This song always confused me. I think Nas dumbed down his lyrics in the verses for the single, but the production is one of the dirtiest singles to ever hit the charts.
The chorus is where I get the main message:
"They shootin', Aw made you look
You a slave to a page in my rhyme book"
So to me, he's mocking rappers who have be violent in order to be relevant. But also he could be trying to say that at face value, when he brings up violence in his music its to teach a lesson, not just a violent/murder story. i.e "I Gave You Power," or "Rewind"
"King of the town, yeah I been that
You know I click-clack where you and your mens at?"
This is a jab at Jay-Z and the ROC after probably a top 5 diss track with "Ether." The ROC went to Hot 97 as a unit to diss Nas after "Ether" dropped and NY voted "Ether" over "Supa Ugly"
"Knock a pimp's drink down in his pimp cup
That's the way you get Timberland'd up"
Little jab here to the southern rappers that were coming up and running the charts around this time. These rappers were minimally lyrical at best, and stuck to a formula that the masses and clubs wanted. But to a 90's lyrical rapper like Nas, some of them were kind of lame aside from Ludacris.
This was a street anthem that had an even better remix with Jada and Luda dropping some classic bars on it. Nas come in at the end and shows why he is still has the most lyrical swords in the game.
"Yo, I grasp the ratchet, the blicky, the biscuit, the burner
The heat, the toaster, they twist you, you meeting your owner
The banger, the hammer, the flamers, I aim at the cannons
And can you, manhandling you, you'll be famous, I'll cancel you
And cut, that's the end of your movie
Pretending you actin like you and your mens'll come shoot me"
This song always confused me. I think Nas dumbed down his lyrics in the verses for the single, but the production is one of the dirtiest singles to ever hit the charts.
The chorus is where I get the main message: "They shootin', Aw made you look You a slave to a page in my rhyme book"
"King of the town, yeah I been that You know I click-clack where you and your mens at?"
"Knock a pimp's drink down in his pimp cup That's the way you get Timberland'd up"
This was a street anthem that had an even better remix with Jada and Luda dropping some classic bars on it. Nas come in at the end and shows why he is still has the most lyrical swords in the game.
"Yo, I grasp the ratchet, the blicky, the biscuit, the burner The heat, the toaster, they twist you, you meeting your owner The banger, the hammer, the flamers, I aim at the cannons And can you, manhandling you, you'll be famous, I'll cancel you And cut, that's the end of your movie Pretending you actin like you and your mens'll come shoot me"