One Mic

Nas

About One Mic

"One Mic" is a song by American rapper Nas, released April 16, 2002 on Columbia Records and distributed through Ill Will Records in the United States. It was issued as the third single from his fifth studio album, Stillmatic (2001). The song samples a portion of Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight". The single peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Nas's third top-fifty hit on the chart.


Year:
2013
4:30
54 
#1

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One time, yeah, yeah

Yo, all I need is one mic, one beat, one stage
One nigga front, my face on the front page
Only if I had one gun, one girl and one crib
One god to show me how to do things his son did
Pure, like a cup of virgin blood; mixed with
151, one sip'll make a nigga flip
Writing names on my hollow tips, plotting shit
Mad violence who I'm gon' body, this hood politics
Acknowledge it, leave bodies chopped in garbage's
Seeds watch us, grow up and try to follow us
Police watch us {*siren*} roll up and try knocking us
One knee I ducked, could it be my time is up
But my luck, I got up, the cop shot again
Bus stop glass bursts, a fiend drops his Heineken
Ricocheting between the spots that I'm hiding in
Blacking out as I shoot back, f*ck getting hit! {*more sirens*}
This is my hood I'ma rep, to the death of it
'til everybody come home, little niggas is grown
Hoodrats, don't abortion your womb, we need more warriors soon
Sip from the star sun and the moon
In this life of police chases street sweepers and coppers
Stick-up kids with no conscience, leaving victims with doctors
If you really think you ready to die, with nines out
This is what nas is bout, nigga the time is now!

Yo, all I need is one mic,
All I need is one mic, that's all I need
All I need is one mic, all I need niggas
All I need is one mic, yeah

All I need is one blunt, one page, and one pen
One prayer - tell god forgive for one sin
Matter fact maybe more than one, look back
At all the hatred against me, f*ck all of them
Jesus died at age 33, there's thirty-three shots
From twin glocks there's sixteen apiece, that's thirty-two
Which means, one of my guns was holding 17
Twenty-seven hit your crew, six went into you
Everybody gotta die sometime; hope your funeral
Never gets shot up, bullets tear through the innocent
Nothing is fair, niggas roll up, shooting from wheelchairs
My heart is racing, tasting revenge in the air
I let the shit slide for too many years, too many times
Now I'm strapped with a couple of macs, too many nines
If y'all niggas really wit me get busy load up the semis
Do more than just hold it explode the clip until you empty
There's nothing in our way, they bust, we bust, they rust, we rust
Led flyin, feel it? I feel it in my gut
That we take these bitches to war, lie 'em down
Cause we stronger now my nigga the time is now!!

All I need is one mic, that's all I need, that's all I need
All I need is one mic, there's nothing else in the world
All I need is one mic, that's all a nigga need to do his thing why'know
All I need is one mic,

All I need is one life, one try, one breath I'm one man
What I stand for speaks for itself, they don't understand
Or want to see me on top, too egotistical
Talking all that slick shit, the same way these bitches do
Wonder what my secrets is, niggas'll move on you
Only if they know, what your weakness is I have none
Too late to grab guns I'm blasting cause I'm a cool nigga
Thought I wouldn't have that ass done? fooled you niggas
What you call a infinite brawl, eternal souls clashing
War gets deep, some beef is everlasting
Complete with thick scars, brothers knifing each other
Up in prison yards, drama, where does it start?
You know the block was ill as a youngster
Every night it was like a, cop would get killed body found in the dumpster
For real a hustler, purchased my range, niggas throwing dirt on my name
Jealous cause fiends got they work and complain
Bitches left me cause they thought I was finished
Should of knew she wasn't true she came to me when her man caught a sentence
Diamonds are blinding, I never make the same mistakes
Moving with a change of pace, lighter load, see now the king is straight
Swelling my melon cause none of these niggas real
Heard he was, telling police, how can a kingpin squeal?
This is crazy, I'm on the right track I'm finally found
You need some soul searching, the time is now

All I need is one mic, yeah, yeah yeah yeah
All I need is one mic, that's all I ever needed in this world, f*ck cash
All I need is one mic, f*ck the cars, the jewelry
All I need is one mic, to spread my voice to the whole world

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Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones ( /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known mononymously as Nas ( /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0. more »

4 fans

Written by: Nasir Jones, Chucky Thompson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Origin
"One Mic" is a song by American rapper Nas, originally recorded for his fifth studio album, "Stillmatic," released in 2001.
Inspiration
The song is notably inspired by Phil Collins's "In The Air Tonight." The intensity of the drums mixed with the melodious beat in Collins's song served as a basis for Nas's powerful, conscious rap.
Production
The hit single was produced by Nas himself and Chucky Thompson. As an influential figure in East Coast hip hop, Thompson adds his signature touch to the track, imbuing it with a sense of authenticity and lyrical excellence.
Song Meaning
The lyrics of "One Mic" emphasize the power of voice and expression. Nas uses the concept of needing only one microphone to express himself and reach out to the world, a metaphor for the significance of individual expression in social and political contexts.
Music Video
The music video for "One Mic" is just as powerful as the song. It takes viewers through Nas's journey of survival in different scenarios symbolizing the ghettos, wars, and social issues rampant in America.
Chart Success
Despite its serious subject matter, "One Mic" saw commercial success. It reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which was quite a feat for a conscious rap song at that time.
Critical Acclaim
"One Mic" is often cited as one of Nas's best songs. Critics praised its lyrical depth and unconventional structure, with Rolling Stone placing it on their list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs.
Cultural Impact
The song is more than just a piece of music — it has become a hip-hop anthem, a scream for justice and equality, making it a cultural and political statement.
Live Performances
"One Mic" has been a staple of Nas's live performances. He usually performs it towards the end of his set, often drawing great crowd response.
Sample
Nas samples a speech from a film titled "Gods Must Be Crazy" in "One Mic", further adding depth and meaning to the song's lyrical content.

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    One Mic

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    164.5K     5,341

    Top Hot 100 Songs 2002

    Billboard #43


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