Nas famous quotes

I broke into shakespeare's tomb and stole his remains, grinded the bones, smoked it, then got in the game
-- Nas

#Games #Bones #Broke

Hip-hop is the streets. Hip-hop is a couple of elements that it comes from back in the days... that feel of music with urgency that speaks to you. It speaks to your livelihood and it's not compromised. It's blunt. It's raw, straight off the street - from the beat to the voice to the words.
-- Nas

#Couple #Voice #Hip Hop

I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death.
-- Nas

#Cousin #Sleep #Insomnia

When I made Illmatic, I was trying to make the perfect album. It comes from the days of Wild Style. I was trying to make you experience my life. I wanted you to look at hip-hop differently. I wanted you to feel that hip-hop was changing and becoming something more real.
-- Nas

#Real #Perfect #Hip Hop

Some seek fame cause they need validation, Some say hating is confused admiration.
-- Nas

#Hate #Confused #Rap

I don't go out unless I'm working. My quality time is when I'm doing nothing.
-- Nas

#Quality #Doing Nothing #Quality Time

Every great person educates themselves.
-- Nas

#Great Person #Educate #Persons

My success symbolizes loyalty, great friends, Dedication, hard work, routine builds character. In a world full of snakes, rats and scavengers
-- Nas

#Loyalty #Character #Hard Work

How can you lose when you're doing you?
-- Nas

#Doing You

I pledge allegiance to the fair and balanced truth. Not the biased truth, Not the liest truth, But the highest truth.
-- Nas

#Rap #Hip Hop #Allegiance

What you base your happiness around? Material, women, and large paper? That means you inferior, not major.
-- Nas

#Rap #Mean #Hip Hop

You have to keep your vision clear, cause only a coward lives in fear.
-- Nas

#Hip Hop #Vision #Coward

Аll I need is one life, one try, one breath, I'm one man. What I stand for speaks for itself...they don't understand.
-- Nas

#Rap #Men #Hip Hop

If the truth is told, the youth can grow.
-- Nas

#Youth #Truth Is #Grows

Big L scared me to death. When I heard that on tape, I was scared to death. I was like there's no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with.
-- Nas

#Way #Tape #Scared

Mind's in another world thinking how can we exist through the facts
-- Nas

#Weed #Thinking #Smoking

Life is short is what some ***** said; not if you measure life - by how one lives and what he did.
-- Nas

#Life Is Short #Nasty #Life Is

No Ideas original - there is nothing new under the sun...
-- Nas

#Ideas #Sun

Anybody can be a rapper, but not anybody can be a classical artist.
-- Nas

#Artist #Rapper

The further I get, the further I want to go
-- Nas

#Want

I just enjoy life now. I just enjoy every morning I get to wake up.
-- Nas

#Morning #Enjoy Life #Wake Up

All fatherhood is very important because single mothers shouldn't have to raise sons or daughters; they need that help.
-- Nas

#Daughter #Mother #Son

Every generation witnesses atrocities. People in power try to fulfill prophecy.
-- Nas

#People #Trying #Generations

Hip-hop is making a lot of noise. It should get some more spotlight.
-- Nas

#Hip Hop #Spotlight #Noise

Niggas hate what they can't understand, fear what they can't conquer
-- Nas

#Hate #Rap #Conquer

Read more learn more, change the globe
-- Nas

#Globes

I know i can, be what i wanna be, if i work hard at it, I'll be where i wanna be
-- Nas

#Hard Work

Speak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel. 'Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss. Keep integrity at every cost,
-- Nas

#Integrity #Boss #Care

All I need is one mic . All I need is one life, one try, one breath, I'm one man.
-- Nas

#Men #Trying #Needs

Life is parallel to Hell but I must maintain and be prosperous, though we live dangerous.
-- Nas

#Life Is #Hell #Dangerous

Don't ever give up on yourself. Keep pushing because the change of guards is what life's all about. You've always got to stick with whatever you're into because you're day is going to come. You're day is destined. If you walk away from that, whether it be from fear or whether you're just giving up. The greatest sin is fear and giving up.
-- Nas

#Giving Up #Pushing #Sticks

Act your age don't pretend to be older than you are give yourself time to grow
-- Nas

#Giving #Age #Grows

The flaws, the mistakes I make – that's the real me.
-- Nas

#Real #Mistake #Flaws

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
-- Nas

#Believe #Like You #Wanted

If the truth is told, the youth can grow Then learn to survive until they gain control Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes Read more learn more, change the globe
-- Nas

#Inspirational #Rap #Gangsta

I'm never gonna die, never heard of death, energy can never be destroyed only the flesh.
-- Nas

#Energy #Flesh #Heard

I like the way hip-hop is now. It's grown up enough so that it can get involved with politics if it feels like it.
-- Nas

