Boosie Badazz questioned whether or not rapper’s like JAY-Z and Nas are “relevant” anymore in hip-hop epicenter, Atlanta, recently on VladTV. Badazz is the latest rapper to question Nas’ “relevancy” within hip-hop at the current moment. Earlier this year, 21 Savage came under fire for questioning the very same thing. To further insult the grandmaster’s legacy, Nas’ Calabasas’ home was robbed while he was away in New York to promote his new album, King’s Speech III. Despite the controversy surrounding potential ghostwriting credits, King’s Speech III is a good album.
It seems odd to nitpick Nas when many rappers today utilize ghostwriters. Why is Nas even held to a higher standard if the existence of his relevancy is going to be questioned? But of course, perhaps Nas isn’t relevant. New York City is no longer the epicenter of rap. At the same time, the culture seems to have greatly diminished.
21 Savage later responded by Tweeting, “I would never disrespect nas [sic] or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it”. Nas and 21 Savage have a single out now called “One Mic, One Gun”. In it, Nas’ lyrical exceptionalism articulates itself clearly.
There’s no doubt about it, Nas is one of the greatest rappers who ever lived! “It’s cool to be mainstream, I’d rather be timeless!” That mentality is why Nas is one of the greatest of all time. Unfortunately, that mentality is exceptionally rare!
If New York City is not the epicenter of rap, then where is the epicenter these days? I assume, Los Angeles, CA?