[Intro: Olu Dara singing]<br>
See I come from Mississippi<br>
I was young and runnin' wild<br>
Ended up in New York City, where I had my first child<br>
I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas<br>
I told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive<br>
<br>
[Verse 1: Nas]<br>
Let's go!... Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey --<br>
Tribrary of these rap skits, styles I mastered<br>
Many brothers snatched it up and tried to match it<br>
But I'm still number one, everyday real<br>
Speak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel<br>
'Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss<br>
Keep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez Mississippi<br>
Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busy<br>
Bridging The Gap from the blues, to jazz, to rap<br>
The history of music on this track<br>
Born in the game, discovered my father's music<br>
Like Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple Rain<br>
But my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the Superkids<br>
Some are well-known, some doin' bids<br>
I mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracks<br>
If Pops wouldn't've pulled me back an said yo<br>
[Olu Dara singing]<br>
Greatest man alive (Nas: Yeah, turn it up!)<br>
Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive!<br>
<br>
[Verse 2: Nas]<br>
The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues<br>
Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh's<br>
Old school, new school, know school rules<br>
All these years I been voicin' my blues<br>
I'm a artist from the start, Hip-Hop guided my heart<br>
Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard, juvenile delinquent<br>
But Pops gave me the right type'a tools to think with<br>
Books to read, like X and stuff<br>
'Cause the schools said the kids had dyslexia<br>
In art class I was a compulsive sketcher of<br>
Teachers in my homeroom, I drew pix to mess them up<br>
'Cause none'a them would like my style<br>
Read more books than the curriculum profile<br>
Said, "Mr. Jones please come get your child<br>
'Cause he's writin' mad poems and his verses are wild"<br>
[Olu Dara singing]<br>
Greatest man -- The great-greatest man alive<br>
<br>
[Verse 3: Nas]<br>
Hey-Hey-Hey -- My Poppa was not a Rollin' Stone<br>
He been around the world blowin' his horn, still he came home<br>
Then he got grown, changed his name to Olu<br>
Come on, tell 'em 'bout the places you gone to<br>
[Olu Dara singing]<br>
I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique<br>
Madagascar, Paris, Greece<br>
The Middle Africa is where we lived<br>
Better known as Queenbridge<br>
[Nas]<br>
Nas, Nas you don't stop<br>
Olu Dara in the house, you don't stop<br>
Muddy Waters' Howling Wolf you don't stop<br>
From the Blues to Street Hop you don't stop<br>
Tell 'em Pop<br>
<br>
[Outro: Olu Dara singing / Nas adlibbing]<br>
See I come from Mississippi (Let 'em know)<br>
I was young and runnin' wild (Runnin' wild)<br>
Ended up in New York City (Yeah!)<br>
Where I had my first child (That's me)<br>
I named the boy Nasir (Yeah, Daddy!)<br>
All the boys call him Nas (Luh ya, boy)<br>
I told him as a youngster<br>
He'll be the greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop)<br>
Greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop)Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive!<br>
Rest In Peace Ray Charles <br>
 <br>