Thief's Theme

Nas

About Thief's Theme

"Thief's Theme" is a single from Nas' double album Street's Disciple. The single contains vocals from Nas' song "The World Is Yours" from his first album Illmatic: The song featured an interpolation of the famous riff from Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" performed by Incredible Bongo Band. Nas would again use the same sample on the 2006 single "Hip Hop is Dead". Nas sponsored a contest in the United Kingdom in 2004, encouraging entrants to record a verse using the instrumental version of the song. The winner would perform a verse on the song, which appears on the UK version of Street's Disciple. Rising Son won the competition. The song was featured in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed but was not featured on the soundtrack. 


Year:
2013
3:00
74 
#1

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

[Intro]
One, two
Check, one, two
One, two, who got more style, the son do
{*rewind*}
One, two
Check, one, two
One, two, who got more style, the son do
Check, one, two

[Verse 1]
Yo I'm hot like 95 Fahrenheit
On a summer night, tight spot where bodies rot
Rats drink from water drops, in the streets niggaz
Little kids scared cops, wit bread dots

Philosophical gangsta, where violent priors
Goin' back like black and white TV's wit pliers
Leanin' on broke down cars, wit flat tires
Flash iron, or anybody tryin on the blocks I'm supplyin on

Mighty call, my peeps, tie ballons up
And swallow 'em and the penal got goons, lots of 'em
Cops see them and run, don't want no drama
Certain parts of the streets, the beast don't want a part of

Mortar, hood haunted like the Dakota
Where John Lennon was shot up, but he sang for peace
He begged for freedom, hanged wit wild Jamicians
From Kingston, who drink Irish Moss

Listenin' to Peter Winston, Machintosh
Lightning hits the top of the church steeple
When I'm writin', semi-automatic no hyphen
It's frightening.... {*scratches*}

[Chorus]
The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right
Understandable smooth shit, that murderers move wit
The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right
Understandable smooth shit, that murderers move wit
The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right
Understandable smooth shit, that murderers move wit
The thief's theme, play me at night, they won't act right
Understandable smooth shit, that murderers move wit

[Verse 2]
I take summers off, cause I love winter beef
Started '87, wit the shotty in the sheet
Three-quarter length beige, dressed to kill
Bust a shell at the ground, pellets hit the crowd

Nobody like a snitch, everybody shut they mouth
Rule which car heart, gun powder stains
Smellin' like trees, set some mill on the brain
Skeemin' on ya girls, bamboozled on ya chain

Got ill up on the train, twistin' off a cap
Of a English in my vain, might of pushed you on the tracks
Death crack fiends, who can't speak, scream noises
'Cause you bought a drummer sooked, from one of my boys, it's

.... Just another day in the hood
And I'm, wit some wild brothers, up to no good
We saw the movies, like Tony Montana, and 'em
But our style was let them piled in, we robbin 'em

Money dudes, make 'em come up out they shoes
Run they jewels, word is bond, where my man Nino goin
And I had to make a song, speakin on my old life
For the thief's who come out at night

[Chorus]

[Outro]
One, two
Check, one, two {*echoes*}
One, two
Check, one, two
One, two, who got more style, the son do {*echoes*}
{*explosion*}

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


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: Douglas Ingle, Nasir Jones, Salaam Remi

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Production
"Thief's Theme" is a song by American rapper Nas founded from his double-disc album "Street's Disciple." It was produced by Salaam Remi, who incorporates a sample of Iron Butterfly's 1968 song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."
Release Date
The song was first released on August 17, 2004. It was one of the standout tracks from "Street's Disciple."
Music Video
The music video for "Thief's Theme" was directed by famous filmmaker Benny Boom.
Chart Performance
Despite its lyrical prowess, "Thief's Theme" did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. It, however, reached the 47th spot on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Subsequent Remix
Nas later remixed the song with fellow rapper and lyricist, Dead Prez. This version is even more politically charged than the original.
Background and Theme
"Thief's Theme" displays Nas' lyrical ability to paint vivid pictures with music. The songs chronologically recount the everyday struggles of a thief.
Sampled Works
Nas himself sampled "Thief's Theme" on his 2004 crossover hit "Hip Hop Is Dead."
Live Performance
Nas performed the song live on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2004, showcasing the popularity of the song at that time.
Soundtrack Usage
"Thief's Theme" was used in the 2006 basketball simulation video game, NBA 2K7, as part of its official soundtrack. This helped expose the song to a broader audience and increased the popularity of the track globally.
Critic Reviews
The complexity of the lyrics and the hard-hitting beat have resulted in the song being highly regarded by many critics. It is often cited as one of Nas' most revered songs.

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