In addition to releasing a new album, Magic, Nas is also getting attention for clarifying a misconception about his 2006 album. The controversially titled, Hip-Hop is Dead, released in December of 2006, arguably at the height of southern Hip-Hop dominance, was not a comment on rap from that region or anyone in particular.
On a recent episode of The Bridge: 50 Years of Hip Hop, with guest Jeezy, the Snowman indicates that he thought the sentiment of “Hip-Hop is dead” was projected at emcees such as himself.
“At the time, you gotta think, I’m just getting on. I’m just seeing my first legitimate money. I’m just getting my shows going. And then, you got the Don in New York saying ‘Hip-Hop is dead!'”
Mr. Jones went on to clarify the proclamation. “I didn’t think about that part. I didn’t think that certain people would think I’m talking about them. Oh nah, I’m talking about mainly New York! Mainly New York. I’m talking to everybody, but I didn’t explain it thorough enough.”
Nas caught wind of Jeezy’s discontent when he aired his grievances in an interview from around that time. The Queens legend even gave him props for speaking up. “It was big of him to say something; I respected that.”
“Yeah, they got me,” Jeezy explains. “It was early in the morning; I had been doing my promo run, and they [the press] asked (about Hip-Hop is Dead), and I said what I said.”
Not long after, Jeezy discusses how they got on the phone and cleared the air. “Men get on the phone, they figure things out, and then they make history. We (Nas and I) made history with “My President is Black,” and we had some good times doing it.”
