Nas x Damian Marley: E Pluribus Unum (Part 1)
Interview: Brian “B.Dot” Miller
This June, hip-hop icon Nas and reggae star, Damian Marley plan to release their collaborative album, Distant Relatives. Though the announcement came as a shock, their chemistry proved positive on the mash up, “Road to Zion.” In part one of Double R’s feature, Nas discusses their collision course, his fixation with the motherland, and why a collaborative album with AZ never materialized.
Doing an album with Damian Marley seems like a stretch. How did this even come about?
You know certain things, just happen because they was supposed to happen ’cause it was a good thing. And certain people you just gon’ meet. It could be a two minute conversation or a two hour conversation or it can be a relationship that starts because of two people meeting. I’ve known him for a while and he’s good people, man. And the energy of it and the flow of it is good money, man. Nothing else but pure fun.
Is this coming out on Def Jam?
Well, cause of me, Def Jam is involved. It’s Def Jam, the label Damian is on which is Republic and you have even also Tuff Gong, the Marley label.
So being that this is not coming through a major label, is there less pressure?
Yeah, ’cause it hasn’t been done only [for] a hip-hop artist and reggae
[artists] to the level of my knowledge. Forgive me if I’m wrong. But,
I think it hasn’t been done, so it has its own lane. If we had a radio
hit, cool, but it’s like it has its own lane so it’s interesting to see
what happens with the single. Does it remain among music people and
they choose it? Or, does it become a top ten hit? Who knows, we don’t
know. So, there is no pressure ’cause we don’t have to do the norm. We
can do what we want.
Growing up in Queensbridge, did you listen to a lot of reggae?
I grew up, it definitely was in my mix. Early hip-hop to me is like reggae. From, what’s the kids called? Sound of a generation?
Musical Youth?
Yeah, them. To a few other records that were out when I was hearing early hip-hop, I was hearing early reggae at the same time. So, you know yeah, big time fan.
On your record, “Theif’s Theme” you named dropped Peter MacIntosh. Was he an influence?
Yeah man, “Legalize It!” He’s amazing. Just that whole thing, The Wailers. Like, Jamaica’s own Temptations or Supremes or what have you. But it was just that movement and the music that came out of that group is crazy.
Right. So on this album can we expect to hear you kicking any Patois?
[Laughs] Nah, so far we almost done. But it’s a good chance you might not hear any of that, but we do mess around in the studio. I just haven’t laid my vocals like that, yet. So it’s possible before we close it out. Dame went crazy. His whole style is so crazy ’cause most guys who listen to hip-hop [and] don’t listen to dancehall or reggae, they don’t know what they’re missing. But a lot of the lyrics from reggae music—— and if you listen to any of Damian’s albums, he’s going in. So, with this album, it’s really dope like that ’cause dude is bringing it. It’s for real.
The press release mentions your “bond to African ancestry,” it seems like you’ve always had this fascination with the motherland. Have you ever visited?
Yeah, I been. My fascination is with the fact that there is such a mystery with a great history and [with] the present genocide, it just strikes me like, “Wow”. And in some point at my African American family tree, it cuts off. And at that cut off area, is something now with DNA research you can find out where you from forever. They didn’t have anything like that. And, it’s still a thing that’s not common to everyone. So that whole mystery of Africa has always been crazy to me since Tarzan was coming through the television in black and white.
Right. On your record, “I Can” off God’s Son, people criticized your last verse for its inaccuracy.
Yeah, and I expected that. And a lot of radio stations wouldn’t play that verse. When it comes to Africa, there’s such a beautiful history that’s forbidden to talk about. And, it’s just interesting to me, there are so many people who think they know the history of Africa and don’t have any idea. Or the people who think they know the story behind the African American don’t even really know. Masses of us don’t really know. And it’s so much good to come from it. I look to it to [not to] bring out any anger or rage. It’s just that when you look at it, you realize, why is this such a mystery? I’m intrigued by mystery. I’m intrigued by the Deep Sea. I’m intrigued by space. I’m intrigued by Rome. I talk about a lot ’cause of my race.
Many fans thought they would’ve seen an AZ and Nas album before one with Damian Marley. How come that’s never happened?
I think certain things have to be ready. You can’t do it for the sake of doing it and mess up what it was supposed to be. Things have to really be in place. They have to——like with Junior Gong, it was meant to happen. There was something puling us together that made it happen. It’s like, last year I couldn’t told you I was doing this. Neither can Damian tell you we coulda been doing this album. But, something’s pulling us together. So, we’re not fighting it, we just going with it. I think that’s when it’s fun. But other than that, you don’t see a lot of duet rap albums because, every artist rap dude or everyone has a way of doing albums. So when you got to get with another rap guy, that process of putting that together can be either easy or can be hard. But, for some reason no one has ever done it. Same reason we never done it is the same reason I guess no other hip-hop—— it hasn’t been done by anybody.
But com’on Nas. You guys made classic records like, “Life’s A Bitch” and “Mo Money, Mo Murder.”
