Bridging The Gap

[Nas talking]

"The light is there."

[Intro: Olu Dara singing]

See I come from Mississippi

I was young and runnin' wild

Ended up in New York City, where I had my first child

I named the boy Nasir, all the boys call him Nas

I 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 mastered

Many brothers snatched it up and tried to match it

But I'm still number one, everyday real

Speak what I want, I don't care what y'all feel

'Cause I'm my own master, my Pop told me be your own boss

Keep integrity at every cost, and his home was Natchez Mississippi

Did it like Miles and Dizzy, now we gettin' busy

Bridging The Gap from the blues, to jazz, to rap

The history of music on this track

Born in the game, discovered my father's music

Like Prince searchin' through boxes of Purple Rain

But my Minneapolis was The Bridge, home of the Superkids

Some are well-known, some doin' bids

I mighta ended up on the wrong side of the tracks

If 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 blues

Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh's

Old school, new school, know school rules

All these years I been voicin' my blues

I'm a artist from the start, Hip-Hop guided my heart

Graffiti on the wall, coulda ended in Spoffard, juvenile delinquent

But Pops gave me the right type'a tools to think with

Books to read, like X and stuff

'Cause the schools said the kids had dyslexia

In art class I was a compulsive sketcher of

Teachers in my homeroom, I drew pix to mess them up

'Cause none'a them would like my style

Read more books than the curriculum profile

Said, "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' Stone

He been around the world blowin' his horn, still he came home

Then he got grown, changed his name to Olu

Come on, tell 'em 'bout the places you gone to

[Olu Dara singing]

I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique

Madagascar, Paris, Greece

The Middle Africa is where we lived

Better known as Queenbridge

[Nas]

Nas, Nas you don't stop

Olu Dara in the house, you don't stop

Muddy Waters' Howling Wolf you don't stop

From the Blues to Street Hop you don't stop

Tell '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 youngster

He'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