" that she wore for her night matches at the 2006 US Open.[130] The dress featured a round crystal studded collar and was inspired by Audrey Hepburn[130] The dress was well publicized and received but was not mass produced.[130][135][136] Additionally, she designs shoes and handbags for Cole Haan, for which her signature ballerina flats are one of the biggest sellers of the entire brand.[130]
Sharapova used the Prince Triple Threat Hornet for part of 2003 and then used several different Prince racquets until the US Open. She gave the racquet she used in the 2004 Wimbledon final to Regis Philbin when taping Live with Regis and Kelly. Sharapova began using the Prince Shark OS at that tournament and had a major part in the production of the Shark racquet.[citation needed] She then switched to the Prince O3 White racquet in January 2006. She switched to the Prince O3 Speedport Black in July 2008.[137][138] After being with Prince for ten years,[139] Sharapova began endorsing Head racquets in 2011 and uses the Head YOUTEK IG Instinct.[140][141]
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
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Winner | 2004 | Wimbledon | Grass | ![]() |
6–1, 6–4 |
Winner | 2006 | US Open | Hard | ![]() |
6–4, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 2007 | Australian Open | Hard | ![]() |
1–6, 2–6 |
Winner | 2008 | Australian Open | Hard | ![]() |
7–5, 6–3 |
Runner-up | 2011 | Wimbledon | Grass | ![]() |
3–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 2012 | Australian Open | Hard | ![]() |
3–6, 0–6 |
Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | SR | W–L | Win % |
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Grand Slam Tournaments | |||||||||||||||
Australian Open | A | A | 1R | 3R | SF | SF | F | W | A | 1R | 4R | F | 1 / 8 | 34–8 | 81% |
French Open | A | A | 1R | QF | QF | 4R | SF | 4R | QF | 3R | SF | 0 / 9 | 30–9 | 77% | |
Wimbledon | A | A | 4R | W | SF | SF | 4R | 2R | 2R | 4R | F | 1 / 9 | 34–8 | 81% | |
US Open | A | A | 2R | 3R | SF | W | 3R | A | 3R | 4R | 3R | 1 / 8 | 24–7 | 77% | |
Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 4–4 | 15–3 | 19–4 | 20–3 | 16–4 | 11–2 | 7–3 | 8–4 | 16–4 | 6–1 | 3 / 34 | 122–32 | 79% |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Maria Sharapova |
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Persondata | |
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Name | Sharapova, Maria Yuryevna |
Alternative names | Шара́пова; Мари́я Ю́рьевна |
Short description | Russian tennis player |
Date of birth | April 19, 1987 |
Place of birth | Nyagan', Siberia, Russia |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
Zara Phillips MBE |
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Born | Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips (1981-05-15) 15 May 1981 (age 31) St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London |
Alma mater | University of Exeter |
Religion | Christian (Church of England) |
Spouse | Michael Tindall (30 July 2011 - present) |
Parents | Mark Phillips Anne, Princess Royal |
Relatives | Peter Phillips (brother) Elizabeth II (grandmother) Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (grandfather) |
Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall MBE (née Phillips; born 15 May 1981), known commonly as Zara Phillips, is the second child and only daughter of Anne, Princess Royal and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips and is 14th in the line of succession to the throne. She is married to former England rugby union player Mike Tindall, but has kept her own name for professional purposes, referring to herself otherwise as "Mrs Tindall".[1] She is listed as 14th in the line of succession to the 16 Commonwealth realms as Mrs Michael Tindall.[2]
An equestrian, Phillips won the Eventing World Championship in Aachen in 2006. The same year she was voted 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year by the British viewing public (an award her mother won in 1971). She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2007 New Year's Honours List by her grandmother for her services to equestrianism.She has also carried an Olympic flame at Cheltenham Racecourse on her horse Toytown [3]
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She is the eldest granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the time of her birth she was sixth in line to succeed her grandmother, the Queen. As of the birth of her niece Isla Phillips in 2012, she is 14th in the line of succession to the thrones of 16 independent countries.
She has an older brother, Peter Phillips, born 15 November 1977, and two half-sisters, Felicity Tonkin, born in 1985 to her father by his brief affair with Heather Tonkin,[4] and Stephanie Phillips, born 2 October 1997 from her father's second marriage to Sandy Pflueger.
At the request of their mother,[5] the children of the Princess Royal do not hold any royal or noble title, nor are they automatically entitled to royal status by right of birth, as they are the grandchildren of a monarch in the female line.
During her schooldays, latterly at Gordonstoun, she excelled at many sporting activities. She represented her schools in hockey, athletics and gymnastics.[6] She later qualified as a physiotherapist specialising in Equine Physiotherapy, from the University of Exeter.[7]
On 21 December 2010, Buckingham Palace announced her engagement to rugby union player Mike Tindall, who plays for Premiership side Gloucester and the England national team. She received a diamond and platinum engagement ring from Tindall.[8] She lives with Tindall at their home in Gloucestershire. The couple met during England's Rugby World Cup-winning campaign in Australia in 2003, being introduced by Zara's cousin, Prince Harry.[9] The wedding was held on 30 July 2011 at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland.[10][11] The bride wore a Stewart Parvin dress and the Meander tiara.[12] This tiara belonged to her great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, who became Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. It was a tiara that Anne, Princess Royal also wore.[13]
Following in both her parents' footsteps, Phillips is an accomplished equestrian.[14] In June 2003, she announced that she had secured a sponsorship deal with Cantor Index, a leading company in spread betting, to help cover the costs of her equestrian career.
Riding her horse Toytown, she collected individual and team gold medals at the 2005 European Eventing Championship in Blenheim and individual gold and team silver medals at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, making her the reigning Eventing World Champion until 2010.
Despite winning team gold at the 2007 European Eventing Championships in Italy, she failed successfully to defend her own individual title after a problem in the show jumping phase of the competition.[15]
It was announced by the British Olympic Association that Phillips would be riding Toytown for the British equestrian team at the Beijing Olympic Games 2008 in Hong Kong.[16] However, an injury sustained by Toytown during training led to her being forced to withdraw from the team. Zara previously missed the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, when Toytown suffered a similar injury during training.[17]
On 25 October 2008, she fell from her horse, Tsunami II, at the 15th fence of a cross-country event at Pau, France, and broke her right collarbone. The horse broke its neck after it had tipped over the hedge and was put down.[18]
Phillips supports many charitable causes. In 2003, she and Princess Anne took part in the first UK double ship-naming ceremony in Southampton. Princess Anne named the P&O Cruises liner Oceana, and Phillips named its sister ship Adonia.
She frequently attends various events for charity and has taken to supporting certain causes herself, mainly for spinal injuries, equestrian charities and children's causes. In 2005, she auctioned one of her evening gowns (worn at the London premiere of the film Seabiscuit) to raise money for tsunami relief. She also undertook a visit to New Zealand in her role as patron of The Catwalk Trust. From 1998 to 2005 she served as the president of Club 16-24, a group which encourages young people to take an interest in racing. She is linked to INSPIRE, the Salisbury based medical research charity which helps to improve the quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries, and Sargent Cancer Care for Children, the UK's leading children's cancer charity.
She appears at events for The Caudwell Charitable Trust, which is targeted at children with special needs, disabilities and serious illnesses. She has continued her family's long patronage of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and has visited on many occasions. In 2006, she took part in a special charity day for Cantor Index, whose staff were killed in the 11 September 2001 attacks. In 2007, she became patron of the Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund.[19] To help with Sport Relief 2008, she posed for her first official royal portrait by artist Jack Vettriano.[20] In 2009, she attended a celebrity poker tournament in Monaco in aid of Darfur, Sudan.[21] In September 2010, she attended the 2012 London Olympic Ball alongside cousin Prince Harry of Wales. In October of the same year she attended another celebrity poker tournament, this time in London, in aid of Cancer Research UK, of which she is Royal Patron.
In 2009 it was announced that Phillips would be designing her own range of equestrian clothing for Musto Outdoor Clothing.[22][23] The range is named ZP176 after the team number Zara was given when she first represented her country. The range was officially launched in July 2010.[24]
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British royalty | ||
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Preceded by Isla Phillips |
Line of succession to the British throne | Succeeded by David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley |
Orders of precedence in the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by Lady Louise Windsor |
Ladies Zara Phillips MBE |
Succeeded by Savannah Phillips |
Awards | ||
Preceded by Andrew Flintoff |
BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2006 |
Succeeded by Joe Calzaghe |
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Persondata | |
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Name | Phillips, Zara |
Alternative names | Tindal, Zara |
Short description | British royalty and equestrian |
Date of birth | 15 May 1981 |
Place of birth | St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
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The Honourable Jeff Kennett AC |
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43rd Premier of Victoria | |
In office 6 October 1992 – 20 October 1999 |
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Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Deputy | Pat McNamara |
Preceded by | Joan Kirner |
Succeeded by | Steve Bracks |
Constituency | Burwood |
Personal details | |
Born | Jeffrey Gibb Kennett (1948-03-02) 2 March 1948 (age 64) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
Spouse(s) | Felicity Kellar (m. 1972) |
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC (born 2 March 1948), a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He was the President of Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 - 2011. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.
