Uh, you know
I still run with that, that blood of a slave, boilin' in my veins
It's just hot, until a nigga can't take it no more
Blood of a slave, heart of a King, turn my voice up

Ayo, the brother's Stillmatic
I crawled up out of that grave, wipin' the dirt, cleanin' my shirt
They thought I'd make another Illmatic
But it's always forward I'm movin'
Never backwards, stupid, here's another classic
C-notes is fallin' from the sky, by now the credits roll
They're starrin' Nas, executive poet, produced, directed by
The Kid slash Escobar, narration describes
The lives of lost tribes in the ghetto tryin' to survive
The feature opens with this young black child, fingers scratched
Cigarette burns on the sofa, turnin' the TV down
While Mary Jane Girls, 45's playin', soft in the background
Food from C-Town's, mornings was hash browns
Stepped over dope fiends, walkin' out the door, all of us poor
I learned the difference 'tween the snitches
The real ones, and who's soft, and the murderous, hungriest crews

People jumpin' from roofs
Shotguns pumpin', made it through my youth
Walkin' very thin lines, ages seven and nine
That's the age I was on my album cover, this is the rebirth
I know the streets thirst water like Moses
Walkin' through the hot desert searchin' to be free
This is my ending and my new beginning, nostalgia
Alpha and Omega places, it's like a glitch in The Matrix
I seen it all, did it all, most of y'all will pop for a minute
Spit a sentence then the game'll get rid of y'all
Y'all got there but y'all ain't get it all, I want my style back
Hate to cease y'all plan, it's the rap–repo man
To them double up hustlers, bidders, niggas who real
Professional stick-up kids dreamin' for mils
Let my words guide you, get inside you
From Crips to Pirus, this is survival

Blood of a slave, heart of a King
Blood of a slave, heart of a King
Uh, uh, blood of a slave, heart of a King
Uh, yeah
Huh, Braveheart, uh