“I don’t know where that [report] came from and neither does Def Jam,” Nas told MTV early Thursday morning (October 18) in a Manhattan recording studio when asked about a Fox News article published earlier this week.
According to MTV, the story quoted a “source close to” label head L.A. Reid, who scoffed at the thought of the company supporting an album with such a title, and also claimed the album was not on the label’s release schedule. “None of us knows where that came from.”
[People] shouldn’t trip off the [album’s] title; the songs are crazier than the title. Said Nas.
“I’m a street disciple,” Nas continued. “I’m talking to the streets. Stay out of our business. You ain’t got no business worrying about what the word ‘nigger’ is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me. Whether you in the NAACP or you Jesse Jackson. I respect all of them … I just want them to know: Never fall victim to Fox. Never fall victim to the shit they do. What they do is try to hurry up and get you on the phone and try to get you to talk about something you might not know about yet.
“If Cornell West was making an album called Nigger, they would know he’s got something intellectual to say,” Nas retorted. “To think I’m gonna say something that’s not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary.”
Nas also tells MTV he was upset with everyones negative reaction without knowing the story behind him choosing the name.
“I wanna make the word easy on muthafuckas’ ears,” he explained. “You see how white boys ain’t mad at ‘cracker’ ‘cause it don’t have the same [sting] as ‘nigger’? I want ‘nigger’ to have less meaning [than] ‘cracker.’ With all the bullshit that’s going on in the world, racism is at its peak. I wanna do the shit that’s not being done. I wanna be the artist who ain’t out. I wanna make the music I wanna hear.
“We’re taking power from the word,” he added. “No disrespect to none of them who were part of the civil-rights movement, but some of my niggas in the streets don’t know who Medgar Evers was. I love Medgar Evers, but some of the niggas in the streets don’t know Medgar Evers, they know who Nas is. And to my older people who don’t now who Nas is and who don’t know what a street disciple is, stay outta this muthafuckin’ conversation. We’ll talk to you when we’re ready. Right now, we’re on a whole new movement. We’re taking power from that word.”
The Album, which Nas originally stated was to be a radio friendly version of Hip Hop Is Dead, will now be focused around ideas and feelings he wanted to express for years.
“Every time I get in the studio, I feel like I wanna have some fun,” he said. “My fun is not doing the easy work. My fun is doing what’s me. [Radio-friendly songs], that’s easy work. My daughter could do that. My daughter could do the sh—that’s out. I wanna do me and hopefully some muthafuckas would like it. At this point, I’m looking at the whole world differently. I’m looking at how politics could really be effective for people today, how me as an artist could be more effective. ... I listen to the radio sometime and I like the vibe of that. I go to a club, and my favorite shit is Soulja Boy [‘Crank That’]. I wanna get down with them joints, but … [my records] do not come out like that.”
“This Nigger album is bigger than an album. This is for my daughter, when she looks back and sees all the chump niggas in the game, she’ll say, ‘My pops was a man.’ When I have more kids, they’ll see, ‘He was a man.’ That will inspire them to be real in their life. Some people say I’m conscious, some say I’m a gangsta rapper — it’s just me doing me. I’m stomping in my own lane. I’m doing what I do.”
COMMENTS
so damn true. don't worry, he comin wit fire.
cosign, nas is the closest replica of pac inside and out.
stop bringing up pacs name, nas said he is doing him, he is him my nigga, he on summo shit bruh
nas doin his thing...album name could be nigger nigga what ever ther fuck he wants and it still gonna sell..good 2 see nas on his grind
now to actually read this shit
LifeTheGreatest-
nas is a niglet and seeking a gimic
nah he too old to be a niglet. he just a plain old negro now. if he was real wit it thats what he woulda took it back to.
dee shut da fuk up dat was a lame ass comment
both yall niggas kill me, talkin on nas like that, re-learn illmatic you ignorant fucks (Dee & Lifes Greatest)
YEAH, THAT SHIT SOUNDS LIKE A GIMMICK TO ME. THAT HIP-HOP IS DEAD SHIT WAS A GIMMICK TOO AND HE AINT GO PLATINUM WIT THAT ONE. THAT NIGGA SAYIN HE TAKIN POWER FROM THE WORD, BUT I BET YOU THAT HE (OR NONE OF YOU FOR THAT MATTER) WILL EVER JUST LET SOME WHITE PERSON CALL YOU A "NIGGA" AND GET AWAY WIT IT. THIS SHIT DEFINETLY A GIMMICK, MAN.
