(AllHipHop News) When Nas declared “Hip Hop Is Dead” with his 2006 album, the statement was seen as a shock to the culture by many observers.
A decade later, the Queens spitter linked up with Google Play Music and Mass Appeal to reflect on his eighth studio album.
“I remember when De La Soul Is Dead album came out,” said Nas. “I like that they were able to do something different like that.”
He continued, “I never saw anybody kill off themselves, and I felt it would it would be dope if I could say something like ‘hip hop is dead’ that would make some of the young guys realize not only can you follow what’s happening today, but you can go back into the history.”
Nas now acknowledges he “missed the mark by miles” because he did not intend to “pick people apart.”
The album title was met with significant criticism from Southern rappers that felt it was meant to be a diss toward the region’s success at the time.
“I felt like it was for a younger artist to do,” explained Nas. “I thought the title was enough. To say it’s dead was to say, ‘I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know where to start but at least I’ll name it this and we’ll see what goes from there.”
The Hip Hop Is Dead LP included the title track with will.i.am, “Still Dreaming” with Kanye West and Chrisette Michele, and “Black Republican” with Jay Z.
