Define My Name (Explicit Ver.)

What defines my name? What defines my name? (Nas) N-A-S What defines my name? (Nas) N-A-S What defines my name? Name existed forever, means "victory helper" Whole name means "protector", shortened it by two letters Without the I-R at the end The reincarnated Gil Scott, livin' in the bottle again The World Cup in Moscow with a blonde who's a ten Vape pen when I speak, it's like a lottery win Quote my total, multi mogul So fly, I can walk in any spot, every box be soakin' From a time when weed was stronger Today's street's are calmer They used to kill for shades, sneaks, and bombers Uh, my name existed forever Before Christians came into America, even better When click sounds in their mouths was language for humans With stick figures in caves, my name's written fluent Nasty, like way before even Rome had a sewage From 50, 000 years ago if I could choose its origin Since there's nothing to gain by assuming I'ma say the definition of my name: 'The Truest" I shocked 'em, like real bullets in prop guns Creeped with baddies in sequin dresses who high strung Fresh of the jet, you can see my vision, where I've come How much time y'all got? Yo, Preem, let's drop somethin' What defines my name? What defines my name? (Nas) N-A-S What defines my name? (Nas) N-A-S What defines my name? DNA of King James, kin of Saint Michael Polygamous minded, seven wives on ridiculous timing They always share the same title That be the whiskey talk That's foul like a stop-and-frisk, New York At 20, I said I better quit by 30 Then by 30, I thought by 40 rappin' is corny How wrong was I? Never woulda thought at 50 new songs by Nas would be harder live I leave 'em scared, like when they hear their name called but ain't nobody there The definition of my name probably started where I rode the E Train, fingers covered in ink stains Writin' was like an escape, excited leave the beat flamed It was Ra, Kane, Kool G, and Kris Few names like Cool James, Face, Cube, and Rick That was musically sick, successful and unnatural I throw their songs in a cyanide capsule The truth is poison to any fraud, demagogue Rockin' suits at shows going against any odds How could you hate me? I survived the 80s The D's, the trauma, embalming fluid in laced weed Inhale fumes from a stove of cook up to shows booked up I chose to take the world over, look up What defines my name? What defines my name? (Nas) N-A-S What defines my name? (Nas) N-A-S What defines my name? Ayo, thirty years later, Illmatic was dropped Yet, man, what the fuck am I doing? Ayo, Preem, chill, I got the rhymes, you got the beats Aiight Thirty years we back in streets, we back in the lab Aiight then, let's go, Nas It's time, it's album time, yeah It's time? It's time, Black, it's time P-p-p-pow! Premier album still gon' happen!