Word Is Bond Page #12

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Work hard, my palms itch

I seen some garbage

that f***ed up my conscience

Niggas, they talk sh*t,

but these niggas harmless

You can hear it in the...

- in the way my voice was...

- Yeah.

...and then the lyrics

and everything.

So, like, from the outside

looking in,

everybody would think, like,

you know what I'm saying,

they think that's glamorous,

you feel me?

But there's still sh*t

that we go through

on a day-to-day basis,

you know what I'm saying,

that we gotta keep our head

above, you feel me?

[rapping indistinctly]

[]

[Nas] It was a rhythmic way

of bouncing from one paper

to this ripped-off

piece of paper

that the handwriting's

different there,

dropping the pad

and dropping this,

holding this paper

right next...

People like,

"Yo, wouldn't it be better

if you just did it like that?"

No.

Words going down

in one book.

No.

That's not how

it's coming to me.

I don't want to see it

looking so calculated

and nice and pretty

and perfect.

No, it has to be graffiti.

The angst that's in me,

it has to look like

that same energy

on the paper, and...

Oh, man, those were the days.

Those were the days.

There's a lot of rappers

out there

who I'm sure you looked up to

over the years,

but right now,

a lot of new rappers

and old rappers

are looking up to you.

How do you feel

to be like a...

uh, a living prodigy?

I mean, it's a prop.

It's a blessing.

I'm a product of hip-hop,

you know what I'm saying?

I'm a product from...

of the old school

and the newest of the new.

I'm dedicated to this music,

you know what I mean?

Respect everybody

to get respect,

you know what I'm saying?

Now, your... your style

is considered very hard-core.

Would you consider

doing, like,

remix things

with R&B artists?

I'm saying whatever,

as long as it's...

you know what I'm saying,

as long as it's real ill,

you know what I'm saying?

Long as it's clever,

long as I...

I-I did something good,

you know what I'm saying,

and it sound right.

A'ight, is there anybody

you'd like to work with?

Is there anybody that

you'd like to work with?

Yeah, I want to work

with, um...

I want to work

with the Beatles.

The Beatles?

[ soft hip-hop music ]

[Rakim] We out here

in Connecticut, man.

This was my, like,

home-away-from-home spot

where I used to come out

and have free time and...

and peace of mind

to do my thing,

and my man right here

is a studio owner.

His name is Johnny,

and, um, he became real cool

over the years, man.

You know,

good cat, man,

and his family's my family

and my family's his, man,

so, you know, it was dope

to come from New York

and to come out here

and find a place

like, you know,

covered with trees

and... and just, you know,

peace and quiet, man.

I ain't have

nobody leaning

on my studio door

like this the whole time

while I was recording,

then you open the door

and then three people

fall in your studio session.

I ain't have that here.

Stand-up dude, man.

Good cat.

And I don't even like

rap music.

And he don't even like me.

He's just...

- Actually...

- You know what I mean?

Cool dude,

you know what I mean?

Yeah.

- You're like family.

- But you... you like it now,

- though, right?

- I put up with you.

You like rap music now, right?

No.

See, check... check out

the house that rap built.

The... oh! [laughs]

That's true.

[Rakim] Check out the house

that rap built.

[Johnny] That's the house

Rakim built.

- [Johnny] Yeah. Thank you.

- [Rakim] You know what I mean?

Well, word up, man. You gotta

like rap a little bit now.

That's the truth. I...

Okay, I love rap.

Like, word up, man.

Gotta like it

a little bit, Johnny.

Okay, all right.

I think rap writers

and lyricists

are a pretty brave

batch of guys

over the last 30 years.

When you listen to R&B now,

you're listening to a hybrid

of rap.

I'm such a fiend for...

for what you can do

with the form

that whenever I hear anything

that's new,

be it different

or be it in

a different direction

than something

that I liked before,

I get something from it.

Rappers always wanted

to sing.

We finally stopped

being scared and did it.

[ melancholy guitar music ]

[]

Six years old, I try

my first pair of Jordans on

Mama, can you carry?

It was late in the fall

I caught a glimpse

of my first love

My God

Knees hit the floor,

screams to the Lord

Why'd they have

to take my ma?

[]

Gather round, hustlers

That's if

you're still living

And get on down before

the judge give the sentence

A few more rounds before

the feds come and get you

Is you gonna smile

when your date gets issued?

You know the feds

taking pictures

Your ma's in prison

Your father need

a new kidney

Your family's splitting

Rivalries between siblings

If cash ain't king

It's damn sure

the incentive

I was one of two black kids

in my whole high school.

I was just used to that.

I just stayed in my room,

made music all the time.

[choir singing]

[]

I grew up playing in church.

I got a lot of soul

influence and everything,

but I consider myself

someone that's coming up

out of the hip-hop culture,

and when I really was trying

to write music,

I was... I thought

I was gonna be a MC,

thought I was gonna be

a gangsta rapper,

you know what I'm saying?

I was influenced by

Snoop and Dre, and that was...

there was nothing

bigger than that.

What's the meaning

of my fortune dreaming?

When I cracked the cookie

All it said was

"Keep dreaming"

When I look at my tree,

I see leaves missing

Generations of harsh living

and addiction

I came to visit during

the seven-year stint

But they wouldn't let me in

because my license suspended

Now I'm scraping

the pennies

Just to kiss you

on your cheek

It's gonna be

a couple weeks before I

Six years old, I try

my first pair of Jordans on

Mama, can you carry me?

It was late in the fall

I caught a glimpse

of my first love

My God

Mama, can you carry me?

Knees hit the floor

Screams to the Lord

Why'd they have

to take my ma?

To the early morning

I love Radiohead stuff.

I like sad

white boy music too.

That stuff is all

important to me,

and it all goes

into my artistry.

To the early morning

Yeah

But it's coming from

a hip-hop perspective.

I feel like it's coming from

a drummer's perspective.

Like, that's my first tool,

so that's kind of

how my brain hears music.

Cadence is huge for me,

and tone is probably

what I'm thinking of

even more so

than melody-wise,

and then I'm putting

the pieces together

after the fact, but I want

to figure out the pocket

where I'm gonna be

and even I gotta

take something out.

I want to be able

to fit perfectly.

I can feel

when it's not right.

It's like I feel

when it's rubbing.

I think, as a artist,

you're building

more of that ear as you go.

It's important to me,

the top line, how I come off.

The very first thing I say,

just that first, like,

couplet,

it's not always the hook.

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