[Spoken: Nas]
You know, it's life
Life as I know it man
This life is crazy
I realize that we're all here for a purpose
I was lucky to find mine
I didn't come from a privileged family
I didn't read no fancy books like Outliers or Bounce, and found my way
We just rise, right?
With no help, we can rise in the wave
For me, I needed more than money though
I wanted to be heard man

[Verse: Nas]
20, it's a blessin'
The essence of adolescence leaves my body, now I'm fresh and
My physical frame is celebrated ‘cause I made it
One quarter through life, some godly-like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual, plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I pus 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, 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
Got my first piece of ass, smokin' blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance
N***as 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 4-matic to crack your whole cabbage
[Chorus: Nas]
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 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

[Spoken: Nas]
Shoutout to my father Olu Dara
This is his horn part right here he wrote
Can we hear the horn?
He played that shit so right

[Chorus: Nas]
Life's a bitch and then you—then you get high
You never know, it's real shit, right?
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

[Spoken: Nas]
Y'all making me high right now, we don't need no weed
Yeah, oh
Thank you for that