Ether is the second track on Nas' 2001 album Stillmatic. The song was a response to Jay-Z’s “Takeover” – a diss track which appears as the second track on Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint, during the Jay-Z vs. Nas feud. Nas named the song Ether because in his words, “I was told a long time ago, ghosts an...
[Produced by Ron Browz]
[Intro]
Fuck Jay-Z
What's up, niggas?
Ayo, I know you ain't talkin' about me, dawg (You? What?)
Fuck Jay-Z
You been on my dick, nigga
You love my style, nigga (Uh, uh, uh, uh)
Fuck Jay-Z
[Chorus]
(I) Fuck with your soul like ether
(Will) Teach you, the king, you know you
(Not) God's Son across the belly
(Lose) I'll prove you lost already (Uh)
[Verse 1]
Brace yourself for the main event, y'all impatiently waitin'
It's like a AIDS test, what's the results?
Not positive, who's the best, Pac, Nas and B.I.G.?
Ain't no best, east, west, north, south, flossed out
Greetings, I embrace y'all with napalm
Blows up, no guts left, chest, face gone
How could Nas be garbage? Semi-autos at your cartilage (Uh)
Burner at the side of your dome, come out of my throne
I got this locked since '91 (Uh), I am the truest
Name a rapper that I ain't influenced
Gave y'all chapters, but now I keep my eyes on the Judas
With Hawaiian Sophie fame, kept my name in his music, check it
[Chorus]
(I) Fuck with your soul like ether
(Will) Teach you, the king, you know you
(Not) God's Son across the belly (Haha)
(Lose) I'll prove you lost already (Uh)
[Interlude]
Ayo, pass me the weed (Tsk, there you go)
Put my ashes out on these niggas, man (Ain't no doubt)
Ayo, you faggots, y'all kneel and kiss the motherfuckin' ring
[Chorus]
(I) Fuck with your soul like ether
(Will) Teach you, the king, you know you
(Not) God's Son across the belly
(Lose) I'll prove you lost already
[Verse 2]
I've been fucked over, left for dead, dissed and forgotten
Luck ran out, they hoped that I'd be gone, stiff and rotten
Y'all just piss on me, shit on me, spit on my grave (Uh)
Talk about me, laugh behind my back, but in my face
Y'all some well-wishin' (Bitch niggas), friendly-actin', envy-hidin' snakes
With your hands out for my money, man, how much can I take?
When these streets keep callin', heard it when I was sleep
That this Gay-Z and Cock-a-Fella Records wanted beef (What?)
Started cockin' up my weapon, slowly loadin' up this ammo
To explode it on a camel (Haha) and his soldiers I can handle
This for dolo and his manuscript just sound stupid
When KRS already made a album called Blueprint (Dick)
First Biggie's your man, then you got the nerve to say
That you better than B.I.G., dick-suckin' lips (Ha)
Why don't you let the late, great veteran live?
[Interlude]
I will
Not lose (God's son across the belly, I'll prove you lost already), uh
The king is back
Where my crown at? (Ill Will)
Ill Will, rest in peace, let's do it, niggas
[Chorus]
(I) Fuck with your soul like ether
(Will) Teach you, the king, you know you
(Not) God's Son across the belly
(Lose) I'll prove you lost already
[Verse 3]
Y'all niggas deal with emotions like bitches
What's sad is I love you 'cause you're my brother, you traded your soul for riches
My child, I've watched you grow up to be famous
And now I smile like a proud dad watchin' his only son that made it
You seem to be only concerned with dissin' women
Were you abused as a child? Scared to smile, they called you ugly?
Well, life is harsh, hug me, don't reject me
Or make records to disrespect me, blatant or indirectly
In '88 you was gettin' chased through your building
Callin' my crib and I ain't even give you my numbers
All I did was give you a style for you to run with
Smilin' in my face, glad to break bread with the God
Wearin' Jaz' chains, no TECs, no cash, no cars
No jail bars, Jigga, no pies, no case
Just Hawaiian shirts, hangin' with little Chase
You a fan, a phony, a fake, a pussy, a Stan
I'll still whip your ass, you thirty-six in a karate class?
You Tae-Bo ho, tryna work it out, you tryna get brolic?
Ask me if I'm tryna kick knowledge?
Nah, I'm tryna kick the shit you need to learn, though
That ether, that shit that make your soul burn slow (Burn slow)
Is he Dame Diddy, Dame Daddy or Dame Dummy?
Oh, I get it, you Biggie and he's Puffy (Ill)
Rocafella died of AIDS, that was the end of his chapter
And that's the guy y'all chose to name your company after?
Put it together, I rock hoes, y'all rock fellas
And now y'all tryna take my spot, fellas?
Feel these hot rocks, fellas, put you in a dry spot, fellas
In a pine box with nine shots from my Glock, fellas
Foxy got you hot 'cause you kept your face in her puss
What you think, you gettin' girls now 'cause of your looks? (Girls, girls, girls, haha)
Negro, please, ha, you no-mustache-havin'
With whiskers like a rat, compared to Beans, you wack
And your man stabbed Un and made you take the blame
You ass, went from Jaz to hangin' with Kane, to Irv, to B.I.G
And Eminem murdered you on your own shit
You a dick-ridin' faggot, you love the attention
Queens niggas run you niggas, ask Russell Simmons, ha
R-O-C get gunned up and clapped quick
J.J. Evans get gunned up and clapped quick
Your whole damn record label, gunned up and clapped quick
Shawn Carter to Jay-Z, damn, you on Jaz dick
So little Shawny's gettin' gunned up and clapped quick
How much of Biggie's rhymes is gon' come out your fat lips? (Nigga)
Wanted to be on every last one of my classics
You pop shit, apologize, nigga, just ask Kiss
Ether was produced by Ron Browz.
In an interview on Hot97 with Funkmaster Flex the day Stillmatic was released, Nas was asked how much time he spent working on this track.
He responded, “I mean, everybody’s like, ‘Oh… did you do it in one day, and you just knocked it out?’ Nah, I was working on my album, and I didn’t want to do Et...
About 3 months. Jay-Z’s “Takeover” was released on September 11, 2001, “Ether” was released December 4th.
To keep it simple, it is a matter of dispute. But Nas and JAY-Z did eventually squash their beef, which, considering JAY-Z started the fight and Nas ended it, it’s safe to say that history will remember Nas well.
Yes, “Ether” was put out 14 days prior to Stillmatic’s December 18th release.
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