What Nas song "One Mic" is really about: RACE WAR

[Political Gangsta]

It's about a race revolution.  It's about the "nigga", the supermasculine menial, overthrowing his "white" omnipotent administrator.  And black people taking over this country of America.

Let's be real.  That's what the song is about.  Listen to the lyrics.  Let's not be poloticians and talk out two sides of our mouths.

[HBKid_Jr]

maybe ur right or maybe ur over analyzing

[I TO DA GEEZY]

hmm,yo dog, I really like this track and shit, but since it's NAS- only GOD knowes what he was trying to stress overall, it was dopelly executed and shit but again it lacked some typa basic Focus- so there basicly were many things that waz said on it.

[Political Gangsta]

It is a great hip-hop record nobody is denying him that.  We are not discussing the quality of the song.

I just wanted to keep it real, since nobody else seems to want to make clear what the song is really about.

[HBKid_Jr]

It is a great hip-hop record nobody is denying him that.  We are not discussing the quality of the song.

I just wanted to keep it real, since nobody else seems to want to make clear what the song is really about.

how do you know nas wasnt talkin about people in general that have been opressed.  How do you know thats exactly what nas was talkin about

[Political Gangsta]

how do you know nas wasnt talkin about people in general that have been opressed.  How do you know thats exactly what nas was talkin about

First of all.  If you want to talk about real oppression.  Look at Bin Laden's people.  Black people aren't 1/10th as oppressed as the people of Peshawar, Afganistan, Palestine, and other middle eastern countries.

Second of all.  Nas repeatedly says, "My nigga's the time is now" "My nigga's if you with me get busy load up the semi/ hold and explode until your empty"

It's a call to his "nigga's" black people to rebel and revolt.  

It's just music though, Nas would probably be too scared if niggas really started talking revolution.  He's too rich and has it too good right now.

[I TO DA GEEZY]

It is a great hip-hop record nobody is denying him that.  We are not discussing the quality of the song.

you'z right! but, this paticular quallity Im talking about (focus)  is the main factor defining what he was basiclly talking bout(otherwise there is no way we could claim what he actually meant-the fact there's even a debate about it, sayes it all, i guess).

[Political Gangsta]

you'z right! but, this paticular quallity Im talking about (focus)  is the main factor defining what he was basiclly talking bout(otherwise there is no way we could claim what he actually meant-the fact there's even a debate about it, sayes it all, i guess).

Explain.

[PLANT]

I think you're over anylizing...All I see this song about is how theres so much shit going on around us and all he needs to get through those times is "One Mic"....He's just saying whats going on and telling us how no matter what happens he just needs his mic....thats how I see it anyway IMO

[HBKid_Jr]

I think you're over anylizing...All I see this song about is how theres so much shit going on around us and all he needs to get through those times is "One Mic"....He's just saying whats going on and telling us how no matter what happens he just needs his mic....thats how I see it anyway IMO

WORD

[ZILLA THA GOODFELLA]

Yea its about his mic as in Rapping on his Mic to get away from tha world....And he does talk about A Revolution of some sort, but who cares, it dun mean nuttin....

And If U wanna talk about Revolution and something thats worth analyzing, go pop in ANY Dead Prez Record....

[=[Euthanasia]=]

I also think, like others have said that the main concept, "One Mic" is about how no matter how messed up and bad the world gets or his situation gets all HE needs to rise above it is 'one mic'. BUT I also think that it has references to a war, i'm not sure about about it being specifically about 'race war' as PG has stated, because if you look at the video the officers fighting against the black folx are both white & black. But there's definately references to some kind of war, I mean take these lines,

"Hoodrats, don't abortion your womb, we need more warriors soon.."

"In this life of police chases street sweepers and coppers
Stick-up kids with no conscience, leavin victims with doctors
IF YOU REALLY THINK YOU READY TO DIE, WITH NINES OUT
THIS IS WHAT NAS IS BOUT, NIGGA THE TIME IS NOW!"

"I let the shit slide for too many years, too many times
Now I'm strapped with a couple of macs, too many nines
If y'all niggaz really wit me get busy load up the semis
Do more than just hold it explode the clip until you empty
There's nothin in our way - they bust, we bust, they rust, we rust
Led flyin, feel it?  I feel it in my gut
THAT WE TAKE THESE BITCHES TO WAR, LIE 'EM DOWN
CAUSE WE STRONGER NOW MY NIGGA THE TIME IS NOW!!"

I think some of these lines are aimed more at authority, and how the American government has taken advantage and oppressed people, in his case poverty stricken blacks. I dunno, thats how I see it.

[I TO DA GEEZY]

Explain.

what I mean is that without eough focus,in between all the lyrical bombz NAS throwes at us on "one mic" there is no actual WAY we could claim it was about a Particular thing, since it was basiclly all over the place-not to say u can't adress numerous isues on one track, it's just that u need to know how to conect it all so it sounds as many pieces of  one biger thing(kinda like Geshtalt...lol),  "one mic" on the other hand(although it is a great song overall,mainly because it has alot of powerfull single moments on it) has defenatlly not enough structural focus- and having the debate of "what did he actually mean to say on that track" proves this arguement ,I suppose.

[Sikotic™]

>= link=board=outbound;num=1026762755;start=0#11 date=07/16/02 at 07:39:36]I also think, like others have said that the main concept, "One Mic" is about how no matter how messed up and bad the world gets or his situation gets all HE needs to rise above it is 'one mic'. BUT I also think that it has references to a war, i'm not sure about about it being specifically about 'race war' as PG has stated, because if you look at the video the officers fighting against the black folx are both white & black. But there's definately references to some kind of war, I mean take these lines,

"Hoodrats, don't abortion your womb, we need more warriors soon.."

"In this life of police chases street sweepers and coppers
Stick-up kids with no conscience, leavin victims with doctors
IF YOU REALLY THINK YOU READY TO DIE, WITH NINES OUT
THIS IS WHAT NAS IS BOUT, NIGGA THE TIME IS NOW!"

"I let the shit slide for too many years, too many times
Now I'm strapped with a couple of macs, too many nines
If y'all niggaz really wit me get busy load up the semis
Do more than just hold it explode the clip until you empty
There's nothin in our way - they bust, we bust, they rust, we rust
Led flyin, feel it?  I feel it in my gut
THAT WE TAKE THESE BITCHES TO WAR, LIE 'EM DOWN
CAUSE WE STRONGER NOW MY NIGGA THE TIME IS NOW!!"

I think some of these lines are aimed more at authority, and how the American government has taken advantage and oppressed people, in his case poverty stricken blacks. I dunno, thats how I see it.

Word

[Young Dan Iza]

It's about a race revolution.  It's about the "nigga", the supermasculine menial, overthrowing his "white" omnipotent administrator.  And black people taking over this country of America.

Let's be real.  That's what the song is about.  Listen to the lyrics.  Let's not be poloticians and talk out two sides of our mouths.

gay.