There hasn’t been too much happening as far as high-profile hip-hop releases this year but things are just getting started and, tonight, things are finally getting a little more interesting with the release of Drake’s Scary Hours. As we wait for some of rap’s heavy hitters to deliver on their promises to keep us stocked with good music, some of the game’s legends are commenting on the state of the genre.
Nas isn’t dropping as frequently as he used to but he’s still coming through with gems every once in a while, releasing one of the best albums of last year in King’s Disease and coming through recently with “EPMD” from the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack. In a new interview with Financial Times, the successful businessman commented on the state of rap music and, from his remarks, you can see that he’s not really too fond of what’s been coming out recently.
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“I appreciate what’s out there, but there’s no one keeping me up at night,” said Nas when asked about his opinion on contemporary rap. “I hear a new rap record and think it’s great, but I don’t listen to it the next week.”
He did name one artist that impressed him, name-dropping Pop Smoke as somebody that was doing special things for the culture. “We were happy to see that young king come up,” said Nas about Pop. “He was a breath of fresh air. The drill movement in London, Chicago and New York is really exciting.”
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The current state of hip-hop has been criticized by many as commentators love to complain that everything nowadays sounds similar. Nas seemingly stands with those folks, enjoying the new music but agreeing that it doesn’t hold much weight in the grand scheme of things. What do you think?