I have asked America's foremost young poet
 to read his latest poem for us

 {*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na Na Na Nastradamus"
 "Everybody watch him"
 "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na Na Na Nastradamus"
 "We we we came a long way"
 "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na Na Na Nastradamus"
 "Everybody watch him"
 "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na Na Na Nastradamus"*}

 [Nas]
 Yo..
 Yo.. yo..
 Power and crime, the thugs slingin powder and dimes
 Twenties of D, is yo' niggaz wilder than mine?
 My niggaz bust nines, puff lye and stick up cowards
 for they shine, you resist, then you push up flowers
 I'm like Lou Cabrasi, Vito's best hit-man
 That's "Godfather" shit, back seat, next lit plans
 Revolvers spit, I'm too tough to bargain with
 And you don't want the God to pull up the cars that's sick
 Arms and wrists is lit up, Queensbridge Kings
 Plaques awards applause when I do my thing
 Streets is black as midnight, the concrete gray
 with stains of blood and germ and piss all day
 Come on the ave, get sized up, plus appraised
 Duck and pray that my guns dont' bust your way
 Niggaz with names, livin off reputation
 Sometimes gotta remind you ain't nothin changin

 {*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"
 "Everybody watch him"}

 Chorus: Nas (repeat 2X)

 If you ill come get me, cause I ain't runnin
 If your gun's off the hook then we'll both be gunnin
 Come get me if you real, cause I ain't scared
 It's all fair in love and war
 1 - and I'm well prepared
 2 - we can take it there

 [Nas]
 You don't like me clown? Now you wanna take me down?
 If I bring my face around, you gon' do what? You butt
 Your crew knew I blew up, I been shinin - baseball diamonds
 Dick rings for your chicklings
 Niggaz know what my nine pearl handle's about
 Fuck you say girlie mouth? Get it krunk like the Dirty South
 And I know you see me flossed out, multi-milli-i
 Hear your bitch talk about me, you give her the cold eye?
 Girls dig you, imagine what she feel for me?
 You make hot songs, but she know you steal from me
 Who ill as me? I wild on haters in album three
 Next level - I take y'all niggaz to 3-D
 Can't find a nigga shook from Queens
 I'll be with the most grimy killers
 (what nigga) and they all look clean
 who put bombs underneath cars, if you want beef then start
 Your next stop is to the graveyard

 Chorus

 [Nas]
 You too feminine to kill again, jail got you soft
 You talk but you scared to go back up North
 Keep your face twisted, but you don't really want nuttin
 Talk a bunch of shit motherfucker and stop frontin
 You don't wanna flip again, and sell drugs again
 Be on the run again, catch you at the Comfort Inn
 Shoot up your door, bust in on you and your whore
 Put y'all in bags, clean the blood off of the floor
 So play tough, I want y'all to get out of line
 I got nines, every color shape and design
 I sent killers every race to put one in your spine
 Two in your ear, get your crew, who do I fear?
 Nobody never get involved and none of em dyin
 I think like you do, roll with about two irons
 Catch me flyin, high in the aircraft winin
 - and dinin, you die, then we laugh, you bitch-ass
 ?? to gauze up, your stab wounds
 While I'm gettin head, in a Lear jet, bathroom
 With all my goons, all my ice, and suitcases
 full of paper, not money it's bank statements
 The Illmatic that explains how we rock
 Yachts and co-ops, we buy the hood and sell you a block

 Chorus

 {*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"
 "Everybody watch him"
 "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"
 "We-we-we came a long way"
 "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"
 "Everybody watch him"
 "ladies and gentlemen.."
 "Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"*}

 {*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."}
 {*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen