Bridging The Gap
by Nas

Album: Street's Disciple (2004)
Charted: 18 94
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  • The light is there
    Yeah yeah
    You 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

    Let's go
    Hey-hey-hey-hey
    Chuck Berry 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

    See I come from Mississippi
    I was young and runnin' wild (uh huh)
    Ended up in New York City (New York)
    Where I had my first child (that's me y'all)
    I named the boy Nasir (yeah)
    All the boys call him Nas (that's what's up)
    I told him as a youngster
    He'll be the greatest man alive
    Greatest man alive (yeah, turn it up)
    Gre-gre-gre-gre-greatest man alive

    The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues
    Slaves are harmonizin' them ahs and oohs
    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"

    I was born in Mississippi
    I was young and runnin' wild
    Moved to 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
    Greatest man
    The great-greatest man alive (tell 'em)

    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 all the places you gone to
    I been to Saudi Arabia, Mozambique (yeah)
    Madagascar, Paris, Greece (uh huh)
    But little Africa is where we live (yeah)
    Better known as Queenbridge
    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

    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 Writer/s: Nasir Jones, Olu Dara, Salaam Remi
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

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