I have to start out by saying Nas is back! Where does an MC go after winning one of the biggest rap battles in Hip-Hop history? A true heavyweight battle. Nas vs. Jay-Z was bigger than "Tyson vs. Lewis." Nas came out of that fight a little black and blue but that was about it. Nas is a hip-hop icon. After winning "The Battle," Nas has nothing else to prove to his fans now now his angle is enlightenment through hot music. We kept everything for the record. **** got so deep I forgot I parked at a mother****ing parking meter and when I finally rolled out my **** got towed ($475.00) and two big scuffs on my 23" rims. This wasn't the first time Nas laid it down for F.E.D.S. and it won't be the last. Later that night I was surprised when Nas hit my 2-way and said our conversation inspired him to write a song that night. So it was definitely worth me having to spend a light $475.
FEDS: What's up Nasir, what's good?
NAS: Everything is beautiful, real, real beautiful. Doing it like I got to do it. Everything right now is warrior status, becoming a man. You know what I'm saying, taking it day by day. I got alot of things going on right now. Whether its family ****, business ****, music ****, future planning, financing or whatever the **** I'm doing, I've been busy. I'm a grown ass man, that's what I've become this year.
FEDS: Nas you have always managed to stay out of trouble. Now it's happened. People are calling you out. Did that shock you at first?
NAS: I always felt it would happen. When I was like 16 or whatever, KRS1 and MC Shan went at it. I just felt like Queensbridge was like a big ****ing mark in early rap music that would last a lifetime. So when KRS1 and MC Shan thing happened I was like wow, it could all be taken away from you. Because you see Shan was a king. He's still a king you know. It can all be taken away if you get into a battle with another MC. So I always feared that I would have to go battle KRS1 one day because I was from Queensbridge but that didn't happen. Which was good because I didn't want that to happen and overshadow me. After that I allowed there to be a voice in Queens so groups like Mobb Deep could come out with the new generation of Queensbridge MCs. I chilled for a while with nikkas that were coming up. Like BIG, Wu Tang, Keith Murray and Jay-Z. Everybody was coming up so I didn't think about it. Then tension started secretly between BIG and me. It was basically about who was that nikka in New York City. There were songs that we would say subliminal **** going back and forth. I did The Message on IWW where I was getting at everybody and BIG came back with Kick In The Door and a few other records that were directed towards me. Alot of rappers didn't know about the beef. ALot of **** he made going at Tupac, but there was some **** in there for me because we had our own thing going on. The 1st time nikkas saw a rapper with R. Kelly was when I did the street dreams remix video. I brought Kelly to the hood in Cabrini Greens out in Chicago, when he wasn't wearing any jewelry. The gang nikkas gave me a pass to shoot the video even though they were mad because Kelly never came through the hood. THat all changed when I brought him through for the Street Dreams video. He got acquainted with some of the dudes out there. I'm not taking anything away from R. Kelly, but I had the big chain on out there before nikkas in rap music were wearing crazy ****, then R. Kelly started wearing the jewelry. Anyway, BIG and Kelly had the song "****ing You Tonight." They wanted to smash it with that song first but Kelly was feeling like he wanted to get closer to GOD and what I was talking about was more positive. But the ****ing You Tonight song was incredible so it had to come out anyway. But because I had the first look with R. Kelly that made BIG come a little harder. I felt it, he was the only rapper that I feared would smash a nikka, not really lyrically but his aura and the power he brought with his voice lyrically. I thought it was a big problem and I didn't want to go that route with BIG. That would have been the biggest battle of my life.
FEDS: How did it feel when the "Battle" with Jay-Z started?
NAS: With Jay I felt it coming. He would always act funny around me. Back then he would come to the studio, he got big when Biggie took him in, which was later on. I was pimping with BIG when he was broke. I was popping with Illmatic when BIG started popping, then Jay-Z came into the picture. Jay was up and coming, so he was sort of like affiliated with the New York dons. I never appeared on his album but he wanted me to. He always called me to come down but I never appeared because I only rocked with my nikkas, it was real. He was up and coming, he was an aggressive cat. He didn't want anything in his way. But I always stayed in my zone. I always felt a little weird about it because a nikka was ****ing with my baby moms and hanging around my manager Steve Stoute. So I was like yo, this nikka must be trying to find out everything about me. I would hear he would be asking questions, what's Nas doing or how did Nas do this or that record. Then he came with the Sunshine record with Foxy and dressed up in suits like me or maybe because that was the trend. Eventually dude wanted to be a boss, so it was like Gambino style. You had to take off the head nikka and I was the last one in New York that he felt was in his way of being the Don. It really never blew up with me and BIG, it never blew up with any other rapper and me and it was about due for a lyrical war. Rakim and Kane never did it. And I was sort of Rakim's protege when I was coming up.
