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Saturday, February 9, 2013

An Example Of Positive Rap: Nas - (I Know) I Can

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video of & lyrics for Nas' positive rap recording "I Can" (also known as "I Know I Can"). This post also provides information about Nas as well as information about this Hip-Hop record.

The content of this post is presented for historical, inspirational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

INFORMATION ABOUT NAS
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones[1] (pron.: /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known mononymously as Nas (pron.: /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Since 1994, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and sold over 13 million records in the United States alone. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor...

His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community. It is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[2][3] His follow-up album It Was Written debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, went platinum twice in only two months, and made Nas internationally known.[4][5]

From 1996 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with rapper Jay-Z. In 2006, Nas signed to Def Jam. In 2010, he released a collaboration album with reggae artist Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His tenth studio album, Life Is Good was released in 2012.

Nas is often named as one of the top rap artists. MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time.[6] In 2012, The Source ranked him No. 2 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.[7]
-snip-
"Nasir" is an Arabic male name whose meaning is "Protector, helper, supporter". "Nasir bin Olu Dara" means "Nasir, the son of Olu Dara".

Click for a pancocojams post that features Nas and his father Jazz musician Olu Dara.

INFORMATION ABOUT I CAN
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can_(Nas_song)
"I Can" is the second single from the Nas album, God's Son.

The song samples Beethoven's Für Elise and The Honeydrippers' "Impeach the President".[1] The music video, directed by Chris Robinson, was shot in Philadelphia, and contains footage of Nas rapping while children stand around him. The video starts out with the music from the introduction of "Get Down," but it soon transitions into "I Can." As the video starts, a girl plays a piano in a vacant lot, and later one can see children jumping on a mattress in the same lot. The video also contains footage of break dancing and famous Egyptian structures.

"I Can" charted at #12 in Billboard Hot 100, #7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, #6 on the Hot Rap Tracks and #58 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2003. This is Nas's highest charting single to date."

FEATURED VIDEO
NAS - I know i can (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) Lyrics



extraawoo·Uploaded on Jan 30, 2011

[Kids]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Nas]
Be, B-Boys and girls, listen up
You can be anything in the world, in God we trust
An architect, doctor, maybe an actress
But nothing comes easy it takes much practice
Like, I met a woman who's becoming a star
She was very beautiful, leaving people in awe
Singing songs, Lina Horn, but the younger version
Hung with the wrong person
Got her strung on that
Heroin, cocaine, sniffin up drugs all in her nose...
Coulda died, so young, now looks ugly and old
No fun cause now when she reaches for hugs people hold they breath
Cause she smells of corrosion and death
Watch the company you keep and the crowd you bring
Cause they came to do drugs and you came to sing
So if you gonna be the best, I'ma tell you how,
Put your hands in the air, and take a bow

[Chorus - 2x (Nas and Kids)]
I know I can (I know I can)
Be what I wanna be (be what I wanna be)
If I work hard at it (If I work hard at it)
I'll be where I wanna be (I'll be where I wanna be)

[Nas]
Be, B-Boys and girls, listen again
This is for grown looking girls who's only ten
The ones who watch videos and do what they see
As cute as can be, up in the club with fake ID
Careful, 'fore you meet a man with HIV
You can host the TV like Oprah Winfrey
Whatever you decide, be careful, some men be
Rapists, so act your age, don't pretend to be
Older than you are, give yourself time to grow
You thinking he can give you wealth, but so
Young boys, you can use a lot of help, you know
You thinkin life's all about smokin weed and ice
You don't wanna be my age and can't read and write
Begging different women for a place to sleep at night
Smart boys turn to men and do whatever they wish
If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this

[Chorus]

[Nas]
Be, be, 'fore we came to this country
We were kings and queens, never porch monkeys
There was empires in Africa called Kush
Timbuktu, where every race came to get books
To learn from black teachers who taught Greeks and Romans
Asian Arabs and gave them gold when
Gold was converted to money it all changed
Money then became empowerment for Europeans
The Persian military invaded
They heard about the gold, the teachings, and everything sacred
Africa was almost robbed naked
Slavery was money, so they began making slave ships
Egypt was the place that Alexander the Great went
He was so shocked at the mountains with black faces
Shot up they nose to impose what basically
Still goes on today, you see?
If the truth is told, the youth can grow
Then learn to survive until they gain control
Nobody says you have to be gangstas, hoes
Read more learn more, change the globe
Ghetto children, do your thing
Hold your head up, little man, you're a king
Young Princess when you get your wedding ring
Your man is saying "She's my queen"

[Chorus]

Save the music y'all, save the music y'all
Save the music y'all, save the music y'all
Save the music

RELATED LINK
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/olu-dara-rainshower-nas-olu-dara.html Olu Dara - Rainshower, Nas & Olu Dara - Bridging The Gap

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to Nas for composing this postive rap song. Thanks to the all those involved in the production of this video, and thanks to the authors of the articles that are quoted in this post. My thanks also to the uploader of this video.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

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