Lyrics:

And as a special treat this evening
I have asked America's foremost young poet
To read his latest poem for us

'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'Everybody watch him'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'We-we-we came a long way'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'Everybody watch him'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'*

Yo.. yo.. yo..
Power and crime, the thugs slingin' powder and dimes
Twenties of D, is yo' niggas wilder than mine?
My niggas bust .9's, puff lye and stick up cowards
For they shine — you resist? Then you push up flowers
I'm like Luca Brasi, Vito's best hit-man
That's 'Godfather' shit, back seat, next lit plans
Revolvers spit, I'm too tough to bargain with
And you don't want the God to pull up, the cars are sick
Arms and wrists is lit up, Queensbridge King
Plaques, awards, applause when I do my thing
Streets is black as midnight, the concrete gray
With stains of blood and germ and piss all day
Come on the Ave., get sized up plus appraised
Duck and pray that my guns don't bust your way
Niggas with names livin' off reputation
Sometimes gotta remind you — ain't nothin' changin'

'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'Everybody watch him'

If you ill, come get me 'cause I ain't runnin'
If your gun's off the hook, then we'll both be gunnin'
Come get me if you real 'cause I ain't scared
It's all fair in love and war, and I'm well prepared
If you ill, come get me 'cause I ain't runnin'
If your gun's off the hook, then we'll both be gunnin'
Come get me if you real 'cause I ain't scared
It's all fair in love and war, we can take it there

You don't like me, clown? Now you wanna take me down?
If I bring my face around, you gon' do what? You butt!
Your crew knew I blew up, I been shinin'
Baseball diamonds, dick rings for your chicklings
Niggas know what my nine pearl handle's about
Fuck you say, girlie mouth? Get it crunk like the Dirty South
And I know you see me flossed out, multi-milli-i
Hear your bitch talk about me, you give her the cold eye?
Girls dig you, imagine what she feel for me?
You make hot songs, but she know you steal from me
Who ill as me? I wild on haters in album three
Next level — I take y'all niggas to 3-D
Can't find a nigga shook from Queens
I'll be with the most grimy killers (What nigga?!), and they all look clean
Who put bombs underneath cars
If you want beef, then start (Uh)
Your next stop is to the graveyard

If you ill, come get me 'cause I ain't runnin'
If your gun's off the hook, then we'll both be gunnin'
Come get me if you real 'cause I ain't scared
It's all fair in love and war, and I'm well prepared
If you ill, come get me 'cause I ain't runnin'
If your gun's off the hook, then we'll both be gunnin'
Come get me if you real 'cause I ain't scared
It's all fair in love and war, we can take it there

You too feminine to kill again, jail got you soft
You talk but you scared to go back up North
Keep your face twisted, but you don't really want nothin'
Talk a bunch of shit, motherfucker, and stop frontin'
You don't wanna flip again, and sell drugs again
Be on the run again, catch you at the Comfort Inn
Shoot up your door, bust in on you and your whore
Put y'all in bags, clean the blood off of the floor
So play tough, I want y'all to get outta line
I got .9's — every color, shape and design
I sent killers of every race to put one in your spine
Two in your ear, get your crew, who do I fear?
Nobody never gettin' robbed and none of us dyin'
I think like you do, roll with about two irons
Catch me flyin' high in the aircraft, winin' and dinin'
You die? Then we laugh, you bitch-ass
The rich ass, they gauze up, your stab wounds
While I'm gettin' head in a Lear jet bathroom
With all my goons, all my ices, suitcases
Full of paper, not money, it's bank statements
We Illmatic — that explains how we rock
Yachts and co-ops, we buy the hood and sell you a block

If you ill, come get me 'cause I ain't runnin'
If your gun's off the hook, then we'll both be gunnin'
Come get me if you real 'cause I ain't scared
It's all fair in love and war, and I'm well prepared
If you ill, come get me 'cause I ain't runnin'
If your gun's off the hook, then we'll both be gunnin'
Come get me if you real 'cause I ain't scared
It's all fair in love and war, we can take it there

'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'Everybody watch him'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'We-we-we came a long way'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'
'Everybody watch him'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus'

'Ladies and gentlemen..'
'Ladies and gentlemen..'