acapa r u fuckin retarded? Hip Hop Is Dead is one of my all time favorite albums. And easily one of the best rap albums of the decade nigga jus cuz u dont go platnium dont mean u trash Wu-Tang NEVER went platinum dum fuc
i agree bro but wu-tang did go platinum a few times but fuk u nas haters yall jus talkin out da side of ya ass
UH, CORRECTION... HHID sold a mill...
let me get back on here and set all you confused hip hop heads with the right info
1. the Wu-Tang Clan reassembled to release the highly-anticipated Grammy-nominated MULTIPLATINUM double album Wu-Tang Forever in June 1997. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Charts, by a large margin after selling 600,000 in its first week.
...According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 8.3 million copies to date worldwide.
wow any REAL wu tang fan would know that
2. Selling 355,880 copies in its first week, Hip Hop Is Dead joined It Was Written (1996) and I Am... (1999) as the only Nas albums to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has sold 743,000 copies nationally to date with over one million sales world wide. WOW NAS HATERS EAT A DICK H.H.I.D. is also MULTIPLATINUM
couldnt of said it better myself
ight to whoever said nas was old...hes only 34....thats young get ya facts strait
yeah nas is straight alotta people think he hatin on the south but if he like soulja boy he cany be hatin. he dont like jim jones who is from new york like him cus he is all about the money and not the music. same wit jeezy but if he like soulja boy then that completely changes my opinion on him. he straight. and we deffinitely need to take power from that word but on the real im the muthafuckin greatest mc. life if u dont luv it than leave it alone.
and u dont wanna do that
LifeTheGreatest-
you cant come to Queens and diss nas. stay in the country nigga and go eat your grits.
what the hell happened i was first. where's that comment i posted. god damn it fuck u nas this is all ur fault. ur just jealous of my lyricall abilities!
LifeTheGreatest-
i'd like to make a public apollogy to nas... for the shit i said earlier...but i'm still the fuckin greatest, life tell me who ur favorite
LifeTheGreatest-
ur a f*ckin fag
aint he tho dude tryna set the record 4 most comments in a 2day period or sumin
^^^^ nas zipper ridder
what i know u aint talkin about me? fuck nas i take back what i said. nas is a bitch and all the readin made his rhymes suck. get off mc shans dick and i ainta takin bakc what i said!
LifeTheGreatest-
NUFF SAID GOD'S SON! DEFINATELY GETTIN THE ALBUM....sounds like the hip-hop i've been waiting for for years
well damn i woulda quit waitin. nas is a bitch cus i aint riddin nobodies zippers
whose ur favorite?
LifeTheGreatest-
nigga what i heard u call me a fag but last i checked u couldnt sit down 4 a while. now i dont know if u a bitch or if u just go ruff with the toilet paper but something aint right about u so i stay to the left bitch nigga
LifeTheGreatest-
^^idiot go listen to your weezy
i'd like to make a public apology to dashon that i made 1 minute ago. my tongue was out of line and i mean no drama. bitch
LifeTheGreatest-
i'd like to make a public apology to nas for stating that he rides mc shans dick and for spelling mc shans name wrong if mc shan is even a man... but im still the fuckin greatest.
LifeTheGreatest-
You're a second away from being banned on numerous counts of stupidity.
wow really could u explain them to me?
LifeTheGreatest-
jokesta please bid this man adue... disrespectin a legend like nas, lifes greatest you are a damn fool
Nas the best thing to ever happen to hip hop
well obviously not good enough to prevent it from dieing. maby it woulda been taken care of in better hands?
LifeTheGreatest-
hip-hop aint dead, you fuckin clown
Wow! Co-sign...!
i'd like to make a public apology to anyone who heard my offensive language which is as far as i know the only reason i could get banned. also can i cus in my raps and would it be so bad to throw one cus word in every comment and is nigga a cus word. and what the hell happened to freedom of speech. sorry does that count.
