(Verse One - Nas) If all I saw was gangsters comin' up as a youngster Pussy and money the only language I clung to Cling to, I rolled myself up to become one Ain't you happy I chose rap? I'm a monster Streets they see me, they can't believe my achievements Cultural-strata, persona is that of a non-needer 'Cause I don't need nada except for Prada beaver From cold winters, tattoos got my summer's sleeveless Tell my G's don't flee from the coppers Stiff bodies don't freeze at funeral parlors From the slums I come up a phoenix Caked up trying to take what I'm eatin' Came up a dismissive 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 Jezebels and Stella McCartneys For years, all that how can 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 wondered where I got my bread Probably all the stones he see, from my shows overseas From crime to rhyme, my story is: I'm from the home of the thieves (Hook - Nas) America Pay attention Wake up America This is not what you think it is America Pay attention This is not what you think it is (Verese Two - Nas) Blessed, the Lord is a G, he gotta be Whose the god of suckers and snitches? The economy Lipstick from Marilyn Monroe blew a death kiss to Fidel Castro He want me to spit this only the strong survive Nas bear witness The hypocrisy is all I could see White cop acquitted for murder Black cop cop a plea That type of shit make stop you and think We in chronic need of a second look of the law books And the whole race dichotomy Too many rappers, athletes and actors But not enough niggas at NASA Who gave you the latest dances, trends and fashions? But when it come to residuals they look past us Woven into the fabric, they can't stand us Even the white tees, blue jeans and red bandanas (Hook - Nas) America Pay attention Wake up America This is not what you think it is America Pay attention This is not what you think it is America This is not what you think it is (Verse Three - Nas) Assassinations, diplomatic relations Killed indigenous people, built a new nation Involuntary labor took a nice little women Even took a premature baby, let a man see you rape her If I could travel to the 1700s I'd push a wheelbarrow full of dynamite through your covenant Let her sit on the Senate and tell the whole government Y'all don't treat women fair She read about herself in the Bible believin' she the reason sin is here You played her with an apron like "bring me my dinner dear" She the nigga here, ain't we in the free world? Death penalty in Texas killed young boys and girls Barbarity, I'm in a double R casualty Buggin' how I made it out the hood, dazzle me How far we really from third world savagery? When the empire fall, imagine how crazy that'll be (Hook - Nas) America America This is not what you think it is America This is not what you think it is America