And as a special treat this evening
  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.."
    {"Hydro Drops" weed skit follows}