On this date in 2010, Queensbridge king Nas and reggae royalty Damian Marley dropped their collaborative album Distant Relatives on the Universal Republic/Def Jam imprint.
This Hip Hop/reggae collabo album was the first of its kind, with its release coming after Nas’ controversial Untitled album and Marley’s landmark Welcome To Jamrock LP. The production was very organic and exempt of super producers except for Jr. Gong and Stephen Marley, having Marley explain , “We’re trying to have a sound that’s reminiscent of both of us, but not exactly like either… A lot of charity albums come off corny. We want this to be something you’d play in your car.”
The album did daily well commercially, entering the Billboard 200 at number five and selling over 125,000 in its premiere month. Distant Relatives also served as a refreshing alternative that was a vehicle of consciousness to younger listeners captivated by the more popular gangster-themed music. Features boasted the likes of Joss Stone, Junior Reid, Lil Wayne, and others.
Salute to Damian and Nas for this pivotal piece of Hip Hop history!
Nas was one of the quintessential mafioso rappers during the 1990s. He dove headfirst into mobster iconography during the second half of the decade, so it makes perfect sense that he’d have an affinity for one of the most iconic mobster actors of all time: Robert De Niro. Nas and De Niro have worked on a project together, but they have crossed paths several times over the years. They’ll do so again at De Niro Con, an upcoming festival dedicated to the actor’s career.
De Niro Con is an event put on by the Tribeca Film Festival, which was co-founded by the actor. It will take place June 14-16 in New York and feature Q&As moderated by some of De Niro’s peers and fans. This is where Nas fits in. The Queens rapper has been tapped to moderate a Q&A between De Niro and Martin Scorsese for a screening of their 1973 film Mean Streets.
It’s a full circle moment for both Nas and De Niro, as Tribeca introduced the Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic back in 2014. Nas praised De Niro during the doc’s after party, claiming that he played scenes that were close to some of the rapper’s own experiences. “I want to thank Robert De Niro,” he stated. “He plays me in the movies.” De Niro returned the praise, though he admitted that he was not familiar with Nas songs. He’d undoubtedly be touched by the number of time he’s popped up in the rapper’s music. It’s difficult to keep count.
Casino, directed by Scorsese and starring De Niro, was the template for Nas’ “Street Dreams” video. Then there’s Once Upon a Time In America starring De Niro, which was sampled on the Nas-led Firm album. His most acclaimed film role, 1998’s Belly, saw him and DMX play criminals who were lifelong friends, much like the central dynamic in Mean Streets. That’s not even getting into all the Goodfellas references that appear in the rapper’s lyrics. The Q&A takes place June 15 at the Beacon Theater.
Gayle King interviewed Fat Joe last year, where he opened up about how a rapper’s lyrics lie. His statement came after King asked Fat Joe what he thought about Young Thung’s lyrics being used against him in court. His response caught King off-guard: “I’ve been rapping for 30 years – I’ve lied in almost 95 percent of my songs.” No one was expecting to hear this, but it begs the question: how many rappers have been lying on record? How many have lied in a diss song? Quite a few, it turns out.
In the ongoing Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef, the media and fans have been skeptical about Lamar’s claims on “Meet the Grahams.” The track dropped on May 3, raising eyebrows when Lamar rapped, “Dear baby girl, I’m sorry that your father not active inside your world.” Lamar is obviously taking his cue from Pusha T, who exposed Drake’s son Adonis back in 2018 with “The Story of Adidon.”
The difference is that when Pusha’s track dropped, Drake owned the truth and started showing his son publicly. In the case of Lamar’s track, however, Drake immediately responded on Instagram, writing, “Nahhhh hold on can somebody find my hidden daughter pls and send her to me…these guys are in shambles.” The difference in response–plus Fat Joe’s reveal with Gayle King–makes you wonder if Lamar is just making stuff up. Are the rapper’s lyrics lies? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a rapper has bent the truth in a diss song.
1. Jay-Z Vs. Nas: Baby Seat Claims On “Super Ugly”
Everyone knows Nas burned a hole through Jay-Z on his record “Ether.” It was so powerful that the song title became a verb used in lingo: “You ethered him.” When Hov dropped The Blueprint in 2001, he included a couple of comebacks, notably “Super Ugly.” Jay-Z fired shots at Nas by trying to trash talk his now-ex Carmen Bryan, with whom Nas has a daughter. He raps, “I came in your Bentley backseat (Damn) / Skeeted in your Jeep (Woo) / Left condoms on your baby seat (Woo).” Were this rapper’s lyrics lies, too?
