Nas Poppa Was a Playa Lyrics

[Intro:]
To my n____ who brought me in this world
Ha, that's right n____

My old dad important to the family structure, a provider, a God
My moms a queen, that universal team civilizer
My pops maybe was late but always came home
My moms would put us to bed and she would wait on
Soon as he walk in the door she barking, I turned down the Jonny Carson
Jumped out the bed, we grabbed both his legs
Me and my brother, not knowing the pain he gave my mother
Night after night, fighting, yelling at each other
My papa played the street all day
Mama was either home or at work, while we played inside the hallway
She sacrifices all she got to feed us
When she was alone, she cried by the phone peeping out the window heated
But still I didn't see it, Mama hid it from us
We was kids younger, til we got bigger, on to
Bigger things that we knew what the time was
That daddy was leaving his crib and my mom's love.

[Hook X2:]
Papa was a playa, playa wasn't papa
Papa loved the ladies, never got enough of
Pretty brown round, running round town (Shhhhh...)
Don't tell your mother what's going down!

So many kids I knew, never knew who Pop was
That's why I show my Pop love, he was still around when I f___ed up
He could have left, my moms pregnant shock to death but stayed
Watch me crawl til I took my first step, to the first grade
To my first fist fight, right behind me he would stand
No matter how big or tall he made me fight you like a man
Throw dirt in your eye, swing my right scoop your a__ and slam
He watched me so I wouldn't get jumped by shorty's fam
Roaches and weed all over my crib him and moms relaxing
Next thing you know he packing, so then I asked him
"What's this white s___ on that plate and your facing?
Papa why you b___ a__ from the waist, and who's this lady I'm facing?
Dark skin, you not my mommy!", he grabbed me up to run some smooth
Words by me, promise things that he would buy me
If I kept my mouth closed and don't tell mommy
He said "One day I'll understand little me was in you to side me."

[Hook X2]

Pop's told me hold my own, Pop's told me value home
Could I help it 'Papa was a Rolling Stone'?
Who loved the pretty brown round, out of town bound
Trumpet in his jazz band he touring,
At home I played his latest recordings
And it's strange how I do my thing now, I'm in the game now
Inherited his brain pow' to pull strings and gain power
Our weed habits the same now, no white lines to trumpets to tight rhymes
And beats that be pumping before he left he taught me something
A child's young years the most important time to be there
That's why he stayed til we grew up, respect is still here
I'm older now, see what having a father's about
One day, they can be in your life next day they be out
It's not because of you, you know the deal, him and your moms feel
If they stay together then someone will get killed
I love you still, always will, 'cause that's my n____
Although you felt you was wrong, I still feel you kid
Life goes on.