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.
April 19 marks the 30th anniversary of Nas’ iconic Illmatic album, and Nas is celebrating in a few different ways. First, he and DJ Premiere — who produced “NY State Of Mind,” “Represent,” and “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)” from Illmatic shared a new song, “Define My Name.” The song, it turns out, is a preview of a collaborative album the pair is planning to release later this year.
Beyond that, Nas also announced the Illmatic 30 Year Anniversary Tour, which is set to hit Europe and the UK in October and November.
Listen to “Define My Name” above and find Nas’ upcoming tour dates below.
Nas 2024 Tour Dates: Illmatic 30 Year Anniversary Tour
10/22 @ Helsinki, Finland @ House of Culture
10/24 @ Stockholm, Sweden @ B-K
10/25 @ Copenhagen, Denmark @ Kb Hallen
10/27 @ Cologne, Germany @ Palladium
10/30 @ Milan, Italy @ Fabrique
10/31 @ Zurich, Switzerland @ Halle 622
11/02 @ Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer
11/03 @ Berlin, Germany @ Uber Eats Music Hall
11/05 @ Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live
11/07 @ Paris, France @ Le Zenith
11/08 @ Offenbach, Germany @ Stadthalle Offenbach
11/10 @ Manchester, UK @ Victoria Warehouse
11/11 @ Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
11/14 @ Wolverhampton, UK @ Civic Hall
11/15 @ London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall
Nas is one of the names that pops into people’s heads when they are conjuring up their top five rappers of all time. Without a doubt, his sharp pen, incredible storytelling, and ear for production all help make him of one of the treasures of the genre. Today marks the start of his legendary 30-year career, when he dropped almost undoubtedly the greatest debut hip-hop LP, Illmatic. We wanted to go back in time and revisit “N.Y. State of Mind,” which is widely viewed at Nas at his peak.
Famously produced by another fellow icon, DJ Premier, it is viewed as one of the most recognizable beats in rap. The incredible East Coast, boom bap production synchronizes perfectly with the keys used. Nas spoke on the creation of “N.Y. State of Mind” about eight years ago and what it meant to him. “The music just spoke to the people that needed to know what was in my head and what it was like in the minds of everybody in New York at that time—that’s what I thought.”
Besides the song being a face of the over 50-year old genre, it was just an incredible feat period. He was just 20 years old and the first verse was something that just came naturally to him. In an interview with XXL, according to Genius, DJ Premier recalled one of the craziest moments he ever experienced in a recording booth. According to him, when Nas says, “I don’t know how to start this s***,” that was actually true. But Preem just told him to go in after his count. “He did the whole first verse in one take, and I remember when he finished the first verse, he stopped and said, ‘Does that sound cool?’ And we were all like, ‘Oh my God!’ It was like, I don’t even care what else you write,” Premier said.
What are your thoughts on “N.Y. State of Mind” by Nas? Is the greatest rap song in the history of the genre? Or is it the best New York rap track ever? Do you view Illmatic as the cream of the crop when it comes to debut albums? Where does it rank all time in hip-hop? 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 Nas. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
Time to start the revolution, catch a body, head for Houston Once they caught us off-guard, the MAC-10 was in the grass, and I ran like a cheetah, with thoughts of an assassin Picked the MAC up, told brothers “Back up!” — the MAC spit Lead was hittin’ n****s, one ran, I made him back-flip Heard a few chicks scream, my arm shook, couldn’t look
Grammy-award-winning icon Nas, celebrates the 30th Anniversary of his 1994 debut album, Illmatic, with the release of new single “Define My Name,” which is produced by DJ Premier; who also produced three tracks (“N.Y. State Of Mind,” “Represent,” and “Memory Lane” (sittin’ in da park) on the timeless classic. “Define My Name” is now available!
“Define My Name” is not only a celebration of Illmatic’s born day, but also the announcement of a new beginning for the legendary artists, one that fans have dreamed about and anxiously anticipated for years; as Nas and DJ Premier have also revealed they will be releasing their landmark collaborative album later this year.
One of the most groundbreaking and revered albums of modern times, Illmatic has left an indelible mark on Hip-Hop. Widely hailed by critics and fans alike as not only one of the best but one of the most influential albums ever released, its cultural impact continues to be felt 30 years after its release. A few of the album’s most recent accolades include; the televised performance of Illmatic with the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center in Wash, DC, the Time Is Illmatic Documentary, being selected by the Library Of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry, and most recently, the New York State Senate opening up its session on 3.27.24 with a tribute to Nas and Illmatic.
It doesn’t get more legendary than Nas and DJ Premier. The rapper and producer symbolize the purest form of hip-hop, and they’ve both been doing it for three decades. Nas and Preemo have classic work on their own, of course, but there’s something undeniably special about when these two collaborate. Songs like “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Nas Is Like,” and “I Gave You Power” are essential listens for any aspiring hip-hop fan. Their latest single, “Define My Name,” proves that they haven’t lost a step.
Nas has been teasing fans with a Premier collaboration all week. The rapper hopped on Instagram to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Illmatic, and thanked Preemo for his work on the album. Fans flocked to the comment section to ask for another collab, and Nas obliged. He posted the artwork and title of the new track hours before its release. “Define My Name” is exactly what you expect it to be, in the best way possible. DJ Premier’s production is both slick and dusty, while Nas’ rhymes are sharp as ever. We’ve all gotten used to hearing Nas over Hit-Boy production in the 2020s, but “Define My Name” is a reminder that nobody anchors his voice better than Preemo.
A great song is one thing, but it remains to be seen in “Define My Name” is the teaser for an entire collab album. Nas and DJ Premier have been circling the notion of a collab album for decades. The former even referenced it on the 2022 song “30” off King’s Disease III. “Superhero material, rap star status,” he spit. “Premier album still might happen.” Information is still scarce, but if nothing else comes of the reunion, “Define My Name” was worth the hype.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new song, “Define My Name” by Nas and DJ Premier? Does the song live up to the hype? Does Preemo’s beat bring out the best in Nas? Do you want to hear a full collab album? We want 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 on Nas and DJ Premier. Finally, stay with us for the most informative song posts throughout the week.
Quotable Lyrics:
DNA of King James, kin of Saint Michael Polygamous-minded, seven wives on ridiculous timin’ They always share the same title, that be the whiskey talk That’s foul like I stopped and frisked New York At twenty, I said I’d better quit by thirty Then by thirty, I thought by forty rapping is corny