#Hip Hop #Way #Hips

You a slave to a page in my rhyme book.
-- Nas

#Book #Pages #Nasty

Let the music diffuse all the tension.
-- Nas

#Music #Tension

I promise you, if you have a plan, you can accomplish everything you ever wanted
-- Nas

#Promise #Accomplish #Plans

For my hustlers, here's some motivation: He who has begun is half done.
-- Nas

#Motivation #Done #Half

I know you think my life is good 'cause my diamond piece, But my life been good since I started finding peace.
-- Nas

#Rap #Life Is Good #Thinking

Everything will eventually come to an end, So try to savor the moment, cause time flies, don't it? The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better, Cause nothin' lasts forever.
-- Nas

#Rap #Hip Hop #Forever

You lose money chasing women; Never lose women chasing money.
-- Nas

#Rap #Hip Hop #Chasing

But uhh, a thug changes, and love changes and best friends become strangers, word up
-- Nas

#Thug #And Love #Stranger

Once you make it to your point of making it, you'll appreciate the struggle.
-- Nas

#Struggle #Appreciate

Use your own intuition. You are tomorrow.
-- Nas

#Intuition #Use #Tomorrow

The hardest thing is to forgive, but God does, even if you murdered or robbed, ya it's wrong, but God loves, take one step toward him he'll take two toward you, even when all else fails, God'll support you
-- Nas

#Two #Support #Forgiving

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
-- Nas

#Rap #Home #Cities

Hip-hop is bigger than the South; hip-hop is bigger than New York.
-- Nas

#New York #Hip Hop #Hips

Street's disciple, my raps are trifle. I shoot slugs from my brain just like a rifle.
-- Nas

#Rap #Hip Hop #Brain

I want to have fun. It's a beautiful life. You learn, you win, you lose, but you get up.
-- Nas

#Beautiful #Fun #Winning

Every time I get in the studio, I feel like I wanna have some fun. My fun is not doing the easy work. My fun is doing what's me.
-- Nas

#Fun #Easy #Feels

I don't respect killers, I respect O.G. knowledge, Codes of the streets got new rules, but no guidance. Lessons, detrimental to a young disciple; Folks, take care of your brothers, ***** do as I do. Keep your enemies close, where they can see you. It's not your enemy who get you, it's always your own people.
-- Nas

#Brother #Rap #People

I'm inspired by people like Nelson Mandela. Can you imagine - you know how racist America was back then - imagine how racism was in South Africa when he had to stand up and say what he had to say. That's bravery beyond comprehension.
-- Nas

#America #Racism #People

With rap music, because it's all so on the street, you get treated like a street cat: "All right, you've been eatin' enough, you're fat, get out of the way now and let somebody else come by."
-- Nas

#Rap #Cat #Way

I'm a storyteller and the Bible is a bunch of stories about life and things that took place here on planet earth. It's a great example to use and a great reason to be happy about being a storyteller because the lessons of the land are always in stories.
-- Nas

#Land #Stories #Use

You got a handful of great guys - Ne-Yo, R. Kelly, Usher. You have a handful of great female artists. But for the most part the music world's changing and change is good. You have to make adjustments if you want to survive in that world.
-- Nas

#Artist #Guy #Change Is Good

Some people work hard to be something that they're not, and I don't work at all, I'm just me. And that can bother anybody I'm not working nearly as hard as the other guys, and they don't like it.
-- Nas

#Hard Work #People #Guy

You can't count a man out because one record went different direction. You gotta count the things that scored, not the misses.
-- Nas

#Men #Missing #Different

It's a thin line between paper and hate, Friends and snakes, nine millis and thirty-eights, Hell or the pearly gates...I was destined to come, Predicted, blame God, He blew breath in my lungs.
-- Nas

#Hate #Rap #Snakes

To me, hip-hop's been dead for years. We all should know that. With that being said, then, the object of the game now is to make money off of exploiting it. That's what it's all about - get this money. That's basically what I'm saying.
-- Nas

#Years #Games #Hip Hop

When I write a story, I just wanna tell you what's in my head. It can come from real life and then turn into fantasy, stuff just rhyming. And write about what you know. I just like to tell stories that have not been told or told from my perspective.
-- Nas

#Real #Writing #Perspective

I think you gotta always do things that keep you excited in an [rap music] industry that's so bullshit. When you know that you have so much energy and so much to give, it would be a shame if the facilitators of that aren't enthusiastic about you doing it, because you've been doing it for so long. So you just gotta figure out ways in this insane business to keep it fresh.
-- Nas

#Rap #Thinking #Giving

I'm over dey heads like a bulemic on a seesaw
-- Nas

#Hip Hop

But whats it all worth, cant take it when you under this earth Rich men died and tried, but none of it worked They just rob your grave, Id rather be alive and paid Before my numbers called, historys made Somell fall, but I rise, thug or die Makin choices, that determine my future under the sky To rob steal or kill, Im wondering why Its a dirty game, is any man worthy of fame? Much to success to ya, even if you wish me the opposite Sooner or later we'll all see who the prophet is.
-- Nas

