Jim Jones and Juelz Santana have come to 21 Savage’s defense after the Atlanta rapper came under fire for questioning Nas’ relevancy in the rap game.
In a recent sit-down with No Jumper, the Diplomats duo brought some perspective to the ongoing debate and argued 21’s controversial comments, which were made on Clubhouse earlier this month, were misconstrued.
“You can’t even have no opinions out here nowadays,” Jones said. “And they’re so quick to misconstrue everything you say. I don’t believe he was trying to say it in a malicious way.”
“He wasn’t saying it in a malicious way at all,” Santana concurred.
“I’m just looking at what 21 Savage was saying. I don’t think he meant it as what people were taking it as,” Jones continued. “In today’s society, in the younger generation, these kids are very lit out here and they put ‘lit’ and ‘relevant’ in the same thing when it’s two different things.”
The Harlem natives went on to say that the younger generation needs to define what they think is “lit,” and that if Nas had instead criticized 21 Savage, the comments wouldn’t have been controversial because of his legendary status.
“They feel like because 21 ain’t Nas, he don’t got a right to talk about Nas and that’s the fucked up thing in the world we live in,” Santana said. “We all have a right to our opinion because we all do it every day from the comments we make.”
21 Savage’s comments, which came shortly after Nas and Hit-Boy released their latest album King’s Disease 3, struck a chord almost immediately, as everyone in his Clubhouse chatroom began arguing over each other to push back on the claim.
“I don’t feel like he’s relevant,” 21 said. “I don’t feel like Nas is relevant.”
Once the argument calmed down, the Slaughter Gang boss claimed that the Queensbridge icon isn’t relevant today, but has a “loyal” fan base and makes good music still. The heated discussion seemed to revolve around ’90s rappers that are still active.
21 went on to clarify his point in a separate statement on Twitter, writing: “I would never disrespect nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it.”
While Juelz Santana and Jim Jones clearly have empathy for 21 Savage, noted Nas fan Kodak Black blasted the Savage Mode rapper for his remarks.
“Talking about, ‘Oh, Nas irrelevant.’ How the fuck Nas irrelevant, hoe?” he said on Instagram Live earlier this month while addressing the controversy. “How the fuck Nas ain’t relevant, homie? N-gga smoking dick! Did a fucking Drake [album]. We salute Drake, we love Drake, okay, whatever.”
Kodak continued to defend Nas by saying: “A n-gga fucked up about Nas. I love that boy, homie. I ain’t saying n-ggas ain’t lit or whatever and they on they real. Nas wasn’t bothering you, boy. I wasn’t bothering you, n-gga.”
While Nas is enjoying the spoils of King’s Disease 3, 21 is also riding high off the release of his Her Loss joint project with Drake, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 after collecting over 400,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Drake and 21’s joint LP reportedly produced one of the biggest streaming weeks ever, generating around 500 million. It was Drake’s second time this year topping the Billboard 200 following his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, which arrived in June.
absolute trash. from NY artists at that. All u have to do is f*ckin stick together. thats it.
Ayo where’s Fuck Queensbridge’s always ratio’d ass at?
He’s outside wearing his mother’s dresses somewhere.
Juelz and Jimmy only saying this cos Nas went at the Roc and exposed them on n Ether
They weren’t signed to the Roc yet when Nas dropped “Ether” but Dipset did have beef with Nas, mostly Cam.
So Jay-Z is irrelevant too?
Woah now you went way to the left Bmoney
Does Jules and Jim Jones make any albums right now? The only thing we heard about these 2 were Verzus and got smoked! Think ladies and gentlemen they all jealous of Nas! If Nas irrelevant so is Jay Z or any other older rapper. Point blank!!!
Does Julez and Jim Jones make any albums right now? The only thing we heard about these 2 were Verzus and got smoked! Think ladies and gentlemen they all jealous of Nas! If Nas irrelevant so is Jay Z or any other older rapper. Point blank!!!
Maybe 21 savage need to get a dictionary and look up what the word relavent means. I agree with you whole hearted about Jones+1 to me those two nor 21 ever made it in my book of rap artists that are truly skilled, they lean on the beat to much and you need subtitles to know what they are saying.