LifeTheGreatest-
id like to make a public apology to noughskrilla for a sarcastic comment towards nas whom she obviously respects. but im still the greatest.
LifeTheGreatest-
but what about that nigga that said damn. thats the nigga that stole my first comment and somehow erased it.
LifeTheGreatest-
no really what did i do? should i have read those terms of agreement cus i didnt? did i sign my life away?
LifeTheGreatest-
i'd like to apologized to that nigga that stole my comment 4 calling him a nigga when the proper term as stated by nas is nigger. so nigger u stole my comment.
lifeTheGreatest-
Nigga get the fuck outta here..u homo, internet gangsta!!!
Nobody understand what you're saying.How old are you,what 16?
am kind of disappointed in how Nas reacted by saying he wants people to be able to use the word N***** in the same way cracker is used. To me Nas is an intellectual and one of raps greats as we all know but for him to say this, its just like telling Jews that because time has passed they should forget about the holocaust which they remember every year and take offence when something is said against them. Come on man, Nas always talks about slavery and educate people black people to be exact so on that note i feel he is wrong come better than that Nas
dont get me wrong am still coping the album but i just dont feel thats how you justify this.
damn how did u know. im turnin 17 this thursday and if u makin me out to be yung than maby yo ass is too old to be hear. tru-word. if u older than me than get a life nigga im suprised ya'll old muthafuckas can use a computer. bitch and i never said i was gangsta i was havin fun b4 u deecided to man up on a nigga who u obviously made out to be much yunger than u and never said shit to u. bitch go fuck yaself or ya computer or whatever u fuck cus i know u aint gettin no pussy witchop ugly ass probably why u aint got no picture up bitch. or is u too broke to afford a camera. or maby ur old ass aint never heard of digital cameras. bitch
LifeTheGreatest-
dont fuck wit me
Deff. Coppin That
id like to make a public apology to tru word who cussed me out first for having fun bitch i take that back. i aint got time 4 u nigga i got battle goin down. 1life til u die nigga
LifeTheGreatest-
i don't have a problem with anything he just said .i wanna see how this is gonna turn out .nas is in my top5 .and i like the things he says and the way he say's them atleast he doesn't bite his tongue nore sugar code his feelings .and i knew nas was a push the boundries kind of rapper .i"am just happy that he's finally being the real him speaking out not carring who got a problem with it.i just hope that this turns out in the best way
hell yeah ya'll bitches bitin ya'll tongues
you my friend need to get a fuckin life..
GuessWhosBack...I cosign that..he's one of those lonely niggas that need somewhere to play..
lifethegreatest..Go suck a dick,homo
i'd like to make a public apology to all women for using the b word and state that i mysef have to sisters that r bitches. sorry
LifeTheGreatest-
check the forums its goin down life & imfamous p verses 6 other people who i hope cant rap
LifeTheGreatest-
check the forums its goin down life & imfamous p verses 6 other people who i hope cant rap.... what happened 2 u being the greatest??? the greatest wouldnt even battle some1 who aint on there level n u crying, hoping ur opponents cant rap? u aint nothing but a attention seeker get a life and suck a dick...
Yo nas is trying to get that real talk out man thats his goal. He trying to help peoples life our right now so i can all ways respect a man for that. Yall got to play close attention to this one it going to hit home watch. On another note lifethegreatest calm down dude you been up all night or something you wilding out. Yo but at least give this album ago he only trying to help your life out.
yal already know the album gone be hott
check the forums 4 my freestyle and then click on this link and tell me what u like better. www.myspace.com/412born
SUMBODY TELL DIS FUCK BOY 2 SHUT THE FUK UP DAM FUK IT ILL DO IT......LIFE SHUT DA FUK UP U MAKIN NO SENSE TALIKIN 2 YOSELF AN SHYT
anyways nas kinda aint makin no sense tryna 2 make nigger a word 2 say or take the context out of it whatever he was sayin? man it dont matter im BUYING the album an nas the BEST RAPPER ALIVE thats still rappin which means rakim an all dem dnt count
God Son is my man, Love that nigga to death, will always support him and buy his music, but to say his favorite shit in the clubs is soulja boy he is an idiot. Sorry Nas but if you want to show your support to the south say your favorite shit is UGK or LilWayne or some other shit rather that Soulja Boy!
