Welcome to the Underground Lyrics – Nas, DJ Premier

Welcome to the Underground Lyrics

[Intro: Ralph McDaniels & Nas]
Okay, we gotta go deep-deep-deep, to the underground
Take every breath out of my body if I don’t stay real
For life, yeah, turn it up, turn it up, yeah

[Verse 1: Nas]
Welcome to the underground, that basement life
Way underneath the earth, dig up dirt, termites and baby mice, scatterin’
Below the surface, we deep in the soil, we jackhammerin’
To the core of it all, avoidin’ the laws
Outside the corner stores with the raw, take mе back again
Before ice around mе, on stage performin’ while they fightin’ around me
Later somebody gun pop, the good old days, we from the streets
Makin’ plays, either you grind or you incomplete
Open the year, ’86 Lafite
For the time that the team was confined to four walls, and now we meet
How ’bout it for the real, now I could fly to Saudi
Doin’ deals, comin’ back, whole fam showered in souvenirs
If my kids are nepo babies, it was destined
And they blessed, let ’em go crazy
Healin’ is important, live it if you talk it
Children get the short end of the stick, let’s make better choices
And everything costs, there’s a price just to breathe
Everything gets taxed, nothing in life’s free
So ain’t nobody stealin’ my peace, I’m still a beast
If I gotta put a piece in somebody grill and release
Figure of speech, picture me a civilian packin’ heat
Back in the days, waves, immature naivete
By the tender age of twelve, around some men who made
Made it through situations that was inhumane
Eatin’ twelve course dinners, look how the menu changed
But the men ain’t changed, yeah, welcome to the underground

[Chorus: Ice Cube]
“Comin’ straight from the underground”
“Comin’ straight from the underground”

[Verse 2: Nas]
A twenty-four karat gold award addict, manic
Way beyond boss status, I need a room with the walls padded, about mine
Cops used to pat us down, old straps we got passed down
From old legends, let us hold they weapons
They saw in us the coldest, that was in they essence
Hear the street confessions, if you kill a legend, now you a legend
The one who take out a legend, he next to be a legend, allegedly (Yeah)
Enamored, feel it, I channel through the annals of the life of Ali
My spirit animal, feel his ice grill ya camera crew
Epitomize, personify an open letter to multiple golden eras that ended
I go forever, official tissue, life changin’ masterpiece theater
Fuck your candy-ass Grammy grabs
I open fire like Panthers behind sand bags, with my comrades
Onslaught, turn you corny niggas to cornstarch
I lead and you just go with it
The one who clash with the whole system
Since I entered the scene, I just roll different
Now they code switching, they soul missing
A Catholic priest appears in your mirror
Y’all awaited Preem and Nas like it’s Detox
Forget the drum machine when Preem could just do the beatbox
Or bang on the top of a table, let his house key knock
And I can freestyle, they can’t see Nas
Welcome to the underground
[Chorus: Ice Cube]
“Comin’ straight from the underground”
“Comin’ straight from the underground”