I feel like at one point, it was ready to go and I saw it being ready to go. And I’m saying 10 years ago. It was ready to go and we had The Firm and everything. That was a movement. It was ready to go. But, I don’t know why it didn’t. It was a whole movement we had out there doing and I was out there trying to make it happen and I don’t know why. But I guess it’s not a easy question to answer. There are no duet rap albums. There have never been one.
Wait, let me think.
If there has been, it hasn’t been good cause we should’ve remembered it, know what I’m saying? They’re none, bro. They’re none.
So you wouldn’t be willing to do one with him?
I was willing to do one again ten years ago and I think that was really the time. So if it happens in the future, man, that’s all good. I don’t wanna say yeah and it don’t happen. It’s not as easy at it sounds. Again, we would’ve had at least five rap albums with duets. There is not one. Why is that? That’s crazy! But let me be fair to rap, look at R&B, they’re not tons of ’em. You have Roberta Flack/Donny Hathaway. Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. You got few but there’s not a large amount.
Wait, I got one. What about Black Star?
[Short silence] You got one. That’s one out of a million MCs and can’t even get another one. You got me there. You right.
Um, Let me think of another. Oh, Baby and Lil Wayne did an album together too.
Yeah,
but you know what then, I think you will see that in the future going
down and that kind of thing will start happening more. If that happens,
I’m looking forward to doing that kind of shit.
I thik the Nas/Damien Marley album will be dope, but there’s gotta be something more to that AZ album never happening. I don’t know. The street wanted it to happen for a minute. Honestly they want that before a Jay/Nas album!
Hopefully he can make it happen, and hopefully other people will pick the beats. I’m just sayin..
When does the single drop?
Dope interview, but how both of y’all gonna forget about the Red & Meth album Blackout?? And the upcoming Blackout 2??
Smarten up Nas hahahah!
…please start researching stuff before you do interviews and write songs.
You consistently come off as one of those brothers who tries so hard to represent intelligence and thought, but you just as consistently contradict yourself and state fallacies. Your cred has been damaged by this for anyone who knows what you are capable of. You have never lived up to the potential of your first album and have floundered about looking for direction ever since ‘Illmatic’ was released. You have songs on your album that are incredible works of art, full of excellent insight and thought; but it seems like when you try to elaborate or go a little deeper, you get your facts screwed up or your ego makes it so you think that you are breaking new ground, when in fact, you are not. Not even close…
As far as you being in your own lane…Dude, you must’ve really been living in a ‘Blackout’ for the last few years; the label you are on now put out TWO duet albums in recent memory by artists that were on top of their game…Method Man and Redman put out ‘Blackout’ and friggin’ Jay-Z and R. Kelly did TWO albums, regardless of whether or not they wanna cop to it. Personally, I think it is you who has the ‘Best Of Both Worlds’, cuz for some reason, people will just throw you in the ‘Top 5, Dead Or Alive’ off instinct without REALLY taking a hard look at your catalogue. (Controversial Statement #1: I say this about Rakim, too, so don’t take it personally)
Some brothers actually think and have studied the history of this hip-hop shit and know better. I am of the opinion that you have thumbed your nose at hip-hop MANY times, as if to say…”Yeah, I’m the shit and I can get away with ANYTHING.”
NO, YOU CAN’T.
There are those, like me, that have waited and waited through all your changes, from Escobar to the incredible disappointment that was The Firm to ALL the shit that Jay called you on with ‘Takeover’ (controversial statement #2; He GOT you. He dropped facts, you called him names. He GOT you.) for you to live up to the promise displayed on ‘Illmatic’. We have bought your albums, we have listened to some of your misguided statements and bitten our tongues. We have watched you misinform children in the name of being ‘conscious’. We have allowed a LOTTA contradictions to slide. I, for one, am not ready for another half-conceived ‘concept album’ that will be led off with some kinda controversial statement or title to get attention and press. It’s become transparent and tiring.
So, if this Nas/Marley album is REALLY what you wanna do, I salute you. Know this before you do any more press, though; often, the person you are talking to has a degree of some sort and a vast knowledge of music and there is NOTHING new under the sun. No more grand statements about how you are doing something terribly unique because when it drops and we love the single only to shake our heads and frown at the album, there’s a lotta us out here that will say “Told you so.” It’s not like I want you to fail, but I have seen a pattern developing with your work.
Thank you, B Dot, we hafta start holding brothers responsible for what they say.
yeah, i know as soon as i finished the interview i remembered Red and Meth! my mind was racing! my bad y’all
..please start researching stuff before you do interviews and write songs.
You consistently come off as one of those brothers who tries so hard to represent intelligence and thought, but you just as consistently contradict yourself and state fallacies. Your cred has been damaged by this for anyone who knows what you are capable of. You have never lived up to the potential of your first album and have floundered about looking for direction ever since ‘Illmatic’ was released. You have songs on your album that are incredible works of art, full of excellent insight and thought; but it seems like when you try to elaborate or go a little deeper, you get your facts screwed up or your ego makes it so you think that you are breaking new ground, when in fact, you are not. Not even close…
As far as you being in your own lane…Dude, you must’ve really been living in a ‘Blackout’ for the last few years; the label you are on now put out TWO duet albums in recent memory by artists that were on top of their game…Method Man and Redman put out ‘Blackout’ and friggin’ Jay-Z and R. Kelly did TWO albums, regardless of whether or not they wanna cop to it. Personally, I think it is you who has the ‘Best Of Both Worlds’, cuz for some reason, people will just throw you in the ‘Top 5, Dead Or Alive’ off instinct without REALLY taking a hard look at your catalogue. (Controversial Statement #1: I say this about Rakim, too, so don’t take it personally)
Some brothers actually think and have studied the history of this hip-hop shit and know better. I am of the opinion that you have thumbed your nose at hip-hop MANY times, as if to say…”Yeah, I’m the shit and I can get away with ANYTHING.”
