Large Professor has shared his true feelings about Nas’ post-Illmatic catalog, admitting that he isn’t a fan of some of the material.
The legendary producer-rapper stopped by Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion and discussed his relationship with his fellow Queens, New York native.
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Addressing Nas’ evolution following the release of his classic 1994 debut, Large Pro — who produced several songs on the album and helped assemble its all-star production squad — said: “Some of it I didn’t agree with. I’m like, ‘Damn, I didn’t like where my man was taking it musically.'”
Despite his critique, the Mad Scientist praised Nas’ more recent work with Hit-Boy and clarified that he has nothing but love for his former protégé, whether or not they work together in the future.
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With Nas set to release a long-awaited joint album with DJ Premier later this year, Large Professor was also asked about the prospect of reuniting with the Queensbridge MC for their own full-length project.
“That would be high-bar exquisite shit, for real,” he said. “‘Cause when we click… especially now that he’s in a whole total different [space]. The last time we worked was on Stillmatic so now he got bread.”
Watch his comments at the 3:30 mark below.
Nas himself addressed some of the criticism of his post-Illmatic direction in a 2021 interview with i-D magazine, admitting he’d change two of his mid-career albums.
“If I decided to challenge myself to do it, I would probably change some things on I Am… and I would change some things probably on Nastradamus,” he said. “I don’t even know what’s on those albums. I could probably only remember two songs for each album.”
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Another project he has also expressed regret over is Nasir, his seven-song collaboration with Kanye West that arrived in the spree of G.O.O.D. Music releases in the summer of 2018.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club two years after its release, Nas said: “I don’t know what went wrong [but] I did want to work more with [Kanye]. We spent some time [in Wyoming] but, I mean, I was working on ideas and he would give me a few loops and I would write to them, but they weren’t finished.
“He was working on a lot. He had Cudi, Teyana Taylor, he had his album, and I was the only one coming in starting afresh so I got the least time with him. We really did that album the week it was supposed to come out.”
That album also saw Nas respond to the narrative that he doesn’t always pick the best beats, a critique that has plagued his career since Illmatic (which boasted top-tier production from the likes of Q-Tip, DJ Premier and Pete Rock).
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“Never sold a record for the beat, it’s my verses they purchase / Without production I’m worthless / But I’m more than the surface / Want me to sound like every song on the Top 40,” he rapped on “Simple Things.”
