This morning, Nas penned a lengthy open note to the Mass Appeal website where he shared his thoughts on the state of the country. “The only way the black man gets a little piece in America is if he takes the O.J. stance: ‘I’m not black, I’m O.J.,'” he began. “When you ignore the sh*t that’s happening to people you can live in this fantasy, this American fantasy that you belong to… who? You ignore what’s happening, and that gives you peace. Because what’s going on is enough to make people insane.”
Ostensibly, the note eventually addressed the current president, a man that Nas called racist. “We all know a racist is in office,” he wrote. “Whatever president may be in office doesn’t affect my work directly. The way he affects people is what affects me. I observe what’s going on and that goes into my creative process. The person himself, I’m not caught up with. I don’t even have time for Trump or Pence. I don’t give a f**k.”
He then compared the Trump era to Reagan era of the 1980s. “It’s the same way I felt as a youngster when Ronald Reagan was in office,” he said. “My voice at that point didn’t f**kin’ matter to anybody. I didn’t care.” Then he pointed out the positive changes made on a basic level by Trump’s immediate predecessor. “Barack Obama changed the game so that now, whether you’re a woman or Latino or whoever, you can feel that running for office can be a real goal. Winning the election could be real for someone in this country, if that’s what you want.”
He ended his lengthy note with a message. “I don’t got time for lippin’. I got time for actions. Anytime I’m speaking it’s action.”
You can read his entire note over on the official Mass Appeal website.
