Nas Addresses Changes In Impoverished Communities Since 1994

    Queensbridge, New York rapper Nas has rapped about the violence and hard times he has encountered throughout his life and Hip Hop career.

    Coming up on the 20th anniversary of his debut album release Illmatic, Nas stopped by Real Time With Bill Maher Friday and was asked whether he believed conditions have changed in impoverished communities since 1994.

    “Hell no,” he said when asked about whether conditions have changed in the last 20 years. “It’s changed, but not for the better…Influx of guns [is] worse than it was in ’94.”

    The topic of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson’s alleged gang affiliation was also brought up. Nas says he believed it to be contradictory that Jackson was moved from the team, but wide receiver Riley Cooper remained a part of it after his racial controversy a year earlier.

    “I just want to know, who is the gang sign-ologist in the NFL?” He said. “I didn’t know they had Crips and Bloods on payroll to determine what signs were. If he gives a pass for Riley Cooper for saying [a racial slur] on the same team, then he’s foul. The coach is foul.”

    Finally, Nas interestingly rebutted his earlier claims as being a “Black Republican,” the title of his 2006 song of the same name. “I’m not a Black Republican,” he told the Real Time panel. 

    Illmatic will turn 20 on April 19. Many in the Hip Hop community deem the album as the greatest of all-time. His 20th anniversary project Illmatic XX is set to be released on April 15.

    Watch the full segment below:

    RELATED: Nas-Based “Time Is Illmatic” Documentary To Premiere At 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

    46 thoughts on “Nas Addresses Changes In Impoverished Communities Since 1994

    1. New York in 2014 is Disneyland compared to what it was back in the 80’s/90’s. I know you’re a rapper and you’re supposed to be pessimist as opposed to singing “everything is gonna be alright”, but damn, don’t be so blatant with it.

      1. False. Yeah Midtown and downtown Manhattan is Disneyland add Downtown BK. There are still hoods in BK worse off (Brownsville, East NY, East Flatbush), Queens is getting better, BX is still shit mostly. One hood gets whiter you know another has to fuck up. Sure versus Chicago/Detroit NY takes the L.

      2. All the hoods you mentioned have already been gentrified. Even if they haven’t they would still look a lot better than they looked back in the day.

      3. I don’t know about Chi/Detroit/everywhere else, but niggas just can’t afford to live in NYC no more. Due to that, they have gone Down South and taken the hoods with them, so I’m with OP on this one. NYC has never been so safe. I’m always hearing people on the media talking about how the city has improved so much and crime has declined over the years. Even places I though were already completely lost like Flatbush, Bed Stuy and Bushwick are starting to look so yuppieish I’m feeling a little uncomfortable lol. I was at Ft. Greene the other day and was shocked to see a bunch of hipsters and not ONE black person at all. Some of my peoples at Morris Heights have felt it as well, one of my niggas was like “I went through a whole month without seeing a police car” LMAO I’m telling y’all, this ain’t nothing like the old days. But anyway, only ignorant, selfish mofo’s would like the city to go back to its gutter days

    2. Cooper made one remark and apologized. Jackson had ties to gangs which is like a ticking time bomb in the eyes of football owners. Nas is an idiot.

      1. Keyword: HAD. This whole thing doesn’t make sense. If football owners are so worried about his gang-related past, why doesn’t Jackson get dropped from the NFL in its entirety instead of switching teams?

    3. its cause theirs too many n!ggers in the urban areas. those disgusting chimps always bring crime into communities.

    4. “Keyword: HAD”

      So Jackson just woke up one morning and decided to shun all his gang friends and family? Lol Hardly. He’s still affiliated and that’s a problem.

      1. “So Jackson just woke up one morning and decided to shun all his gang friends and family?”

        Since he’s an industry nicca now, you can definetely count on that.

      1. not true but Nas is opening for Fiddy at Summer Jam, maybe they can perform some of their classic jams together?

      2. “Nas’ last album sold more than Curtis’ last album.”

        Actually it didnt Curtis last album is certified gold,

    5. lets see nas resume

      0 classics
      No money
      no bitches
      gets outsold by drake
      lost jigger beef
      wifed and impregnated a hoe
      got ethered by bill o’reilly
      spokesperson for hennessy (the lowliest of all drinks)
      released Nastradamus
      got ethered by 50 cent
      caught a renegade from rick ross
      unable to renegade tyga
      played a simp in a nicki minaj video
      spent what was left of his life savings on a swizz beatz track only to have it flop
      only 1 song in billboard top 20 and none in top 10

      dude is a walking L-machine

      1. If you wanna know more of Nasir’s L’s, you should read “Nas Lost: A Tribute to the Little Homie”.

      2. O.K weirdo let’s see you’re resume

        you’re net worth – $51.47

        You’re contribution to the world so far – Trolling hip hop websites

        You’re expected contribution to the world – More lonely days and nights bitching about celebs on the “interweb”

        Your family’s expectation of you – Not much but they are becoming worried that you spend to much time alone in the basement.

        Get you’re mind right PEASANT

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    8. “”Hell no,” he said when asked about whether conditions have changed in the last 20 years. “It’s changed, but not for the better…Influx of guns [is] worse than it was in ’94.””

      It is what it is.

    9. This comment was removed for violating our spam and/or offensive content policies.

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