NO, YOU CAN’T.
There are those, like me, that have waited and waited through all your changes, from Escobar to the incredible disappointment that was The Firm to ALL the shit that Jay called you on with ‘Takeover’ (controversial statement #2; He GOT you. He dropped facts, you called him names. He GOT you.) for you to live up to the promise displayed on ‘Illmatic’. We have bought your albums, we have listened to some of your misguided statements and bitten our tongues. We have watched you misinform children in the name of being ‘conscious’. We have allowed a LOTTA contradictions to slide. I, for one, am not ready for another half-conceived ‘concept album’ that will be led off with some kinda controversial statement or title to get attention and press. It’s become transparent and tiring.
So, if this Nas/Marley album is REALLY what you wanna do, I salute you. Know this before you do any more press, though; often, the person you are talking to has a degree of some sort and a vast knowledge of music and there is NOTHING new under the sun. No more grand statements about how you are doing something terribly unique because when it drops and we love the single only to shake our heads and frown at the album, there’s a lotta us out here that will say “Told you so.” It’s not like I want you to fail, but I have seen a pattern developing with your work.
Thank you, B Dot, we hafta start holding brothers responsible for what they say.
^^^^^
Blah blah blah. No ever is going to bother reading a response this long. wrap it up.
On the spot he couldn’t think of Red & Meth’s albums, who cares? Nas & Jr. Gong are 2 of my favourite artists and I’m hyped for this to drop!
damn how could nas forget red & meth?? and dre & big boy are basically a duet nowadays more than a group…i think this album will be fire tho i wonder whos doin the beats?
…That’s why there is not more duets in music. Red & Meth are on the same label, Babay and Wayne are “father and son” (or “pimp and bitch” lol) other than that these so called “gangstas”, “hustlers” etc are stuck in their plantations!
Here’s the truth….
Nas and AZ are cool with each other but Nas doesnt want to do a joint record cause he doesnt feel like it. And why be mad at him?
AZ has been making the same fucking record for the last 7 years, whereas Nas has wanted to try different things content wise and concept wise from talking about growing up on Streets Disciple, the state of Hip Hop and how MC’s should be accountable of there own destiny on HHID to giving his perspectus on the state of race ettiquette on Untitled.
Now he wants to try a whole album mixing two genres of black music while talking about poltics and socialsim from two cultural perspectives. It may turn out be wack, it may turn out to be good, but at least he’s doing him and not having worry about rapping about the same shit with AZ that they did back in 1997.
I dont see why people want to hear a Nas and AZ collabo when its no different than what already came out. Most of y’all would probably bitch about it any cause the content isnt on point like before cause neither of them felt like it.
Some people live in the past and need to get over the fact that there may never be a NAS and AZ album…and that maybe a good thing! NAS has moved on and is doing very well for himself. NAS is constantly learning and being creative with his music. Some people try to knock him by bring up old beef verses from Jay in their whack attempt to hate on NAS…but guess what its old and its only factual to those who try to use it to validate their HATRED towards! NAS never seemed to be the type of artist to even care what the haters think about him! It amazes me how people try to keep him boxed in and hate on him when he branches out and does something different! Haters try to challenge his intelligence as if they are somehow superior to NAS…mentioning how they went to college as if a degree makes you a genius, and as if you never contradicted yourself! Life is about learning and contradictions…we would not be human if these things did not exist! NAS is human and will make errors and contradictions throughout life…just like everyone else! NAS is one of the GREATS in hip hop and should be RESPECTED for that and his ability to make thought provoking music! The fact that NAS has lasted over 17 years in the game and is still very relevant and successful probably makes the HATERS very MAD! People need stop trying challenge and hold others accountable when you are not doing half of what the person you are challenging and holding accountable is doing! I’m sure that NAS holds himself accountable for his own actions…as he mentioned in the interview he is intrigued by learning and does not know everything about Africa…hell most of the history books on AFRICA are inaccurate! So before people throw stones at NAS…he never labeled himself as a genius or a scholar…that is what those who HATE label him as…so he must be doing something right! NAS is HUMBLE, INTELLIGENT, and most importantly HUMAN (not immune to making mistakes)!!
Blackout 2 RED N MEF 09
BLACKSTAR 2, next year
THE STANDART (common/qtip) 2010 !!! hope
[…] guillotine has dropped on that notion, especially after Nas’ interview not too long ago with Rap Radar: “I think certain things have to be ready. You can’t do it for the sake of doing it and […]