FEDS: How did the situation between yourself and Irv Gotti start to shape?
NAS: Well when I was on a rampage and **** after Hot 97 ****ted on me.
FEDS: What happened with Hot 97, you wanted to hang a doll that looked like Jay-Z at Summer Jam?
NAS: Yeah yeah, I was going to have some fun. We were going to hang a Jay-Z robot all in fun. But Hot 97 thought I had a movie. I told them I didn't have a movie about dude. I was like I got something, it's fun and next year he can do whatever he wants or we can squash it. I even had a piece at the end about peace with his picture and mine that I wanted to put up there to show them it was all in fun. But while it was going up I was going to try to tear him down, like how he tried to destroy my whole existence. But they weren't with it, they basically weren't trying to work with me or hear me. The disrespectful thing about it is, the one who was in charge of everything was Jay's tour manager. He was running the stage ****, so it was biased. So I was like how is this dude going to tell me what I can and can't do. I can see if Hot 97 said it but they have this dude putting the whole **** together and telling me what I can't do. They was basically like "Nas make up your mind and call us back in 5 minutes because we will tell them you are not coming" and then it all hit me. Then there was some bill**** over The Angie Martinzes Takeover Show. If there was a song dissing Fat Joe that wouldn't have been the theme of her show because Joe is her peoples. It was personal with me. Jay did a diss theme directed toward me for the takeover. And when the battle began they were cheering for homeboy showing favoritism. They didn't even want my **** to play. Then when Wendy played the record they had no other choice but to play it because Wendy was burying them with the ratings. So now they wanted to play it but only when homeboy had a response. So when they had a response it was like a holiday for them. I didn't know that they had it out for me like that. So I said, wow, is it this serious? Damn these nikkas are showing favoritism, when it should be all fair. I said ok, if you side with him then you are putting yourself in the line of fire also. But I ate that one. Then Flex got on the radio saying he was going to put up $1000 if Carmen (my baby moms) calls up and tells him the real story. That was disrespectful, he could have gotten hurt for that one. He really didn't understand. But he didn't mind jumping in it like he was a comedian, like he can do that. So I said these nikkas really don't understand so I am not even gonna mash out on them like that. It's not even their fault. They really don't understand and they don't know any better. I told Flex about it and I was just feeling like this nikka is a clown. He's in my face telling me I should dis Jay on the radio but when I'm not there he's telling Jay the same thing. I'm like who are these nikkas and they dictating to New York what's popping. I said naa, this is New York City, this **** is not going to go down. We real nikkas, we are the realest of the real; I'm going to change the game. So when I went on my rampage I flipped the **** and changed the whole game and made Power 105 move from the 16th rated station to the 3rd most rated station in just one week from one interview, that's power. Then Flex beat up a woman. Beat her up over the interview like 4 or 5 months later. So back to when I went on my rampage, nikkas was like oh ****! He's flipping on Hot 97, you know they're not going to play his records, like I gave a ****. So the only nikkas that publically said something was Murder INC. I kept reading magazines and Irv was like "yo, Nas should be down with us, it would be like family. He's like Pac we can be like Tha Row." I kept reading magazines with him saying that **** and I was like its kinda bugged he was say that **** when he's cool with Jay. Then that nikka started stepping up on radio stations while they were on tour. I would get the calls saying Irv and Ja riding with you, so I said all right ****, there's strength in numbers so we monopolized a plan to get through alot of the bull**** that was going down. I drove Flex and Angie crazy over there. Life is crazy right now because of my one interview and I didn't really dig into them. I though Murder Inc. ok **** it these nikkas are from Queens and these nikkas are popping plus Irv produces his ass off. So I said let's see what's popping. He flew to Miami; we sat down smoked cigars and just talked about everything. We talked about him being affiliated with super ugly and how I felt about it. We talked about ****, we laughed about ****, and then we said ok lets get some money, lets go! And that's all Irv needed. I went back into my zone working on my album and finishing the tour. Irv was telling everyone Nas is with Murder Inc. I told Steve to tell him to chill. I called Irv. I said Irv chill, everybody saying I'm on Murder Inc. Irv said "**** that you got to ride with us son." So I said I'm riding with you if yall riding with me, but let's chill. He said yeah no doubt, then the next week 30 more things. This dude is a machine, he's a monster. I couldn't stop him so I said **** it, go. Then he said let's do a song, and blast this **** off with us. I said let's do it rap is boring right now, let's make some noise.
