Nas has urged his fellow elder statesmen of Hip Hop to follow his lead when it comes to delivering music at a high level this deep into his career.
The Queensbridge rap legend starred on the latest cover of Billboard on Friday (August 4), where he dished on an array of topics surrounding his decorated career and the magic he’s discovered in recent years by joining forces with tag-team partner Hit-Boy.
“I want more people to join me from my era; release your records and work hard on them shits,” he said. “I want to hear how people feel, and I want to hear their art. I don’t want to hear the trends, I want to hear the art. Express it, do it and be free. That’s what I’m trying to give to the game now.
“I don’t pay attention to anything except what I’m doing at this point because I’m having so much fun that I don’t even look up to see what’s going on. I could say that I never had this amount of fun, but I’ve had a lot of fun in my life in the business. But this feeling is unmatched.”
Nas and Hit-Boy got back to work last month as they teamed up for their fifth collaborative project, Magic 2, featuring assists from 50 Cent and 21 Savage.
“It’s magic to get together and do what we’re doing. I didn’t see anybody doing it like [Hit-Boy],” he continued. “Not to sound like I’m feeling myself, but to really look and say, ‘Alright, what do I do now? I’m going to do what I want to do.’
“It’s the freedom of creating records because I just feel like it. It’s a hobby to me now to go to work. I don’t know how long this feeling to make music is going to last, but I’m going for it at the moment. It’s making me have so much fun.”
It’s been quite the winning streak for Nas and HipHopDX‘s 2022 Producer of the Year and it doesn’t sound like they’ll be stopping their run anytime soon.
The first of the pair’s collaborative efforts, King’s Disease — which was released in August 2020 — bagged Nas his first-ever Grammy for Best Rap Album.
The dynamic duo then returned a year later with King’s Disease II in August 2021, with Magic arriving just a few months later in December 2021. King’s Disease III was released the following year in November 2022.
On the opening track from Magic 2, “Abracadabra,” Nas revealed that he and Hit-Boy are “halfway through” recording their next album — although it remains to be seen whether it’s another King’s Disease, Magic or another project entirely.
“I’m a magician, you should listen, it’s never the same tricks/ 2020 when we did the first one, five-album run, not a cursed one, it’s a blessed one/ By the time y’all hear this, we be halfway through the next one/ Bless up, all the rappers we lost, I’m hopin’ they rest up,” he rapped.
Yes!! Nas is setting the example for the rappers of his generation to take back hip hop in its purest form. Enough of these southern artists and mumbling motherfxckers who have no content in their music and a serious lack of skills when it comes to absolutely everything you can expect from a rapper. Fxck a Drake and a Lil Baby. I wanna ear Nas, Jay-Z, The Wu Tang, Busta Rhymes, Cam’ron, etc. It’s been almost 15 years we have to endure this bxtch xss new generation with their fxggish styles weeping on autotune all over their records. FOH
Amen brother. We agree 💯
You were onto something until you singled out southern artists. Are you serious? Did you step out of a time machine from 20 years ago? You don’t hear the goofy music coming from everywhere now? Including New York? It’s no longer a geographic thing. There are goofy, untalented, industry plants growing everywhere.
The mumbling shxt started with Future, Lil Yachty, Young Thug, Kodak Black, XXXTentacion, Migos, Rich Homie Quan, etc. They design that shxt that is going on for almost 10 years now and they’re all from the South so wtf is you talking about? New York and LA don’t have that much shxtty rappers in this new generation. Only the South does. They opened the door for all the wack rappers we’re earing today. So yeah excuse me if I hurt your feelings but I’m stating nothing but facts here.
Nas can’t even go top 40 in a time where Jay z is topping the charts with each album. Drake and even eminem are topping the charts with their albums. Nas is irrelevant
But rich homeie quan had barz
How is Nas irrelevant when you’ve been here hating on his success for years now. When he really becomes irrelevant you will know because you will be too.
There is tons of fire underground you either didn’t mention or are sleeping.
Peep
Ransom
RJ Payne
Elzhi
Pharoahe Monch
Black Thought
ChinoXL
Benny
Conway
Che Noir
38 Spesh
Sa-Roc
Cambatta
Nino Bless
Locksmith
Your Old Droog
Brother Ali
R.A the Rugged Man
Apathy
Mickey Factz
King Los
Vakill
Ras Kass
OneBeLo
Royce
Crooked
Marlon Kraft
Millyz
OT the Real
Rome Streetz
Diabolic
Masta Ace
G-Rap
Papoose
Banks
MC Juice
Just to name a few
What success has he had since his career begin? His illmatic album flopped financially and even his later albums never reached the heights of Jay z’s or even eminem’s albums numbers.
Your name says it all from the start. Your comment is so dumb, it’s fuckin retarded. Thoroughly educate yourself on what it means to be a success.
Your hate will one day consume you. Nas clearly states he is moving in his own lane and yet you waste your time on stupid comparisons, for what? FOH
Nas was never one to make a hit song. It’s great to be a top tier lyricist , but he should be able to make hits too, which has always been his Achilles heel
It’s called hit albums. Its more difficult. Hit songs are mostly entertainment/entertainers. A Artist creates masterpieces. That’s no Achilles heel. He has radio singles… Mostly in his early career days. But he’s 50… most listeners from that era don’t listen to the radio like that. Are you OK?
