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  • 22 hours ago
Nas Performance from 2019 is relived at the 2020 Essence Festival of Culture.
Transcript
00:00This is for the babies, man.
00:03Say it, I know I can.
00:09Say what?
00:10Be what I wanna be.
00:12Say what?
00:13If I work hard it.
00:14Say what?
00:15I do where I want to be.
00:16For the babies, man.
00:17I know I can, I know I can.
00:19Be what I wanna be.
00:20Be what I wanna be.
00:21If I work hard it, if I work hard it, I'll be where I want to be.
00:25I do where I want to be.
00:27Be, be, be.
00:27Boys and girls, listen up.
00:29You could be anything in the world and God be trapped.
00:32An architect, doctor, maybe an actress.
00:34Nothing comes easy, takes much practice life.
00:37I met a woman who's becoming a star.
00:39She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe.
00:41Singing songs, Lena Horne, the younger version.
00:44Up with the wrong person, got struggling at heroin.
00:46Cocaine, sipping up drugs, all in the nose.
00:49Couldn't die, no fun.
00:50Looks ugly at all.
00:51No fun, cause now when she reaches for hugs, we hold our breath.
00:55She smells of corrosion and death.
00:56Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring.
00:59They came to do, and we came to sing.
01:01If you want to help me out, and sing out loud.
01:06I know.
01:08I know I can.
01:09Be what?
01:10Be what I wanna be.
01:11And if we work hard it, I'll be where I wanna be.
01:15I'll be where I wanna be.
01:16Listen, babies, I know.
01:17I know I can.
01:19Be what I wanna be.
01:20Be what I wanna be.
01:21If I want to call it, if I want to call it, ayy.
01:24That's for the children.
01:25Yeah.
01:26This is for the whole love.
01:27Woo!
01:28Woo!
01:29Woo!
01:30Woo!
01:31Now, everybody get your hands up to the sky.
01:32Hands up!
01:33To the sky!
01:34Get their hands up side to side.
01:36Let's go!
01:38Life, I wonder, will it take the under?
01:44Never.
01:47Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harass us.
01:49Imagine going to court with no trial.
01:51Lifestyle cruising blue behind the waters.
01:53No welfare supporters.
01:55Conscious of the way we raise our daughters.
01:57Days are shorter.
01:58Nights are colder.
01:59Feel it like life is over.
02:00Snakes strike like a cobra.
02:02World's hot, sun got knocked.
02:03Evidently, it's elementary.
02:05They want us all gone eventually.
02:07Trooping out a safe on plate.
02:08Knowledge.
02:09It comes cool without the garbage.
02:10We all have the top dollars.
02:12Imagine everybody flashing, bashing, designer clothes.
02:15You're placing a click with diamond roll.
02:18No parole, no robbers.
02:20Imagine law with no 100 covers.
02:22Just a thought for the mind.
02:24Everybody in the building, help me out one time.
02:26If I rule the world.
02:29Imagine that.
02:30Say what, say what?
02:31I free all my sons.
02:34You know I love y'all.
02:35Love them, baby.
02:36I love y'all, I love y'all.
02:37I gotta be some problems.
02:39Could it be, if it could be mine, we'd all.
02:41If I rule the world.
02:43Still living for today, in these last days.
02:46It'll be paradise, life relaxin'.
02:48Black, Latino, Anglo-Saxx.
02:50Armani exchange, the reigns.
02:51Cads, laws, choppers, and bad.
02:53Free at last, rips, the crass.
02:55Then we laughed, and they're in the past.
02:57The villa houses for the crew, how we do?
02:59Weed for breakfast, dime sexes, been stretchin'.
03:02Many years of depression make me vision.
03:04A better livin', type of place to raise kids in.
03:06Open the eyes, history's told foul.
03:09I'm as wise as the old Al, plus a gold job.
03:11Seein' things like I was controlin', rollin'.
03:14Trickin' six, tits, some kicks, and still holdin'.
03:16Trips to Paris, civilized, every savage.
03:19Give me one shot, I turn trip life to lavish.
03:21Political prisoners set free, stress-free.
03:24No work release, purple up threes, a jet ski.
03:26Fill the wind breeze in Western D's.
03:28Liquor at a sky, mayor the city, reverse visa.
03:31And South Albert, every girl.
03:33Downtown.
03:34I'd open every cell in Attica, send them to Africa.
03:36If I rule the world.
03:38Imagine that, y'all.
03:40Say what?
03:41I feel my son.
03:43You know we love you.
03:44I love you, I love you, baby.
03:46I love you, I love you.
03:48Could it be, if it could be mine, we don't sign.
03:51If I rule the world, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
03:56Walk right out to the sun, yeah, yeah, hand in hand.
04:00Walk right out to the sun, yeah, yeah.
04:04We won't land, we won't, we won't.
04:06Walk right out to the sun, yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:10Say what, say what, say what?
04:11Walk right out to the sun, we won't land.
04:16You love to hear the story how the dogs live in worry.
04:19Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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