On the heels of the release of Distant Relatives, rapper Nas spoke with the Wall Street Journal in regards to his work with Damian Marley, his thoughts on reggae music and rap, and more.
“They’re both real music by people who are expressing themselves about the conditions around them,” said Nas when asked about the similarities between Jamaican music and rap. “Many of those conditions are similar. Jamaican music can be aggressive, soulful, smooth and exciting all at once—just like hip-hop. At the same time, there’s nothing like Jamaica in the United States. Jamaica is its own thing.”
Nas also explained that he’s inspired by Bob Marley’s “untouchable” status and that he would someday hope to have that kind of effect on fans.
“Everyone listens to him—it’s not a Jamaican thing or an American thing—it’s all over the world,” Nas explained. “I’ve always wished to be able to do that once, as much as he does it naturally and easily on this untouchable level, I’d want to do that.”
In his interview with the Wall Street Journal Nas also spoke on fellow rappers Lil Wayne and Jay-Z.
Nas revealed that he was able to get Lil Wayne on the Distant Relatives album by sending Wayne a track shortly before he began his prison sentence. As far as Jay-Z, Nas gave praise to his New York City anthem “Empire State Of Mind.”
“It’s just keeping that whole thing alive—this New York thing,” said Nas. “There are a lot of people complaining about New York hip-hop, about it not being what it was, and he stood up and now we have another anthem to be proud of.”
Nas and Damian Marley’s Distant Relatives was released on Tuesday, May 18.
First!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and taiwan the only thing u have 2 do is turn ya back on them and u str8, i need 4 my rephasing operation, and if u do desire 2 go law enforcement do homeland security, pls officers u have 2 wear gloves when loading boxes hahaahahahahahahahhahahaha,.
Definitely gonna cop the album. The most ferocious spitta ever with a legend’s son!!!
incredible
album is the shit!
I can’t front, I had my doubts about the CD, but I was blown away by Nas on this one. I’m telling you for all those that are still on the ropes about coppin’ this CD, Nas is in all beast mode on this one. Jr. Gong does his thing too. Respect to Nas for not being afraid to take chances.
For real. The album is sick. A good contender for best hip-hop album of 2010.
this lil nigga would do everything to sell..he suppose to be rapping,he went from that RnB shit bridging the gap to pop by that hero shit now he wanna go reggae..
this sissy nigga is one sellout motherfucker,btw wtf is going on here between nas and damian,why they’re so close to each other why they talk about each other all the time?
on the other hand why kelis left nas at the same time?why she’s asking for millions?something not right..
i bet both nas and damian are fags,this new album should be called afro-latino heat…just come outta closet lil nigga would ya…
another thing,they could go pop go gay go reggae but they won’t sell for shit if there’s no lil wayne! feature on their weak album..
lil wayne! is da greatest of all da time fuck haters
loool handdddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ur a joka. and it may suprise u but there was a Lil’ Wayne feature called “My Generation” which also had Joss Stone on it.
where you at im gonna killyou for being a ignorant coon
Wow, you’re so stupid! They’re so “close” to each other because they just finished making an album called Distant Relatives. Kelis doesn’t have a valid reason for leaving Nas. She just wanted his money when she can get her ass in the studio and make songs of her own. I love how you’re talking sell-outs and gays when your idol is one of the biggest sell-outs ever and he French-kissed Birdman in public and that spread throughout the internet in a flash.
And Nas is diversifying himself but giving justice to his music instead of slapping autotune on his voice and rapping about popping bottles in the club. And Lil Wayne is on the album, bet you were too slow to realize that.
Hey, You hopeless wanksta shut your childish mouth. Corny ass nigel learn smth about the true legends. Period. Do You listen hip hop in general or , I guess, you listenig your gay ass Wayne, dumb ass.
Before posting, write Your true name 🙂 Hipster.
what the hell is this dude talking about……. you gotta be real ignorent, this must be a kid writing this shit grow up dude…. lil wayne aint even on the same planet as nas…. are you retarded.
damn every single article, this wayne cock sucker is throwing lil wayne in the comments when the article has nothing to do w/ wayne. Go write to wayne in jail you faggot.
Thats why it should be an age requirement to comment, thw whole Distant Relative concept and idea went completely over his head
handyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy stop sitting on lil waynes dick u pop loving beeeeeeeeeeeeeatchhhhhhhhhhh
yall gotta stop responding to HANDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.
he’s been trolling about Wayne and young money on every page for a week.
dont feed the troll.
First Off The song bridging the Gap is a blues/hiphop song… and second u are Lame.. DISTANT RELATIVES IS A CLASSIC for all genres
Handyyyyy. Go play with the kids your age. You dont belong here. Is Lil Wayne paying you to post a comment on every single article? GO suck his dick punk ass.
Nas is lame. Nigga lost that shine, that aura he had around him. I aint even checkin for his shits no more. Blow it out your ass, my nigga.
