Nothing to Lose Songtext
von K’naan feat. Nas

Someone called the cops on him
Someone told his pops on him
He was talkin′ crooked and he had some rocks on him
Tucked, tucked in his socks's corner

Chucks, chucks and the Charlotte Hornet
Cap when he ′flow, then they all surprised on him
Yes he's a fugee, but he go all Nas on 'em
Well can′t go pras on ′em

And he got that crossover
But he from the streets, you don't cross over
Hut, hut to the block soldiers
Buck, buck to the cop vultures

Nope, no I don′t know pilots
Uh, nigga I know pirates, violence the islands
Shout out to my idrens
Put your hands up, like it's a motherfuckin′ siren


Well I paid all my dues
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shone a million shoes
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause when you got nothing left
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got nothing to lose
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

I used to stand on Vernon and 10, burnin′ a spliff burner on hip
Wishing to flip a bird, yac burning my chest
Black certainly I'm dressed
Strictly that army shit, finish my shift

Pack gone before the dawn hit
Anything I could earn on the strip, turn it and flip
Watching my back, cooking that pot, making it stretch
Discussing with my cliq, should we duct tape the connect
It's rough and K′naan knows, he had the same woes

I′m voicing my opinions, I forgot y'all was there
I ain′t know y'all was still listenin′, be honest I ain't care
Y′all don't get my innuendos my interests
Y'all on some simple shit, thinking I′m preachy

Yeah, my church is the world
Christians sip a cup of this holy water
Stuck at this phony border
It′s custom to enter the main stream


You must front and record
A poorer oratory
Your life story corny
Yo, my Somali niggas know what war be

Well I paid all my dues (paid my dues)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shone a million shoes
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause when you got nothing left
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got nothing to lose
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Remember when niggas said Nas was Somalian
Baseball cap had the tags
Like a yardie and it was written just came out
I was gnarly then

Niggas dreaded seeing me like a Rastafarian
We didn′t know the dresscode though, we was bargainers
The knock off filas with the pumps and cheap cardigans
Niggas looked corny I admit

We was foreigners but this corny kid
Quick send you to the coroners
Y'all know my war story
I won′t repeat it, it's just injury

My victory′s undefeated
Thought you knew me well, go back and delete it
I'm in every joint this year
Orthopedic and yes the AK's are instruments, we do drum ′em

I′m somewhere between killa and king Solomon
And the shades take half the face
We over stun 'em and treat obstacles like ass
We overcome ′em

Man, they really made me do this, I was peaceful like a Buddhist
But then niggas came and screwed it up like Judas
Now I'm suited up with Lugers, Rugers suddenly intruders
Turn around like hoola hoopers, fucking losers

Well I paid all my dues
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shone a million shoes
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
′Cause when you got nothing left
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got nothing to lose
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

This one's for the world
This one′s for your girl
This one's for your mama
This one's for your Nana