Nas - Tina Tantayanurak
Question: How do “Rule” and “I Gave You Power” by Nas explore power and control and reveal different forms of violence?
In “I Gave You Power,” Nas personifies a handgun to narrate a cycle of violence it fuels. The main theme of the song revolves around how the gun is simply a vessel of human intent. The gun by itself holds no power, no intentions, and cannot act independently; the power of a gun is only granted once someone is in control of it. From the perspective of the gun, Nas states, “Making me kill, but what I feel, it never mattered,” (“I Gave You Power”). This highlights how the gun is only a tool for direct violence, while the person in control determines how it is used. It is not the gun that chooses to kill, it is the person bearing it that has the power to kill. The gun claims, “I gave you power, I made you buck-wild” and how it was “used in robberies, giving n****s heart to follow me,” (“I Gave You Power”). The gun gives people both the ability to kill and the courage to commit crimes under the impression that they have control. Nas also describes the devastating consequences of gun violence with the lines, “I might've took your first child / Scarred your life or crippled your style,” and “Placing peoples in graves, funerals made 'cause I was sprayed,” emphasizing the destructive impact of guns on individuals and communities. The song concludes with the gun intentionally jamming in its owner's hand, stating that it is “sick of blood” and being the “wrath of the next man’s grudge,” (“I Gave You Power”). It expresses exhaustion with the cycle of violence and as a result of refusing to fire, its owner dies. Following the death, Nas states, “Now I’m happy, until I felt somebody else grab me.” The gun experiences only temporary relief, as the cycle continues after the gun gets picked up once again.
“Rule” addresses a variety of issues relating to both direct and systemic violence. The song highlights Nas’s stance on anti-war and calls for peace. Nas writes, “The bombs and tanks makes mankind extinct / But since the beginning of time, it's been men with arms fighting / Lost lives in the Towers and Pentagon, why then / Must it go on?” (“Rule”). He expresses frustration with the violence of war, highlighting how manmade weapons are used to kill one another in conflicts that are created by humans themselves. It shows how political leaders can use military power as a tool of control, inflicting direct violence on communities. Nas uses the phrase, “Call a truce, world peace, stop acting like savages,” and uses the motif of “World (Peace)” throughout the song to call for peace, conveying the message that peace cannot exist when there is violence. In response to U.S. military initiatives after 9/11, Nas questions “How can the president fix other problems when he ain't fixed home yet?" and addresses ongoing domestic issues like homelessness, racism, drug epidemic, police brutality, and “unlimited killings” in the projects. Nas reveals how even when these issues are not physically direct violence, the continuance to systemically neglect and disregard them causes harm to oppressed communities, which can be labeled as systemic violence.
Nas. "I Gave You Power." It Was Written, Columbia Records, 2 July 1996. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-i-gave-you-power-lyrics
Nas. "Rule." Featuring Amerie. Stillmatic, Columbia Records and Ill Will Records, 6 October 2001. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-rule-lyrics
In the blogger post the question "How do “Rule” and “I Gave You Power” by Nas explore power and control and reveal different forms of violence?" In the blog it stated "The main theme of the song revolves around how the gun is simply a vessel of human intent. The gun by itself holds no power, no intentions, and cannot act independently; the power of a gun is only granted once someone is in control of it." about “I Gave You Power” (Tina). That quote from the author I can agree with their assessment of the song. Gun are simply a tool and a tool needs to be used to do anything. A gun going off is not the fault of a gun, but its wielder. The quote " Nas uses the phrase, “Call a truce, world peace, stop acting like savages,” and uses the motif of “World (Peace)” throughout the song to call for peace, conveying the message that peace cannot exist when there is violence." (Tina). This brought up a point that is an unfortunate reality that the hope for peace will never be more than just hope if we don't stop the violence. One thing I found that brought up how power and control show different forms of violence is "All this hate can't last forever It's time that we stand together Everybody wants to rule the world" ("Rule"). This quote references the song "Everyone Wants to Rule the World". That song is deceivingly up beat. But the reality of greed in this world is everywhere. Humans always want more and I doubt that humans will ever truly be content. Another quote that I think show violence as it relates to power is "How you like me now? I go, "Blaow!" It's that shit that moves crowds, making every ghetto foul I might've took your first child" ("I Gave You Power"). I feel like this shows how guns give the power to inflict mass violence to anyone. All humans have the ability for good and evil, but with guns any human also has the power to kill. Power and control reveal different form a violence with guns and positions of power. Everyone wants to rule the world feel more like a reality than it ever felt like a quote.