"Represent" is the ninth song on Nas' debut album '' Illmatic''. It is produced by DJ Premier who samples Lee Irwin's "Thief of Baghdad" for the song's beat. Nas dedicates the song to a long list of people including future hip hop artist Cormega. RapReviews describes "Represent" as a "certified banger."

Composition

The song's minimalistic beat, sampled from Lee Irwin's "Thief of Baghdad", consists of an electric piano sample and bells. Nas raps three verses and performs a spoken dedication to his friends at the track's end, but does not contribute to the chorus. Nas' verses deal with his life in the streets and his criminal ties. One specific lyric was "pulling the

Tec TEC may refer to: Education * Technology, the subject itself of technology taught at schools * Tertiary Education Commission (disambiguation) *''The East Carolinian'', a campus newspaper of East Carolina University Governmental and public organiz ...

out the dresser" was criticized by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

on his diss song " Takeover."

Sampling

Lyrics from "Represent" are sampled in these songs: * "Rap Game/Crack Game"Scratchfaq.com: "Rap Game/Crack Game" Search
/ref> by

* "Criminal" by Scientifik * "Organized Rhyme" by Shabazz the Disciple

References

1994 songs Nas songs Song recordings produced by DJ Premier Songs written by Nas Songs written by DJ Premier {{1990s-single-stub