Nas released King’s Disease II on August 6, the follow-up to the Grammy Award-winning King’s Disease.
The 15-track album boasted features from Eminem, EPMD legends Erick Sermon and Parish Smith, YG, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Blxst and singer Charlie Wilson. But it was Lauryn Hill on “Nobody” that further piqued people’s interest.
The former Fugee hasn’t released a full-length album since 1998, when she dropped her critically acclaimed magnum opus, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Needless to say, a verse from Ms. Hill is rare.
EPMD Didn't Know Eminem Would Be On Nas' 'EPMD 2' Until A Week Before It Dropped
Speaking to Apple Music host Ebro Darden, Nas talked about a conversation he had with Hill following the album’s release. People were shocked he was able to essentially pull her out of retirement, but she couldn’t understand why.
“I hit her up, ‘Yo, this is crazy. People are asking me like, how did I get you on a record,'” Nas said. “She’s laughing like, ‘What do you mean? We just had a tour like, a few years ago.'”
Darden replied, ” I feel like she doesn’t understand how much she’s needed, similar to yourself. The value of a pure rapper who is very, very great. That skillset to be able to bar it up and make and master the ceremony, which Lauryn does on this track nine.”
Nas then recited her opening line from the song. “She’s like, ‘All my life is right now is concerned with my freedom.’ That’s a different individual. That’s her first line. She’s not out here playing games, man. Thank you, Ms. Hill.”
Nas and Lauryn Hill originally connected 25 years ago on “If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)” from Nas’ sophomore album It Was Written. On “Nobody,” she effortlessly proved her bars are just as potent as they were in the ’90s and early 2000s, even acknowledging the public’s complaints about her chronic concert lateness.
“I spent too many years living too uncomfortably,” she raps. “Making room for people who didn’t like the labor/Or wanted the spoils, greedy, selfish behavior/Now let me give it to you balanced and with clarity/I don’t need to turn myself into a parody/I don’t, I don’t do the shit you do for popularity.
“They clearly didn’t understand when I said ‘I Get Out’ apparently/My awareness like Keanu in The Matrix/I’m savin’ souls and y’all complainin’ ’bout my lateness/Now it’s illegal for someone to walk in greatness.”
Revisit the track below.
She definitely killed the verse and sent a shot at all the online hecklers….overwhelmingly happy to hear her in a recent verse
She brings back that real rap feeling that is so unfamiliar now – it’s like this verse was extracted from a vault. Shout out to nas for putting this together
Anyone who was alive during the 90s knows her verse was overrated and a faaaaar cry from how she use to spit with the Fugees. And saying your 3 hours late cause you’re “saving souls” is BS. We need to move on from Lauryn, Mos Def, 3000 and the rest of these inactive rappers who don’t respect fans or hip-hop
I must agree.. they decided that they dont fu#k with us no more
STFU YOU HEARD HER!
Hey, i dont even know who you are but you shouldn’t be so rude. I mean you bein rude that way, is so condescending. But i understand that some of you little cats out there can be so unreasonable and will do almost anything to gain attention.
Ms Lauren Hill is not just anybody, she is a legend and the best female rapper still spitting rhymes.
Love Lauren hill, we need her more than ever and she bodies Nas on that verse
Best album of the year…
A Conversation With The Nation.
No old school rapper flows like they used to. They all pause and do the hakuna matata matata bs flow these drug addict kids love. Stop wishing upon a star. Hip hop is dead. Nas said so before becoming the very thing he was criticizing.
“hakuna matata matata” LMAO. Thank you for this, will forever be stucked in my head when I hear new school flows.
first of somebody sound like they was born in 99′?…and don’t know shit bout real lyrics….especially Lauryn hill….man stop listening to police rappers….telling on they self n bragging….real emcees write to free themselves from pain…and joy
I’m OG from Philly and Lauryn Hill just so sophisticated love her