Nas Quotes & Sayings

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

There was a side of me that knew I was gonna change the game, but I didn't know how many people would respect it. — Nas

I want to hear the artist. I want to hear them give me something that I can relate to, other than the fact that everything's about bragging. — Nas

I never see the whips niggas be claimin' they drivin,
I guess 'entertainment' means blatantly lyin'. — Nas

The reason I want to be alone, is I'm tired of all the things that went wrong that would've went right if I had did 'em on my own — Nas

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

I see N.Y. hip-hop like I see N.Y. streets. N.Y. streets are grimy; it's a grind. N.Y. rappers are hustlers - whatever sound is in, we can adapt to that; there's nothing wrong with that. — Nas

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

Anybody I'm dating, I don't want them to talk about my music. I don't talk about my music to them. — Nas

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

I'll always love rap, no matter what's going on. — Nas

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

Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne — Nas

GaGa is one of my favourites. Her voice is incredible and she's fearless and she's ahead of the game. She's ahead of the entire game, and I admire that. — Nas

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

So many affluent men are faced with finding love problems. I'm sure beautiful, affluent women are faced with the same things sometimes. — Nas

Always observe, watch, and talk to older people. — Nas

I want each album to say something different and be accepted better than the last one but I don't have any point to outdo any particular album of mine. — Nas

Your look reflects what's happening in your mind. You gotta have some swag to you. — Nas

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

I don't want to disappoint - that's a nightmare to me. — Nas

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

Africa has been going through so much for so many years; it's time that it stands up the way other nations are standing up. — Nas

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

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

Vocabulary spills I'm ill. — Nas

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

No matter where you're from - you can be Native American, Italian, Jewish, Latino, African-American - whatever you are, we're all distant relatives. — Nas

I think more people want to be rappers than anything else. — Nas

The whole thing is, do as much as you can, when you possibly can, and don't stress. — Nas

We're all Africans, everyone - black, white, yellow. — Nas

I can't control what people think. They know who I am. — Nas

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

'Life Is Good' represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life. — Nas

Rule No. 1 is you can't be fake. If you're fake, you become a gimmick and you're selling a gimmick; a little gimmick is cool, this is entertainment. But when you base your stuff on mostly real stuff, you never run out of it because every day is a different adventure. — Nas

In hip hop no one cares. No one stands up for it and it's a mess. We need order so we can all follow the tradition of where we came from. We need to keep referring to the pioneers. — Nas

I think the hip-hop purists are purists through and through. They're here to criticize all of us. That's just how it is. We as MC's criticize each other. That's the nature of hip-hop. — Nas

Divorce can be crazy. Man, if you're happy ... Love is a beast, man. Hold on. Be prepared for any way it may go, and be honest. — Nas

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

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

You only have one first chance to make one first impression that lasts a lifetime. — Nas

America is a melting pot for all different groups of people, historically. And it's rare that the story of all of these people will be told in the history books. So I always felt I had to find out my history for myself and research my roots. — Nas

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

I talk about life, and I make universal music with an American style - and that's what I do. — Nas

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

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

When I say 'hip-hop is dead,' basically, America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead. — Nas

People have stopped battling in hip hop, in the primitive sense, and the focus of the competitive element has shifted to the music. It's less about bragging and more about being the best lyrically and poetically. — Nas

I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still blessed with the opportunity to make music and pass out a message like, 'Life is good,' to the world. — Nas

I definitely have plans to do more collaboration albums in the future. I'm a big fan of Common. I'm a big fan of Scarface; I'm a big fan of so many people, from Jeezy to ... well, there are a lot of people's music that I respect. I don't know who I will collaborate with, but there's a great chance of something happening. — Nas

I talk about Africa and its meaning, being the birthplace of man and all that great history that's been erased and even hidden. I think it's my duty to be proud and to bring about the conversation that allows us to talk about the great history of my people. — Nas

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

I have no tattoos that I regret - I have had some that I have had changed according to how my life was. — Nas

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

No idea is original, there's nothing new under the sun, it's never what you do, but how it's done — Nas

