Life is Like a Nas Verse

As I reflect on the events of this past weekend, it brings to mind one of my favorite verses from Nas. The lyrics below are from the track Verbal Intercourse on Raekwon The Chef’s first album:

Through the lights cameras and action, glamour glitter and gold
I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe
When I’m deceased, by then the beast arise like yeast
To conquer peace leaving savages to roam in the streets
Live on the run, police paying me to give in my gun
Trick my wisdom, with the system that imprisoned my son
Smoke a gold leaf I hold heat, nonchalantly
I’m raunchy, but things I do is real it never haunts me
While, funny style n*ggas roll in the pile
Rooster heads profile on a bus to Rikers Isle
Holdin’ weed inside they pu**y with they minds on the
Pretty things in life, props is a true thugs wife
Its like a cycle, n*ggas come home, some’ll go in
Do a bullet, come back, do the same sh*t again
From the womb to the tomb, presume the unpredictable
Guns salute life, rapidly, that’s the ritual

Before you all take this too literally, let me make things clear: I did not go to prison this weekend, nor did I ask any women to smuggle drugs in their vaginas for me. Thought I’d say that real quick, just in case anybody entertained those type of notions.

I thought of the verse because it speaks of the way that things in life seem to happen in cycles. This whole weekend, I could not help but notice it. I went to Fredericksburg, and ended up seeing my cousin Bryan for the first time in about a year. It was definitely great laughing and joking around with him, and it made me realize that I need to do a better job keeping in touch with the extended family that I grew up with. You can tell it was a great time, because for once, I didn’t remind him of the time when we were kids my mom whupped my ass because of his Slick Rick tape.

Another funny thing is that seeing my relatives this weekend confirmed that my family is NOSY. I come from a long line of nosy black people, and I now I even catch myself asking questions that I really don’t care about the answer to, just out of habit. I realized this after witnessing some of the counterintelligence measures that members of my family took to try to find out what other relatives are up to. It’s like an episode of 24, except instead of torture, aunts and uncles use prying questions, food and alcohol to get the information that they want out of you.

As great as seeing Brian, his girlfriend, my friend Jimmy and my cousin T was, later that evening I got the sobering news that a classmate from high school passed away recently. I was much closer to her sister than I was to her, but I definitely admired her amazing artistic talent and she was always really nice whenever we did speak. I can’t even imagine what it would be like for me to lose my sister, because we are so close. I definitely need to remember that no one is promised tomorrow, and cherish the time that I do get to spend with my true friends and loved ones.

On a less somber note, I watched the Washington Redskins’ Jason Campbell go crazy and light up The Detroit Lions yesterday. He was throwing passes to EVERYBODY out there! Both starting wide receivers went out of the game, so the funny-looking old man in the crowd that always wears the Native American headdress and costume suited up, catching eight passes for 117 yards and a touchdown!

 It was great to see Campbell have his breakout game, but I am really hoping that he does not follow the cycle of the last 4 or 5 Redskins quarterbacks, which is  show promise, then display inconsistency, leading to overall suckage.  I think Campbell is for real, but time will tell. If any Redskins are reading this, congratulations on the ass whupping you all handed out yesterday, and I’m rooting for you all to keep it going.

 I could go on, but I think I have written enough for today. If you all wish to share moments where you have had full-cycle moments, feel free to in the comments section.

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