Speaking with VladTV in 2017, Carmen Bryan addressed the diss song and its dishonesty. She pointed out the fact that her daughter was nine or 10 years old when “Super Ugly” dropped, so she’d outgrown baby seats by that point in time. Bryan believes the track was an impulsive, emotional reaction on Hov’s part. The rapper was trying to bounce back quickly and was simply grasping for whatever he could. Bryan also claims that a mutual friend later told her that Jay-Z ultimately regretted dropping the track.
2. Ma$e Vs. Cam’ron: Family Intimacy Claims On “The Oracle”
Back in 2017, Jacksonville-born Bad Boy Records rapper Ma$e dropped “The Oracle.” The track was a scathing diss aimed directly at Cam’ron’s neck. The two had run together in the ’90s in Children of the Corn, a group they formed with Big L and Herb McGruff. But on Hot97 in 2004, Ma$e and Cam’ron had a heated argument after which Cam’ron swore he’d never speak to his old friend again. After that, Cam’ron dropped diss song after diss song against Ma$e.
When “The Oracle” came out in 2017, it was a full-on assault. Ma$e commented on Cam’ron’s ulcers, lambasted him for selling Sizzurp liquor, and then went for the throat. He claimed Cam’ron was intimate with his own sister. Ma$e raps, “Every since 10 you was a thirsty n**** / I ain’t gone talk about the time you f***** your sister.” In a later interview on The Breakfast Club, however, Cam’ron stated that he doesn’t even have a sister. The interviewers prodded for possibilities, but Cam’ron was steadfast.
3. Gucci Mane Vs. Young Jeezy: Rapper’s Lyrics Lie About Keyshia Cole
Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy started beefing way back in 2005 when the two collaborated on the track “Icy.” Young Jeezy had been under the false impression that the track was meant for his debut record. What actually happened was that it ended up on Gucci Mane’s first independent album, Trap House. To add fuel to the fire, Gucci Mane never even paid Jeezy for his appearance on the record (or so Jeezy claims).
Over the 2000s and 2010s, the two would continue to beef. In 2012, Gucci Mane dropped the critically acclaimed album Trap God. A fiery sling at Jeezy, “Truth,” was on the record. This time Mane brought Keyshia Cole into the mix, whom Jeezy had been in a relationship with from 2005 to 2007. On “Truth” Mane raps, “I did a song with Keyshia Cole, and I know you still miss her (Yeah) / But Puff was f****** her while you was falling in love with her (Wow).” Keyshia Cole would make a stand against the record, tweeting, “That ain’t my business!! he’s lying! its all G tho.” Mane would respond with an apology and tell Cole that it was simply meant to add fuel to the fire between him and Jeezy.
4. Nas vs. Jay-Z: The Foxy Brown Claims
Earlier in the article we covered Nas’s beef with Jay-Z. It was on the track “Ether” that Nas systematically dismantled Hov. One of the enduring digs Nas made was regarding Foxy Brown. On “Ether,” Nas raps, “Foxy got you hot ’cause you kept your face in her p*** / What you think, you getting girls now ’cause of your looks?”
It’s true that some believe Jay-Z was involved with Foxy Brown when she was underage. Jay-Z mentored Brown after she signed with Def Jam in 1996 and helped her create the platinum Ill Nana album. But these rumors have never been confirmed, and Brown herself has recently denied them once again. On Instagram in 2023, she made a post calling the allegations “Fake fairytale news.” She went on to say, “The Fox and Hov flies are pathetic at this point.” It’s hard to say whether the Illmatic rapper’s lyrics are lies, but Brown has a point. It’s been almost 30 years, and no one has provided sufficient evidence.
50 Cent released “Life’s on the Line” in 1999 as an attack against Ja Rule and Murder Inc. The motivation came from Ja claiming that one of 50’s associates robbed him of his chain while shooting a music video. The beef simmered between the two, and when Ja dropped “Murda 4 Life,” 50 felt he was snubbed during the shoot for the video. “Life’s on the Line” was a straightforward attack, but Ja has continuously claimed that the entire beef between him and 50 was a gimmick. In a 2023 interview with Math Hoffa, Ja claimed that creating a beef was 50’s plan from the beginning. Apparently, 50 fabricated the beef to garner attention and explode upward in the industry. So, it seems the rapper’s lyrics on “Life’s on the Line” were a rapper’s lies.
