NAS: HIP-HOP’S PROTECTOR

By: Kayceman

Nas

Nas‘ latest album, Hip Hop Is Dead (December, 2006) debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts selling over 355,000 copies the first week – resounding proof that hip-hop is clearly NOT dead. Nas never meant the title to be taken literally. He’s a wordsmith, a writer, an intellectual and a rapper who’s pissed-off at the state of his art form. Hip-hop isn’t dead, but it’s certainly fallen ill.

Nasir Jones, son of legendary jazz trumpeter Olu Dara, was born September 14 1973 into New York’s infamous Queensbridge housing projects. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade yet developed a highly educated mentality he would later use to build his remarkably literate music. Nas managed to balance the hardness of the ghetto streets with well-structured, though-provoking rhymes to create a style that allowed him to rule the rap world for several years. Nowhere was this synergy more evident than his 1994 debut, Illmatic.

Illmatic was a shot heard round the world. To this day it is widely regarded as one of the cornerstones of the genre and a certified classic on all counts. Although the watered-down, pop-crossover albums that followed (1996’s It Was Written and I Am and Nastradamus – both 1999) garnered Nas a larger mainstream audience, they tarnished his street rep and dissolved his hardcore fanbase.

Nas

It wasn’t until 2001 when Nas released Stillmatic that he would once again be considered a force to be reckoned with. Dropping the club hits and party anthems, Nas responded to Jay-Z’s jabs on “Takeover” (off 2001’s Blueprint) and proved he was ready to battle for the East Coast throne left vacant by the Notorious B.I.G.

2002’s God’s Son and 2004’s Street’s Disciple brought more fans back, officially ending the long-standing accusation that Nas had sold out. When he joined Jay-Z at Def Jam he sent yet another shock through the rap world. Not only had he ended one of the biggest beefs of the decade, he also fulfilled a lifelong dream to record on the legendary label.

Hip Hop Is Dead may not be an instant classic, but it’s Nas’ strongest work in years. Sharp, strong and story-based, it echoes his mind-moving glory days, Nas is here to help save hip-hop.

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JamBase: What is the meaning behind the title, Hip Hop Is Dead?

Nas

Nas: The title is just about the rap game and what I love about it so much. It just shows how much I love it in a weird way. It feels like when this album is over, hip-hop as we once knew it is no longer.

JamBase: I read where you said that hip-hop is particularly vulnerable today. What makes you say that?

Nas: Because it’s so international and global and big, people don’t know what it is. And of course me being from New York, I really know what it’s all about, so who better to speak on it?

Comparing the new album to your other work, how do you feel it stacks up to previous records?

Well Streets Disciple [the last record] was a double-album that was more about my personal life. It was a record that let you inside. My father [Olu Dara] is on one of the cuts [“Bridging The Gap”]. Hip Hop Is Dead has a lot to do with the current state of rap music and stuff like that.

On the song “My Country” from Stillmatic you talked about how our country can’t come together until our lives are threatened. In the aftermath of 9/11, where our lives as a country were threatened, do you feel this country has come together at all?

Nas

[Long pause] No.

Do you think there’s any opportunity for us to come together as a nation?

Yeah, definitely. America is going through what hip-hop is suffering from. Everything is suffering. We could all use a burst of energy and apply that energy to our creative juices to be more creative in politics, science and loving God.

So, thinking about the relationship between hip-hop and society, how do we do that? How do we make this change happen?

Music has always played a serious, important role in bringing all different kinds of people together. I think that gives hip-hop a chance to breathe life into a dead society. When you have more creative writers who can speak on things they can influence politicians and people. Hip-hop started out as something that society shit on, that America shit on and ran from and buried. Now it’s like America’s cousin that acts up [in ways] you don’t really want. But, that’s a long way from just something that was shit on. I think hip-hop has a chance to go to the next phase and help things.

I’m embarrassed when I meet people from different walks of life that ask me what I do and I say I make hip-hop music. I’m embarrassed because if they turn on BET or MTV the majority of what they see misrepresents the good guys.

How did it come about that you signed with Def Jam?

