*Nas takes over Rap Life Radio today on Apple Music 1 with a full one-hour conversation with Ebro about his latest album, King’s Disease II. He is also joined by his brother Jungle for the first ever joint interview between the two brothers and rappers, and they share never-before-heard stories about their adventures in the early days of hip hop. Keys quotes below, video to follow, available to use with credit to Rap Life Radio on Apple Music 1. Listen live for free to the full show at 10am PST / 1pm EST: apple.co/RapLifeRadio
Nas On “Death Row East”:
Like with Death Row East that was the first song we worked on for this album. … We started with Death Row East and by the time we was done with it, I was able to two-step to a story of mine, and you know, I don’t really write to think about dancing a two step. And so when I was able to two step with my drink we’re in the studio and have a conversation like we had now, before the record was out, every time we played ‘Death Row East’ in the studio, there was like a two hour conversation afterwards. Like after certain songs, it was like long conversations after it. I liked that experience.
Nas on feeling rejuvenated:
I feel like a brand new dude. I feel like in music and everything, I feel like I’m in a brand new… I just started again. So that’s why I’m excited about if there’s another record, this one is not going to be what you would expect, and hopefully it will be what you dreamed.
On choosing untold stories from his past for his recent songs like “Death Row East”:
I think it’s important to tell the truth, and I’m not going to do anything but tell the truth on any situation. So if my truth or my life can help bring clarity or some understanding, sure. With the first King’s Disease I did, the second song on the record was Blue Benz. So I took it back to the Tunnel days. Shout out to Chris Lighty, rest in peace. The Tunnel was one of the dopest clubs in the city. So I go back to those stories on that. So I figured, on this album, I’d do another one. And that became ‘Death Row East.’ So, I just pick little pieces. They come to me and I say, “Okay, let’s do a song on this point.” I’ve been around, so I can tell you about this era, I can tell you about that era, I can tell you about this era. I think that was important to me. I can’t leave it all in, especially when so many other people want to know. And I think that was a cool thing to do. So you got to do one record, at least.
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Nas and Jungle tell the story of Jungle getting into an altercation with 2Pac and Death Row at the MTV Music Awards:
Nas: I’m in the seats at the spot. And somebody came and said, “Yeah, your brother and them is getting it on in the lobby or whatever,” or something like that. So I got up and I went out there, but it was already squashed at that point. Yeah, so you was out there with the Outlawz and Pac. Shout out to the Outlawz, E.D., Napoleon.
Jungle: You had to present an award or something, and you was like, “Yo, I’ll be right back.” Because we all couldn’t go with you. So I went to get a drink. I was still a teenager and sh*t. I forgot how old I was, but I definitely wasn’t 20 yet. And we f*cking … I went to get a drink and I saw this girl that looked lost. So I’m like, “Where are you going?” She’s like, “I’m looking for my friends.” I said, “Who?” “Death Row.” I was like, “What? When I see one of them, I’m going to take a chain.” And then she was laughing. I was trying to make her laugh to come get a drink with me. But I was on some Queensbridge Mobb Deep sh*t. It’s like, yeah, Mobb Deep in the house. I’m going to take a chain. She was laughing. And then they came around for real. And she said, “Here they come,” and looking at me with your face. So she said, “Here they come now,” and she gave me that look like, I know you’re not going to do all of that stuff you were saying. And when they was coming, I yelled it out, “Yo, Mobb Deep in the house. I will take a Death Row chain.” And they was all looking, what, what, what? They might not, nah. And then they got ready, but then they all left. They went to go get 2Pac. They wasn’t with 2Pac. He was backstage doing the award sh*t too. And they came right back with Pac, and he’s looking like, “Who said that? Who said that? Who said that?” And I was like, Oh God. And I was with his guy, Moose, and Moose was like, “Man, yo, I got you. I see everybody and they don’t even know I’m with you.” And he’s like this karate expert from Queens bridge. This was before security guards and sh*t. So when he said that, I was like, “All right, cool.” I said it again, “Mobb Deep, what’s up Pac? what’s up? I’ll take your chain right now.” And then they surrounded me again. They surrounded me, all, “What’s up with you? All it is. And Death Row, we here to die. You don’t know Death Row. They had razors in their hands, everything.
On how Stretch was heartbroken that 2Pac thought he was involved in his shooting:
Stretch was really hurt. He was heartbroken. Stretch worked on my second album, It Was Written. So we was hanging out every day, and he was really heartbroken. He was kind of in shock that Pac would think that he would even have anything close to that. He put his life on the line with Pac. But they were friends. Friends go through … Beef happens. Somebody gets shot. There’s a lot of confusion at the time. That’s what made Pac think everybody had something to do it. It’s just a lot of confusion at that time.
On being more open to features:
On Moments, I say, “I feel like this is the perfect time to embrace new leaders, except in my position as the master teacher.” I said, “I stayed away from features for a long time and doing records,” because I was trying to find my development. I was trying to find my own sound. It’s not about doing 100 features. Coming up where we made albums, 100 features meant you was cheating. Now, is what you supposed to do, because you supposed to mix it up with different artists, because y’all both add something to each other, both of your fan bases combine, create some new thing and… Camaraderie and love. I’m all for that.
On making King’s Disease II distinct from Part 1:
King’s Disease II had to be totally different from part one, just for myself, for Hit-Boy and for our listeners to see that you can evolve and you can go into different directions as you should as an artist, you should do things that take you up a notch. And I had to come back in rare form like coming after a Grammy, my first Grammy with King’s Disease, I felt like I was in rare form just by making records in this point in time. I felt like I was just in a special place. So the people needed to hear that.
On Hit-Boy being his Quincy Jones, and the possibility of another album together:
A lot of times I walk in the studio and his headphones is on, he’s like, “Yo, check this out.” Something he’s already working on. And as soon as I hear it, it’s like, that’s the one. Yeah. He’s like my Quincy, you know what I mean? He has that… he’s pushing himself thing, you know? So I feel like the next thing I do, if I was to work with Hit-Boy on the next thing I do, I think that we might do something that is going to be magical. I think what we have is magic. And I think the next thing we do would have to be the next page. And that, to me, excites me, that possibility. Right now we’re chilling. And I think we learned so much the first album, we was just learning each other. In the middle of it we said, “We got to do another one. We got to finish this one first, but we’re going to have to do another one.” We knew. I think if we do another one, I’m excited about that idea, but you know, we’re celebrating this one now. So I’m still grateful to the reception I got from this one, you know? So, I’m just going to enjoy the moment.
source: apple.com
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