The song that started off the landmark album, would end up being a landmark track for Nas, the genre, and the culture. N.Y. State of Mind was like hearing what made Nas, Illmatic, the city of New York, and the culture of Hip-Hop great. DJ Premiere’s signature production style had become a signature of the city’s sounds, and N.Y. State of Mind would also become one of his signature efforts. The art that Nas and Premiere put forth on this track was so great that fans of both still publicly long for the two to work together more often. These fans believe that they’re at their best working alongside each other, and this track, N.Y. State of Mind was definitely both of them at the top of their respective games.
Like much of Illmatic, N.Y. State of Mind features a beat that’ll make you bob your head and scrunch your face, yet the track is melodic, mystical, and enchanting. Nas was able to capture these elements on several tracks on the album in unison with his super team of producers. The beat serves as a claim of what’s to be expected, and at the outset, Nas furthers that claim by letting the listener know over the gritty beat that he’s coming “straight out the…dungeons of rap.”
Lyrically Nas is at his rawest; you can hear the years of build-up, hunger, and anticipation in his voice and delivery. The song sounds like a pile-on of all his best attributes as a rapper. In a manner reminiscent of another one of his mentors, Kool G. Rap, Nas weaves in themes he’d utilize throughout his career. He starts out by “monkey-flipping” rappers with his writing and lyrical abilities, then transitions to the streets. Nas gives a first-person account of what he sees daily on the streets of Queensbridge in a way that conjures up imagery for the listener that almost puts you in the scene that he’s rapping about. He then seamlessly flows into a tale of a shoot-out that takes place after he and his crew are caught off-guard by rivals. Throughout, you’re left imagining Nas navigating this dangerous situation and coming out unscathed. He lays the story out in a cinematic fashion as vividly conveyed as a scene from a movie.
On the surface, it may seem like glorification of a violent lifestyle often glamorized in movies and music, but Nas quickly turns to the reality of the matter for inner city youths trying to navigate these types of tough urban terrains by mentioning the constant challenges being faced in that life. He weaves in talk of drug dealers and people making livings in the streets having to flee town to evade police convictions, and often having to contend with threats from stick-up kids and rival crews; the constant paranoia of looking out for suspecting and unsuspecting threats on life and livelihood. Nas spins this tale like only someone from the inside could, all while maintaining his effortless and prolific flow; spitting one classic bar after another.
The first verse of N.Y. State of mind alone, is so chalked full of all-time great Hip-Hop concepts and quotable lines like, “I never sleep, ’cause sleep is the cousin of death,” that it would be almost impossible to cover them all. That particular line is so good that Nas uses it again at the end of the second verse. Books could be written about the greatness and impact of this verse alone on the music and the culture of Hip-Hop.
The hook is just Premiere continuing to hold the hard driving beat and baseline steady and the refrain of “New York state of mind” by one of Nas’s mentors, Rakim. Premiere’s knowledge of lyrics and his ability to weave them into the fabric of the song are a big part of what separates him from other beat makers and producers. They’re a trademark of his scratches and are a big part of what epitomizes him as an artist.
Nas then comes in rapping about his gangster dreams, reminiscent of a Scarface-like character who’s raking in money from investments in the stock market all while holding down city blocks as a kingpin whose reign of success won’t even be impeded by the forces of cops or foes. This alter-ego and all of the trappings that surround him grow to be a larger theme of Nas’s persona as his early career as a lyricist went on, and elements have remained a theme in his writing throughout his career.
The verse quickly transitions from a dream to reality as Nas brings the perspective from that of his dream alter-ego back to the perspective of a young adult with boots on the city streets; one with dreams and aspirations of a better life. In a way that few lyricists can, Nas acknowledges that he may have to do some extreme things to get to that better life. He’ll have to navigate the terrain of the city and escape all its pitfalls for young Blacks, including the potential of police victimization. However, the manner in which Nas delivers his message gives you the sense that while he has an extreme understanding of the reality of these obstacles that greatly diminish the odds and the challenge they may present, he’s confident and determined that he will beat those odds and arrive at his destination. Less than a statement of the necessary actions in reality, this part of the verse resonates more so as a statement to the persona and state of mind Nas, and many alike, felt necessary to evade the pitfalls and maintain optimism, given the reality. Many young people, whether it be due to having to overcome bias or lack of opportunity due to an upbringing in less fortunate circumstances, can relate to the supreme confidence and dedication that are required to keep knowing that you’ll ultimately arrive at success despite the numerous obstacles along the way.
Nas continues on in the verse to deliver some of the most poignant and vivid imagery heard in musical lyricism. His depictions of the reality of the ills one has to face coming from where “the nights are jet black,” while weaving in braggadocio about his rapping ability and street prowess are a big part of what would come to be a big piece of his signature persona as an artist; a big part of the reason Nas has managed to maintain an hora, a mystique around his artistry and himself at a level to which many other artists could only aspire.
From the opening through to ending the iconic first verse with lines like, “beyond the walls of intelligence, life is defined,” to ending the classic second verse with a line that serves as a perfect summation of the song like, “nothing’s equivalent to the New York State of Mind,” Nas and DJ Premiere turn out an all-time great combination of beat and lyrical delivery that have gone down as one of the most iconic Hip-Hop tracks in the history of the music. If a novice to the era asked me to sum up Nas’s career in the 90s (and maybe his career in general), and the sound of New York Hip-Hop in the decade, I’d play them N.Y. State of Mind. Entire lectures and documentaries have been made about this song, its impact, its excellence, and its significance. Nas couldn’t have picked a better song to start off his solo album. N.Y. State of Mind, in my opinion and in that of many, is a work of art deserving to be held in the highest heights of the pantheon of the Rap genre.
Happy 30th Birth-year again, Illmatic, and happy 51st birth month, Nas (b. 9/14/73).
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