6. Tupac vs. Biggie: “Hit ‘Em Up” & Faith Evans
Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” might be the most famous diss song of all time. The song is a direct attack on The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records. It also famously spawned The Outlawz, who provided backup on the track. Tupac’s track was a scathing attack crafted after Tupac interpreted Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya” as a shot at him. It all started in the lobby of Bigge’s Manhattan Quad Studios. Tupac was coming to do a verse after receiving an invite. Unknown assailants jumped, robbed, and shot him in the studio’s lobby. When “Who Shot Ya” dropped, Tupac believed it to be about him. This series of events would ignite the entire East Coast-West Coast rivalry of the ’90s hip-hop scene.
Early on in “Hit ‘Em Up,” Tupac shouts at Biggie, “You claim to be a player but I f***** your wife,” a direct hit on Biggie’s wife Faith Evans. Biggie’s widow has repeatedly denied the claims for decades, most notably in her 2009 memoir Keep the Faith. In an interview with VladTV in 2014, Faith spoke candidly about what really went down. Apparently, when she joined Tupac in the studio to record on his track “Wonda Why They Call U B****” she was unaware of the brewing beef between Tupac’s label and her husband’s.
Evans said the situation was strange in the studio, and the tension was palpable. After finishing the session, she went to collect her payment from Tupac at his hotel, where he allegedly asked her for oral sex. Tupac offended her, and she declined. Once she was there, she says, she realized it might’ve been part of Pac’s plan from the get-go. Though fans still speculate, this is one of the most famous instances where a rapper’s lyrics lie.
Nas and Ghostface Killah on one track? Absolutely 100,000% yes. Two of New York hip-hop’s most recognizable and respected figures are hopping on the same song for just the second time ever. It is a shame we have had to wait 29 years for this moment, but it is better late than never. “Scar Tissue” is going to be the lead single for the Wu-Tang Clan member’s forthcoming record Set The Tone.
It will be the first new album for Killah since 2019’s Ghostface Killahs. However, it will be following up a reissue of The Lost Tapesthat dropped back in October of last year. Furthermore, Set The Tone will also be the first record for Ghostface Killah on Nas’ Mass Appeal Records. The project is due on May 9, according to Genius, and rumored features include Kanye West and Remy Ma.
“Scar Tissue” sees Killah and Nas shred a vicious East Coast boom-bap beat with killer guitar shreds. Both MCs rap with serious aggression, especially the lead act. “Get your head wrapped in plastic, I’ll Boar’s Head ’em / Read n****s up and down like the court’s read ’em / Spit acid on everything, strong venom.” This track has us extremely juiced for what’s to come on Set The Tone and we recommend you give it a spin for yourself.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new single “Scar Tissue” by Ghostface Killah and Nas? Does this get you excited for his upcoming album Set The Tone, why or why not? Who had the stronger performance on the track? Are both rappers still in great form? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Ghostface Killah and Nas. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
If you take two to the head by mistake, pardon me Payback’s a b****, ain’t it? That’s why I don’t talk to n****s, I’m good, I ain’t gettin’ acquainted Middle finger to the judge, we still killin’ the plaintiff We Staten Island n****s we don’t gotta explain it, nah Harlem Shake n****s for they pockets, stay tuned
Last Friday, Nas and DJ Premier unleashed their latest collaborative single, “Define My Name.” The song’s release coincides with the 30th anniversary of Nas’s iconic debut album, Illmatic, on which Premier produced three tracks. Near the end of the “Define My Name,” Nas confirms that he and his longtime collaborator will finally release a full-length collaboration, which has been rumored to be in the works for many years. He says, “30 years later we back in the lab, it’s album time.” Nas previously referenced the possibility of collaborating on the song “30,” rapping, “Premier album still might happen.” While they go back a way, the esteemed beatmaker has not produced on a Nas album since 2001’s Stillmatic on the song “2nd Childhood.” However, the two have continued to work together, with Preemo featuring on 2021’s Magic.
The announcement of a collaborative album comes off the heels of Nas’s legendary six-album run with Hit-Boy that began in 2020 and ended late last year. Both the King’s Disease and Magic trilogies were his first projects to be handled by a singular producer. DJ Premier also has a historic track record of producing full-length albums as a member of Gang Starr and PRhyme. Now that they are finally gearing up for their long-awaited joint album, here are five things we want from Nas and DJ Premier’s upcoming release.
