One thing I gotta say is that I agree with the guy saying this is one of the greatest songs NAS ever did. This song is a non stop examples of contrasting the dream versus reality of the streets, and how many different directions he takes it.
I remember when this song came out and I was living in Philly and almost immediately went to get the single for it, because this is NOT the original song from It was written. But with the remix video being played on BET all the time. I had to listen to it more carefully on tape.
I always respect the penmanship of NAS, but the slang and the samples sometimes got over my head, something similar to Raekwon's lyrics from the Wu. But the smooth beat and the melodious vocals from Kellz, the mix was incredible. Not to mention the Casino movie references on the video made it even more surreal.
I have to give it to NAS for this one. And even if it's not the most commercially appealing ever from Nas, nor creative, I do know enough NAS to know what this mean to his catalog.
So on the song one of the things that initially went over my head was the first lines. Giving crew pounds every-time we cover new ground. As simple as it seems in retrospection, I never quite caught that line.
Funny things is that I always thought he was referencing Ultramagnus from the Transformers, and I always knew I was wrong but my mind keeping me showing a street transformer. But yeah, ultramadness makes sense now, but I never really connect he was talking about his girl and how it relates.
The black clouds over the hood, I am in the corner with the thugz. -- I always liked this verse intro. It puts you in the cold streets, this came out in the winter and you picture the freeze of the streets at night in Queens.
I always loved the lines about only the gods corrupt the earth twist, I am physically trapped down on this surface, also the I tried to learn the game, and I only thing I found incredible. Everything I tried learned see I already knew. I really liked he touched this line, and without application it doesn't matter if you know the lessons.
The end of the song, how Ill Will got gunned down and how it relates to his dream, also the reality is that he makes money from entertainment, not from the street. I agree that it's the contest to the 'keeping-it-realers', and how your money tricks you from the mirage of achieving goals without seen the consequences until they caught up with you. In the end is just a cautionary tale, similar to the Incarcerated scarfaces from Cuban Lynx, the jails are filled with failed Tony Montana aka Scarface stories.
This is why I loved reality rap and hiphop that has a message. It keeps you revolving around this thought of how bright lights will blind you and how to not loose touch with the reality of consequences.
