Lyrics of 'Mastermind' by Nas

Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh...

[chorus]
A mastermind - sees it coming before it comes
A mastermind - before he go to war he counts his one
A mastermind - everything planned out perfect, in case y'all niggaz got to get murdered
A mastermind - sleeps at night, real easy
A mastermind - cause everything he does is by the book
A mastermind - never do a thing irrational, lives forever, these tales are classical

[verse]
Velvet bowties, bulletproofs in the tux, when I roll by
In car similar to a suanas, in my diamonds
And my principal is to study drama
Look what happened in manhattan
A couple of years ago when guns started clappin'
Two of my dogs fell, two of my niggaz ran
They was amatures in beef with a grown man
It taught me the lessons of how the strong stand
And how the weak, end up in a coffin
Play it cool, that's the old school rule, man
Keep your ears to the street, y'all never lose man
Make your enemies believe there's love there
Cause in war, belief is all fair
Rock them to sleep, shots in your jeep
And you ain't never know the plot was from me
It's from my masterminds

[chorus]
A mastermind - sees it coming before it comes
A mastermind - before he go to war he counts his one
A mastermind - everything planned out perfect, in case y'all niggaz got to get murdered
A mastermind - sleeps at night, real easy
A mastermind - cause everything he does is by the book
A mastermind - never do a thing irrational, lives forever, these tales are classical

[verse]
It ain't a game it's the life
Think it's a game, you layin'
And I'm nice on that black stone merlo
Toast to my hero nat turner
Whether below zero, gave the keys to kelis
Whispered in her earlobe, drive on
Cause she the wife and they the freaks
The underneath my girl caliber
They smiled at her and said goodbye
With niggaz who thug or die, they wild as us
My bodyguards are my denially trucks
Knownin' that I'm surrounded by ogs that I don't really get down with
They got a seperate table for their freaks bought them drinks
So we could talk man-to-man so real niggaz could link
I knew, they kill hos too like ray carutth
They used to spray troops, now they managing groups
The main nigga sunny had big money since '82
Had two of my dogs whacked, nothing I could do
That was back when I had no crew, I switch that
Now I'm strong with niggaz who felt sunny was wrong
My money's long his money is weak, he's losing sleep
Trying to feel me out, to see what it's gonna be
But I'm a mastermind

[chorus]
A mastermind - sees it coming before it comes
A mastermind - before he go to war he counts his one
A mastermind - everything planned out perfect, in case y'all niggaz got to get murdered
A mastermind - sleeps at night, real easy
A mastermind - cause everything he does is by the book
A mastermind - never do a thing irrational, lives forever, these tales are classical

[verse]
I live a clean life, I don't even steal cable
I speak for myslef, my niggaz will slay you
Lucky us, this rap done worked out fine
Feds, check me out, it's no dirt y'all find
This king of new york shit only last 15 minutes
Every nigga get burned, but it's what you did with it
Niggas who brillant, came in and killed it
Made millions ever three months, new jury
I'm low, smoking blueberry, with a ho
Who know a few scary individuals eerie as she gets into it
Squares they into voodoo
She says a hail mary and she says she knew who
Would come and try to kill you too

[chorus]
A mastermind - sees it coming before it comes
A mastermind - before he go to war he counts his one
A mastermind - everything planned out perfect, in case y'all niggaz got to get murdered
A mastermind - sleeps at night, real easy
A mastermind - cause everything he does is by the book
A mastermind - never do a thing irrational, lives forever, these tales are classical