Lyrics of 'Beef' by Nas

It's like y'all can't do nothin' without me
Everything be going good but then y'all pull me in
And mess everything up
Why y'all always let me win?
Uh

I be tryin' to find the best way they can stop me cold
Another body and guess who the cause, and why they foes?
Beef is my name, my story is age old
Some question, why do I always come to take souls?

I'm everywhere in the hearts of men
Jealousy and envy my right hands, them is my mans
I'm what happens on mad blocks
I'm the jabs takin' in talks
The arguments between the women in the crab leg spots
That behind the back shit complex and multifaceted
Lesson to the real, I be decimal subtracting shit
The devil is a lie, I could confuse a genius
Have him movin' real dumb over nothin' at my convenience

When empires fall over women I am the reason
USA and Al-Qaeda, I'm the tension between 'em
I'm the words that get misinterpreted
I'm the get back, I'm the first to hit
I'm the worst of it, lurkin' on your premises
I am your nemesis
Parents of every slain rapper wish I didn't exist
But I'm alive and I thrive on your ignorance
I'm a thousand foot fence that keep you from getting rich
Get around me

I be tryin' to find the best way they can stop me cold
Another body and guess who the cause, and why they foes?
Beef is my name, my story is age old
Some question why do I always come to take souls
I be tryin' to find the best way they can stop me cold
Another body and guess who the cause, and why they foes?
Beef is my name, my story is age old
Some question, why do I always come to take souls? (Take souls)

I'm the invasion of personal space
Fake smiles on your face, just serving' 'em hate
All that internet beef, that shit a virgin to me
I been here before the Bible it's murder I speak
The energy creepin' 'round the blocks and the streets
Take his guys with him shoppin', they side-eyeing to please
Everybody's impossible, it don't stop in the P's

I'm eternal, I'm everywhere the action at
I'm always where the guns are blazin', attractin' that
The grimiest places is my natural habitat
In all the jails and all the parties I be
Drive-bys with kids that killed accidentally
That's the type of shit they try to pin to me
Tragic situations give me my identity
And beef cut off the fat
That sizzle in grease
Love to many deceased over me

I be tryin' to find the best way they can stop me cold (beef)
Another body and guess who the cause, and why they foes?
Beef is my name, my story is age-old
Some question, why do I always come to take souls?
I be tryin' to find the best way they can stop me cold
Another body and guess who the cause, and why they foes?
Beef is my name, my story is age-old
Some question, why do I always come to take souls? (Take souls)

People got me in some shit everyday
Over this, over that
Over nothing
Over something
Either way

It's on
Why it's always gotta be resortin' to me?
I ain't asked for this power
It's torture, it forced me to see
People drainin' themselves, some pull off some horrible deeds
Rumors turnin' into a monster, lies always mislead
By the time you hear what somebody said
It's stretched out, they expanded and made it worse
Now you all stressed out
You wish you got it straightened out
But it's too far gone
From who shot ya? To hit em up to Tupac's song