[Produced by Salaam Remi] [Intro Nas Olu Dara] The light is there Yeah yeah You see I come from Mississippi I was young and runnin wild Ended up in New York City Where I had my first child I named the boy Nasir All the boys call him Nas I told him as a youngster Hell be the greatest man alive Lets go! Lalala, lala, lala, la Ah! Lalala, lala, lala, la Im the Magnificent Lalala, lala, lala, la Lala, lala, HeyHeyHeyHey! [Verse 1 Nas] Chuck Berry of these rap skits, styles I mastered Many brothers snatched it up and tried to match it But Im still number one, everyday real Speak what I want, I dont care what yall feel Cause Im my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss Keep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez Mississippi Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin busy Bridging the gap, from the blues, to jazz, to rap The history of music on this track Born in the game, discovered my fathers music Like Prince searchin through boxes of Purple Rain But my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the Superkids Some are wellknown, some doin bids I mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracks If Pops wouldntve pulled me back an said yo [ChorusHook Olu Dara Nas] See I come from Mississippi I was young and runnin wild Uh huh Ended up in New York City New york Where I had my first child Thats me yall I named the boy Nasir Yeah! All the boys call him Nas Thats whats up! I told him as a youngster Hell be the greatest man alive Greatest man alive Yeah, turn it up! GreGreGreGreGreatest man alive! [Verse 2 Nas] The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues Slaves are harmonizin them ahs and oohs Old school, new school, know school rules All these years I been voicin my blues Im a artist from the start, HipHop guided my heart Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard, juvenile delinquent But Pops gave me the right typea tools to think with Books to read, like X and stuff Cause the schools said the kids had dyslexia In art class I was a compulsive sketcher of Teachers in my homeroom, I drew pix to mess them up Cause nonea them would like my style Read more books than the curriculum profile Said, Mr. Jones please come get your child Cause hes writin mad poems and his verses are wild [ChorusHook Olu Dara Nas] I was born in Mississippi I was young and runnin wild Moved to New York City Where I had my first child I named the boy Nasir All the boys call him Nas I told him as a youngster Hell be the greatest man alive Greatest man The greatgreatest man alive Tell em! [Verse 3 Nas Olu Dara] HeyHeyHey My Poppa was not a Rollin Stone He been around the world blowin his horn, still he came home Then he got grown, changed his name to Olu Come on, tell em bout all the places you gone to I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique Yeah Madagascar, Paris, Greece Uh huh But little Africa is where we live Yeah Better known as Queenbridge Nas, Nas you dont stop Olu Dara in the house, you dont stop Muddy Waters Howling Wolf you dont stop From the Blues to Street Hop you dont stop Tell em Pop [ChorusHook Olu Dara Nas] See I come from Mississippi Let em know I was young and runnin wild Runnin wild Ended up in New York City Yeah! Where I had my first child Thats me I named the boy Nasir Yeah, Daddy! All the boys call him Nas Luh ya, boy I told him as a youngster Hell be the greatest man alive You the greatest, Pop Greatest man alive You the greatest, Pop GreGreGreGreGreatest man alive! [Outro Olu Dara] Rest In Peace Ray Charles
olu, na, dara, lala, greatest