Jim consistently puts out quality music
Im 45, my oldest child is 17 and i promise u she aint listening to Nas
She knows his music and what he looks like because of me being a big fan since Live At The Barbecue…I understand what 21 was saying and Jimmy and Juelz is correct…Nas isnt ‘lit’ to the young generation….havent seen a tik tok where they gettin ‘lit’ to a Nas song…hopefully they do
Music is one form of control and manipulation! Every generation it changes. So many songs about violence doing drugs and suicide and yet that continues to steadily increase day by day, all the jibber jabber crap has been proven too literally make you less intelligent
Nas is not a TikTok rapper and just because your daughter/ young ppl don’t listen doesn’t mean he’s irrelevant
Jim is cool with Nas now but they had to defend 21 bc they did the same thing to Nas in 2000’s.
Juelz Santana is the definition of irrelevant
Juelz Santana is the definition of irrelevant
“Lit” is probably the better word to use than “relevant” here.
I’ll even agree that Nas isn’t lit like that. Same time, I listen to Nas and not 21. Nothing compelling me to listen to 21 at all. Name one classic dude has. Not just some hot album or hot song, name a classic. A genre defining, inspiring, innovative, and timeless classic.
Dude you want the impossible!…
Jungle already said what needed to be said!!
What Nas is doing right now is groundbreaking in hip-hop and what better person than Nas to do it. The only people saying hip-hop is a young man’s game is dusty ass rappers who never had anything to say anyway or young rappers who can’t even compete with Nas this late into his career. He’s not selling like Drake but he still came in 4th in hip-hop album sales but he doesn’t have to make another album ever and still be relevant. Who knows maybe one day they’ll study 21 in Oxford and Harvard, lol but I doubt it.
Absolutely 💯! Well said
Nas makes timeless music. It never gets old. Linked up w Damian Marley who is another artist who has been makin music since they were kids. If Nas is irrelevant then 21 is going to be eventually too. Bottom line. There are so many sub genre’s in rap music. Nas speaks real shit and not music just for the young unless they’re ready to grow up as they listen. 21 savage is on that stupid kid shit that’s all negative. Nas is on the grown man tip. Kids just don’t wanna grow up. They wanna be 21 forever. He’s relevant w kids but not grown ppl who can he amy age technically. Grown minded. Do you wanna open ppl’s eyes and make timeless music or “pop” that gets old eventually. Nas is close to 50 yrs old still doin this. 21 savage will never make music til he is 50. And this is further than rap music too. Red Hot Chili Peppers just dropped another album. Lead singer Anthony Kedis is 60!!! “Pop” music ALWAYS gets old bc it has to be NEW. But Nas just tied Jay-z for Billboard’s Most Top 10 releases in rap music. That’s pretty relevant if you ask me.
How is this irrelevant??
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nas-king-disease-iii-album-000717945.html
I understand what Jim and Julez are trying to say, however 21 Savage had the chance to clarify his statement and he failed and thats on him. If he would have said when I think of revelancy it means your popular, your music sells and radio play, that’s his opinion and most peeps can’t argue, I do think he is full of it but it’s his opinion.At the end of the day he was better off saying he is a better rapper than Nas.
The ageism in hip hop is linked DIRECTLY to our community not respecting elders & men. Ture,there are several reasons why it’s like that,but you need og’s,principles,high quality hip hop,& the youth to unite.
For dope content and music. Fb: KingRichardMusician YouTube: darealkingrichard IG: JQueen_DaGoddess
Time for Nas to hand out another dose of Ether, to all three of these negroes and anyone else in the way.
How are too irrelevant rappers commenting on how an opinion on relevance is misconstrued??
So they’re defending him because he doesn’t know what the word relevant means???
Leave Nas Alone , he really had a hard time getting in the industry and I like his style too . Hi , Jim Jones, you are always my friend and love your how you walk in life . I hope one day I can meet up with you and share growing up experiences . Peace 😔😔😔
He DOESN’T have a right to talk about Nas though, Juelz. That’s like Baker Mayfield talking shit about Tom Brady. Just because y’all play the same game doesn’t mean you’re peers on the same level.