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina! I have heard of Nas before, and I listened to his song "N.Y. State of Mind" a long time ago. I thought it was inherently political and good at talking about systemic issues. However, I had never listened to his songs "I gave you power" or "Rule" until now. What really got me was when listening to "Rule" the instrumental sounded really familiar, like it was a song I had heard before and upon further research I see that he sampled from the song "Everybody Wants To Rule The World". I think that was a really smart song to sample from when it comes to thinking about the themes found in "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", and how it can be similar with themes in the song "Rule" and how humans are greedy for power. Like you said as well in the song "Rule", Nas is the speaker and he talks about how he struggles to feel proud of his country because of its many issues. Ultimately, I feel the same way as him especially when he says, "Men, women and children killed by the police and shit" ("Rule"). Our country was built on violence, and it continues to be violent and that makes it very hard to be proud of it.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I also really enjoyed your analysis and listening to the song "I Gave You Power". The way the speaker is a handgun, and the language used gets a very strong point across about gun violence. Like you said, when answering "What words, phrases, use of language, images particularly struck you? Why?", the end of "I Gave You Power" stuck with me the most too. This particular story had came to an end with the guy dying and the gun thinking it could finally be relieved of killing but then it got picked up by someone new saying, “Now I’m happy, until I felt somebody else grab me,” ("I Gave You Power"). Someone else's violent story just begun, continuing the cycle for it to never end. The violence in American communities continue the same exact way as Nas described it over 20 years ago today. That is a huge problem that needs to be fixed. I really enjoyed looking into the lyrics of these songs and thinking them over, thank you for choosing this artist!
Hi, Tina! I believe that the song “I Gave You Power” helps to demonstrate both a lack of power and an excessive amount of power. Taking the perspective of a gun was a really interesting approach and allowed for leeway in how people can interpret the song. By that I mean that you’re able to connect the lyrics to the powerlessness a person can feel in a gang setting and the control that a gun would give them. An example of this can be seen in the lines, “I've been used in robberies, giving n***** heart to follow me, Placing peoples in graves, funerals made 'cause I was sprayed” (Naz). The listener is able to view this in two lights; the gun or the person holding the gun. The gun's point of view gives the impression of being in control. If interpreting this from the point of view of the person wielding the gun, the words “I’ve been used in” give the impression of less control and more so being manipulated or used. These instances can be seen numerous times throughout the song including when he said, “They use me wrong, so I sing this song to this day/ My body is cold steel, for real/ I was made to kill, that's why they keep me concealed” (Naz). The listener is able to interpret both points of views from these lyrics. While “I Gave You Power” helps to show control on a more personal level, Naz’s song “Rule” helps to show power on a far more global scale. He mentions the idea of control shifting through time. World leaders used to prioritize gaining land whereas now world powers crave resources like oil and African diamonds.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Nas. "I Gave You Power." It Was Written, Columbia Records, 2 July 1996. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-i-gave-you-power-lyrics
Hey Neil, I really liked your post, especially how you explained the cycle of violence in “I Gave You Power.” I think both I Gave You Power and Rule show that power isn’t just about weapons or governments, but about how people choose to use control. In “I Gave You Power,” the line “I gave you power, I made you buck-wild” shows how the gun gives people a false sense of control, almost like it feeds into their worst instincts (Nas). That connects to your point that the gun itself isn’t violent, people are. In contrast, “Rule” focuses more on large-scale power, like governments and war, especially when Nas says, “the bombs and tanks make mankind extinct” (Nas). That line really stood out to me because it shows how power at a national level can cause even greater destruction than individual violence. I also agree with what you said about systemic violence. When Nas questions fixing problems abroad before fixing issues at home, it shows neglect can be just as harmful as physical violence. Both songs kind of suggest that power without responsibility leads to harm, whether it’s a person holding a gun or a country making political decisions. Your point about perspective was really interesting, too. I think if “I Gave You Power” wasn’t told from the gun’s perspective, it wouldn’t hit as hard emotionally. Do you think Nas is more critical of individuals or systems overall, or do you think he’s blaming both equally?