A Concise Tracklist
In light of Illmatic’s 30th anniversary, part of what makes the album so classic is that its lean tracklist and short run time are nothing but top-quality material. At ten songs and 39 minutes, there is no room for error. Its cohesion contributes to its legendary status. Given that DJ Premier produced three songs from Nas’s debut, one can hope for the two to deliver high-caliber material at an adequate length. Nas’s last six studio albums with Hit-Boy did not exceed one hour.
Even before that, his NASIR album with Kanye West clocked in at 26 minutes. While Nas has released a lengthy double disc before, his recent output has taken a “quality over quantity” approach. Many of DJ Premier’s greatest collaborations, including Gang Starr’s Hard To Earn and PRhyme’s self-titled debut, were rather concise. Based on the tracklist of Illmatic and their other masterful works, one can hope for a succinct runtime.
Classic DJ Premier Production
One can count on DJ Premier to contribute classic hip hop production to any song. His signature style of beat-making is instantly recognizable. Preemo’s beats often have a unique swinging rhythm with a powerful sample loop. Throughout his career, he has remained true to his sound. Recently, he has put his signature touch on songs from Ab-Soul, 2 Chainz, Russ, Busta Rhymes, and Griselda. DJ Premier and Nas reconnected in 2022 for “Beat Breaks,” which saw the legend rapping over his top-tier production. Their latest single, “Define My Name,” contains a classic Preemo-style beat, which hopefully gives fans a glimpse of what is to come from their upcoming album.
Plenty Of Scratching
With any DJ Premier production, scratching from the hip hop legend is almost guaranteed. Nearly all his most iconic beats see him putting his DJ skills on full display. He often incorporates elements of other rap songs into hooks as he scratches. DJ Premier will sometimes even scratch on songs he did not produce, including The Game and Kanye West’s “Eazy” and Nas’s “Wave Gods,” which are both Hit-Boy beats. “Define My Name” is quintessential DJ Premier in its production and scratching. One can certainly anticipate some impressive scratching from Preemo on his upcoming album with Nas.
A Nod To Their Most Iconic Collabs
Nas and DJ Premier’s collaborative history began 30 years ago on Illmatic on “Represent,” “Memory Lane,” and, of course, “NY State of Mind.” Premier also produced the latter’s sequel on 1999’s I Am…, on which he also produced “Nas Is Like.” “Define My Name” nods to that song with its title deriving from one of its most well-known lyrics: “As far as rap go, it’s only natural I explain / My plateau and also what defines my name.” Additionally, DJ Premier scratches the lyrics on their latest single, nodding to one of their most iconic collaborations. He also notably produced “I Gave You Power,” “Come Get Me,” “2nd Childhood,” and “Classic.” In the vein of “Define My Name,” we hope for Nas and DJ Premier to continue the lineage of their collaborative history, recalling some of their most classic collaborations.
An Unreleased Guru Verse
Throughout his career, Nas has proved that he can hold down an album on his own. Guest features are not a necessity for his upcoming album with DJ Premier, but if there was going to be one guest, it should be an unreleased verse from Guru. Unfortunately, Nas and Guru never appeared on a song with each other before the Gang Starr member’s passing in 2010. Posthumous vocals are often seen as a distasteful money grab, but DJ Premier proved them to be the opposite in the case of Gang Starr’s 2019 album, One of the Best Yet. Before its release, Premier alluded to Nas’s inclusion on the album in an Instagram post, which never materialized. The long-awaited album from Nas and DJ Premier would provide the perfect opportunity to hear them on a song together.
Last week, Drake posted several images of a music industry executive and business investor named Anthony Saleh, as a means to troll Kendrick Lamar. After Drake dissed Kendrick with tracks such as “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” the 37-year-old Canadian artist shared images of Saleh with captions like “Is today the day?” and “Are we getting in our bag or nah??” Reports quickly clarified that Anthony Saleh is Kendrick Lamar’s manager, as initially revealed by Hits Daily Double in 2021, proving that Drake was attempting to use these images to hurry a response from people in Kendrick’s social and artistic circle.
But what do we know about Anthony Saleh? Despite his connections to several high-profile clients in the rap world, the industry insider actively maintains a low-key presence on social media platforms and rarely appears in public. He has locked down his X (formerly Twitter) account, meaning only a select few can access Saleh’s social media. In a way, it seems like Saleh is the perfect match for Kendrick Lamar, as Kendrick has a known aversion to sharing private details of his life with the public, outside of music of course. So, let’s take a look at Anthony Saleh’s business track record, and see what we can find out.
LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 25: (L-R) 12amRun Co-Owners entertainment manager Anthony Saleh, rapper Nas, Nick Sakai and Dee Murthy pose for photos during the 12amRun shoe store opening at The LINQ on April 25, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/WireImage)
Kendrick Lamar isn’t the only big name in rap connected to Anthony Saleh. According to a write-up in Complex, Saleh is the CEO of Emagen Entertainment Group, which reps such notable acts as Nas, Alina Baraz, Col3trane, and Devault. Saleh previously worked with Future and assisted him in the release of his back-to-back number 1 records, Future and Hndrxx. Given that Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” from We Don’t Trust You kicked off the ongoing “rap civil war,” it seems clear that Drake is well aware of Anthony Saleh’s ties to Future.
Emagen’s site no longer lists Future as a client, though Anthony Saleh has multiple business holdings outside of the management firm such as a general partner role, WndrCo., a holding company that has invested in companies like MixCloud. Kendrick does not appear on the Emagen Entertainment Group roster, despite his ongoing relationship with Saleh. Kendrick and the executive officially linked up only 10 weeks before the “Humble” rapper released his latest LP, Mr. Morale And The Big Steppers, which served as his final project on the Top Dawg Entertainment label.
Saleh Had Multiple Ventures & Investments Before Emagen
Lisbon , Portugal – 2 November 2022; Anthony Saleh, Partner, WndrCo, on Venture stage during day one of Web Summit 2022 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)
Before Anthony Saleh took on the role of CEO at Emagen, he served as an executive vice president at Atom Factory for two years. He also joined the technology investment firm WndrCo as a partner in 2016, investing in multiple startups within the music and tech world. Since Anthony Saleh joined the firm, WndrCo has gone on to fund ventures such as Audioshake, Dapper Labs, Tracklib, and others.
Before catching public strays from Drake in the Kendrick Lamar beef, Anthony Saleh earned recognition as Nas’s silent partner, assisting the Illmatic MC in managing his finances and executive producing some of his hit records. According to a 2016 profile in Forbes, Saleh first started working with Nas at the age of 23, and the pair have made a wide array of lucrative investments together since then. The biggest bag for the pair came in the form of their joint venture QueensBridge Venture Partners, which took in more than $40 million on cryptocurrency investments on platforms like Coinbase.
Hip-hop’s history books contain millions of enduring statements, infinite ideas, and indelible expressions penned by hundreds of thousands of students of the game. Thousands of them got their brilliance delivered to mass audiences, hundreds reached the peak highs of their time and style, and dozens have transcended the genre into a status of cultural ubiquity. But out of all of these writers who shaped the philosophies, language, and communication of rap music, there is a strong case that, along with The God MC Rakim, none have been more influential or definitive than Nas. We took it upon ourselves to accept that challenge and see just how pivotal Esco’s pen has been to the community.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of his classic album Illmatic yesterday (Friday, April 19), we listed out seven of the most quoted lyrics, motifs, or refrains from this magnum opus across hip-hop’s history, along with just a few of many examples. As arguably the greatest LP the genre has to offer, a status that only a handful of rap records can claim, there is obviously so much more to say, and many more lines that you’ll hear in songs released since ’94. But these are among the bars on the project that most closely evoke its narratives in your head when you hear them in another song or everyday conversation. We’d love to know your picks, as we certainly missed a lot, so join us in celebrating this masterpiece and thanking Nas for his craft and creations down in the comments section below.
I Never Sleep, ‘Cause Sleep Is The Cousin Of Death (“N.Y. State Of Mind”)
While this phrase obviously existed before Illmatic‘s release, no rapper spits it today without evoking Nas’ “N.Y. State Of Mind.” It’s a phrase that perfectly fits within the vivid description of Queens’ street life and placed the album into a special era; a coming-of-age tale that inspired countless others put their unique spin on. Over the years, we’ve heard the greats reference this specific bar including J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Denzel Curry, and The Game.
Furthermore, the most famous of these is likely Lil Wayne’s “6 Foot 7 Foot,” which actually references another Illmatic bar we’ll get into later. “Life is a b***h, and death is her sister / Sleep is the cousin, what a f***ing family picture,” Weezy raps on the cut. Another notable modern example is $UICIDEBOY$’ 2016 cut “AM/PM,” on which Ruby raps: “If sleep is the cousin of death, I guess me and $lick counting sheep ’til we out of breath.” From ’90s East Coast hardcore to 2010s New Orleans horrorcore-adjacent trap; who would’ve thought?
