It Ain’t Hard To Tell by Nas Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Poetic Mastery Behind Hip-Hop’s Lyrical Giant
Lyrics
The mic is contacted, I attract clientele
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 army jacket linin’
Hit the Earth like a comet, invasion
Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazin’
‘Cause in my physical I can express through song
Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong
I drink Moët with Medusa, give her shotguns in Hell
From the spliff that I lift and inhale, it ain’t hard to tell
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 jewel, 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’ll rock well, it ain’t hard to tell
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 leaking 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’ll 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
Nasir Jones, better known as Nas, has always been a luminary in the realm of hip-hop, not just for his ability to vividly narrate the urban life, but for the poetic depth that he infuses in his verses. ‘It Ain’t Hard To Tell’ is a track that stands as a testament to Nas’s prowess, an intricate tapestry weaved with the threads of his intellectual lyricism.
The song, off his critically acclaimed album ‘Illmatic,’ is more than just a stunning display of technical skill; it is a coded message, a mural painted with references and metaphors that depict the lived experience and the spiritual journey of a young artist poised between the grim reality and his celestial aspirations.
A Symphony of Street Philosophy
Nas paints ‘It Ain’t Hard To Tell’ with a brush dipped in the gritty hues of street life and the broad strokes of philosophical musings. When the Queensbridge native pronounces, ‘The mic is contacted, I attract clientele’, he posits himself as a magnetic force in the rap game, drawing audiences with the power and veracity of his wordplay.
Yet, this track delves deeper than mere braggadocio – it’s philosophically rich, likening his profound lyrical insights to life-giving breaths that, with sniper-like precision, reveal his existential consciousness. Nas’s discourse isn’t confined to earthly concerns; it traverses spiritual planes, where wisdom and brutality coexist.
The Alchemy of Lyrics and Beats
‘My mic check is life or death,’ Nas declares, equating the act of rhyming to the polarities of existence. In this alchemical mix, Nas transforms the mundane into the extraordinary, his voice an instrument channeling the sheer force of life through the conduit of rhythm.
‘Deep like the Shining, sparkle like a diamond,’ he continues, paralleling his rhymes to the profound and the precious, and cementing his legacy as a rapper whose words cut sharply and shine brilliantly – an exemplar of how rap can be both raw street reportage and high art.
An Ode to Nas’s Lyrical Innovations
As the song progresses, Nas’s mastery becomes manifest in his ability to manipulate language. ‘Vocabulary spills, I’m Ill plus Matic,’ he spits, a clever nod to his own moniker and the duality of being simultaneously sick (in terms of skill) and systematic in his approach to the craft of emceeing.
His words slam ‘like Iron Sheik,’ evoking the image of a wrestler’s precision and strength, while still jamming ‘like a TEC with correct techniques,’ a metaphor for his flawless execution and his acknowledgement of the often violent realities that inform his lyrics.
The Hidden Gems of Urban Storytelling
Exploring the song’s hidden meanings is like decrypting a street-smart scholar’s thesis. Each line is a potent mix of pop culture, African heritage, and the hard-knock life lessons learned from the xthoroughfares of NYC. ‘Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazing,’ he expresses with a touch of supernatural flair.
Every verse is heavy with implications, each carrying layers of meaning that go beyond the surface. It’s the raw voice of the city set to the rhythm of an unyielding heartbeat, a reflection of the life of a young black man with a world-view that’s both retrospective and forward-thinking.
Verses That Resonate Across Time and Space
In his verse ‘Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin’, Nas transforms the linguistic quirks of the streets into a profound instrument of expression, just as a violin translates strings into emotion. His poetry has the power to ‘leave your brain stimulated, niggas is frozen,’ because of its ability to connect, confront, and awaken.
The song’s lasting effect is not just in its rhythm or its melody, but in its memorable lines that resonate with listeners long after the track ends. ‘Nas’ raps should be locked in a cell, it ain’t hard to tell’ is not a mere boast but a commentary on the power of his music to move, to touch, to exact an almost unlawful impact on those who dare to listen.
