Nas Interview On Tavis Smiley Show

[envyops]

I never blamed hip hop for the commercial garbage of the last 20 years. I blamed the fans and their unabated lust for bullshit.

[nychica8588]

Nas is still gd looking & an intelligent man. Niceee :)

[dstep357]

The three dislikes are probably fox moles!

[charlita25]

Thanks for posting this

[506pierce]

you can have a good convo with nas

[KreyolChick]

nas cant do it alone. if these fuckin kids and internet people would let BLACK HIP HOP MUSIC get back to its natural state, we would be all good. you see nas wu tang and all them in the spotlight were they belong. you gotta eat and keep moving but nobody buys music so hell... you kinda lose the get go for it. why put ya heart and soul in it and nobody buys the shit.

[bigsugedadon]

2pac warned us that hip hop was changing  we should of listen

[Jimenezneto]

I want Nas to drop a new album out already

[icecru2]

@Jimenezneto he's working on one

[kendre3]

I agree ppl always using sales as a measure of talent,,,Paris Hiltons CD went Platinum so I guess that means that she a better than most the music acts out there right??? Gimme a fukkin break!!

[spadesTPC]

nas is the truth

[Bryantsreeves]

NaS never ages.

[siyjef]

these are our heros

[MEXDOMINICANA]

nas if you are reading this i just want to thank you for staying true to your fans you are a great person :)

[mrpapafunky7879]

first off nas talent and quality of music is not based on sales its based on content the dumb people who cant understand music with substance miss out and thats it.Nas fell off? nah the public has

[vStreetStruckv]

@mrpapafunky7879

amazingly said....i too, am tired of ppl using sales as a measure of ones quality...hiphop seems to have turned into a talent show in the eyes of the public...circus acts juggling metaphor's...talented, yes...but with substance, no....

[xoxoJOHNxoxo]

Dope interview. Respect

[mmkayaaaa]

Nas eyes are so sexcii at 0:16

[handsomeboyad]

Still the best dressed rapper

[supa605]

he did sell out

[sourmaxxi]

their eyes look almost exact same

[poetryselite]

This is exactly why Nas is the greatest MC of all time... in the very beginnin of the interview, Smiley stated that his siblins paid homage to em cuz he got love from Nas in "These Are Our Heroes". That's what I'm talkin bout', Nas changed about 8 lives just in Smiley's situation. And Nas ain't neva sold out, if he did, then how was he takin so much criticism for "Untitled's" original title? Nas had a conscientious idea from the beginnin, but people fear the truth, so that title was dismantled.

[DaveIrie]

He sold out in the sense that he went from classic production on his first album to a more commercialized sound in later albums even though he's lyrically superior to most rappers

[dadstep357]

@DaveIrie I wouldnt call it selling out D, he had to conform. the sound has changed, even Rakim's music is not the same, but like Nas, the lyrics saves the track. But I feel what you sayin about the sound.

[jaahhee]

give sun..sum room..feel me..he can't be on some preachy shit every song..it has to be some balance..it's o.k. to build on issues..but a nig like to get loose sometimes..who wantz to get beat in tha head wit conscious rap every song..nas knows wat hes doing..his music is well balanced. Nobody needs a sermon 24/7.

[24TheCool24]

Wat song was it????

[LPrism]

That was a cool interview. On another note, I think its funny how people try to put Nas in a box. People start buggin out with their panties in a bunch, and call him a 'sellout' if he drops one song that appeals to the mainstream. Nas will always be hip hop. His body of work speaks for it self. He obviously loves this art, Its what made him who he is. Plus his talent speaks volumes for him to still have a colossal impact in the game after being in it for over 15 years.

[poetmm]

only wack album was nastradamus thats it and everyone sellout if not then your not really making any money its a business

[poetmm]

when sense the beat made the record if you dont have no lyrics why should i listen to your song

[DgDynasty]

i was on that set during the recording. greatest moment of my life. lol at tavis he mistaked nas with jayz

[question88917]

as far as "selling out" he went through changes as everyone does

[manohar567]

Nas is one of the greatest rappers alive! The only thing that nas does wrong is, that he doesnt choose his beats carefully enough. The lyrics are good but the beat doesnt back it up.

[nogoodnigga88]

he sold out right after illmatic. changed his whole style with it was written. turned into "nas escobar." then he was platinum jewelery.with nastradamus. now hes all political.

