40-16 Building is the fourth track off Nas' 14th studio album, Magic.
In this song, Nas elaborated on how hateful/jealous people want to destroy anybody who successfully made it out their negative urban predicament, similar to how he opened up on this topic on his heartfelt song Moments from the KD...
[Intro]
That '70s heroin, Heron Preston
Teflon
[Verse 1]
I got so many kids in the game, it's like a gender revealing
I got that feeling, Lionel Richie, Dancing on the Ceiling
Hope it resemble a Van Gogh when you paint me the villain
The hate is real but you should know that the love is way realer
Crafty with a pen way before I could pack 'em in
Nasty with dreads, a slim teen, young, I was passionate
A brand new book cracklin' sound when you open, I'm writin' gems
I make gospel in the booth, it might sound likе I'm writin' hymns
Put designer with the Timbs, wow
Thеy wanna run with my style
40-16 Building bussin' 'em down
And the fiends was like employees bringin' customers 'round
Hurricane waters, niggas had dreams of flooding the town
Weather report lookin' rainy but I skate through it daily
In a new grey Mercedes, waterproof Jordan Laneys
I'm sizzlin', scorchin', handsomely how they gotta pay me
Every recording off the head, I’m in the studio lately
[Chorus]
Nas, Nas
I don't bang but I'm makin' that Crip (Cryp)
Let my bitch run in the Webster while I blaze in the whip
[Verse 2]
Take my quotes, I'm here to give hope
Start a company from one of my phrases
We in the age of lettin' dumb shit kill your kingdom
Body bags for no reason, young shit, blunts lit
Slurring off of the Seagram's, hell with it
Creep through the shadows, eyes wide open, Thai still smokin'
Break screechin', he's tweakin'
He see himself way different than we see him
He speak as if these mean streets was only his region
Shit, everybody’s squeezin'
Niggas know what I came in this game with, I'm not a entertainer
That's just a disclaimer for what I'm 'bout to say
Famous people sayin' they hate bein' famous, millionaires hate it
People take just to feel like they made it
Whoever claim that you changed 'cause the money came
They'd do the same if they saw they name on a hundred thangs
Pardon the haters, it's my billi behavior
If they don't say I'm the G.O.A.T, that's just silly behavior
[Bridge]
It's the ones you grew up with, that's with the dumb shit
They want you slumped 'cause you get love, ain't that some shit?
Twenty trucks at the awards, we be movin' so crazy
I don't buy into the hype, I'm in the studio lately
It's the ones you grew up with, that's with the dumb shit
They want you slumped 'cause you get love, ain't that some shit?
Twenty trucks at the awards, we be movin' so crazy
I don't buy into the hype, I'm in the studio lately
[Chorus]
Nas, Nas
I don't bang but I'm makin' that Crip
Let my bitch run in the Webster while I blaze in the whip
[Outro]
I'm outta here
I told niggas I was in rare form on the last album
I ain't playin' out here
It's not a game, woo
40-16 Building was produced by Hit-Boy.
Nas released 40-16 Building on Fri Dec 24 2021.