Nas - Surviving The Times Lyrics
[Verse 1:]I was young, I was surviving the timesWaiting for my moment, I was destined to shineLittle Ray had an NSX, I was hoping I'm nextWanting bracelets, never had a rope on my neckUnless I was holding Taiyeh chain-Rest In PeaceEven though that night you flipped on usYou warned us If you came back and we still on the corners,We goners, moving on to...Move your arm in your watch To another time on the block'Cause this 40 Side Where they say Shorty rhymeTragedy he used to come through all the timeI'm talking Juice Crew, not what the word defineHe had a sister named Erin, for sure was fineThat was my first crush; I bought my first micI wrote my first verse, I was about nineI was about mine, fantasize house-buyingMet Paul, he wore some big glassesHim and Melquan took me where G Rap livedI was happy, just getting some answersI ain't even know what a record advance wasI'm seeing hoes sex in the studio bathroomWith rap dudes, thinking wow she moved meSame girl then, right now's a groupieBack then, she was like the star in the movieLarge jewelry and expensive GucciNext stop, Paid In Full posse recruits meKnew they were some millionaires, their ropes were dookieEric B man looking like touch-it-he-shoot-meYou see, every time Ra didn't showI get to record demos at attempts to blowI wonder could they tell, how did they knowSixteen years later, here I go[Chorus][Verse 2:]I'm with Akinyele in the street, trying to get us a dealG Rap tried to get us to sign to Cold ChillBut Fly Ty didn't have the contract we wantedClark Kent just signed Das, he didn't want usRussell said I sounded like G, the nigga frontedReef and Matty C offered me a little moneyShit a little funny, feel a little laughterRebel of Hip-Hop coming through a white rapperMy boy MC Serch neverthelessTook me to Columbia, back then CBSChris Schwartz, RuffHouse, he was the best manNow bugging because the label had just dropped Def JamCould you picture Russell needing a check, manBut he smart, he plotted a plan for PolygramLife is I'll, again life's a movieThen, the roster's: Cypress Hill, Nas, and FugeesBefore I sold records, no promotionThe rap world like, what's all this commotionWent plat', mad bottles I'm toasting20/20 hindsight, but how did they know then[Chorus][Verse 3:]Invincible, lyrical, miracle man, huhBut back to the matter at hand'Cause ten years ago we all strived to be twenty-fiveSome cats didn't make it aliveDated some stars but respect their privacyCopped mad cars, laying back in the driver's seatHeld myself down, just steering the wheelHere I am, completed my whole record deal
