[Produced by Large Professor]
[Intro: Nas & Grand Wizard]
Yeah, it's Illmatic (Yeah)
Uh, it's Illmatic (Yeah)
It's Illmatic (Haha, haha, check it, uh)
[Chorus: Grand Wizard & Nas]
One time for your mind, one time (Yeah, whatever)
One time for your mind, one time (Yo, whatever)
One time for your mind, one time
Ayo, Nas (What up, pah?) kick that fuckin' rhyme
(Check it out!)
[Verse 1: Nas]
When I'm chillin', I grab the buddha, get my crew to buy beers
And watch a flick, illin' and rootin' for the villain, huh
Plus, every morning, I go out and love it sort of chilly
Then I send a shorty from my block to the store for Phillies
After bein' blessed by the herb's essence
I'm back to my rest, ten minutes, some odd seconds
That's where I got the honey at, spends the night for sexin'
Keep lubrication, lifestyle protection
Pickin' up my stereo's remote control quickly
Ron G's in the cassette deck — rockin' the shit, G
I try to stay mellow, rock, well, acappella rhymes'll
Make me richer than a slipper made Cinderella, fella
Go get your crew, hops, I'm prepared to bomb troops
Y'all niggas was born, I shot my way out my mom dukes
When I was ten, I was a hip-hoppin' shorty wop
Known for rockin' microphones and twistin' off a 40 top, yeah
[Chorus: Grand Wizard & Nas]
One time for your mind, one time (Yeah, whatever)
One time for your mind, one time (It sound clever)
Ayo, Nas, fuck that, man, that shit was phat
But kick that for them gangstas, man, fuck all that! (Right, right)
[Verse 2: Nas]
What up, niggas? How y'all? It's Nasty, the villain
I'm still writin' rhymes, but besides that, I'm chillin'
I'm tryna get this money, God — you know the hard times, kid
Shit, cold, be starvin' make you wanna do crimes, kid
But I'ma lamp 'cause a crime couldn't beat a rhyme
Niggas catchin' three-to-nines, Muslims yellin', "Free the mind!"
And I'm from Queensbridge, been to many places
As a kid, when I would say that outta town, niggas chased us
But now I know the time, got a older mind, plus control a 9
Fine, see, now I represent mine
I'm new on the rap scene, brothers never heard of me
Yet I'm a menace, yo, police wanna murder me
Heini Dark drinker, represent the thinker
My pen rides the paper, it even has blinkers
Think I'll dim the lights then inhale, it stimulates
Floatin' like I'm on the North 95 Interstate
Never plan to stop, when I write, my hand is hot
And expand the lot from the Wiz to Camelot
The parlayer, I'll make your heads bop, pah
I shine a light on perpetrators like a cop's car
From day to night, I play the mic and you'll thank God
I wreck shit so much, the microphone'll need a paint job
My brain is incarcerated
Live at any jam, I couldn't count all the parks I've raided
I hold a MAC-11 and attack a reverend
I contact eleven L's and max in Heaven
[Chorus: Grand Wizard & Nas]
One time for your mind, one time (It sounds clever)
One time for your mind, one time (Yeah, whatever)
One time for your mind, one time
Yo, from '92 to '99
[Outro: Grand Wizard]
Yeah, that shit was crazy phat, pah, know what I’m sayin'?
But check it, you got another verse for me
I want you to kick it, you know what I'm sayin'?
Kick that shit for the projects, know what I'm sayin'?