yea that did sound kind of off
just cuz you dont like the crank that soldier boy dont me he cant maybe the nigga nas just like to dance
He ever said lil wayne is one of his favourite when he was at 106 & park...but this time around he fucks with soulja boy
i understand NAS . try to take the power out of the word but he has his hands full because even when he explains it as simple as possible people still dont understand and that in itself is the sad part. people are gonna say "NIGGER" ,"NIGGA" if its banned or not there are more important thing to worry about then a word and i understand thats part of what hes tryin to say imma cop the album . i cant wait
“I wanna make the word easy on muthafuckas’ ears,” he explained. “You see how white boys ain’t mad at ‘cracker’ ‘cause it don’t have the same [sting] as ‘nigger’? I want ‘nigger’ to have less meaning [than] ‘cracker.’
lol @ people taking his words out of content . he said Radio-friendly songs.. he didnt say anything about who is his fava downsouth rapper lol moutain out of a mole hill...sad... dont just read it try to understand wdf you reading if you cant ask for help lol
yall blowin me.
I said this before and I'll say it again.
SOULJA BOY ISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, EMPHASIS ON ISSSSSSSSSSS FOR THE CLUBS.
Ya'll sound ignorant as fuck right now. Soulja Boy aint doin shit but making tracks for the clubs people can dance to. Whats so wrong with that? Its a hot song for the clubs, people. He's not claiming to be the best rapper ever, I think he knows he's not.
Dickheads.
dam who was even hatin on em? get off ya knees 4 a second and j-hughes, i aint say i had a problem wit nas likin soulja boy he a grown ass man it kinda came outta no ware dam wats wrong wit dat?
i dissed primo and im still the best
LifeTheGreatest-
Someone shoot this nigga.
the god has spoken...dont fall victim to trick-knowledge!! This man knows what he is doing and we will be more enlighntened with knowledge after we hear his ideas and motivations on this album Nigger....it's on now
all dat really matters is dat da album is gonna be fire. and life... get a life. go play basketball or somethin.
BEST RAPPER ALIVE.
cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign cosign
Most def Imma get the album, gotta complete the collection. Nas is the truth. Never commercial. Cant hate on a man for speaking what he wants to hear
Should be the an interesting album.
yall blowin me.
I said this before and I'll say it again.
SOULJA BOY ISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, EMPHASIS ON ISSSSSSSSSSS FOR THE CLUBS.
Ya'll sound ignorant as fuck right now. Soulja Boy aint doin shit but making tracks for the clubs people can dance to. Whats so wrong with that? Its a hot song for the clubs, people. He's not claiming to be the best rapper ever, I think he knows he's not.
Dickheads.
You have to understand, Nas had his little beef with down south for a momment but he knows that those niggas down there buy albums too so he is tryin go clean up what he is saying to gain there respect. If you really think GOD SON likes soulja boy shit and do that shit in the clubs. Then we are not the DICKHEADS. You are!
That comment was from and for WhoozThaBoss!
i am a NIGGA co-sign Nas,Nigger is getting cop fosho
Fuck if Nas think Souljah Boy is hot, I know i be rocking 2 that shit in da clubs having a good time
what the fuck is wrong with this nigga tru nas is the greatest rapper in the game fuck what he talkin bout grow the fuck up
you clown ass niggas can't read obviously...first of all as if i really care nas said he be in the club vibin off them joints like soulja's but his music doesn't come like that...he's past that stage as an artist....
vl is a dumb fuck for his ignorant ass comment...GET OFF THE SITE DUMB ASS!!!!!!!!!
also this dumb ass dj16 or whatever what the fuck are you talking about asshole?
you must be 16 and no nothing about the struggle or your history...dumbass number 2...
finally...NAS IS COMMIN WITH A REAL MESSAGE...BELIEVE THAT....SHIT GONNA BE HARD...
FUCK YOU NIGGAS!!!!!!!! I MEAN NIGGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fam you missed read my fucking comment esco i