It Ain't Hard to Tell (Live)

[Spoken: Nas]

Thank you, for giving me 20 years

Thank you, thank you

So, we now conclude with the final song of Illmatic

This one is the end of the cassette

It was just 9 songs

Yeah, this song right here, I got you though

This one my joint 'cause I'm a big Michael Jackson fan and he

I'll tell you something that I never said

For my album cover, you see me with the afro, that was kinda inspired by Michael Jackson,

The little, the little kid picture, right?

So, I never told that anyone before

So, this is uhh, "It Ain't Hard To Tell"

The sample's from "Human Nature"

Yeah, I see y'all right here

Yeah

[Verse 1: Nas]

It ain't hard to tell

The mic is contacted

My mic check is life or death, breathin' a sniper's breath

I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps

Deep like The Shining, sparkle like a diamond

Sneak a Uzi on the island in my

Hit the Earth like a comet—invasion!

Nas is like the

‘Cause in my physical I can express through song

Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong

I drink Mo?t with Medusa, give her shotguns in Hell

From the spliff that I lift and inhale; it ain't hard to tell

Whoa, whoa, whoa

It ain't hard to tell

[Interlude: Nas]

Some of y'all was like 5 years old when this album came out

[Verse 2: Nas]

The buddha monk's in your trunk, turn the bass up

Not stories by Aesop

Place your loot up, parties I shoot up

Nas, I analyze, drop a jew-el, inhale from the L

School a fool well, you feel it like Braille

It ain't hard to tell, I kick a skill, like Shaquille holds a pill

Vocabulary spills, I'm Ill plus Matic

I freak beats, slam it, like Iron Sheik

Jam like a TEC with correct techniques

So analyze me, surprise me, but can't magmatize me

Scannin' while you're plannin' ways to sabotage me

I leave 'em froze, like heroin in your nose

Nas will rock well; it ain't hard to tell

Yeah, yeah

[Interlude: Nas]

If you was there with me in '94, make some noise

I love you for that

[Verse 3: Nas]

This rhythmatic explosion

Is what your frame of mind has chosen

I'll leave your brain stimulated, niggas is frozen

Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin

End like Leviathan, it's deep; well, let me try again

Wisdom be leakin' out my grapefruit, troop

I dominate break loops, givin' mics men-e-strual cycles

Street's disciple, I rock beats that's mega trifle

And groove even smoother than moves by Villanova

You're still a soldier, I'm like Sly Stone in Cobra

Packin' like a Rasta in the weed spot

Vocals will squeeze Glocks

MCs eavesdrop, though they need not to sneak

My poetry's deep, I never fell

Nas' raps should be locked in a cell; it ain't hard to tell

It ain't hard to tell

It ain't hard to tell

[Nas]

20 years, yes

Special thanks to everyone up in here

I thank you from the bottom of my brave heart

[Spoken: Nas]

Thank you, special thank you to The National Symphony Orchestra

Thank you to my man Tim Davis

[?]

He's also the composer, bass, and orchestrations

Derrick Harsh

Travis Sells

DJ Green Lantern

Please make some noise for my man, the composer Steven

Ryan Hakim

One more time, National Symphony Orchestra

We thank you from the bottom of our brave hearts

For keeping it Illmatic with me through the years

Thank you for looking beautiful tonight

I love you forever man, stay real