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  1. Tracks
  2. Nas
  3. Small World

TRACK

Nas

Small World

Release date: 6th April 1999

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About This Track

Nas constructs 'Small World' as a series of interconnected street narratives, each one a lesson in consequence. The track opens with a meditation on moral restraint, see no evil, speak no evil, before diving into the lives of those who didn't heed the warning. Carolyn from Maryland, a woman moving through the underworld with style and calculation, becomes entangled with killers and federal attention. Snook from Red Hook, fresh from five years upstate, carries his own designs for quick money and revenge. These are not cautionary tales dressed up as entertainment; they are portraits of people whose choices have narrowed their futures. The production by Carlos "6 July" Broady and Nashiem Myrick sits low and patient, letting Nas's voice carry the weight of detail. He moves through each character with the precision of someone who has witnessed these patterns repeat, the chorus insisting that the world is smaller than anyone thinks, that what you do will find you again. The song's moral architecture is simple but unsparing: you reap what you sow, and time is the only variable.

"Small World" is a track by Nas, released 6th April 1999. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 4 articles about Nas.

About the Artist

Nas

Nas

Lyrics

Small World

[Produced by Carlos "6 July" Broady & Nashiem Myrick]

[Intro]

See no evil, fear no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil

If you don't bring that shit around you

You ain't got nothin' to worry about (Uh-huh)

Yeah (Yeah, uh-huh)

Know what I'm sayin'? (Yeah)

Yo, yoyo, yo

[Verse 1]

Carolyn from Maryland, she Lady Heroin

She elegant, her apparel in the M-Class caravan

Ki's of dope, lovin' cats to skeet in her throat

She fuck killers in her condo, her Benz and her boat

Her ice fro', ass is curvy, forty years old

She passin' for thirty. Gucci framed glasses from Purvy's

Madison Ave., shoppin', when she not, coppin' bricks of that shit

She hoppin' on dicks, ridin' Pony's who trick

At my man's wake, she said the eulogy

After that, I usually bumped into her shoppin' for jewelry

Her bodyguard screwin' me. I gave her my math

Ain't nothin' new to me. Blowin' backs out, six-pack Stouts

Wide fat mouth. The evil look with a bow-leg

Yo, niggas said, "Shorty's a pro, she blow heads

She push the fo' red. She know Feds, Feds know her"

A code red, maybe she's out to slay me. This bitch is crazy

She blew the celly up. Meet me at the telly to fuck

She knew about cats from way back. We smoked the haystack

She never coughed once; blunts was her hobby

She said I knew her man probably. No doubt; '96, he tried to rob me

I jetted though. Sometimes, you never know

He snorted all her work, now, she need me to do her dirty work

[Chorus]

It's a small world (It's a...), nigga, you reap what you sow (...Small world)

What goes around comes around, if you sleep, you don't know

A very small world (It's a...), where beef could never end (...Small world)

At the time you least expect it, I'ma see you again

It's a small world (It's a...). You get away with it now (...Small world)

Soon enough it catches up to you someway, somehow

Yo, it's a small world, watch what you do... (It's a small world)

[Verse 2]

Snook from Red Hook was grimy, did five years, glad to be home

From Attica, known for keepin' chrome calibers

Smooth like a Wallaby shoe. He's out to get it

Five years plannin' to blow soon as he hit the bridicks

Had a girl in Woodside Queens, thought he was low

Played the crib for a month and deaded his P.O

Started robbin' niggas ‘til he caught a whole kilo

He had a bunch of starvin' niggas he owe. He never paid though

Got large sign on his door: "Don't knock hard"

Laying with his bitch. "Niggas is rich" is what he told her

Played the block holdin' cracks inside the baby stroller

Here come his crazy soldier, six shots; it's over

A year went past, Snook went flossing fast

His old man had crossed his ass for the laws of this fast cash

[Chorus]

It's a small world (It's a...), nigga, reap what you sow (...Small world)

What goes around comes around, if you sleep you don't know

A very small world (It's a...), where beef could never end (...Small world)

At the time you least expect it, I'ma see you again (Again, nigga)

It's a small world (No doubt) (It's a...), you get away with it now (...Small world)

Soon enough, it catches up to you, someway, somehow

It's a small world, watch what you do... (It's a small... world, ah-yeah, ah-yeah)

[Verse 3]

I seen death, seen thugs cry, it's bugged why we let the slugs fly

Enter your brain through your skull, another thug dies

Pitchin' your soul into that infinite black hole

Where many souls go 'cause of a .44 blast

Snook was one of 'em, so many more

Even that Fendi whore got niggas hit up. Yeah, let that Henny pour

Carolyn, paid-up bitch, made bitch, stay rich

Heard her bodyguard took Snook to God

Carolyn, when she needed him, he took the job

He was close to her ever since she took him inside

When his moms died; dope fiend, OD'd, '85

He went crazy, stuck up banks to stay alive

He was live, do niggas even know the things that he tried?

Robbed armored trucks, incidents where police died

He stayed in lower Eastside, peace, God, (Peace, God). He stared at me hard

Two of his mans with him. I got to hit 'em

I'm reachin' for my Roscoe, cocked it back on and get my blast on

At the gas station, bunch of Arabs racin'

Out the way as my Taurus spray. Jump in the whip, hit the highway

You know how I say, the game that I play

It's real tendencies when you feel your enemies

But can't figure out who's who, keep it true

Shit is cool now. Put the tools down? Never

'Cause everyday is on, livin' this life, out for this cheddar

[Chorus]

It's a small world (It's a...), nigga, you reap what you sow (...Small world)

What goes around comes around, if you sleep, you won't know

A very small world (It's a...), where beef never ends (...Small world)

At the time you least expect it, I'ma see you again

It's a small world (It's a...), you get away with it now (...Small world)

Soon enough, it catches up to you someway, somehow

It's a small world, watch what you do... (It's a... small, world)

[Outro]

I'm gonna see you again

Uh-huh, I'm gonna see you again, nigga

Uh-huh, gonna see you again, nigga Yeah...

Track details

Small World

1999
Listen
Release year
1999

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    Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Carlos “6 July” Broady, Nas, Nashiem Myrick
    Producer
    Carlos “6 July” Broady, Nashiem Myrick
    Keyboards
    Mike Goods
    Mixing Engineer
    Rich Travali
    Recording Engineer
    Jon Shriver, Nas
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