Bridging the Gap (feat. Olu Dara)

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, he'll be the greatest man alive

Hey, hey, hey, hey

Chuck Berry of these rap skits, styles I mastered

Many brothers snatched it up and tried to match it

But I'm still number one, everyday real

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 and

His home was Natchez Mississippi

Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busy

Bridgin' the gap from the blues to jazz to rap

The history of music on this track

Born in the game, discovered my father's music

Like Prince searchin' through boxed of Purple Rain

But my Minneapolis was The Bridge

Home of the Superkids, some are well known, some doin' bids

I mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracks

If pops wouldn't've pulled me back and said yo

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, he'll be the greatest man alive

Greatest man alive (Yeah, turn it up)

Gre-gre-gre-gre-greatest man alive

The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues

Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh's

Old school, new school, know school rules

All these years I been voicin' my blues

I'm a artist from the start, hip-hop guided my heart

Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard

Juvenile delinquent

But pops gave me the right type of 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 pics to mess them  up

'Cause none of them would like my style

Read more books than the curriculum profile

Said Mr. Jones, please come get your child

'Cause he's writin' mad poems and his verses are wild

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, he'll be the greatest man alive

Greatest man, the great-greatest man alive

Hey, hey, hey

My papa 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 he places you gone to

I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique

Madagascar, Paris, Greece

The middle Africa is where we lived

Better known as Queensbridge

Nas, Nas, you don't stop

Olu Dara in the house, you don't stop

Muddy Water's Howling Wolf, you don't stop

From the blues to street hop, you don't stop, tell 'em pop

See, I come from Mississippi, I was young and runnin' wild

(Let 'em know, runnin' wild)

Ended up in New York, City where I had my first child

(Yeah, that's me)

I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas

(Yeah, daddy, love you, boy)

I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive

(You the greatest, pop)

Greatest man alive (You the greatest, pop)

Gre-gre-gre-gre-greatest man alive