The year is 1994 and New Year's is creeping up upon us. An MC from Queensbridge named Nas is currently keeping the streets on fire from coast to coast. Many brothers on the block, as well as Rap critics acknowledge Nas' debut LP Illmatic to be one of the greatest solo debuts of all time
Keep in mind, this after the riots. I think the O.J. Simpson trial was still on everybody's mind. Race, poverty and conflict were framing a lot of what was in America and Hip-Hop. I originally did this for a magazine called 4080. In it's time, 4080 was a force of nature. I remember Harry Allen telling me how much he loved it. But the owner had addiction problems that forced it to close
Nas was a legend already because of his verse on Live at the BBQ. I was already a fan. I did this interview at the 4080 offices on a speaker phone. The interview was not seen again until it was republished in the book Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion in 2006. When Jay Z and Nas settled their differences, it was partially reprinted on Allhiphop.com. This is the first time
AB: What were your earliest memories of Hip-Hop? Not much being a part of it- but just the music itself and the culture?
Nas: I remember it just bein' the fly sh**, the new sh**. Just n***as, Black people, young Black people, loud music, big speakers, turntables, females, weed, Private Stock, and seeing' records. Like, if somebody was a big name, you saw he made a record. I mean, it was mad rappers. But when you look at a n***as record – you seen that was some sh**! As being a young Black man, you would have never thought to see yourself on some wax. And that tight there, you was the man. You was chillin'. Even if a n***a never knew you, if they see you on record you was the man
AB: So what was the first Hip-Hop album you bought?
Nas: I think it was Run-DMC “King of Rock.” If it wasn't that, it was LL Cool J''s “Radio.” Those were the first ones I bought. The other ones, I stole out my man's crate
AB: What were the first ones you stole?
Nas: The first one I stole was I think, Mary Jane Girls. I consider that Hip-Hop
AB: I understand you used to break back in the day?
Nas: Yo, that was a long time ago. I'd rather not talk about it. We all did it
AB: I used to do that for a minute. So tell me about your youth. What was your relationship like with your father?
Nas: He was just a cool muthaf**a. He was different from what I would visualize: a father being when you would look down and watch a [show] like Cosby Show. He was different than that type of sh**. But he's just a cool n***a – a straight up and down person
AB: And your mother?
Nas: My moms is real strong, real sensitive, real caring and real intelligent
AB: Do you have any business plans?
Nas: Ill Will music, dedicated to my man Ill Will. Bless the dead. He would probably be spinnin' for me right now on the turntables or chillin' with me ‘cause he was my right hand man. But now he's still here with me, spiritually
AB: We all know a lot of Black men that have lost their lives needlessly. What do you think are the reasons for the havoc coast to coast?
Nas: It's just that we're naturally born Black and aggressive towards getting what we deserve. We''re born knowing that something is missing. We're born feeling like we're born in an alien nation. From day one, your moms and what she goes through. I mean just, just, generations. It's what your parents have already been through. Really, it depends on how your family structure is. If your moms is on dope, and your pops ain't there, you gonna grow up real strong in certain ways and real f**ed up in certain ways. But if your moms is there and your pops is there but they are just weak people who didn't know how to guide you …If you're the kind of person who takes things upon yourself, then you're gonna be a different way. You know it's all kinds of ways we come out. It's so many of us that are around each other. So much s**t on our minds. We're thinking' we're tyrants trying to get to the right solution. We're thinking' about all the different ways of getting it and it's mad obstacles in our way. It's mad sh** that we don't see in our way that makes us fall. It's so easy for us to f**k up, especially when you are coming from a poor family
AB: On Main Source's “Live at the BBQ” you had a line that said “When I was 12 I went to hell for snuffin' Jesus.” I'm not a Christian, but the fact that a man would make a casual remark like that about the murder of an acknowledged Prophet to some and saviour by others- what brings lines like that out?
Nas: When I'm feeling' up to a point where I'm on some sh** where I just don't give a sh** ‘bout nobody. 'Cause ain't nothin' in my pocket. I'm going through some sh**, I'll diss anybody I want to. I'll tell you why. I could break the s**t down for you. Because when a person is that angry, that's how he feels about everything. That's how I felt lyrically at the time
AB: Reminds me of Malcolm X, in the movie when he yells to the priest “You tell Jesus to kiss my a**! What has he done for me. “He ain't done nothin' for me!”
Nas: I kinda felt like how Malcolm X felt. And this was before the movie, I just thought of Malcolm when I said that. You know what I mean? I knew he would be behind me
AB: Are you coming to the West Coast any time soon?
Nas: True indeed. I plan on coming' out there with the Queens sh**, the inner side of Queens material. It's a lot of punk muthaf**kas that never say Queens and sh**
AB: Why do you think that is?
Nas: I don't know, to tell you the truth. I don't know. It just became like a religion for some rappers not to mention Queens. But I'm from Queensbridge, and I'm just representing'. It's all about the bridge with me
AB: Its funny to me because some of my earliers memories are from Queens rappers
Nas: B.D.P. put a cease to that sh**
AB: Is that what it is? do you think they had an influence on that whole angle?
Nas: KRS ONE was so ill. He just came out and destroyed sh**. A lot of rappers from Queens just couldn't f** with him. Or, at the time as just trying to concentrate on their career. You know, getting money or whatever. There wasn't really a lot of battling rappers accept LL Cool J
AB: So what kind of angle were you trying to come on with this album?
Nas: I just wanted to speak. I just wanted to be the voice of a nation
AB: I saw a quote from a Hip-Hop magazine where you said you wanted to be the first Black President
Nas: Word up!
AB: How do you plan to get there?
Nas: Its' so many tricks. So much sh**. The people, the politicians, the government. The government is ill. They on some old Illmatic sh**. They are just like the slave masters but more modern. They have different goals. The world is different now. They just on some new sh**. Its about who got game, who's smart and moves first
AB: When I look at the Declaration of Independence, America is nothing more than an Idea that has never really been put into practice
Nas: True indeed
AB: Like Disneyland. Where everybody is supposed to be happy. But it does not exist
Nas: I might have to quote you on that one day. Wise words
AB: Thank you brother. Can America happen? Or do you think America is just a concept?
Nas: As long as they keep living those ideals and sh**. and trying to do that, I think yes. ‘Cause America is cool right now as long as you know what you gotta do. Like that n***a Don King will tell you in a minute. H'e s a Black man and he's paid. So that means you can get that dough. Straight up and down. It's some good here
AB: I was recently reading a book by Dennis Kimbro called Think and Grow Rich. He quotes a guy named S.B. Fuller who says that “Poverty is a state of mind.”I thought it was profound. I wondered if you agreed with that
Nas: Hmmm. Yeah, in ways. In ways
AB: In which ways is it not?
Nas: I mean, poverty is just reality. There is real poverty. You know what I'm saying? I don't know. That sh** is deep
AB: What human being had the most influence on you as a person?
Nas: Malcolm X and N.W.A
AB: Stay strong, and we'll be in contact in the future
Nas: Alright, god. One Love
Adisa Banjoko is Founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. The grand opening of their new community education center is Sat., August 16th 2014 in The Bay Area. They teach chess, Hip-Hop dance, jiu jitsu and more! For more information visit www.facebook.com/hiphopchess