Nas - Bridging The Gap Lyrics
[Nas talking]"The light is there."[Intro: Olu Dara singing]See I come from MississippiI was young and runnin' wildEnded up in New York City, where I had my first childI named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him NasI told him as a youngster, he'll be the greatest man alive[Verse 1: Nas]Let's go!... Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey --Tribrary of these rap skits, styles I masteredMany brothers snatched it up and tried to match itBut I'm still number one, everyday realSpeak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel'Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own bossKeep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez MississippiDid it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busyBridging The Gap from the blues, to jazz, to rapThe history of music on this trackBorn in the game, discovered my father's musicLike Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple RainBut my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the SuperkidsSome are well-known, some doin' bidsI mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracksIf Pops wouldn't've pulled me back an said yo[Olu Dara singing]Greatest man alive (Nas: Yeah, turn it up!)Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive![Verse 2: Nas]The blues came from gospel, gospel from bluesSlaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh'sOld school, new school, know school rulesAll these years I been voicin' my bluesI'm a artist from the start, Hip-Hop guided my heartGraffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard, juvenile delinquentBut Pops gave me the right type'a tools to think withBooks to read, like X and stuff'Cause the schools said the kids had dyslexiaIn art class I was a compulsive sketcher ofTeachers in my homeroom, I drew pix to mess them up'Cause none'a them would like my styleRead more books than the curriculum profileSaid, "Mr. Jones please come get your child'Cause he's writin' mad poems and his verses are wild"[Olu Dara singing]Greatest man ? The great-greatest man alive[Verse 3: Nas]Hey-Hey-Hey -- My Poppa was not a Rollin' StoneHe been around the world blowin' his horn, still he came homeThen he got grown, changed his name to OluCome on, tell 'em 'bout the places you gone to[Olu Dara singing]I been to Saudi Arabia, MozambiqueMadagascar, Paris, GreeceThe Middle Africa is where we livedBetter known as Queenbridge[Nas]Nas, Nas you don't stopOlu Dara in the house, you don't stopMuddy Waters' Howling Wolf you don't stopFrom the Blues to Street Hop you don't stopTell 'em Pop[Outro: Olu Dara singing / Nas adlibbing]See I come from Mississippi (Let 'em know)I was young and runnin' wild (Runnin' wild)Ended up in New York City (Yeah!)Where I had my first child (That's me)I named the boy Nasir (Yeah, Daddy!)All the boys call him Nas (Luh ya, boy)I told him as a youngsterHe'll be the greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop)Greatest man alive (You the greatest, Pop)Gre-Gre-Gre-Gre-Greatest man alive!Rest In Peace Ray Charles
