Take It in Blood by Nas Lyrics Meaning – Behind the Lyrical Mastery of Urban Poetry
Lyrics
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that
Yo
I never brag how real I keep it, cause it’s the best secret
I rock a vest prestigious, Cuban link flooded Jesus
In a Lex, watchin’ Kathie Lee and Regis
My actions are one with the seasons
A TEC squeezin’ executioner
Wintertime, I rock a fur
Mega popular center of attraction
Climaxing my bitches, they be laughing
They high from sniffing coke off a twenty-cent Andrew Jackson
City lights spark a New York night
Rossi and Martini sipping, Sergio Tacchini
Flippin’ mad pies, low price, I blow dice and throw them
.45 by my scrotum, manifest the Do or Die slogan
My niggas roll in ten M3’s
Twenty Gods poppin’ wheelies on Kawasaki’s
Hip hop’s got me on some ol’, spraying shots like a drum roll
Blankin’ out and never miscount the shells my gun hold
I don’t stunt, I regulate
Henny and Sprite, I separate
Watchin’ crab niggas marinate
I’m all about TEC’s, a good jux and sex
Israelite books, holdin’ government names from Ness
MC’s are crawlin’ out every hole in the slum
You be aight like blood money in a pimp’s cum
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that
For you wack MC’s
Currency is made in the trust of the Messiah
I’m spendin’ it to get higher
Earth, Wind and Fire singing Reasons why I’m
Up early, trustworthy is a nine that bust early
Sunshine on my grill, I spill
Remy on imaginary graves
Put my hat on my waves
Latter Day Saints say religious praise
I, dolo, challenge any team or solo
You must be buggin’ out, new to my shit, home on a furlough
Ask around who’s laid up, sharp and straight up
Mafioso, gettin’ niggas’ wakes sprayed up
Skies are misty, my life’s predicted by a gypsy
I’ll one day walk into shots, drunk off champagne from Sicily
This be the drama, I’ma pause like a comma in a sentence
Paragraph’s indented
Bloodshot red eyes, high
Yellow envelopes of lye
Openin’ cigars, let tobacco fly
Condos are tune-proof, we’re looking out the sky’s moonroof
Shittin’ like gin and prune juice
Yo, the system wants the coon’s noose, hang ’em high
Courtrooms filled up
It’s off the hook while I just wrote a statement
Like I’m facing twenty years in the basement
Chillin’ on the VI with Mumia, for wearin’ chrome
I told the judge snakes slither like Sharon Stone
But like Capone, I’m thrown, yo
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that
For you wack MC’s
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that (lyrical, ly-lyrical shine)
I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that
For you wack MC’s
Yo, the time is wastin’, I use the mind elevation
Dime sack lacin’, court pen pacin’
Individual, lyrical math abrasion
Psychic evaluation, the foulest nation we livin’ in
Dangerous lives, mad leak and battered wives
A lifestyle on bad streets is patternized
Wise men build and destroy
While the real McCoy dope fiend named Detroit is still dealin’ boy
Coke suppliers actin’ biased
‘Cause rumors say that niggas wear wires and we liars
But every night the gat’s fired, and every day a rat’s hired
I still remain the mack flyest in the phat Kani, it’s
Just the killer in me, slash drug dealer, MC
Ex-slug filler, semi mug peeler
Demi, bottles of Mo’
Yo, simply follow me flow, put poetry inside a crack pot and blow
Rough hoes pull crack out pussies and butt-holes
Bring the G’s and the D’s roll, they can’t touch those
Why shoot the breeze about it, when you could be about it
My degrees are routed toward the peasy haired brick houses
And studded-up, thicke medallions
Rich niggas transportin’ thousands
Foreign cash exchange amountin’ to millions
Doors is locked, rocks is chopped, watch the cameras in the ceilings
Trick bitches catchin’ mad feelings
Peeling off in the Lex Jeep, techniques is four-wheelin’
I bet it be some shit when we connect with Stretch
When we catch them sex niggas with the TEC’s you blessed, word
So now it’s on, never wasted a slug
Time is money when it comes to mine, take it in blood
Yea, Capone-n-Noreaga
Yeah, yo, offical Queensbridge murderers
Mobb Deep keep it real though
Mothafuckin’ AZ, yo
‘Mega, ‘Mega, whatever
Scarlett O’Hara, Fox Boogie
East New York
Yambo, Brownsville
Wizard, Far Rockaway
Big Bo, Jersey
Connecticut, DC, Sudan
VA, NC, LA
So on and so on
Big Ha, Houston Fifth Ward
Black Ed, keep it real, Moe
‘Take It in Blood’ — a standout track from Nas’s second album, ‘It Was Written’ — is an audacious juxtaposition of cerebral wordplay and street sagacity that burrows deep into the psyche of the urban experience. With a pen as mighty as any sword, Nas weaves verses that serve as both a grim depiction of inner-city struggles and a proclamation of personal triumph.
