Life's A Bitch

Nas

About Life's A Bitch

"Life's a Bitch" is the third single from Nas' debut album Illmatic (1994). It was released as a 12" single on April 19, 1994 by Columbia Records. It features rapping from AZ and cornet playing by Nas' father Olu Dara. It is produced by L. E. S., who samples "Yearning for Your Love" by The Gap Band and "Black Frost" by Grover Washington, Jr. for the songs down-tempo jazzy beat. AZ's verse was the first recorded verse of his rap career and gave him much positive attention. Because of his verse on "Life's a Bitch", his debut album (Doe or Die) was anticipated much like how Nas' verse on "Live at the BBQ" raised expectations for Illmatic. "Life's a Bitch" was the first of several Nas/AZ collaborations such as "Mo Money, Mo Murder", "The Essence" and "The Flyest". The song was sampled numerous times in modern times, examples include "Keep It Real" by Miilkbone (1995), Carry On" by Statik Selektah featuring Joey Badass and Freddie Gibbs (2014), "Ugly" by Suicideboys (2015), and "YSIV" by Logic (2018), among many others. 


Year:
2003
237 

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com

Visualizing the realism of life and actuality
F*ck who's "the baddest"; a person's status depends on salary
And my mentality is money-orientated
I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it
Cause yeah, we were beginners in the hood as 5 percenters
But something must of got in us cause all of us turned to sinners
Now some resting in peace and some are sitting in San Quentin
Others such as myself are trying to carry on tradition
Keeping the effervescent street ghetto essence inside us
Cause it provides us with the proper insight to guide us
Even though, we know somehow we all gotta go
But as long as we leaving thieving
We'll be leaving with some kind of dough
So, until that day we expire and turn to vapors
Me and my capers will be somewhere else stacking plenty papers
Keeping it real, packing steel, getting high
Cause life's a bitch and then you die

Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff la
Cause you never know when you're gonna go

I woke up early on my born day, I'm 20, it's a blessing
The essence of adolescence leaves my body, now I'm fresh and
My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it
One quarter through life some Godly-like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I puffs from
My skull cause it's pain in my brain, vein, money maintain
Don't go against the grain, simple and plain
When I was young, at this I used to do my thing hard
Robbing foreigners, take their wallets, their jewels
And rip their green cards
Dipped to the projects flashing my quick cash and
Got my first piece of ass smoking blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance
Niggas I used to run with is rich or doing years in the hundreds
I switched my motto; instead of saying "f*ck tomorrow"
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back
Time is Illmatic, keep static like wool fabric
Pack a 4-matic that crack your whole cabbage

Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we get high
Cause you never know when you're gonna go
Life's a bitch and then you die
That's why we puff la
Cause you never know when you're gonna go

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com


Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones ( /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known mononymously as Nas ( /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0. more »

4 fans

Written by: Anthony S Cruz, Nasir Jones, Oliver Scott, Ronny Wilson, Anthony Cruz, Ronnie Wilson

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Song Placement)
Life's a Bitch" is the third track from Nas' 1994 critically acclaimed debut album, "Illmatic." (Classification
Guest Appearance)
AZ, a fellow New York-based rapper, is featured on this track. His verse in "Life's a bitch" was his first mainstream exposure. (Classification
Song Sampling)
The song samples 'Yearning for Your Love' by The Gap Band, emphasizing the nostalgic and reflective tone of the song. (Classification
Song Lyrics)
Alcohol plays a significant role in the song as the chorus repeats, "Life's a bitch and then you die; that's why we get high." (Classification
Career Impact)
AZ's verse was so critically acclaimed that it earned him a record deal, and he was the only guest rapper featured on Illmatic. (Classification
Cultural Impact)
The song further established Nas and AZ as prominent figures in East Coast hip-hop in the mid-90s. (Classification
Song Creation Process)
AZ later mentioned in interviews that the verse in "Life's a Bitch" was written while he was under the influence of marijuana, reflecting the song's refrain. (Classification
Musical Composition)
The song's somber tone is complemented by jazz-inspired trumpet parts played by Nas's father, Olu Dara. (Classification
Thematic Focus)
The theme of "Life's a Bitch" follows the bitter reality of short-lived youth, economic struggle, and the inevitability of death, a departure from the predominant themes of hedonism and violence in mainstream rap. (Classification
Song Message)
Despite its pessimistic title, "Life's a Bitch" ends with a positive verse from Nas encouraging perseverance, hard work, and self-improvement amid life's hardships. (Classification
Awards and Recognition)
This song made AZ the first rapper ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award for a guest appearance. (Classification
Influence and Legacy)
Life's a Bitch" has been sampled in numerous songs and remixed by several artists, testifying to its lasting influence in hip-hop culture. (Classification

Discuss the Life's A Bitch Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Life's A Bitch Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/25830512/Nas/Life%27s+A+Bitch>.

    Missing lyrics by Nas?

    Know any other songs by Nas? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Life's A Bitch

    14,087
    153     18

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    In what year was the first Woodstock festival held?
    A 1969
    B 1980
    C 1968
    D 1970

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Nas's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Nas tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    Life's A Bitch

    »
    • Black and White
    • Dawson's Creek