The World Is Yours / I’m Out For Dead Presidents To Represent Me (“The World Is Yours”)
Here’s a two-parter, mainly because the mere title of “The World Is Yours” and the “It’s mine, it’s mine, it’s mine, whose world is this?” refrain lives on in a lot of rap media: bars, interviews, promo material, movies… you name it. J. Cole has an early song titled “Who’s World Is This?” and there’s also Blu’s classic album with Exile, Below The Heavens, with the track “The World Is.” Out of the many enduring Nas bars on this song, one of them is the money-focused, “I’m out for dead presidents to represent me.” Joey Bada$$, a student of Nasir Jones who references him very often, spits this bar on 1999‘s “Hardknock,” and 2016’s “AMERIKKKAN IDOL.” Logic does the same on 2012’s “All Sinatra Everything,” and of course, there’s Jay-Z’s use of it for his “Dead Presidents” series. That definitely didn’t backfire at all…
Life’s A B***h And Then You Die… (“Life’s A B***h”)
Next is AZ’s iconic hook on “Life’s A B***h”: “Life’s a b***h and then you die, that’s why we get high / ‘Cause you never know when you’re gonna go.” Other than being one of the most cutting and reality-affirming moments on Illmatic, Nas’ words here transcended even the hip-hop genre. One of the most curious homages we found in our research was a live version of metal band Deftones’ “Teething” from 2001, in which they added this chorus to the track to a pretty hype effect. Just goes to show that these lyrics have etched themselves in musical and cultural history, not just within hip-hop. Back to that, though, some quick examples: Kendrick Lamar’s “FEAR.,” A$AP Rocky’s “Phoenix,” Tyler, The Creator’s “Lone,” and “Headstone” by Flatbush Zombies, which actually references dozens of rap classic throughout its runtime.
Somehow, The Rap Game Reminds Me Of The Crack Game (“Represent”)
Here’s what Nas had to say about this bar from “Represent”: “It’s all about getting a dollar, don’t trust nobody, keep your eyes open, don’t play with nobody, focus on what you’re supposed to get out of it. This s**t is dangerous, it’ll take you down… What’s the difference?” Once again, Jay-Z echoed this sentiment in his 1997 track “Rap Game / Crack Game,” and Biggie Smalls references the rhyme scheme on Ready To Die‘s “Things Done Changed” that same year. “If I wasn’t in the rap game, I’d probably have a ki, knee-deep in the crack game.” Cam’ron also echoes the bar on “Sports, Drugs & Entertainment,” and Benny The Butcher, 38 Spesh, and Elcamino develop the metaphor on 2021’s “Blue Money.” “Crack game like the rap game but ain’t as safe / If we got the same plug we like label-mates,” Spesh spits.
Also, we wanted to shout out Nas’ reference to the Five-Percent Nation on this “Human Nature”-sampling cut, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell”: “Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half man, half amazing.” The second half of that bar is the namesake of the third track (featuring Method Man) on Pete Rock’s 1998 album Soul Survivor, and also that of cuts from Blocboy JB and more. As for lyrical mentions, Mac Miller does so on the Faces cut “Friends” featuring ScHoolboy Q, Joe Budden gives a nod on “NBA,” and 50 Cent used it to belittle Ja Rule on the diss track “Your Life’s On The Line.” Safe to say, this last example proves that these aren’t always very favorable references, at least when it comes to who the bars might be intended for, if it’s not just an homage to the Queens legend.
Finally, we have a repeated phrase throughout Illmatic that is the title of one of its songs, and also appears on the outro of “Represent.” “One time for your mind” comes from Grand Wizard, who provides the aloof hook on the first example before Nas gets into the chill cut. This is such a versatile phrase that can be used as an ad-lib, a filler bar, a historical reference, as part of a complex rhyme scheme, or as a reminder to keep the mental focus up and live for the singular moment. It appears in pop hits like “Pon De Replay” by Rihanna, lyrical onslaughts like Lil Wayne’s “Dreams & Nightmares,” Lupe Fiasco’s “Paris, Tokyo,” Ab-Soul’s “Double Standards,” Das EFX’s “Real Hip-Hop,” The Roots’ “No Alibi,” and so many more. Despite the variety of uses for this bar and many others, every hip-hop head knows its origins well.