ReplyDeleteIn “I Gave You Power” by Nas power and control is directly seen by the perspective the song is written. The perspective is directly that of a gun who is controlled by other people, as seen in lines such as, “I was made to kill, that’s why they keep me concealed,” and “They feed me when they load me with mad slugs,” (I Gave You Power). At the same time the idea that the narrator is not a gun can be considered because of the line, “It’s like I’m a motherfucking gun,” insinuating that the perspective is not actually that of a gun, but of a person who is being used and controlled like a gun is by its user (I Gave You Power). Violence is directly mentioned because of this control, “I seen some cold nights and bloody days,” along with “I might’ve took your first child” (I Gave You Power). From this, the perspective really is questionable and switches between verses. In “Rule”, power and control is referenced less with creating violence and more to ask why people in power choose to create violence with weapons and not choose peace. The line, “Call a truce, world peace, stop acting like savages,” shows that humans have the gift of choice and throughout history have chosen to use weapons, “The bombs and tanks makes mankind extinct,” and “But since the beginning of time, it’s been men with arms fighting,” with “arms” referring to weapons such as guns (Rule). A call for peace is seen with the lines, “why then Must it go on? We must stop the killing,” and “It’s time that we stand together” (Rule). This call for peace can address all types of violence, not just the physical and social violence directly mentioned in the song. It seems Nas features how humans use power and control to create violence and the human potential to stop the preexisting violence in its different forms.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Nas. "I Gave You Power." It Was Written, Columbia Records, 2 July 1996. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-i-gave-you-power-lyrics
Nas. "Rule." Featuring Amerie. Stillmatic, Columbia Records and Ill Will Records, 6 October 2001. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-rule-lyrics
Hey Tina! I've never heard of Nas and I've only heard of Lil Nas X. I've done research and understand that he was a popular 90s rapper similar to Tupac. One thing I noitced in the "I Gave You Power" is a lyrics which state "How you like me now? I go, Blaow" (Nas). It contributes to the idea of a gun only being intimidating when the person who is holding it uses it for the specific intent. Often when someone is attempting to threaten a person with violence, it includes waving the gun around or pointing it towards them. This indicates they're not afraid to use it and if the person is not complying, they'll have no choice but to shoot. Another obeservation I want to point out is in the second song. Rule has a lyric which states "Yo, there's brothers on the block, posted up on a corner like they own it" (Nas). People grow up looking up to their older siblings and trying their best to follow in their footsteps. If a young kid sees his family member living in a life with nothing but violence, it feels like they have no other choice but to follow along. It turns into a repeated cycle where the behaviors are adopted and passed down upon the next generations. Nas potrays the gun with no purpose until someone decides the destiny for it.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina! It was really cool getting to listen and learn about your artist! When it comes to answering your analytical question, in "I Gave You Power" Nas tells the story from the perspective of a gun to show how there is never really a winner in violence. He says "I'm tired of being in the cold, tired of the blood" (I Gave You Power), this shows that even the feeling of power has the feelings of trauma behind it. I also think that in "I Gave You Power" it is relating and talking about a more solidified/individual type of power. The gun has seen it all with the pain it is describing, which I think shows that the power it has can also be seen as a curse. When it comes to "Rule", it is looking more at the bigger picture. Nas says, "Everybody wants to rule the world" (Rule). I think this lyric adds to the idea that leaders use war to stay in control. Nas also adds, "Why do we kill each other? / Why do we hate our brother" (Rule). This points out that the violence works to keep the communities divided. "Rule" is showing more of a collective or political power. This violence is more psychological and global and not as physical and traumatic as "I Gave You Power". I think both songs show that true power is not about just having a weapon, instead they are about choosing peace and not being apart of the violence.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
Nas. "I Gave You Power." It Was Written, Columbia Records, 2 July 1996. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-i-gave-you-power-lyrics
Nas. "Rule." Featuring Amerie. Stillmatic, Columbia Records and Ill Will Records, 6 October 2001. Genius, https://genius.com/Nas-rule-lyrics