[ti:N.Y. State Of Mind(Explicit Al] [ar:Nas] [al:Illmatic] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]N.Y. State of Mind - Nas [00:03.04]Yeah yeah aiyyo black it＇s time (word ) [00:07.11](Word it＇s time ni**a ) [00:08.36]Yeah it＇s time man (aight ni**a begin) [00:11.10]Yeah straight out the f**kin dungeons of rap [00:15.59]Where fake niggaz don＇t make it back [00:20.34]I don＇t know how to start this sh*t yo now [00:23.40]Rappers I monkey flip em with the funky rhythm I be kickin [00:25.51]Musician inflictin composition [00:27.89]Of pain I＇m like Scarface sniffin coc*ine [00:31.15]Holdin a M-16 see with the pen I＇m extreme now [00:34.58]Bulletholes left in my peepholes [00:36.84]I＇m suited up in street clothes [00:38.27]Hand me a nine and I＇ll defeat foes [00:40.40]Y＇all know my steelo with or without the airplay [00:42.77]I keep some E&J sittin bent up in the stairway [00:45.02]Or either on the corner bettin Grants with the celo champs [00:48.51]Laughin at baseheads tryin to sell some broken amps [00:51.39]G-Packs get off quick forever niggaz talk sh*t [00:54.12]Remeniscing about the last time the Task Force flipped [00:56.62]Niggaz be runnin through the block shootin [00:59.30]Time to start the revolution catch a body head for Houston [01:02.74]Once they caught us off guard the Mac-10 was in the grass and [01:06.23]I ran like a cheetah with thoughts of an assassin [01:08.66]Pick the Mac up told brothers ＂Back up ＂ the Mac spit [01:11.72]Lead was hittin niggaz one ran I made him backflip [01:14.10]Heard a few chicks scream my arm shook couldn＇t look [01:17.16]Gave another squeeze heard it click yo my sh*t is stuck [01:19.83]Try to cock it it wouldn＇t shoot now I＇m in danger [01:23.21]Finally pulled it back and saw three bullets caught up in the chamber [01:25.89]So now I＇m jetting to the building lobby [01:28.01]And it was filled with children probably couldn＇t see as high as I be [01:31.56](So whatchu sayin ) It＇s like the game ain＇t the same [01:33.93]Got younger niggaz pullin the triggers bringing fame to they name [01:36.62]And claim some corners crews without guns are goners [01:39.24]In broad daylight stickup kids they run up on us [01:42.55]Fo＇-fives and gauges Macs in fact [01:44.36]Same niggaz＇ll catch a back to back snatchin yo＇ cracks in black [01:48.35]There was a snitch on the block gettin niggaz knocked [01:50.66]So hold your stash until the coke price drop [01:53.66]I know this crackhead who said she gotta smoke nice rock [01:56.47]And if it＇s good she＇ll bring ya customers in measuring pots but yo [02:00.02]You gotta slide on a vacation [02:01.14]Inside information keeps large niggaz erasin and they wives basin [02:04.02]It drops deep as it does in my breath [02:07.69]I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death [02:10.44]Beyond the walls of intelligence life is defined [02:12.25]I think of crime when I＇m in a New York state of mind [02:27.48]Be havin dreams that I＇ma gangster -- drinkin Moets holdin Tecs [02:30.34]Makin sure the cash came correct then I stepped [02:33.72]Investments in stocks sewein up the blocks [02:36.27]To sell rocks winnin gunfights with mega cops [02:39.08]But just a ni**a walking with his finger on the trigger [02:42.08]Make enough figures until my pockets get bigger [02:44.01]I ain＇t the type of brother made for you to start testin [02:47.69]Give me a Smith and Wessun I＇ll have niggaz undressin [02:51.00]Thinkin of cash flow buddah and shelter [02:53.56]Whenever frustrated I＇ma hijack Delta [02:55.99]In the P J ＇s my blend tape plays bullets are strays [02:59.18]Young b**ches is grazed each block is like a maze [03:01.80]Full of black rats trapped plus the Island is packed [03:04.61]From what I hear in all the stories when my peoples come back black [03:07.72]I＇m livin where the nights is jet black [03:10.09]The fiends fight to get crack I just max I dream I can sit back [03:13.21]And lamp like Capone with drug scripts sewn [03:15.96]Or the legal luxury life rings flooded with stones homes [03:18.27]I got so many rhymes I don＇t think I＇m too sane [03:22.14]Life is parallel to Hell but I must maintain [03:24.57]And be prosperous though we live dangerous [03:26.45]Cops could just arrest me blamin us we＇re held like hostages [03:29.82]It＇s only right that I was born to use mics [03:33.25]And the stuff that I write is even tougher than dice [03:35.74]I＇m takin rappers to a new plateau through rap slow [03:38.93]My rhymin is a vitamin Hell without a capsule [03:41.79]The smooth criminal on beat breaks [03:44.23]Never put me in your box if your sh*t eats tapes [03:47.47]The city never sleeps full of villians and creeps [03:50.04]That＇s where I learned to do my hustle had to scuffle with freaks [03:53.40]I＇ma addict for sneakers twenties of buddah and b**ches with beepers [03:56.09]In the streets I can greet ya about blunts I teach ya [03:59.27]Inhale deep like the words of my breath [04:01.45]I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death [04:04.20]I lay puzzle as I backtrack to earlier times [04:06.07]Nothing＇s equivalent to the new york state of mind