The light is there<br />
<br />
See I come from Mississippi, 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 />
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 />
<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 />
<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 />
<br />
But my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the Super kids<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 />
<br />
Greatest man alive<br />
(Yeah, turn it up)<br />
Gre-gre-greatest man alive<br />
<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 />
<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 />
<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 />
<br />
Read more books than the curriculum profile<br />
Said, "Mr. Jones please come get your child<br />
'Cause he's writin' mad poems<br />
And his verses are wild"<br />
<br />
Greatest man<br />
The great-greatest man alive<br />
<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 />
<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 />
<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, tell 'em Pop<br />
<br />
See I come from Mississippi<br />
(Let 'em know)<br />
I was young and runnin' wild<br />
(Runnin' wild)<br />
Ended up in New York City<br />
(Yeah)<br />
Where I had my first child<br />
(That's me)<br />
<br />
I named the boy Nasir<br />
(Yeah, Daddy!)<br />
All the boys call him Nas<br />
(Luh ya, boy)<br />
I told him as a youngster<br />
He'll be the greatest man alive<br />
(You the greatest, Pop)<br />
Greatest man alive, gre-gre-gre-gre-greatest man alive<br />
(You the greatest, Pop)<br />
Rest In Peace, Ray Charles