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It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live) Lyrics by Nas

Illmatic: Live from the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra

2018

[Spoken: Nas]
Thank you, for giving me 20 years of your ears
Thank you, thank you
So, we now conclude with the final song of Illmatic
This one is the end of the cassette
It was just 9 songs
Yeah, this song right here, I got you though
This one my joint 'cause I'm a big Michael Jackson fan and he
I'll tell you something that I never said
For my album cover, you see me with the afro, that was kinda inspired by Michael Jackson, the little, the little kid picture, right?
So, I never told that anyone before
So, this is uhh, "It Ain't Hard To Tell"
The sample's from "Human Nature"
Yeah, uh
Yeah, I see y'all right here
Yeah
[Verse 1: Nas]
It ain't hard to tell
The mic is contacted
My mic check is life or death, breathin' a sniper's breath
I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps
Deep like The Shining, sparkle like a diamond
Sneak a Uzi on the island in my
Hit the Earth like a comet—invasion!
Nas is like the
‘Cause in my physical I can express through song
Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong
I drink Moët with Medusa, give her shotguns in Hell
From the spliff that I lift and inhale; it ain't hard to tell
Whoa, whoa, whoa
It ain't hard to tell
[Interlude: Nas]
Some of y'all was like 5 years old when this album came out
[Verse 2: Nas]
The buddha monk's in your trunk, turn the bass up
Not stories by Aesop
Place your loot up, parties I shoot up
Nas, I analyze, drop a jew-el, inhale from the L
School a fool well, you feel it like Braille
It ain't hard to tell, I kick a skill, like Shaquille holds a pill
Vocabulary spills, I'm Ill plus Matic
I freak beats, slam it, like Iron Sheik
Jam like a TEC with correct techniques
So analyze me, surprise me, but can't magmatize me
Scannin' while you're plannin' ways to sabotage me
I leave 'em froze, like heroin in your nose
Nas will rock well; it ain't hard to tell
Yeah, yeah
[Interlude: Nas]
If you was there with me in '94, make some noise
I love you for that
[Verse 3: Nas]
This rhythmatic explosion
Is what your frame of mind has chosen
I'll leave your brain stimulated, niggas is frozen
Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin
End like Leviathan, it's deep; well, let me try again
Wisdom be leakin' out my grapefruit, troop
I dominate break loops, givin' mics men-e-strual cycles
Street's disciple, I rock beats that's mega trifle
And groove even smoother than moves by Villanova
You're still a soldier, I'm like Sly Stone in Cobra
Packin' like a Rasta in the weed spot
Vocals will squeeze Glocks
MCs eavesdrop, though they need not to sneak
My poetry's deep, I never fell
Nas' raps should be locked in a cell; it ain't hard to tell
It ain't hard to tell
It ain't hard to tell
[Nas]
20 years, yes
Special thanks to everybody up in here
I thank you from the bottom of my brave heart
[Spoken: Nas]
Thank you, special thank you to The National Symphony Orchestra
Thank you to my man Tim Davis
[?]
He's also the composer, bass, and orchestrations
Derrick Harsh
Travis Sells
DJ Green Lantern
Please make some noise for my man, the composer Steven
Ryan Hakim
One more time, National Symphony Orchestra
We thank you from the bottom of our brave hearts
For keeping it Illmatic with me through the years
Thank you for looking beautiful tonight
I love you forever man, stay real
Credits
Nas

Nas

About “It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live)” by Nas

Read the complete lyrics to "It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live)" by Nas from the album "Illmatic: Live from the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra" in 2018. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, USA, East Coast Rap.

"It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live)" is performed by Nas. from the album "Illmatic: Live from the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra" in 2018 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live)", explore more songs by Nas using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live)" is credited to Nas. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Live)" appears on "Illmatic: Live from the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra" in 2018.

Visit the Nas artist page at /artist/nas for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.