Rapper Nas has been on a musical run lately, thanks partly to his collaborative partnership with producer Hit-Boy. The pair’s latest work, Magic 2, hit streaming platforms in July and was quickly met with fans’ praise. But, a cryptic video shared on Nas’ official Instagram page now has fans wondering if their streak is ending.
The video uploaded on Friday, September 8, has fans questioning whether or not Nas is thinking about officially retiring from rap. In the short visual, after the scenes transition from a static-filled screen, the words “The Finale” scroll into the frame before fading to black. With no other context given, the upload’s empty caption section and Nas’ recently cleared profile, supporters were sent into a frenzy. They rushed to the comment area to seek further information.
“The finale?!? Of this chapter? This book? Don’t play with my life like this, Nasir,” wrote one fan.
“Nas & Hit-Boy Finale. One of the greatest runs in hip-hop history! Bar none. Six albums in four years…,” another exclaimed.
While another person flat-out begged, writing, “Bruh, please do not retire.”
Some else chimed in to speculate that the clip was referring to Nas closing out his previous album series. “It’s the finale to ‘King’s Disease.’ The G.O.A.T. is going to be rapping until he’s carried by six,” penned the users.
In 2021, during an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, Nas spoke about his bond with Hit-Boy, who’s played a pivotal role in his past few musical releases. “He was able to play music for me that would conjure up these thoughts and these feelings, and I give it to him, man. Just the encouragement that he gave me was really good. It was really something that I needed, especially because he’s younger than me and he’s recording records for multiple artists. In the studio, he’s got this room working, he’s got that room, and I’m meeting different artists, and he’s doing it, but he’s still focused on me, but he’s still working,” said Nas.
The truth is unclear, but if fans ruled the world, Nas would be rapping until he could no longer pick up a microphone.