Detangling the web of Nas’s intricate rhymes reveals not just a story, but a treasure trove of philosophy, socio-economic commentary, and an intense exploration of self-identity. Dissecting this tapestry of lyrical genius uncovers layers that transcend the initial listen, offering a profound understanding of the poetic prowess that is Nasir Jones.
The Urban Prophet: Decoding Nas’s Street Gospel
‘Take It in Blood’ is more than a track; it’s a street sermon delivered by an urban prophet. Nas’s ability to paint vivid pictures of New York life through his bars puts listeners right on the Queensbridge blocks, feeling the pulse of the city’s heart and the harsh winds of its soul. This isn’t just rap; it’s the street’s gospel according to Nas, full of prophetic insights about survival and success.
Through the lens of his art, every line in the song teeters on the razor’s edge between glorifying and lamenting the life he’s lived. It’s a tightrope walk of authenticity — he doesn’t brag about keeping it real; he exposes the raw truth of his existence. Every verse is a testament to the resilience required to thrive in an environment where life is always a high-stakes game.
Lyrical Layers: The Veiled Veracity in ‘Take It in Blood’
At its core, ‘Take It in Blood’ is a narrative drenched in the complexities of Nas’s psyche. The title itself is a homage to the sacrifice and the lasting bonds formed in the unforgiving streets. To ‘take it in blood’ is to understand and live by the unspoken codes of the hood, bringing a deeper level of meaning to the relationships and struggles therein.
Nas’s adept skill in juxtaposing disparate images — religious allusions next to violent street tales, luxury beside squalor — creates an intricate tapestry that mirrors the complexity of life itself. His references to ‘Israelite books,’ ‘niggas’ wakes sprayed up,’ and ‘Condos are tune-proof’ suggest a world where the spiritual and the corporeal coalesce, reflecting on the duality of man and the environments that shape him.
The Audacious Hook: A Resonant Refrain
The chorus of ‘Take It in Blood’ rings with an audacious simplicity and repetition that hammers Nas’s message home. ‘I made it like that, I bought it like that, I’m living like that,’ is not just a mantra but a reflection of the self-made philosophy Nas embodies. This refrain serves as a bridge between verses, a momentary respite from the dense, metaphoric imagery Nas employs throughout the song.
The chorus reinforces the self-sufficiency and acceptance of the life he has carved out for himself. It signifies ownership of his actions, his choices, and their consequences, as well as the pride that comes with having navigated through it all on his own terms.
Powerful Prose: The Most Memorable Lines
From the very beginning, ‘Take It in Blood’ is laden with lines that resonate with power and poignancy. One can’t help but pause when encountering, ‘They high from sniffin’ coke off a twenty-cent Andrew Jackson.’ The stark imagery of desecrating currency — a symbol of America itself — to fuel an addiction speaks volumes of the social decay Nas witnesses.
Another compelling line: ‘Wise men build and destroy / While the real McCoy dope fiend named Detroit is still dealin’ boy.’ Here, Nas comments on the duality of human capability — the power to create or devastate — set against the backdrop of a character entrenched in the cyclical nature of the drug trade. It’s in these lines where Nas’s true message simmers: the potential for greatness exists even within the depths of despair.
The Unseen Stanzas: Unraveling Nas’s Hidden Meanings
There are layers to ‘Take It in Blood’ that remain unnoticed until one looks deeper into the wordplay and historical context. When Nas reflects on being ‘trustworthy as a nine that bust early,’ he’s not merely praising his weapon’s reliability. Instead, he’s also subversively pointing out the trust he places more on a gun than the people or system around him.
The mention of ‘dime sack lacin’,’ ‘court pen pacin’,’ and ‘psychic evaluation’ unveils a man caught between the judicial system and his own prophetic visions for the future. Nas’s ability to weave these elements seamlessly into his rhymes challenges listeners to consider not just the meaning of each word, but the broader themes of fate, justice, and destiny they evoke.
