Hip-Hop Is Dead
by Nas

Album: Hip-Hop Is Dead (2006)
Charted: 35 41
Play Video
  • If hip hop should die before I wake
    I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ

    If hip hop should die before I wake
    I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ

    [sample]
    Hip hop just died this mornin'
    And she's dead, she's dead

    [Verse 1]
    Yeah, niggaz smoke, laugh, party, and die in the same corner
    Get cash, live fast, body their man's mama
    Rich ass niggaz is ridin' with three llamas
    Revenge in their eyes, Hennesy and the ganja
    Word to the wise with villain state of minds
    Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind
    Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind
    (Grindin', hittin' Brazilian dimes from behind)
    Whenever, if ever, I roll up, it's sown up
    Any ghetto will tell ya Nas helped grow us up
    My face once graced promotional Sony trucks
    Hundred million in billin', I helped build 'em up
    Gave my nigga my right, I could have gave left
    So like my girl Foxy, a nigga went Def
    So nigga, who's your top ten?
    Is it MC Shan? Is it MC Ren?

    [Hook]
    If hip hop should die before I wake
    I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ

    If hip hop should die before I wake
    I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    [sample]
    Hip hop just died this mornin'
    And she's dead, she's dead

    [Verse 2]
    The bigger the cap, the bigger the peelin'
    Come through, something ill, missin' the ceilin'
    What influenced my raps? Stick ups and killings
    Kidnappings, project buildings, drug dealings
    Criticize that, why is that?
    Cuz Nas rap is compared to legitimized crap
    Cuz we love to talk on ass we gettin'
    Most intellectuals will only half listen
    So you can't blame jazz musicians
    Or David Stern with his NBA fashion issues
    Oh I they like me--in my white tee
    You can't ice me, we here for life B
    On my second marriage, hip hop's my first wifey
    And for that we not takin' it lightly
    If hip hop should die we die together
    Bodies in the morgue lie together
    All together now

    [Hook]
    If hip hop should die before I wake
    I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ

    If hip hop should die before I wake
    I'll put an extended clip inside of my AK
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ
    Roll to every station, murder the DJ

    [sample]
    Hip hop just died this mornin'
    Hip hop just died this mornin'
    Hip hop just died this mornin'
    And she's dead, she's dead

    {*crowd chanting "Hip hop!" becomes beat*}

    [Verse 3]
    Everybody sound the same, commercialize the game
    Reminiscin' when it wasn't all business
    If it got where it started
    So we all gather here for the dearly departed
    Hip hopper since a toddler
    One homeboy became a man then a mobster
    If the guys let me get my last swig of Vodka
    R.I.P., we'll donate your lungs to a rasta
    Went from turntables to mp3s
    From "Beat Street" to commercials on Mickey D's
    From gold cables to Jacobs
    From plain facials to Botox and face lifts
    I'm lookin' over my shoulder
    It's about eighty niggaz from my hood that showed up
    And they came to show love
    Sold out concert and the doors are closed shut Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

  • Domenic from Martinez, CaWhy do all these rap "artists" take samples from good songs and make garbage?
  • Randy from Trenton, NjIn "A Milie" by Lil Wayne one line states "if hip hop is dead I am the embalming fluid". Also on "Mr.Carter" Jay-Z has a line referring to Lil Wayne as his heir also stating that young Carter should go further go harder and if not then why bother? Perhaps saying we could look forward to a Nas Vs Lil Wayne feud. Considering Nas Vs Jay-Z feud was ended more out of necessity than want. Just saying something to think of in regard to this song. I personally agree that hip hop needs a slap in the face to wake it up and honestly a big mainstream feud might do it.
  • Steve from Archbald, PaThis is (to me) a slap in the face to all the rappers that are degrading and materialistic Nas has been called a hip hop pioneer knows what hes talking about
  • Isaac from C-town, OhThere was a large amount of backlash by popular hip hop and rap artists after the album was released, mainly because it claimed that the music being produced by these artists is not real hiphop. For example, a featured artists on the remix of jim jone's "we fly high" says "hip hop ain't dead, it just took a couple shots".
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Benny Mardones

Benny MardonesSongwriter Interviews

His song "Into The Night" is one of the most-played of all time. For Benny, it took him to hell and back.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."