Nas

[Intro (Nas talking)]
Yo, it's like waking up from a bad dream (Americaaa)
just to figure out you wasn't dreaming in the first place (Nooo...)
[Verse 1]
If all I saw was gangsters
Coming up as a youngster
Pussy and money the only language I clung to
Claim to, unrolled myself up to become one
Ain't ya happy I chose rap? I'm amongst the
Streets deceiving
Can't believe my achievements
Cultural strata
Persona's that of a non-needer
Because I don't need nada except for Prada beaver
For cold winters, tattoos got my summer's sleeveless
To my G's on the flee from the coppers (coppers)
Stiff bodies on freeze in funeral parlors (parlors)
From the slums I come up a phoenix
Caked up, tryin' to take what I'm eating
Came up a dismissive kid (kid)
You lucky if you allowed to witness this
Savvy mouth
While hardly a man's man
Who woulda knew the beach houses and wild parties
Jezebel's and Stella McCartney's?
For years, all that
How could I not be dead?
This old German
Said I was a thug with a knotty head
Looked at my Benz and called that a Nazi sled
With a face like he wonder where I got my bread
Probably all these stones he see
From my shows overseas
From crime to rhyme
My story is I'm from the home of the thieves
[Chorus 1]
America (America), pay attention
Wake up (America)
This is not what you think it is
America (America), pay attention
Wake up (America)
This is not what you think it is
[Verse 2:]
Blessed
The lord is a G, he gotta be
Who's the God of suckers and snitches?
The economy
Lipstick from Marilyn Monroe
Blew a death kiss to Fidel Castro
He'd want me to spit this
Only the strong survive
Nas bear witness
The hypocrisy is all I can see
White cop acquitted for murder