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Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March 1948, and educated at Scotch College.[1] Kennett was an unexceptional student academically, but did well in Scotch's Cadet Corps Unit. His failure to rise above the middle band academically almost led him to quit school in Fourth Form (Year 10 – 1963), but he was persuaded to stay on. His Fifth and Sixth Forms were an improvement, but he was still described in school reports as "[a] confident and at times helpful boy. Sometimes irritates. Sometimes works hard" (1964), and "[a] keen, pleasant, though sometimes erratic boy" (1965).[2]
After leaving school, Kennett was persuaded by his father Ken to attend the Australian National University in Canberra, but lost interest and dropped out after one year of an economics degree. He returned to Melbourne and found work in the advertising department of the retail giant Myer – kindling an interest for advertising that would one day earn him his living.[3]
Kennett's life in the regular workforce was cut short when, in 1968, he was conscripted into the Australian Army.[4] Kennett was singled out as 'officer material' early in his career, and graduated third in his class from the gruelling Officer Training Unit (OTU) Scheyville, near Windsor, New South Wales, outside Sydney. He was posted to Malaysia and Singapore as Second Lieutenant, commander of 1st Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR).[5] This military career (and his earlier experience in the Scotch College Cadet Corps) has been noted by many biographers as an essential formative influence on the adult Kennett's character. His sense and regard for hierarchical loyalty, punctuality, and general intolerance of dissent or disobedience may be traced to this period.[6]
Kennett returned to civilian life in 1970, reentering a deeply divided Australian society, split by the Vietnam War, of which Kennett was a firm supporter. Having returned to Myer, Kennett became impatient with his work, and so with Ian Fegan and Eran Nicols, he formed his own advertising company (KNF) in June 1971.[7] Thereafter, in December 1972, Kennett married Felicity Kellar, an old friend whom he had first met on the Number 7 tram on the long trips to school. Their first son, Ed, was born in 1974, followed by a daughter Amy, and two more sons, Angus and Ross.
Interested in local politics since the early 1970s, Kennett was elected as a Liberal Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Burwood in 1976.[8] His preselection for the seat reportedly irritated then Premier Dick Hamer, who disliked Kennett's campaigning style, and had endorsed the sitting member, Haddon Storey.[8] Entering Hamer's government, Kennett was soon appointed Minister for Housing, Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in 1981. He retained this post when Hamer was replaced as Liberal leader and Premier by Lindsay Thompson in June of that year.[8] Following the defeat of the longstanding Liberal government in 1982, Kennett was the leading candidate to replace Lindsay Thompson, and on 26 October, he was elected Leader of the Liberal Party, despite being the youngest member of the outgoing Cabinet. He was an aggressive Leader of the Opposition, and was much criticised for his "bull-in-a-china-shop" style and his populist anti-government rhetoric.[9]
Kennett's performance as Opposition Leader is a subject of debate. Economou sees his 1985 and 1988 election campaigns as weak,[10] while Parkinson believes he was a significant asset in pushing the Labor government of John Cain in several key seats.[11] Whether judged a success or not, Kennett soon faced a challenge to his leadership of the party from Ian Smith. Kennett survived easily, but increasingly, he seemed an erratic and unapproachable leader. He faced two more challenges to his leadership in 1986 and 1987 respectively.[10] In 1987, in one notable incident Kennett referred to the Federal Liberal leader John Howard using colourful language in a mobile telephone conversation with Howard rival Andrew Peacock.[12] The car-phone conversation damaged both Howard and Kennett, but aided Peacock in his push to return as Federal Liberal leader (1989).[13]
Toward the end of its second term the Cain government had endured some loss in support and the Liberals were considered a good chance of winning the 1988 election. When Cain was returned with a small but workable majority, Kennett was again criticised within his own party, and in 1989 he was deposed as leader and replaced by Alan Brown, a little-known rural Member of the Legislative Assembly. A furious Kennett described Alan Hunt, the instigator of the coup, as "a man never to be trusted"[citation needed]. He publicly pledged never to attempt a return to the Liberal leadership, but when Brown proved unable to challenge the government effectively, he allowed his supporters to stage a shock party-room coup and restore him to the leadership, unopposed, in 1991.