Nas

Working with Sony, Columbia Records for so many years has been one hell of an experience; good for the most part, but with any record company there are issues because art and business is the weirdest relationship I’ve ever heard of. But, it happens and it has to happen. That being said, Def Jam is mainly hip-hop and began from hip-hop. It’s the only existing legendary rap label, and the first label I tried to shop my demo to years ago. The fact that I wound up label-mates with Billy Joel, Michael Jackson and Sade, I don’t know how that happened. At the same time, it’s something I’m very proud of, [having] a serious catalog there. I never had the chance to work with a Russell Simmons [at Def Jam] like so many rap artists have. Not that there’s anything wrong with non-black executives who deal with rap but you get a different relationship [with] black executives who specialize in black music. Obviously, there should be a better relationship in this [black executive run] artist friendly environment. This is our shit. We all know what this is about. The timing was impeccable, being that the executives I had been with for so long [at Sony] were on their way out. I would have been left in a company that was not really prepared for the continuation of a Nas career. In order to survive in this world you have to play games. So, I learned the game and Def Jam was the place to shop the new record.

Have you experienced any affect on your work by being at Def Jam?

Nas

There’s a difference of just trying to get to know each other. I have a certain way I’ve been doing my records for a long time, so do they, and because there are deadlines we are trying to understand each other. This record is us getting to know each other in a hurry. That’s the only thing that’s been a little awkward.

And how about working with Jay-Z?

It’s cool man. We’re peers in rap, and that’s what makes it fun.

How has wealth and success affected the way you do your thing?

Once you make money life changes. The hunger goes and things change. So, in a way, it’s a lot harder.

Are you still as angry today as you were when you were young?

No. There’s still anger, we’re only human, but the anger has changed, probably for different reasons.

What are your goals now? What does Nas want to do in the future?

Nas

I want to do what no rap artist has done and that’s put out eight, nine, ten well received records. I want to continue to be on the brains of the hip-hop maniacs. I want to continue to do that and break new ground by doing that.

Although you dropped out of school your music and style is very well educated. How did you achieve education while dropping out of school?

It was the teachers on the street. It was my mom. It was my pops. It was books. I think having an imagination like mine at a young age and getting inspiration from words of wisdom from my parents are what made me want to go out and there and go all the way. My pop being a musician taught me a lot just by watching him. There wasn’t a lot he had to say, it was just watching him and seeing how he lived. And my mom [had] morals and values, so it was that combination.

In a press release you say, “If hip-hop doesn’t change it’s gonna die.” What do you think needs to change?

I think there are too many people copying each other, and people don’t have any integrity, self-respect or self-esteem when it comes to just jacking somebody’s style or ideas. They’re willing to say anything just to get attention. There’s no heart. It’s like KRS-One said, “Here’s where the problem starts, no heart, because of that a lot of groups fell apart.” People are scared to say what they want to say, scared to be who they want to be and scared to even learn how to be what they could be.

Your name in Arabic means “helper and protector.” Do you feel in any way that you are a helper or protector of hip-hop?

Nas

[Laughing] Yeah, at least with this record and a few [others]. I don’t think that’s my full time job but I do rise to the occasion when I have to.

What do you want people to take away from your new record and from Nas in general?

I want them to know that I’m embarrassed when I have to go out in public and meet people from different walks of life that ask me what I do and I say I make hip-hop music. I’m embarrassed because if they Google “hip-hop” or turn on BET or MTV the majority of what they see misrepresents the good guys. At one point it wasn’t this easy to get a video played on MTV or a song on the radio. Now that everybody can do it, it’s not something I’m very proud of all the time. I’m proud to do the record and I’ll represent it anywhere in front of anyone. But, a lot of the examples that people see don’t make me look good. Damn, I had to get that off my chest.

Specifically for non hip-hop heads, what do you want them to take away?

The majority of stuff they see is not rap music. It’s bullshit. When I say “Hip Hop Is Dead” it means it once was alive and it’s not alive now. It should spark some interest and make them want to know more about rap music and figure out what’s good and what’s bad.

JamBase | California
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