As one of rap’s living legends, Nas has an opinion that holds weight, especially when it comes to saying who lives up to the standards of lyricism and artistry that he helped elevate over the course of his career. In a short clip, Nasir sits down with Revolt exec and former Uptown Records head honcho Andre Harrel when the question comes up regarding who his favorite MCs are in today’s current crop of artists and he selections are a little surprising to say the least.
The Queensbridge legend doesn’t go into detail as for why each artists ranks so highly for him. Hearing him say Kendrick and Drake aren’t new because he’s called them inspirations previously. And of course, he’s also joined forces with J. Cole for the remix of “Made Nas Proud,” a tune that served as a response to Cole’s 2013 Born Sinner cut “Let Nas Down.”
The most intriguing entries are Wayne and Ross. He has worked with Rozay multiple times previously for cuts like “Accident Murderers,” “Maybach Curtains” and “One of Us.” So while including Ross may not match everyone’s tastes, it’s more explainable since they share a history of working together. But, including the current day version of Lil Wayne seems like a wasted pick along the lines of Sam Bowie going higher in the draft than Michael Jordan. We’re living in a rap world where an elder statesman like Nas could provide a healthy co-sign for the likes of guys like Boogie, Schoolboy Q, and countless others. If anything, Nas could’ve recognized guys from the Mass Appeal roster, like Dave East and Fashawn, but maybe he wanted to make his choices appear unbiased.
Watch the short clip below.