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Given the parlous state of Victoria's finances being in billions of dollars in debt, Kennett was seen from the beginning of his second leadership stint as 'Premier-in-waiting'. The Liberals (in coalition with the National Party of Australia) won the October 1992 election in a landslide as a result of the public's disillusionment with the Labor government. In the second-largest landslide in history, the Liberals and Nationals attained a 34-seat majority in the Legislative Assembly and were thus uniquely placed to govern with little restraint.[citation needed]
In office, Kennett immediately instituted one of the most effective budget-cutting and privatisation programs undertaken by any Victorian government, in an effort to improve the State's economy. Having assumed office, the need for such effective action was reinforced when Kennett and his new Treasurer Alan Stockdale discovered that the outgoing government had left them with $2.2 billion budget deficit, a net public sector debt of $33 billion and budget sector debt of $16 billion. To combat this debt, some 50,000 public servants were retrenched between 1992 and 1995.
Moreover, in the first three years of the 'Kennett Revolution' (as the Premier himself came to term it), government funding for the public school system was slashed, with 350 government schools closed, and 7,000 teaching jobs removed. Other highly controversial moves included the sacking of 16,000 public transport workers in a major technological upgrade of the system, and the initiation of a huge scheme for privatisation of state-owned services, including the electricity (SECV) and gas (Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria) utilities, ambulance service, as well as several prisons and other minor services. The sale of the Totalisator Agency Board raised $609 million.Between 1995 and 1998, $29 billion of state assets in gas and electricity alone were sold to private enterprise (for statistics, see Parkinson, Jeff, 1999). [14]. In the wake of these changes, investment and population growth slowly resumed, though unemployment was to remain above the national average for the duration of Kennett's premiership. While the benefits to the State budget figures were indisputable, the social and longer-term economic cost of the Kennett reforms was questioned by many commentators, academics and those who suffered economically through the period of reform.[citation needed] This campaign of privatisations and cutbacks led to governmental acts of privatisation or budget-cutting becoming popularly known as being "Jeffed".[15][16]
The largest public protest in Melbourne since the Vietnam War occurred on 10 November 1992, with an estimated 100,000 people marching in opposition to the retrenchment of so many workers and the massive budget cutbacks. Kennett was notably undeterred by this protest, and famously commented that though there were 100,000 outside his office that day, there were 4.5 million who stayed at home or at work.[citation needed]
It is difficult to assess the merits or otherwise of Kennett's 'Revolution' in his first term, as many (including Auditor-General Ches Baragwanath) estimate that the true value of the reforms will not be apparent until well into the 21st century.[citation needed]
The Kennett government also embarked on a series of high-profile capital works projects, such as the restoration of Parliament House (never completed), construction of a new $250 million Melbourne Museum and IMAX theatre, and a new $130 million Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (still known colloquially as 'Jeff's Shed'). Other projects, made possible in monetary terms by the early cutbacks and budget restructuring, included a $160 million expansion of the National Gallery of Victoria; $100 million for refurbishment of the State Library of Victoria; $65 million for a new Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC); and $130 million for the construction of a new civic square on the site of the old Gas and Fuel Buildings, to be known as Federation Square.
The poaching of the Formula 1 Grand Prix from Adelaide in 1993 was a particular coup for Kennett, who had worked hard with his friend Ron Walker, the Chairman of the Melbourne Major Events Company, helped deliver Melbourne the hosting rights for the event from Adelaide in 1993.[17]
The most controversial project of the Kennett era was the $1.85 billion Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, a gambling and entertainment centre on Melbourne's Southbank. Initial plans for a casino had been made under the Labor government, however the tendering process and construction occurred under Kennett. Allegations of financial inconsistencies in the tendering process (which eventually saw longtime Kennett supporters Ron Walker and Lloyd Williams successful) were to dog the Kennett government for many years, despite the verdict of an enquiry which found no wrongdoing on its behalf.[citation needed]
A $2 billion project to redevelop Melbourne's derelict Docklands area to include a new football stadium was also undertaken, in addition to the massive CityLink project, a project resurrected from the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan, aimed at linking Melbourne's freeways, easing traffic problems in the inner city, and reducing commuting times from the outer suburbs to the CBD.[citation needed]
Kennett's personal popularity remained high through his first term, though that of the government as a whole went through peaks and troughs. Without a by-election in the previous four years, the 1996 election shaped up as the first test of the 'Kennett Revolution' with the electorate. Though expected to win, the scale of the victory was unanticipated. On 30 March 1996, Kennett was reelected with a 32-seat majority, his prestige seemingly undiminished.
