Wanna Be There
| Title | Wanna Be There |
|---|---|
| Artist | AZ |
| Album | Aziatic |
| Release Date | 2002-06-11 |
| Description | “Wanna Be There” is rapped with a voice unusual in Hip-Hop: resigned, nostalgic, heavy with the weary experience of an uncompromising street aesthete who has never blown-up, but instead achieved modest success. Through this poignant awareness of self, AZ thanks God, humbly asks for our respect, and makes a melancholy assertion of his lyrical omnipotence and gangsta. AZ admits he never became a huge star like his next-of-kin Nas, but nonetheless asks for our respect for his years of work and beautiful rhyme craftsmanship. At bottom, it is a religious thanksgiving that fuels this songwriting and performance. He just wants to be there: “Loving the game you gave me, loving my name is AZ / I never sold millions, but fuck it, I’m here to save the babies.” “Wanna Be There” is an elegy to the deferred dreams of thousands of thugs who have nonetheless have experienced transcendent beauty at kitchen tables, subway stations, and in their minds. At the same time, it is an acceptance of and appreciation for this achievement. Parenthetically, I’d propose “Wanna Be There” sources from a similar emotional region as Kendrick Lamar’s “Sing About Me,” and perhaps 2pac’s “Unconditional Love.” Three immortal tracks that are almost overwhelmingly, unbearably human, driven to their heights, ironically, by their painful awareness of mortality. |
| Lyrics | Yeah, you see, some men see things the way they are, and say, why? I see things that never was and say, why not? Just wanna be there, you know? y'all realize, I hold this down [Verse 1] East New York, Eighty-two, first Pumas navy blue First wife Keisha Wilson with love, she was my baby boo Crazy crew, paying dues, few of us made it through Front window, Ms. Gladys, that was my favorite view Hated school, never went, hookie was better spend Right around the time the god Ra' spoke of dead presidents Devilish ever since, seeking for hope Needing some form of nourishment, it's eighty-eight Skin starting to radiate, hair on my baby-face Mama bear could see that I'm there, she finally gave me space Change of pace moving quicker, consuming liquor Humping upon some chicks pussy trying to undo her zipper Gucci slippers who can diss us? 40 deuce movie pictures What other way but poetically can I prove these scriptures? Drugs sold 'em, cars rode 'em, guns near my scrotum Got locked, got right out, gave what I owed 'em Cried when they buried Will, killed 'Po killed Phil Murdered Donald Jones, shot clip hit Bill Prince in prison, damn, yeah I'm still living I can see 'em up in heaven my nigga dance to the rhythm God, show me another way, give me another day Open the lane up so I can make these fuckers pay [Hook] Now don't be bringing me no flowers when I'm gone Cause I won't be coming back when I move on Any love you hold inside, let me see Cause it won't mean a thing when I leave I just wanna be there [Verse 2] Loving da game you gave me, loving my name is AZ Never sold millions, but fuck it I'm here to save the babies Look how a lady raised me, some would say he crazy I'm just a nigga from Brooklyn repping the streets that made me Rapping for quite a while, all around, tighter style One of the flyest with the brightest smile, try me how? Save all the accusations, keep all the confrontations I'm sitting contemplating trying to crack the combination Move mystique mostly, must that I keep cozy At times I creeped doly this is what the East showed me More into music making trying to renew relations Ducking the dudes that's hating, please don't make me lose my patience I put it down for y'all my face surrounds Allah My catalogue consists of a hundred thousand bars The god, please respect me, ya heard? [Hook x2] You might also like(Be there, be there Any love for AZ, let him see) |