FEDS: So what's the connection, are you signed to Murder INC?
NAS: No, we are like allies. It's important to have that.
FEDS: Did you hear Jay-Z when he went on the radio and said, "Nas used to be a boss and now he's under Murder Inc."?
NAS: That was like me wilding out because he was hanging with Steve Stoute. Like yo, you got Dame Dash already, so why do you need Stoute because Damon really don't know what he's doing. You really feel like you're carrying a dead horse so you get around a nikka like Steve Stoute who is really smart. Now you're getting in so you can know how Nas does his thing, so now I'm not that special anymore because you have my other half that was helping me out. Basically he's mad because Irv helped him get on so he thinks Irv is going to tell how he moves, how he thinks. I just drove Jay crazy, I just drove nikkas crazy then went back into my zone and chilled the **** out. It was all a plot to drive nikkas crazy. Irv and I never had any beef, he put himself into it when he was with Jay. Then Jay ****ted on him when it came to touring and other business.
FEDS: You come with alot of messages, alot of wisdom, are you a 5 precenter?
NAS: I was 5 Percent when I was like 9 then I got into Islam. At this point in my life I believe God is the sun now. I look at it like the Egyptians."
FEDS:How do you describe your music?
NAS: Well some nikkas walk around with white t-shirts and big platinum watches with thugs but they are making every song that you can wiggle your ass to. Some nikkas are ill at it. Like Ja and Nelly, they are ill at it but some nikkas are just doing it to go on Oprah. It has nothing to do with the struggle. There's nikkas talking about they got hundreds of million of dollars while nikkas are starving in their hood. nikkas need lawyers, nikkas moms are ****ed up on drugs, and you got nikkas still glorifying being a gangster. I'm not a gangster, I'm an artist but because of the **** we grew up around that's the **** the comes out in our music. It's reality, all the people I know are from the streets. But I don't want props for that. You got nikkas like Cam'ron who gets locked up for a gun, a 22! I don't know who he was shooting; I guess he was shooting dogs or something. If he didn't shoot the nikka that took his watch or the nikka that beat him up in his own hood then why you got a half-loaded 22? I didn't know they still made them things. nikkas got to realize when its time to stop fronting. Real nikkas are trying to get it, they ain't trying to hang with you to make you feel you are a tough guy. Real nikkas, you put them around you and they are going to hold you down because they are men and they are loyal. If you don't understand what that means and you got them around you because you ain't a tough guy something is wrong. That's why I dont **** with clowns. I used to read that Beanie was waiting and he had guns waiting for me, what Beanie needs is a hug. Beanie let's be real, I'm sure Beanie was listening to my **** growing up in Philly and it helped to inspire him. So what Beanie needs is a handshake, a hug, a stern look in the eye and a real talk. How can we progress? How are we going to go out for shooting a nikka if we got 200 nikkas in the hood we are responsible for? To me that **** don't make sense. My **** is about reality. So my music is about reality and what I'm feeling and right now I'm feeling free.
FEDS: How's your relationship with Mobb Deep, they are also Queen's natives, didn't yall have a fall out?
NAS: I don't see them but I want to sign them nikkas, nikkas just need to refocus. Those are some bad mother****ers. They came in the game young and showed nikkas what the street **** was about. I think the focus got lost throughout the years but it's time to come up out of that. My label would be perfect for these nikkas. nikkas were lost, nikkas were out telling a story that wasn't real. It's time to stop living a lie. Because of that, Nature made a record and my little man stomped his head in the ground. My whole thing about build and destroy is getting your act together. Destroy the bull**** and let's rebuild the real ****. All this real money out here.
FEDS: What about 50 Cent? He's from Queens, how is your relationship with him?
