Nas has teamed up with one of his biggest fans, R-Mean, for a new collaboration after hearing the Los Angeles rapper’s nearly-six year old tribute track dedicated to him.
Titled “Candle of the Devil,” the Scott Storch-produced song will arrive on streaming platforms on Friday (April 7). Taking to Instagram to preview the track and its cover art ahead of the release, R-Mean explained how fate and a supportive friend made his dreams come true.
“Nas always been my favorite rapper. I used to dream about being in the studio with Nas as a youngin’ coming up,” R-Mean began. “But then I would wake up and be disappointed when I realized it wasn’t real. It happened many times….until one day I woke up and it wasn’t a dream.”
He continued: “Back in 2017 I dropped a mixtape song called Letter to the King as a tribute to my 2 biggest influences as an emcee, Nas and Em. It got a lot of love from my fans and online but that was pretty much it.
“Several years later, on a random Wednesday, I got a facetime call and when I picked up it was Nas [mind blown emoji] He happened to walk into Cookies on Melrose and my brother @alll___1 played him ‘Letter to the King.’ Nas told me ‘that sh*t did something to me right now’ as he pointed to his chest. Three days later we were in the studio at @scottstorchofficial’s house and we created this masterpiece together on the spot!”
He concluded: “Anyone that knows me or has followed me for some time knows how much this means to me. My actual dream came true. And not just because I did a song with my childhood idol, but because Nas and I both agree that this song is truly special. It’s a masterpiece! It’s exactly what I always imagined I would create with Nas if I was given the opportunity.”
Another collaboration Nas has knocked out in recent weeks is “The Tide,” alongside his Grammy Award-winning producing partner Hit-Boy.
Taken from Hit’s new album Surf or Drown, the project also also includes appearances from Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, The Alchemist, James Fauntleroy, Jay 305, Avelino, Devin Morrison and others.
The album serves as Hit-Boy’s second project of the year following his Victims & Villains collaboration with R&B legend Musiq Soulchild.
Meanwhile, Nas is one of the big names set to perform at California’s Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa, California this summer.
The festival will go down July 28 to 30 at Napa’s Silverado Resort, and tickets can be purchased at Blue Note’s website starting Friday (April 7) at 9 a.m. PT.
Very cool story dope to hear stuff like this but the very second he said my album is a “classic” he lost all credibility. People who throw the words “legend” “classic” “goat” around at any and every thing like it’s the word “the” have absolutely no credibility.
Isn’t that what rappers do though? it’s not like they’re going to come out and say “I think this is a slightly above average album that will make you feel like you got 70% of your money’s worth”
You sound ridiculous rappers have been doing that since the beginning you fucking retard. Get out of your feelings.
Hahahahaha yea I’m the “ridiculous” one not these bogus rappers calling their weed plate albums “classics”. Smh. Rob Hunt the only “retard” here is you, you’ve obviously rode the short bus your whole pathetic life. They don’t have to use the word “classic” for EVERYTHING. There’s millions and millions of other words and phrases in the English dictionary to use to describe something leave the word “classic” alone when anyone with half a brain knows damn well ain’t no R-Mean (a rapper that 99.9 percent of people never even heard of) is nowhere near a “classic”. It’s not Doggystyle, Enter the 36, illmatic, Ready to Die status bruh. Rob Cunt step your bar up yours is low low you’re stuck on stoopid.