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[00:01.50]The light is there
[00:08.28]See I come from Mississippi
[00:11.35]I was young and runnin' wild
[00:14.43]Ended up in New York City, where I had my first child
[00:20.70]I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas
[00:27.16]I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive
[00:32.82]Let's go!
[00:42.48]Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey-
[00:43.42]Chuck Berry of these rap skits, styles I mastered
[00:46.17]Many brothers snatched it up and tried to match it
[00:48.79]But I'm still number one, everyday real
[00:51.20]Speak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel
[00:53.57]Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss
[00:57.00]Keep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez Mississippi
[01:01.33]Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busy
[01:04.41]Bridging the gap, from the blues, to jazz, to rap
[01:06.91]The history of music on this track
[01:09.78]Born in the game, discovered my father's music
[01:12.40]Like Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple Rain
[01:14.75]But my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the Superkids
[01:17.56]Some are well-known, some doin' bids
[01:19.45]I mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracks
[01:21.85]If Pops wouldn't've pulled me back an said yo
[01:25.09]See I come from Mississippi
[01:27.42]I was young and runnin' wild
[01:30.22]Ended up in New York City, where I had my first child
[01:35.53]I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas
[01:40.79]I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive
[01:45.43]Greatest man alive (Yeah, turn it up!)
[01:49.70]Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive!
[01:50.42]The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues
[01:52.94]Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh's
[01:55.49]Old school, new school, know school rules
[01:57.98]All these years I been voicin' my blues
[02:00.36]I'm a artist from the start, Hip-Hop guided my heart
[02:02.89]Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard, juvenile delinquent
[02:07.74]But Pops gave me the right type'a tools to think with
[02:11.18]Books to read, like X and stuff
[02:13.17]Cause the schools said the kids had dyslexia
[02:15.55]In art class I was a compulsive sketcher of
[02:18.13]Teachers in my homeroom, I drew pix to mess them up
[02:21.35]Cause none'a them would like my style
[02:23.54]Read more books than the curriculum profile
[02:25.81]Said, Mr. Jones please come get your child
[02:28.46]Cause he's writin' mad poems and his verses are wild
[02:31.78]I was born in Mississippi
[02:34.72]I was young and runnin' wild
[02:36.98]Moved to New York City, where I had my first child
[02:42.26]I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas
[02:47.02]I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive
[02:52.34]Greatest man - The great-greatest man alive
[02:55.92]Hey-Hey-Hey -- My Poppa was not a Rollin' Stone
[02:58.88]He been around the world blowin' his horn, still he came home
[03:02.30]Then he got grown, changed his name to Olu
[03:04.79]Come on, tell 'em 'bout the places you gone to
[03:07.19]I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique
[03:10.03]Madagascar, Paris, Greece
[03:12.33]The Middle Africa is where we lived
[03:14.78]Better known as Queenbridge
[03:18.05]Nas, Nas you don't stop
[03:19.94]Olu Dara in the house, you don't stop
[03:22.40]Muddy Waters' Howling Wolf you don't stop
[03:24.99]From the Blues to Street Hop you don't stop
[03:27.83]Tell 'em Pop
[03:28.59]See I come from Mississippi (Let 'em know)
[03:30.75]I was young and runnin' wild (Runnin' wild)
[03:33.43]Ended up in New York City (Yeah!)
[03:36.02]Where I had my first child (That's me)
[03:38.33]I named the boy Nasir (Yeah, Daddy!)
[03:41.29]All the boys call him Nas (Luh ya, boy)
[03:43.57]I told him as a youngster
[03:46.46]He'll be the greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop)
[03:48.24]Greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop)
[03:51.62]Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive!
[03:55.16]Rest In Peace Ray Charles
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