Kennett was influential in Melbourne bidding for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Three cities initially expressed interest in hosting the event; Melbourne, Wellington and Singapore. Singapore dropped out before its bid was officially selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation, leaving only two candidate cities. In the weeks prior to the announcement of the 2006 host, Wellington withdrew its bid, citing the costs involved with matching the bid plan presented by Melbourne, which became the default host without members of the Federation going to vote. [18]
Several worrying trends (for the Liberals) were obscured somewhat by the euphoria of victory. The government's sharp cuts to government services were particularly resented in country Victoria, where the Liberals and their coalition partners, National Party held almost all the seats. The loss of the Mildura seat to an independent Russell Savage was an indication of this disaffection, and when in February 1997 independent Susan Davies was elected to the seat of Gippsland West, this trend seemed set to continue.
However, the verdict of many was that the 'Kennett Revolution' was far from over – indeed it was seemingly set in stone with the opening of the Crown Casino in May 1997. Kennett's profile continued to grow as he became a major commentator on national issues, including urging the new government of John Howard to introduce tax reform, and actively opposing the rise of the One Nation Party of Pauline Hanson. In this last case, Kennett did not shy away from criticising the media, but also the intransigence of the Howard government over its failure to actively oppose Hanson's agenda.[19]
The government lost ground over the next few years, with high-profile disagreements with the Director of Public Prosecutions Bernard Bongiorno, and Auditor-General Ches Baragwanath fuelling criticism of Kennett's governmental style. Kennett's antipathy to Baragwanath led to 1997 legislation to restructure the office of the Auditor-General and set up Audit Victoria. While Kennett promised the independence of the office would be maintained, many saw his government's actions as an attempt to curb the Auditor-General's power to criticise government policy.[20] Widespread community debate and substantial public dissent from Liberal MPs and Party members ensued, with MLA Roger Pescott resigning from Parliament at the height of the debate; citing his disagreement with this Bill and Kennett's style in general. The Liberal Party lost the by-election in Mitcham.
Further scandals involving the handling of contracts for the state emergency services response system damaged the credibility of Kennett in 1997–1998, while rural dissent continued to grow.
Personal difficulties also began to plague Kennett and his family. The strains of public life led to a trial separation between Felicity and Jeff in early 1998 (patched up by the end of the year), while earlier in Kennett's first term, public scrutiny had led to the forced sale of the KNF Advertising Company, despite all Kennett's involvement having been transferred to his wife's name. There were rumours in 1998 that Kennett might retire from politics; these were mostly centred around Phil Gude, a longtime minister (as Industry and Employment Minister, 1992–1996, and Minister for Education, 1996–1999). These eventually came to nothing, but nevertheless, Kennett's position was no longer as rock solid as in the period 1992–1998.
In July 1998, Liberal MP Peter McLellan, Member for Frankston East, resigned from the party in protest over alleged corrupt Liberal Party Senate preselection, changes to WorkCover and the auditor-general’s office. Again, Kennett failed to pick up the warning signs of declining support for his style of leadership.
Labor leader John Brumby took care to capitalise on each of Kennett's mistakes over this period, though his absences in rural electorates were misunderstood by many Labor MPs, and led to his replacement by Steve Bracks in early 1999. Bracks, who came from Ballarat, was popular in rural areas and was seen as a fresh alternative to Brumby, who nevertheless remained a key figure in the shadow Cabinet. Despite the appeal of Bracks, Kennett entered the 1999 election campaign with a seemingly unassailable lead, and most commentators and opinion polls agreed that he would win a third term. On the morning of the election a leading political journalist, Ewen Hannan, predicted that 'Labor supporters will be crying into their beers tonight'.[citation needed]
The Liberals lost 13 seats to Labor, led by Steve Bracks, at the 1999 election, most of them in regional centres such as Ballarat and Bendigo. The final result in the Legislative Assembly was: Labor, 42 seats; the Liberals and Nationals, 43; with three independents holding the balance of power. Independents Russell Savage and Susan Davies were joined by a third Independent, Craig Ingram. Negotiations began between Kennett's Liberal Party and the three independents. While Kennett acceded to their demands, his perceived poor treatment of Savage and Davies in the previous parliament meant that they held a position that they would never agree to support a Liberal Party minority government while Kennett remained leader. The Liberal negotiators did not reveal this to their party and Labor was ultimately successful in winning their support to form a government, after signing a Charter of Good Government, pledging to restore services to rural areas, and promising parliamentary reforms.
