After frantically checking streaming apps for hours on June 15, Nas fans were finally rewarded with his album Nasir as the sun began to set. The last album Nas released was six years ago, so fans of the Godson weren't sure what to expect from the Queensbridge rapper. Nas remains true to himself on Nasir, and he paints a picture of equal rights on a canvas of Black empowerment. "Everything," which features Kanye West and The Dream melodically meshing on the chorus, is the perfect embodiment of that message. Over a contemplative beat that features a reverberating baseline and a vibe reminiscent of 808 & Heartbreaks, Nas walks listeners through his mental, emotional, and physical growth.
Nas is at his sharpest on "Everything," boasting the same type of intellect and grit that made songs like "You're Da Man" so visceral and raw. The pro-black message doesn't feel like a gimmick, nor does it feel overburdened or trite. Instead, Nas rhymes smoothly on the relaxed instrumental in a method that sounds more like teaching than preaching.
Quotable Lyrics
My first house, 11,000-square-feet mansion
It was a haunted by dead rich whites
Mad a nigga bought his crib to hang up pictures of black Christ
Circular driveways, black cars and black ice
My second house, still in my twenties, illin' with money
Chilled through my spine, spillin' wine, it's funny