Taken from an interview right before the time I Am… was released. A-Haaaa I’m gonna need some clarity for this shit. Obviously whatever tension between Q-Tip and Nas has been deaded years ago being that they been seen sharing the same stage together on various occasions, but I was never aware of this. I never liked ATCQ to begin with that shit was always corny to me (it’s my opinion fuck it). ATCQ for them whole foods shoppin 100% natural orange juice drinkin ass niggas. Much love to my gangstas with costcos cards. Despite everybody pointing the fingers and faulting publications, the East-West shit wasn’t just a figment of the media’s imagination. ATCQ had a reputation for sneak dissin’ West Coast rappers at Hip Hop forums and conventions; blaming them for the politicians and middle America coming down on Hip Hop for it’s violent content. This why that boy O’Shea was infuriated throwing all types of haymakers on that Bow Down album.
“Soft niggas hatin’ on the hard niggas” and vice versa is never any good. And it will never go away, unfortunately. Nas was listening to some real good shit at the time. Juvenile? Face? Devin? Good tastes.
This shit right here nigga changed my little young ass life in 2001. I was 13 years old and went into Auchan on some back to school shopping shit with my mama and snuck off to the CD section. I was torn between buying my first Jay-Z or Nas CD. Their beef was poppin huge at the time so all we did was sit in the computer lab going to MTV and BET websites and AllHipHop.com tryna see what’s next. We recited all that “Ether” shit daily in home room. Testing each other’s OHHLA memorization skills.
I bought this Stillmatic CD and Jay-Z’s Unplugged that day (fucked up… should’ve bought the Blueprint) and ooooooooooh weeeeeeeeee the Nas album had me buying new batteries every week for the whole semester!!! I damn near forgot about the Jay-Z CD especially since he was all censored and shit cause it was for MTV (laaaaaaaaammmmeeeeee).
Thank you, Nas. You made a nigga wanna rap for real for real.
“Big up to Flex… stop taking so much cizzock in his mizzouth.” (3:06)
This shit set it off.
One of my favorite DJ Screw mixes of all-time. He takes the feel of this song to a whole ‘nother level. I’ve spent so many nights blunted in my room with all the lights out jammin the fuck out of this through stacks of bass amps or my headphones. I can’t even listen to the regular version of this song anymore.
The song kicks in at 4:50.
The gift of Screw when it comes to this semi-emo rap classics was he could drag them out and make the emotional aspects of the song really shine. Lauryn’s voice sounds haunting on this one. Nas’ introductory statement (which I always thought was absurd & hilarious) sounds more like a man waking up out of a drug induced haze witnessing a mirage stranded in a foreign hood. “Life… I wonder… Will it take me under?… I don’t know.”
Love the intro too. “[I’m] 22 in this bitch… I drank 22 ounces of lean. Feelin’ good.”
Also love Screw rippin’ it up Lauryn’s voice and his homie saying “Don’t do that shit, Screw… boys can’t handle that.” Ha!
R.I.P. DJ SCREW
Here’s the full song: http://www.mediafire.com/?wpzfk4rq7rs0cdr
**BONUS**
Late Night Fuckin’ Yo Bitch (Chapter 16): http://www.mediafire.com/?qmztbmyndux
“I’m like ecstasy for ladies.”
Best post-Illmatic Nas song.
“You wanna ball til you fall? I can help you with that.”
“Pop bottles for those that left here / the best years / the bulletproof vest years / the aim for your head and chest years.”
R.Kelly (Feat.Nas)-“Did You Ever Think” (R., 1998)
Nas is doing his best Makaveli rendition in this video even down to the mannerisms. He was a confused like a mothafucka during these times. Regardless this shit was the jam. Kellz is king he can piss on my young bitches any time real shit.