The defeat of the Kennett government was almost totally unexpected. Kennett's supporters urged the Liberal Party to force a vote of 'no confidence' on the floor of the parliament in a last-ditch effort to force Savage, Davies and Ingram to support the Liberal government; however with the Liberal Party divided on Kennett's future role, Kennett resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party and from Parliament, saying he wished to have no further involvement in politics. The consequent Burwood by-election was won by the Labor Party.
After the Liberals' second election defeat in 2002, rumours began that Kennett was planning a comeback to politics. The issue came to a head in May 2006 after the sudden resignation of the Liberal Party leader, Robert Doyle, when Kennett announced he would contemplate standing in a by-election for the seat vacated by Doyle and offering himself as party leader. His stance was supported by Prime Minister John Howard, who rated him as the party's best hope to win the November 2006 state election. But within 24 hours Kennett announced he would not return to Parliament rather than running against Ted Baillieu, whom Kennett had been grooming for the top post since 1999.[21][22] John Howard was reported to have been "embarrassed" by having publicly supported Kennett before his decision not to re-enter politics.[23]
In 2008, it was rumoured that Kennett was intending to stand for Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Despite endorsing future Lord Mayor John So in the 2001 mayoral elections, Kennett was quoted as saying "I think the city is ready for a change". Kennett claimed he had been approached by "a range of interests" to run for the position, but in the end did not do so.[24] Former Liberal leader Robert Doyle ultimately won the election.
In 2000 Kennett became the inaugural chairman of beyondblue (the National Depression Initiative), a body that was largely formed by the efforts of the Victorian State Government. On 24 June 2008, he announced that he would be stepping down from his role at beyondblue at the end of 2010[25][26]. This did not happen.
For a brief period during 2002, Kennett was a radio presenter for Melbourne station 3AK, continuing an interest in mass communication which was also a feature of his premiership. He also serves on the boards of Australian Seniors Finance,[27] a reverse mortgage company, and SelecTV, a satellite television group.
On 14 December 2005 Kennett was made President of Hawthorn Football Club, taking over from Ian Dicker.[28]
In the Australia Day Honours of 2005, Kennett received Australia's highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).[29] He was also awarded an honorary doctorate – Hon DBus (Honoris Causa) – by the University of Ballarat.
Mr Kennett said in an interview he rarely thinks anymore about the media or "bloody history", though he does still regret the "disastrous" introduction of the Metcard ticketing system for trains and trams.[30]
Kennett angered gay rights groups in July 2008 when he supported the Bonnie Doon Football Club in their sacking of trainer Ken Campagnolo for being bisexual; and compared homosexuality to pedophilia.[31] Anti-discrimination campaigner Gary Burns pursued an action in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal against Kennett for making the following statement:
"The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men – massaging young men – it ran an unnecessary risk, and that's why it decided it was best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do the right thing," [32]
The case was dropped due to Gary Burns' lack of funds to pursue the case.[32]
In 2011 Kennett was again accused of homophobia when he stated children have better mental health if raised in heterosexual marriages.[33]
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Quotations from Wikiquote |
Victorian Legislative Assembly | ||
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Preceded by New electorate |
Member for Burwood 1976–1999 |
Succeeded by Bob Stensholt |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Joan Kirner |
Premier of Victoria 1992–1999 |
Succeeded by Steve Bracks |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by Lindsay Thompson |
Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia in Victoria 1982–1989 |
Succeeded by Alan Brown |
Preceded by Alan Brown |
Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia in Victoria 1991–1999 |
Succeeded by Denis Napthine |
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Persondata | |
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Name | Kennett, Jeff |
Alternative names | Kennett, Jeffrey Gibb (full name) |
Short description | Australian politician; Premier of Victoria (1992–1999) |
Date of birth | 2 March 1948 |
Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Date of death | |
Place of death |