The Set Up Analysis

“The Set Up” This track was written by rappers Nas and Kejuan Muchita aka Havoc, in addition, Havoc produced this single as well. Havoc a member of rap group Mobb Depp was also featured in this single. In this track Nas describes the need to seek revenge after one of his close friends is shot.
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In his lyrics, he explains how after they shoot him, they stole his Rolex watch and smack his girl. He calls his “boy” or friend AZ and instructs him to bring his gun, he’s going to get the people that shot his friend. AZ arrives with the gun and two sexy women. However, according to Nas the combination of guns and sexy women is not a good one, it’s a recipe for disaster and a setup. This single was considered too raw for radio airplay,

This recording is another one of his deep cuts found in this album. He associates the shootings in Queensbridge to the Wild West.

“Live N***a Rap” This track was written by Nas and rapper Havoc from the group Mobb Depp. In addition, he produced the track as well. This track features Mobb Depp and initially it was going to be a part of their album. However, after receiving a call from Nas requesting the song for his album, they gave it to him. During this time, hip-hop had significant associations with the Five Percent Nation, a cultural movement that was a religious belief of Islam. Several rappers were heavily influenced by it, including Nas, his lyrics featured many of their teachings and beliefs.

“If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” This was the last track on this album and its first single released off this album. It was composed by Nas, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes and Kurtis Walker. It featured samples of Whodini’s, “Friends and Kurtis Blow’s, “If I Ruled the World”, two old school rappers. In addition to lyrics by Nas, it also included vocals from rapper Lauryn Hill from the group The Fugees. This track was extremely different from his previous recordings, since it introduced a more commercialized sound. This single became Nas’s first top twenty R&B hit and additionally was nominated for a Grammy in 1997. This single became one of the most successful rap songs and introduced Nas to a different crowd. The single starts

His lyrics go on defining how if he ruled the world, there would be no welfare. People would have wealth and lived in harmony regardless of race. He references the nation of Islam once again and Coretta Scott-King, Martin Luther King’s widow. He suggests that she become the mayor and he would transform the ghetto into a positive place where people would want to raise a family. Several people believed that Nas had become a sellout when this track was released. They thought that he did not have the street credibility he once had. The music video for this track was a big budget and was filmed in New York’s Times Square. This video helped the song become a successful and popular hit among various