Nas‘ career has been full of controversy — from his beef with JAY-Z and Cam’ron to his strong political opinions and naming his ninth studio album N-gger only to have it changed to Untitled — and now the rapper is making waves again for a sculpture created in his honor.
According to reports, the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities recently opened an exhibit called “Kemet: Egypt in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul and Funk,” which examines the connection between Egyptian culture and Black music.
But what got folks riled up was the David Cortes statue “I Am Hip-Hop,” inspired by Nas’ famous album cover I Am… where he appears as King Tut.
Following the exhibit’s debut, an Egyptian antiquities expert blasted the museum, claiming that it made a “grave mistake” by “insulting Egyptian civilization by portraying Tutankhamun as Black.” The museum also received an onslaught of negative comments on social media.
Director of the museum Wim Weijland has defended the exhibit following complaints in a recent statement.
Weijland noted that while the Kemet exhibit “does not have an Afrocentric perspective on ancient Egypt” but it does help to “critically examine ideas presented in Black music.”
“The exhibition does not claim the ancient Egyptians were Black, but explores music by Black artists who refer to ancient Egypt and Nubia in their work: music videos, covers of record albums, photos, and contemporary artworks,” Weijland began.
“This music often reflects on the Black experience in the West and tells stories about the African diaspora and pre-colonial Africa, including ancient Egypt.”
He added: “The exhibition explains that the representations of ancient Egypt are imaginaries: artistic interpretations of ancient Egypt, not realistic images of ancient Egyptians. For example, the exhibition contains a modern sculpture that represents the musician Nas, modeled after the mask of Tutankhamun. The exhibition explains that it is a contemporary artwork, not a replica. The exhibition explains why and when it was made and clarifies that it is not an ancient Egyptian artifact.”
Folks always attacking Nas for no reason or purpose whatsoever! I guess this why Nas is the GOAT. How many years this Album cover was made? Folks get over it! Crazy talk!
What “folks are always attacking Nas” ? The only person I ever heard saying anything negative of Nas in recent years was 21 Savage and he backpedaled on that pretty quickly. Stop pretending that people aren’t giving Nas his flowers now
Nas does get is flowers this is a general statement… Google… please google! Listen to Nas’s albums and lyrics and it will tell you! I have been following Nas since he was kid! You know nothing about Nas. You guys kill me with this insane talk and know nothing about the person. Stop being Lame and look to see what is my name!
So you can’t name anyone, huh? Who in recent years has publicly disrespected Nas , like you are claiming? Just name me a few, besides 21 Savage. Pete Rock is the only person I can think of recently and he’s not exactly a household name in 2023
Who said it had to be a famous person? Dude can you comprehend? Clueless!
Nasir will be house hold name for life
This entire conversation, all I’m asking you is for a few names of the many people you feel disrespected Nas… you still haven’t answered.. lol . Just make some names up in your mind and call it a day 😂
Man this is not about us normal people we always criticize performers. @Get Real is right no one in the game really disrespects Nas everyone knows he’s on the rap mt rushmore. Calm down I’m a huge Nas fan myself/
This is the second article on this site that I’ve read this morning that is all about a picture. But the picture isn’t in the article!!! Go back to journalism school. Low quality work, get it together please….
Agree! Smh
He has Egyptian ancestors and King Tut was black! The dumbest argument I’ve ever heard!
Every historian even those that know history at Howard University admitted Egyptian royalty in history we’re not black. Check urself
What color were they then
Post the proof that says every historian even those at HBCU’s admits that ancient Egyptians weren’t black. Post it bruh. Paste a link. List an article that explains the bullshit lie you just said.
I can’t believe so many folks are programmed to not know the Egyptians ARE BLACK PEOPLE. WTF? THIS IS SO DISTURBING. For the slows in the back, EGYPTIANS ARE BLACK PEOPLE. I WILL NEVER PANDER TO A WHITE PERSON EVER.
There are some black people in Egypt, but every historian has made it clear including those at black universities that know African history that Egyptian royalty were not black
As a history teacher……… Egyptians came in various shades but they are Africans and they have plenty of melanin in their skin. Some more than others. It’s sort of like the African American people that you see in America these days. Some more light skin, and some are very dark and every shade in between. Anyone who argues that Egyptians, who are from Africa are not black are just going by what the white supremacists teachers have taught them. There were many racist scholars with negative agendas. The greatest civilization in the history of mankind comes out of Africa via Kemet and yes they are black.
Agreed, racist historians labeling Egyptian’s as another race because they can’t figure out how blacks created the pyramids.
(That’s like saying people from new York aren’t newyorkers)
Black ppl come from africa, an las i che checked egypt is in africs, its nothing to argue about. Any1 who says other wise is part of the plot to erase our history to make us feel less than a human.
King Tut is in fact an African. Europeans have been trying to erase how melanin skin and the fact we was once Kings and Queens for thousands of years. They want to keep us in the mind set as slaves but when you do the research we was once Kings and Queens. That’s why the napoleons shot the noses of the Sphinx , even then they was trying to hide the round African features nose of the Sphinx. Dug up our Egyptians ancestors tombs only to destroy them.
What color were the Egyptians then