: A menacing piano chop from Joe Chambers' 1978 jazz piece "Mind Rain" .
: "Monotone chirps" sampled from Donald Byrd's 1972 track "Flight Time" . The Rhythm : A drum break from Kool & the Gang’s "N.T." . Nas - N.Y. State of Mind (Audio)
A legendary aspect of the song's history is that Nas delivered the first verse in a . DJ Premier recalled that Nas wrote his lyrics on the spot while watching the beat being built . The iconic opening line, "I don't know how to start this shit," was a genuine moment of Nas preparing himself as the beat began to drop . : A menacing piano chop from Joe Chambers'