You haven’t listened to the album then. Nas went hard on that album. Whoa, did I just say he went hard? I normally don’t use that term.
so who you checkin for then HOOCHIEPUMPER
you ain’t checkin for him no more because “he lost that shine and aura he had around him”? lmao lmao wow!…i won’t even touch that…you are a clown.
Amazing…Nas and Damien Marley were great! LOVE the album!
I like the album and i will get a copy for myself, and what makes me more happy about it is the fact that in “Friends” track they used an Angolan song as sample, and thats the best song of their album, To Nas and marley go on man, only the real keep real through times…
I copped this shit because I really it’s successful. This album puts hip hop in a good place.
Distant Relatives album is quite nice so far listened to the first 5 tracks and Nas is definitely going in pretty hard
Purchased the album at best buy quality music should be purchased
bought it first day it came out. listened to whole thing and love it. soooo sick. nas a jr gong are the perfect people for this album. gotta shoutout to wayne tho. he killed my generation. such a sick song.
amazing album.
nas all day.
nas all week.
nas all month.
nas all year.
nas forever.
First of all, the type of music Damien is expressing is known as “Roots Reggae” it’s a subgenre within reggae which focuses on conscious matters usually those dealing with the roots i.e (heritage) of blacks in the diaspora
and although Damien is a good artist HE IS FAR FROM BEING THE HEIR TO ROBERT NESTA MARLEY…
for the simple fact he is not as prolific as the more credible roots artists such as Buju Banton, the late great Garnett Silk, Luciano and Burning Spear…
Damien is mostly a dancehall artist with a “roots” strain, whom is focused more on mainstream success as opposed to credibility in his hometown
which is explains this “hip hop/reggae” collabo with Nas… (bob marley would NEVER have done a collabo with a yankee artist, in fact he didn’t even like dancehall music…he stuck with being a traditional roots artist
in fact when he started in the mid 90’s, he wasn’t on this “roots” tip, he was more of a novelty act mimicking the popular dancehall artists of the day such as bounty and beenie..
he’s not even “that” popular in Jamaica, you don’t see soundsystems such as Stone Love and Mighty Crown clamoring to cut his dubplates (custom songs) , which is the true measure of a respected reggae artist on the roots tip
roots reggae, kinky reggae, its reggae get over yourself and your vast knowledge of music.
Shawn Jones, you major in Bob Marley @ Kingston St.? You piece of shit. I don’ta need lectures and shit. I got Xzibit for that…..And Damien is better than Roberto Nestor Marley
why would you compare him with his father?so quanity over quality?he is a chanter which by the way is where rap came from
@EL TU: I don’t pretend to have knowledge, but get over your bromance with Nas.
@Shawn Hooks: Read a book.
I fucking hate Empire State of Mind
I live in LA an they bump that shit crazy,
fuck Jay-Z
Your a bitch ass hater
Nas is the Don, nobody in Hip Hop is on his Level,,,he the graetest rapper dead or alive. Holla.
word
Shone Jones doesnt know his head from his ass. Damian(check your spelling) performs under the genre of dancehall. he contains some elements of roots and hip hop. if you are looking for roots think ziggy my man. have you ever been to Jamiaca? because if you have you would know that its just the opposite of what you are claiming. also, talking about being prolific…Buju is about to be extradited for cocaine and weapons traffic…not sure if “Nesta”,as you refer to him as, would be proud of that.
Did you even read my comments?
Even though Nasir has been taking a few losses lately with all that baby-momma drama, he’s still one of the best artists in the game! Haven’t heard his album with Damien yet but from what i’ve read so far, looks like it’s definitely worth a listen even though i was never that big on reggae to begin with. lol
By the way: wtf is up with all those “you don’t know real hip-hop” comments? As far as i know, there’s no such thing as “real hip-hop” to me, just different types of rappers and MCs (regardless of skill or subject matter). For instance, i can listen to artists like Talib Kweli, Mos Def or Common in one moment and the next, i listen to Lil’ Wayne, Drake or Gucci Mane. I don’t stick with just one genre, i try to be open-minded as possible. At the end of the day, it’s all opinions! And knocking someone just because his/her opinion is different than yours is pointless!
Nas is only second to 2pac in my book. I really hope he does that album with Ice Cube and Scarface. that would be the hardest,most revolutionary album ever! you think not, check out the remix for gangsta rap made me do it by cube featuring scarface and nas.
Thier new album together is fire, go cop that ASAP
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Wow! I think 85% of the comments are saying positive stuff about the album, that is cool.
I have never been one to doubt a nas album, but i have been a bit busy and haven’t had the time to cop it, will sure get it tomorrow.
Now, it is time for nas to drop that 10th album; and for a title, i’d say he should name it “asthmatic”.
Lame hater if you even have any love fir rap you would appreciate the genious nas is putting for rap only man to raise to the next step and not worry about chumps like you who most likely bump fifty or hurricane Cris shut up put it in your mouth like my hoes
the funny thing about black people is that they love music about bitches an hoes but when to brother lay-down something that is good for are people they talk about it. this is a bad ass album.grow the fuck up black people