Nas’s has 8 platinum albums, 30 million sold world wide, 16 albums in the top 10 of billboards while 9 of them being # 1 and you’re saying the guy doesn’t have hits? So what was hate me now? What was one mic? What was if I ruled the world? What was Street dreams? What was hip-hop is dead? What was made you look? What was got yourself a gun? What was the world is yours? What was 30? What was 27 summers? What was ultra black? I can go on and on and on. You are a casual who just started listening to rap last week you have 32 years to study this man’s career across 18 album which is the greatest catalogue of all time Illmatic being considered the greatest hip-hop album a Fall time you don’t do that with no hits. Do your homework properly before you sound like an idiot again. Nas sold out Madison Square Garden based off his current material. You don’t do that without hits 🤡
Nas aint Jay Z, never has been. He’s not a hit maker, he’s a lyricist. I’m sorry that gets you girls so emotional. Now go fuck your mothers , you dickriders
Fuck what yt ppl think he has hit and he has street hits which is something you’ll never appreciate! He don’t have to go Pop he’s already a legend and GOAT Jay Z, Ye and so many other legends decided to make music for the streets and for themselves not for corporate and yt ppl. He makes timeless art fuck Poo Culture as long as the streets are happy they’re happy real HipHop
Nas has no hit songs?
1. The World is Yours
2. If I Ruled The World
3. Nas Is Like
4. Nastradamus
5. One Mic
6. Made You Look
7. Bridging The Gap
8. Hip Hop Is Dead
9. Daughters
10. Wave Gods
And the list goes on…
You know what’s funny this person talking shit about Nas saying he ain’t a hit maker he ain’t Jay-Z (duh dumb fuck) but his name is spelled different but what’s his name? (nahs) Nas. Nas have hits don’t know what homie smoking and to try to compare him to Jay-Z? Bruh their both on different wave links yeah they both have hit and miss songs but over in my opinion Nas is better never knocking HOV because he’s a tribute to the wave of hip hop/ rap rightfully so but to sit there and talk shit about a rapper when you have the same name just spelled different make you look like a false flagger of a Nas fan my mans.
I just gave you examples of him being a hit maker, but you didn’t bother to read because you’re 12 years old and yes Nas isn’t Jay-Z he’s better because J whole career was born off Nas pin game. His whole career was built off the back of Nas so shut the fuck. Jay-Z hasn’t made an album since last generation, so what the fuck are you even bringing him up for this is a guy knows already beat so shut the fuck up you little bitch and watch your motherfucking mouth little boy
If you listen to hip hop for the radio hits (these days) you’re already lost. That’s what Dr(f)ake is for. Female music. Real rap is from the 90s. Mas, Wu, Gangsters, Jerusalem, etc etc etc…Rap today effing sucks. It regressed as an art form which is sad. Long live the 90s Era of hip hop.
My bad typos..Nas and Jeru
The fuck was that oochie wally song then? It’s clearly trying to be a sellout pop song.
All eyez on me from Tupac was a lot better than street dreams
None of those were hit songs at all. They attracted some delusional dickriders but didn’t gain nearly as many fans as hypnotize u from biggie or California dreams from 2 pac or any song from Jay z
Am Euro Marly star 🌟 am really interested to know your beautiful studio
Hip hop stated with 2turn tables, a dj , a rhymer and a microphone. And of course the party. Poets always excited. Hip hop plus poetry equals art. Hit records is corporate. This is street art
I don’t think a lot of these older rappers could spit on today’s beats. Nas is an outlier.
Nas is doing nas ..he continues too make good music alot of people won’t buy it r stream it …so it’s jus cool dat he’s still going …it’s not gonna stop the internet r people talk about it for months ..no ..but ull get good lyrical music….it’s jus adding too his legacy/stats but he won’t jump over jay pac big (wayne/Kendrick/ drake / cole /em ) he may have dem …maybe
Bro. You should NEVER post on any platform again, with that BS statement. People like you may not talk about it for months but there are a lot of us that do. If you read the article he stated that he does music for fun and as a hobby now. So he can care less about streams. Lastly, every one of the artist you named saying that he’s not better than, can’t tie NAS shoestrings.. I’m sure they’ll tell you as such, except Jay Z because he’s still delusional. LIKE YOU!!
We must protect Nas at all cost!!! We love Nas better than any other rapper you feel me! Nas will always be the GOAT!!! My dude never sold out and sound exactly the same. He expresses himself real art of music and never follow what someone else does for a hot or hit record for spends. This is why we have this 15 to 20 years of southern bullshit on the radios with no artistic form. Just dumb and bad grammar mumble jumble bullshit!!!! We must protect Nas at all cost!!! Period!!!
I’d like to get new music from Q-Tip and Slick Rick.
Need top producers to follow suit. Someone needs to produce a Rae n Ghost album
Kids, if you ever want to be a successful rapper, don’t take any advice from someone who calls himself nas. If Jay Z is too busy to mentor you, drake or travis scott are decent options as well
Jay-Z doesnt even know who you are and yet you’re here….guzzling his D! Clown
Nas doesn’t hear you either even when deepthroating him.
What a loser you are?
6 albums in 20 years? I can divide, that’s say 1 every 5. 4 of them were due, 1 of them was nah, the other was the black album. Thats one hot album every 20 years average
6 albums in 20 years? I can divide, that’s say 1 every 5. 4 of them were due, 1 of them was nah, the other was the black album. Thats one hot album every 20 years average
The ones that were really good and had success are still doing it. The others moved on to shit by Podcasts
I am Hip Hop nothing but the truth . I was there when it birthed to now with all the nonsense attached to Hip Hop . Where’s the battle at let’s take this shit back to its original format. Hip Hop isn’t only about gangsters and drug dealers. ITS ABOUT THE B- BOY in his B-boy stand ready to bust a rhyme (REAL RAP ) no lying or you got check on site !
I’m the greatest the best thing for the game and wat they have been missing