Life's A Bi**h - Nas and AZ - Lyrical Perfection

[Verse One: AZ the Visualiza]
Visualizin the realism of life and actuality
Fuck who's the baddest a person's status depends on salary
And my mentality is, money orientated
I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it
cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as five percenters
But somethin must of got in us cause all of us turned to sinners
Now some, restin in peace and some are sittin in San Quentin
Others such as myself are tryin to carry on tradition
Keepin the schwepervesence street ghetto essence inside us
Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us
Even though, we know somehow we all gotta go
but as long as we leavin thievin we'll be leavin with some kind of dough
so, and to that day we expire and turn to vapors
me and my capers-ll be somewhere stackin plenty papers
Keepin it real, packin steel, gettin high
Cause life's a bitch and then you die

Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we get high
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we puff lye
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we get high
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we puff lye
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
[--> chorus #2 includes these lines, echoes at the end]

[Verse Two: Nas]
I woke up early on my born day, I'm twenty years of blessing
The essence of adolescent leaves my body now I'm fresh in
My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it
One quarter through life some God-ly like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I puffs from
my skull cause it's pain in my brain vein money maintain
Don't go against the grain simple and plain
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard
Robbin foreigners take they wallets they jewels and rip they green cards
Dipped to the projects flashin my quick cash
and got my first piece of ass smokin blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance, niggaz I used to run with
is rich or doin years in the hundreds
I switched my motto -- instead of sayin fuck tomorrow
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back
Time is Illmatic keep static like wool fabric
Pack a four-matic that crack your whole cabbage

Morning Family,

I think I finally get it..well, I already had it. I truly know what it means when someone form my age bracket says, what happened to "hip-hop" these days? It's not about the sales, cars, scantily clad women in the video and auto-tuned tracks, it's all about quality, pure lyricism and craftmanship with your words.

"Life's a Bitch" is the fourth single from Nas' debut album Illmatic. It was released as a single on April 19, 1994 by Columbia Records. It features rapping from AZ and cornet playing by Nas' father Olu Dara. AZ's verse was the first recorded verse of his rap career and gave him much positive attention. Because of his verse on "Life's A Bitch", his debut album (Doe or Die) was anticipated much like how Nas' verse on "Live at the BBQ" raised expectations for Illmatic. "Life's a Bitch" was the first of several Nas/AZ collaborations such as "Mo Money, Mo Murder", "The Essence" and "The Flyest". Lyrics from AZ's verse on "Life's a Bitch" are sampled on "Keep It Real" by Milkbone.

This track is the epitome of the phrase "iron sharpens iron." The tandem of Nas and AZ on this skillfully Gap Band sampled track (produced by L.E.S.) has stood the test of time and at least in my eyes, is one of the greatest duo tracks of all time. I mean, I can imagine these cats in the studio, smoking, drinking, pens and pads out, zoning out to this track for hours. The way AZ came out the gates with his verse and the hook, had to make Nas say "Whoa, okay...I have make sure my verse is as equally tight or tighter." Of course, God's Son delivered..

They don't make joints like this anymore ya'll...

One - Cap-D