#Dirty #Fall #Thug

Hip-hop artist, especially the older ones, are the ones who new hip-hop was a worldwide phenomenon before the mainstream caught on, so hip-hop artists are forward thinkers. We want to stay with the new.
-- Nas

#Artist #Hip Hop #Want

It's foul what this money could do, cash corrupts the loyal.
-- Nas

#Hip Hop #Cash #Loyal

On the reals, all these crab ***** know the deal, When we start the revolution, all they'll probably do is squeal.
-- Nas

#Rap #Hip Hop #Revolution

If you're scared to take chances, you'll never have the answers.
-- Nas

#Hip Hop #Answers #Scared

You ni**az get me sick, wannabe soundin like you know my arithmetic... but we don't sound alike
-- Nas

#Rap #Sick #Sound

I guess entertainment means blatantly lyin'
-- Nas

#Mean #Entertainment

I sip the Dom P watching Gandhi til I'm charged - writing in my book of rhymes, all the words past the margin
-- Nas

#Book #Writing #Past

Play it cool, that's the old school rule man...
-- Nas

#Old School #School #Men

Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitters and gold I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe...
-- Nas

#Light #Gold #Cameras

I lay puzzle as I backtrack to earlier times, Nothing's equivalent to the New York state of mind
-- Nas

#New York #Mind #States

Love the skinny model chicks but I prefer the thickness.
-- Nas

#Skinny #Chicks #Thickness

And the stuff that I write, is even tougher than dykes
-- Nas

#Writing #Dykes #Stuff

Don't speak to fools, they scorn the wisdom of your words.
-- Nas

#Fool #Nasty #Speak

I'm never gonna die, never heard of death, energy can never be destroyed only the flesh, so when you try to murder me with bullets to the head this is why you can't kill me niggaz, I'm already dead.
-- Nas

#Trying #Flesh #Bullets

If the virgin Mary had an abortion, I'd still be carried in a chariot of stampeding horses.
-- Nas

#Horse #Abortion #Nasty

Who's world is this, the world is yours.
-- Nas

#World

Whats up with your motto? Will you lead? Will you follow?
-- Nas

#Motto

You can't please everybody. You['d] be crazy if you're trying to. So take some time out to do some things for yourself.
-- Nas

#Crazy #Trying #Being Crazy

I want to sound like an instrument. I want my voice and my words to marry the beat. I go with the rhythm of it and the words start to come to my mind and those words could be based on things that's been on my mind for the past year, the past month, the past week, whatever; I write it.
-- Nas

#Writing #Past #Years

Your look reflects whats happening in your mind.
-- Nas

#Mind #Looks

True in the game, as long as blood is blue in my veins I pour my Heineken brew to my deceased crew on memory lane
-- Nas

#Memories #Blue #Blood

Working with great people makes you great; you learn a lot and it also gives you the experience and confidence to move on with your own career.
-- Nas

#Moving #Careers #Giving

My earliest memories of rap music was mixed with my earliest memories of reggae music. They were big sounds around the way, heavy bass lines, strong messages, definitely.
-- Nas

#Strong #Memories #Rap

Unfortunately, man, a lot of places in America have to deal with unnecessary violence. Somebody like me who knows it firsthand and could relate... I had a best friend killed, plenty other friends killed. I been through it. I seen it.
-- Nas

#Men #America #Violence

Big up to Flex. Stop taking so much cizock in his mizouth.
-- Nas

#Rapper #Bigs

When you're a teenager, you want to meet a lot of girls - you want to get the most girls. You don't know anything about respect; you don't know anything about being faithful and loyal to your girlfriend.
-- Nas

#Girl #Teenager #Faithful

I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?) I'm out for dead presidents to represent me.
-- Nas

#Rap #President

Used to ride with him to Brooklyn, Lewis and Halsey, co chocolate thai, vernon style and burn it down
-- Nas

#Rap #Chocolate #Style

I'm capable of anything, my imagination can give me wings
-- Nas

#Wings #Imagination #Giving

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners
-- Nas

#Rap #Hip Hop #Blunt

All I need is one mic One beat, one stage One ni%$a frontin' 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.
-- Nas

#Girl #Son #Gun

Vocabulary spills I'm ill.
-- Nas

#Vocabulary #Hip Hop #Ill

Man, me and Biggie were the biggest artists in New York. When he passed, I was so messed up. My attitude was messed up about him dying. There was an East-West thing back then, and I was in war mode.
-- Nas

#New York #Attitude #War

I'm not talking about Russia in my music. I've never been to Russia. I'm not talking about Africa, Switzerland, China. I'm talking about me being American and growing up in a crazy world and helping to reflect all different sides of life.
-- Nas

#Growing Up #Crazy #Russia