Nas Says He's "Honored" To Have Jay-Z Feud As Part Of His Legacy

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Nas reflects on the legacy of his feud with Jay-Z.

If we're talking about the biggest rap feuds of all time, you gotta give Jay-Z and Nas their flowers. The two went at it in one of the most disrespectful feuds in rap history that thankfully ended in better terms than it started. They're good now but things got tense with the exchange of several diss tracks including "Takeover" and "Ether." 

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Looking back, it seems that Nas can appreciate what came of it. After all, rap is considered a competitive sport, despite how vicious things could get. During a recent interview on Rick Rubin's Broken Record podcast, Nas explained that it was a sobering moment for him realizing that these feuds could really come to life. The OGs before him did it, as well, like a rite of passage, but the stakes were high for Jay-Z and Nas at the time. "I was honored to have that part of my life happen because that's how I saw some of the greats do it coming up. I saw some of the greats do it," the King's Disease rapper explained.

Rubin pointed out that the outcome of Jay-Z and Nas' feud was mutually beneficial, largely because they both proved their greatness at that point. "Again, it's about the art of MCing and when you're trying to make the best stuff you can make and you bump heads with another MC, and then you guys have a war or whatever, that's what this art form was since the beginning," Nas added, listing off Double Trouble and Busy Bee as examples of the forefathers engaging in rap beefs. "That's what I like about hip-hop compared to other genres is that, they go at it in hip-hop," he continued. "Hip-hop will always be around because of how competitive it is.

Check the clip out below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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