In the early-to-mid nineties, 2Pac Shakur found himself at odds with an emerging rapper from Queensbridge New York by the name of Nas. Fresh off the release of his sophomore album It Was Written, Pac believed that Nas was disrespecting him on “The Message,” prompting Pac to fire a few shots on his Makaveli track “Against All Odds.”
“This little n**ga named Nas think he live like me,” rapped Pac. “Talkin’ bout he left the hospital, took five like me / You live in fantasies, n**ga, I reject your deposit.” Though the pair were ultimately able to settle their differences prior to Pac’s death, it turns out that Nas had actually lined up a response to Pac’s “Against All Odds,” though he never ended up releasing it.
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Today, nearly twenty-five years later, the unreleased Nas freestyle “Real N***as” has surfaced. The track, which finds Nas spitting over a soulful sample, will likely be an exciting find for longtime fans. Around the halfway point, Esco actually takes a few shots at Pac, addressing the west coast titan by name.
“From tube-socks in Timbs to blue rocks and Benz / Who got the ends, the type of n**ga 2Pac pretends,” he raps. “To all n**gas who shine, guess who got revenge / I won’t showboat, my flow choke you — and if it don’t the fo-fo will smoke you.”
While it’s not exactly a “Hit Em Up” insofar as intensity goes, it’s still noteworthy that Nas stepped up to defend his honor against such a formidable foe — not that he’s balked from a challenge before. True, he never released this one, but considering how much animosity stemmed from some of these lyrical feuds, it’s probably a blessing that Nas never fully immersed himself in the war.
Should you be interested in checking out the newly surfaced Nas freestyle “Real N***as,” you can do so below.
LISTEN: Nas – Real N***as Freestyle (Unreleased)