Nas – Hip-Hop Is Dead [Audio, Lyrics, Video]

Throwback to Nas’ “Hip-Hop Is Dead” track produced by will.i.am. Watch the video, stream, buy, read the lyrics, mp3 download.

Nas Hip Hop Is Dead

It’s not uncommon to hear the words “hip-hop is dead” — or some variation of it, at least — uttered by many a longtime rap purist. Nas himself famously uttered the decisive statement on his 2006 album Hip-Hop Is Dead, which feels wild in hindsight given how many amazing artists arrived shortly thereafter. Still, that was how he was feeling at the time, and he made sure to air his grievances in the blistering title track.

Following the tradition of grimy singles like “Got Yourself A Gun” and “Made You Look,” the Will-i-Am produced track provides Nas with an aggressive backdrop to vent. The second verse paints an incredible picture of his origin story, which dates back to the pre-Illmatic days. “The bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin’ / come through, something ill, missing the ceilin’,” he spits. “What influenced my raps? Stick-ups and killings / Kidnappings, project buildings, drug dealings.”

Though he recently claimed that hip-hop actually faked its death in 2007 on “EPMD 2,” his conviction on “Hip-Hop Is Dead” is exactly why the legendary rapper remains a revered member of the rap pantheon. Revisit this classic single now, and sound off if you think this album is a certified classic.

Nas – Hip-Hop Is Dead (prod. will.i.am)

Watch Video

Lyrics

[Produced by will.i.am]

[Intro: will.i.am & Nas]
Hip hop, hip hop (Ugh!) is dead
(Had to flip this track again, y’all!)
Hip, hip hop, hip hop (Ugh!) is dead
Hip, hip hop (Ugh!)
Hip, hip hop is dead (NYC! Dirty South!)
Hip, hip hop (West Coast!)
Hip hop (Midwest!)
Hip hop (Let’s go!)

[Hook: Nas & will.i.am]
If hip hop should die before I wake
I’ll put an extended clip and body ’em all day
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
If hip hop should die before I wake
I’ll load an extended clip and body ’em all day
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
(Hip hop just died this morning
And she’s dead, she’s dead)

[Verse 1: Nas]
Yeah, niggas smoke, chill, party and die in the same corner
Get cash, live fast, body their man’s mama
Quick fast, trigger fingers on the llama
Revenge in their eyes, Hennessy and the ganja
Word to the wise with villain state of minds
Grindin’, hittin’ Brazilian dimes from behind
Grindin’, hittin’ Brazilian dimes from behind
(Grindin’, hittin’ Brazilian dimes from behind)
Whenever, if ever, I roll up, it’s sown up
Any ghetto will tell ya, “Nas helped grow us up”
My face once graced promotional Sony trucks
Hundred million and billin’, I helped blow ’em up
Gave my man my right, I could have went left
So like my girl Foxy, the kid went deaf
So people, who’s your top 10? Is it MC Shan? Is it MC Ren?

[Hook: Nas & will.i.am]
If hip hop should die before I wake
I’ll put an extended clip and body ’em all day
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
If hip hop should die before I wake
I’ll load an extended clip and body ’em all day
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
(Hip hop just died this morning
And she’s dead, she’s dead)

[Verse 2: Nas]
The bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin’
Come through, something ill, missing the ceilin’
What influenced my raps? Stick-ups and killings
Kidnappings, project buildings, drug dealings
Criticize that, why’s that?
‘Cause Nas rap is compared to legitimized crack
‘Cause we love to talk on nasty chickens
Most intellectuals will only half listen
So you can’t blame jazz musicians
Or David Stern with his NBA fashion issues
Oh, I think they like me, in my white tee
You can’t ice me, we here for life, B
On my second marriage, hip hop’s my first wifey
And for that, we not taking it lightly
If hip hop should die, we die together
Bodies in the morgue lie together, all together now

[Hook: Nas & will.i.am]
If hip hop should die before I wake
I’ll put an extended clip and body ’em all day
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
If hip hop should die before I wake
I’ll load an extended clip and body ’em all day
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
Roll to every station, wreck the DJ
(Hip hop just died this morning
Hip hop just died this morning
Hip hop just died this morning
And she’s dead, she’s dead)

[Verse 3: Nas]
Everybody sound the same, commercialize the game
Reminiscing when it wasn’t all business
It forgot where it started
So we all gather here for the dearly departed
Hip-hopper since a toddler
One homeboy became a man, then a mobster
If it dies, let me get my last swig of vodka
RIP, we’ll donate your lungs to a rasta
Went from turntables to MP3’s
From “Beat Street” to commercials on Mickey D’s
From gold cables to Jacobs
From plain facials to Botox and face lifts
I’m looking over my shoulder
It’s about 80 people from my hood that showed up
And they came to show love
Sold out concert and the doors are closed shut