NAS: I don't know. I read in a magazine that he was a little mad about me doing a song with Jennifer Lopez. I didn't understand it. I never heard the song with him. But if she asked me to do the song I'm on it. I can feel him being a little mad if they took him off a song and put me on it but I got love for 50 Cent. I took him under the wing when nobody else would **** with him. He knows better than that.
FEDS: I heard you are a real ladies man. I heard you got em going crazy. Not just hood women, women with real paper. Would you like to talk about that?
NAS: I learned a powerful lesson about women; you can't get a woman until you become a man. And when you are a man, you are gonna pull real women. So lately I've been seeing a woman, and I don't **** with girls anymore.
FEDS: How is your relationship with Columbia\Sony, you are the strongest rapper they have, you're holding that foundation down. Have you ever felt maybe you should get out of that situation?
NAS: When you get signed to a label you are going to have issues. This is a business; you are going to have drama. There were times I had drama. I had to fight for things I wanted. That's the business. Right now I am very happy with Columbia.
FEDS: Is Steve Stoute your manager again?
NAS: Yes, Steve is managing me again.
FEDS: You had a slight fall out with Steve. How long did it last, about an album or so?
NAS: Yeah, we did. He was hanging with Jay and them. We went through our ****. We weren't seeing eye to eye with ****. The thing is, he taught me alot.
FEDS: You both came in the game somewhat together; you, him and Trackmasters.
NAS: Right, almost at the same time. We were all doing our own thing, but we arrived together. We saw some money together.
FEDS: You seem to be transforming into a Hewey Newton kind of person.
NAS: That's a hell of a compliment. Definitely, that to me is everything. I got a song on my album called "I Can." First of all, with music back in the days you had all different styles. Today you got all these nikkas sounding alike. So the kids need to know you need to sound like yourself, just do groundbreaking **** and change the whole game. So with my song "I Can" I dedicated it to the kids and its real ****. I'm not compromising anything. I'm not turning into Bill Cosby. "I Can" is about I can be whatever I want to be. It's about having that freedom not for no radio station, no magazines like Vibe or Rolling Stone. You don't need any of that **** to tell you what's going on. FEDS mag should tell you what's going on, a street magazine and real street people should be telling you what's really going on. So when you listen to my ****, I can tell the youth to do whatever you want to do and really mean it. Watch and see alot of street mother****ers will start putting out more positive **** in their songs. That's where I'm leading rap right now.
FEDS: What are some of the things you bought yourself that are really proud of?
NAS: I want to see every nikkas around me with houses and cars right now. I go to car shows and **** and watch those rich nikkas do it up. But I'm not doing any of that ****. The most important thing that I have done is dedicate what I'm doing to my little one. So if anything happens to me, she's good. On top of that build Ill Will Records up, send nikkas to school, and try to give them nikkas that are lost some direction and try to guide nikkas the right way.
FEDS: Are you preparing to go on any tours?
NAS: Yeah, we are planning to go over seas and I will be touring the states. I might bring Murder Inc with me and you know Bravehearts will be there.
FEDS: Do you plan on working with Puff again?
NAS: I would love to work with Puff again. That nikka is a genius. He is our generation's version of Quincy Jones and Barry Gordy.
FEDS: Who have you not worked with that you would like to work with?
NAS: Outkast, I want to do **** with alot of different nikkas.
FEDS: If everyone were a free agent, who would you grab right now?
NAS: I would snatch up Crooked I, that nikka Suge got. I'm feeling that nikka crazy. 50 Cent is also hot right now. That nikka is doing it.
FEDS: What about producers? Who are you working with?
NAS: Salaam Remi, Alchemist. Big up to my man OJ doing his thing pumping the records, getting them to radio. Also my man Footie is doing his thing on the street level.
FEDS: Anybody you want to shout out?
NAS: Sherm the Worm (I'm praying he beats his case), Big Clif, Illmatic Ice, so many nikkas, Sha, Big Trev, Beef Stick, YG, Ha, Malik Da Hitler.
FEDS: Nas, it's been real ****ing with you tonight. Peace out.
Feds had the pleasure of chillin with Nas at the studio and watching him put in some work. After smoking and talking till the early hours of the morning we were able to understand the maturation of Nas. He has grown as a person and on the mic. All artists go through this transition but not all of them are able or willing to accept their maturation and make the game adapt to them. Don't allow the game to change you, change the ****ing game!
u were kinda funny tho
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