N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II - Nas
[Nas]
Uhh
Yo, yo-yo, y'all
Whattup? Whattup
It's time man (Word, it's time?)
Straight up, it's time man
Aight, set that sh_t off
(Set it off then n_gga, set it off)
Broken glass in the hallway, bloodstained floors
Neighbors, look at every bag you bring through your doors
Lock the top lock, momma shoulda cuffed me to the radiator
Why not? It might've saved later from my block
N.Y. cops, hookers crawlin off the stroll, coughin
stitches in they head, stinkin and I dread thinkin they be snitchin
But who else, could it be, shook at these, unmarked vans
Parked in the dark -- NARC's, where's your heart?
Hustlers starve; they bust a U-e I jog
to my building -- come out later wearin camouflage
See the sergeant and the captain -- strangle men
N_ggaz gaspin for air; til they move no more and just stare
with dead eyes -- tired of riots, sh_t is quiet
Simple-minded fools infiltrate grimy crews
Overcrowded cribs, uncles home from bids, sister's pregnant
father's on drugs, moms is smokin, beds is piss-infested
Had eight partners growin up, eight turned to seven
Seven turned to six n_ggaz, got two in heaven
Six of us, holdin it, now it's five rollin thick
The sixth one's parole flipped; five n_ggaz, went to fo' quick
when he went O.T., college life, converted into gangbangin
Four n_ggaz still hangin, years passed and slang changin
Three of us now, fourth n_gga ain't around
We all thought he was real -- he did the snake sh_t
Fake sh_t -- beat his ass down, yo his mouth
could've got us all wasted, what a f_ckin clown
All I got left in the end is two of my best friends
And we all goin out, to the death for these ends, WHAT?
New York, New York ("New York state of mind" -> [Rakim])
New York, New York ("New York state of mind" -> [Rakim])
[repeat while Nas is talking]
You heard about it, you see about it
You read about it, it's in your papers
It's in your daily news ("Get money!")
New York chronicles, every day
The crime rate, the murder rate
The money rate, the paper chase, youknowhatImean?
New York state of mind baby, check it out
[Nas]
I'm at the, gamblin spot, my hands on a knot
New York Yankee cap cover my eyes, stand in one spot
I take a n_gga dough, send him home, to a shoebox
You lost that n_gga I put your dollar in the jukebox
Hear my favorite song, all these n_ggaz sing along
All the ciggarette smoke's cloggin my lungs, hoodrats flashin they tongue
Young thugs blastin they gun, we got reputations
B_tches and n_ggaz both on parole or probation
Sh_t is sick, n_ggaz got gats, army fatigues
I got my eyes glued on, whoever walk in the lead
Cause I ain't playin, n_ggaz'll run up in here and shoot up this sh_t
Stick yo' ass up, n_ggaz'll find the loot in your kicks
Bunch of triple-cross n_ggaz, just New York n_ggaz
Lift you off your feet when they was just talkin with you
Some of these dudes the Feds be on em, you knew em for years
Be the type when you walk in a pub, they offer you beers
That ain't gangsta, n_ggaz is up North with tatted tears
Your name's on the affadavit, you ratted kid
Faggot-ass n_ggaz that be scared to do they bids
F_ck you, we run you out of N.Y, you can't live
Got your quiet n_ggaz, that relocated down South
comin back to floss, then you got the jealous loudmouths
All of a sudden we got Crips and Bloods, D.T.'s
runnin round quick to split your mug, it's ea-sy to score
but it's hard to get the sh_t off
N_ggaz fightin over hundred sales, jump in the car and drive off
When the fiend come around the block, happy as hell
N_ggaz, mad cause they ain't get a piece of that sale
Cutthroat connivers, universal, ghetto survivors
Go to any hood that's live and make it liver
A lot of n_ggaz scheamin, some real, some n_ggaz frontin
But I'm a big dreamer, so watch me come up with somethin
New York, New York
New York, New York
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