"Life's a Bitch" is a song by American rapper Nas, released by Columbia Records on April 19, 1994. It is the third single from his debut studio album, Illmatic (1994). Issued as a 12" single, it features guest vocals from AZ and a cornet performance from Nas' father, Olu Dara. The song has been sampled in other hip hop songs, including "YSIV" by Logic (2018), "Keep It Real" by Miilkbone (1995), and "Carry On" by Statik Selektah featuring Joey Bada$$ (2014).
The song's producer, L.E.S., sampled the songs "Yearning for Your Love" by the Gap Band and "Black Frost" by Grover Washington, Jr. for the songs' instrumental.
Nas mentioned about his father's cornet work:
The song's title and concept were later referenced in Nas' collaboration track "Affirmative Action" off his 1996 album It Was Written, where Nas raps "<u>Life's a bitch</u> but god-forbid the bitch divorce me".
In the 2009 film Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, the song is played in one of the final scenes. It is also played during the closing credits.