Never Die

## Song by Nas featuring Lil Wayne

"**Never Die**" is a song by American rapper Nas, released as the sixth track from his seventeenth studio album, *Magic 3* (2023). It features guest vocals from American rapper Lil Wayne on the final verse. It marked their third music collaboration, following "My Generation" (*Distant Relatives*, 2010) and "Outro" (*Tha Carter IV*, 2011). Mixing engineer David Kim revealed that Wayne's verse was sent in the night before the album and was mixed in the morning before being released that night.

## Personnel

* Beatrice Verdi – writer
* Chauncey "Hit-Boy" Hollis Jr. – writer, producer, programmer, recording engineer
* David Kim – recording engineer, mixing engineer
* Deke Richards – writer
* Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter Jr. – featured artist, writer
* Jun Kim – mixer, second engineer
* Mike Bozzi – mastering engineer
* Nasir "Nas" Jones – lead artist, writer

## Cultural references

* Nas mentioned American professional basketball players Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James for the line 'always hit the last shot when it's game time'
	+ The American hip hop groups Brand Nubian and N.W.A, rapper Pooh Shiesty, human rights activist Malcolm X, R&B group Club Nouveau, and actor Tom Cruise are mentioned
* Wayne gave a shout-out to football coach Deion Sanders ('coachin' n\*\*\*as like Prime') and threw shade towards New Orleans Pelicans' professional basketball player Zion Williamson
	+ He does wordplay with Heinz Tomato Ketchup for the lyric 'gotta catch up like Heinz'

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: Nas]

We ain't gon' never die, I'm—

We ain't gon' never die, I'm an icon in real time

Why did I wait this long to let y'all in my ill mind?

We ain't gon' never die

We ain't gon' never die, I'ma—, yeah

We ain't gon'—

[Verse 1: Nas]

We ain't gon never die, icons in real time

Why did I wait this long to let y'all in my ill mind?

I think the hate was strong, so I went to a chill vibe

Could never say goodbye, I let my skill cry

Let my soul bleed, inside the Rolls, red rosaries

Homie, I lovе the new NY, 'cause I'm thе new NY

And the old NY at the same time

I always hit the last shot when it's game time

The Jordan, Kobe, 'Bron talk, take a long walk

You might start to understand what I'm puttin' on for

I left more flows in Pro Tools sessions

Than you ever thought of with old school methods

But what you're hearin' is the present day

Over breaks and samples of New York, N.W.A

The brand new Brand Nubians, N-A-S and Wayne

Don't threaten me with a good time, we're here to stay

Nasty, they don't make 'em like me

Mask up, all black like I'm Pooh Shiesty, shoot through

I'm like Detroit Red in the zoot suit, loose screws

Any great challenges I find a loop through

Loopholes, why they treat me so bad, Club Nouveau, damn

The times we livin' in crucial

This my Tom Cruise flow, top gun, they too slow

Computers ain't fast enough to keep up with Nasty 'cause

[Break: Nas]

We ain't gon' never die

Ha-ha-ha

Ah

We ain't gon' never die, we ain't gon'—

We ain't gon' never die

We ain't gon' never die, icons in real time

Icons in real time, we ain't gon' never die

[Verse 2: Lil Wayne]

Uh, icons, steppin' on pythons

Spittin' that cayenne, eat ya like Zion, peakin' at the skyline

Reachin' for the stars like I'm reachin' for the pylon

I seent ya on the sideline, we need to walk a fine line

We need to read the guidelines, instead of readin' the timelines

Why everybody like wine? Nobody flow like mine

I'm sonnin' these n\*\*\*as, got me coachin' n\*\*\*as like Prime

Tongue, I never bite mine, got dough like Taekwon'

To spend all this money, I'ma have to spend a lifetime

You broke, can't even buy time, should throw n\*\*\*as a lifeline

Know money on my mind, and I be on your wife mind

And hit her with the pipe bomb, and pass it down the pipeline

But actually we're quite fine

Diamonds on me sparklin' and splashin' like some white wine

They love me in the night time, they hate me when the light shine

Shots, I got a hundred, and problems, I got ninety-nine

Bugatti Veyron, take off with no flight time

Bad bitch on the passenger side, she don't even like flyin'

Booty soft as nylon, you n\*\*\*as small as micron

I got a black nina that get nasty as a white blonde

Low credit, high crime, open mind tight rhymes

When they hear my lines, these rappers gotta catch up like Heinz

Weezy and my slime Nas, ain't nobody like us

Like bygones, gotta let icons be icons, hi moms (Hi moms)

## References

1. ↑ Lamarre, Carl (September 15, 2023). "Nas & Lil Wayne Flex Their Icon Status on New Song 'Never Die': Listen". *Billboard*.

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