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

Props is a true thug's wife. — Nas

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

I got the opportunity to meet people all over the world. Brilliant women, tall women, short women, slim women, thick women, you name it. But, I don't meet them. I have the opportunities to and it's a little bit - I'm a little shy, so I don't meet them and I don't know who's right for me. — Nas

I think if I heard someone else talking about their life, describing all the problems I've had, they'd look like they were through. Done. But there's something about me - I'm smiling. Those things are really not bad enough to put me in a slump. I'm smiling with the opportunity to wake up every morning. — Nas

I'm a reader, so when I go to bookstores I need (stuff) that's going to help me. There a big emptiness there and I want to help fill that through song. — Nas

The Chinamen built the railroad, the Indians saved the Pilgrim,
And in return, the Pilgrim killed 'em.
They call it it Thanksgiving, I call your holiday 'hell-day.' — Nas

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

People give me a better understanding on things that I said, or a different way to look at it. — Nas

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

I'm just flowing through, when I see things, I talk about 'em. And it's cool. I don't want any title. I just say what I say, and hopefully somebody gets it. I'm not perfect, and I'm just here and trying to make a dollar, and being real at the same time — Nas

When you have a daughter, you want to protect her from the things that I've seen out there, you know, the things that's out there that ain't good for her. It's a crazy world we live in. — Nas

Shorty's laugh was cold-blooded as he spoke so foul,
Only twelve tryin to tell me that he liked my style.
Then I rose, wiping the blunt's ash from my clothes,
Then froze, only to blow the herb smoke through my nose. — Nas

Hip hop started in NY so it's important that New Yorkers realise that to talk about NY music and its sound should not be a small-minded conversation. Music is supposed to evolve. It's supposed to be going through changes, it's not supposed to sound exactly the same as what it did when it started. NY hip hop has to be allowed to move on and grow and expand. — Nas

I had a pretty public divorce. They're not easy - divorces - and it took me a long time to really get through. — Nas

Respect all fear none my pride is everything — Nas

Sunlight and seeing something that was a thought become a thing and materialize - that makes me come alive. — Nas

It hurts to see anybody in pain, if you've got any kind of heart. — Nas

No one's promised anything. You could have the biggest record on radio and sell no records. — Nas

The big stars in rap, they were too big, so when my rap generation started, it was about bringing you inside my apartment. It wasn't about being a rap star; it was about anything other than. — Nas

I think marriage is a beautiful thing. I'm still a supporter of it. — Nas

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

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

In the past I had to deal with issues that hit me as a younger man. As a man who wasn't married who didn't really have the experience that I have now. Today I'm a different guy. — Nas

People afraid of criticism but I always put myself in a sacrificial position,they been know I ain't just rappin for fame — Nas

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

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

I set it off with my own rhyme / cause I'm as ill as a convict who kills for phone time — Nas

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

Marley is someone before his time, man. He's - he's almost - he's like a deity, like almost, you know what I mean? I just talk about what's going on, but of course, you know, Bob, before rappers, was already laying that kind of thing down. — Nas

I fell in love with words and I think that made my mom smile. I think that was cool for her. — Nas

Turnin' nothin' into somethin' is God work, and you get nothin' without struggle and hard work — Nas

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

Just do as much as you can. — Nas

Failure is not an option, and I always felt like I'm a man who doesn't have regrets, and I don't live with excuses. I can't take excuses. — Nas

My duration's infinite, money-wise or physiology. — Nas

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

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

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

You know, rap is sort of like a form of talking, right? So it's like you can hear, you know, the slaves doing it. You can hear, like, you know, Africans and Jamaicans doing it just kind of as, like, a rhythmic, poetic conversation, you know, to a rhythm. — Nas

Let's not forget, art can sell. You ain't gotta front all the time on your records. — Nas

There's always going to be space for battle in hip hop. For competition. It's just an inseparable part of the game. — Nas

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

I've gone through too much, from beefs to divorce to my mom passing which I always expressed in my music, so there's not album that sticks out as more important than the other to me. — Nas

There was a lot of negative that was put on rappers for using the word, and I feel like we're just misunderstood. Most of us are; some of us is just plain wack. — Nas