[DatKizzle52]

nas never sold out. compare nas to rappers today, nas dont make songs like swagga like us and I get money.. he always raps about what he knows and see's and because he aint in the hood anymore he's rapping about different issues which is what makes him nas. if a highly paid mainstream rapper keeps rapping sum gangsta shit then he's just lying to sell records..apart from it was written and nastradamus. nas has always kept it real.

[nogoodnigga88]

make the world go round is commercial and hes on swagga like us pt.2

[bornwithaBA]

No disrespect, he made Hate Me Now with Diddy. But, I still got love for both.

[ruslanio]

Nas has changed into different characters, but no matter what, he still keeps Hip-Hop REAL, and ALIVE!

[utubemyspaceaim]

wat about black girl lost (it was written), ghetto prisoners (i am...), project windows (nastradamus), one mic (stillmatic), i can (god's son), just a moment (streets disciple)??????? nas always gives the listener some knowledge to walk home with.. i got mad respect 4 him

[theungreatkahli]

@utubemyspaceaim Exactly, but like NaS said in the interview, people just wanna label all hip hop/rap under the same umbrella. I find that to be a parallel to how many people still view all black folks as the same. You have some cats who will not care how intelligent, creative or athletic our people are, they will all be considered nothing but a nigger. I showed this clip to my peeps so they could get an idea of how hip hop culture is judged (often unfairly) by people who have no clue about it.

[bornwithaBA]

Virgo's swing back and forth just for the fun of it--Michael Jackson, Ludacris, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane--but they always go home (where they feel comfortable). They will NEVER be comfortable fake. They can't stand it. Bothers their conscience. Even if they are never true to anybody else, they will always be true to themselves.

[123sarena]

Rakim is not a Virgo-he's the original Aquarius Jan 28- the greatest day on earth!!!

[bornwithaBA]

Thanks for the info!!! I just learned sumthin new.

[harroc83]

im a virgo too, and i def feel that truth

[MEXDOMINICANA]

me three :)

[princeatom3121]

i feel what u say bout virgos but rakim is a water man but he has moon in virgo.

[MEXDOMINICANA]

i feel you on that im a virgo and i cnt stand being fake even for a good cause i just have to be true to my self :)

[kendre3]

Nas never sold out as an artist you grow and the many different facets nas displayed on all his albums just shows his growing into a man...the problem is with a few fans its hard to accept the fact that rappers will eventually grow older and as they travel the world and meet more influential people in their lives it reflect in their rhymes...maturity! so honestly i dont want to see a 35 year old nas dropping a Illmatic 2 because hes not a kid living in the projects anymore.

[ronleetkd]

EXACTLY! haha "nas fell off" give me a break..nas never fell off because he never stopped growing unlike 99% of every rapper left.

[kendre3]

jay z said it best in the xxl mag you have 30 to 35 year old rappers having to do songs equivalent to "lol wit a smiley face" to appeal to the little kids because they have no talent to reach the mature hip hop fan base

[mrpapafunky7879]

jays fans grew old like him so why appeal 2 kids his fans has aged 2

[spadesTPC]

@kendre3 ...great words man. co sign

[OhhFoolish1]

@kendre3 Off the dick sucka

[taylor4660]

@kendre3 i AGREE

[chaaoos]

his only not great CDs were Nastradamus and parts of Street's Disciple. God's Son and I Am were both solid.

[sadcommunity]

nas is lil bit bitchy ..

still an epic rapper

jigga the best dead or alive

[sincere2da]

I'm a nas fan all his shit was good

[goldmn480]

g.o.a.tttttt

[nogoodnigga88]

untitled was ok. lets not get ahead of ourselves. it was mediocre. nas better go back to rhymin like he use to, just like jay did on american gangster, or hes gonna be come irelevant.

[SW4TR3PP1N]

Irrelevant?? Fuck outta here, Nas will always be real and spit whats happenin!

[BOSSLADYAF]

You must not have listened to untitled or u r simply a Jay dickrider, American Gangster is a very forgettable album and shld not be mentioned int the same sentence with untiltled, what exactly was the message on American Gangster, same old tired mafioso tales, fuk out of here

[nogoodnigga88]

hey nas is my favorite rapper. im just saying man. he doesnt rhyme like he use to. i know everybody grows but im realley not into the way he is rhyming now. illmatic, it was written, stillmatic, lost tapes. those are nas albums. untitled and hip hop is dead are "concept" albums. you cant get off the topic with albums like that. you cant tie yourself down to just one subject when your as good as nas. im not a j dickrider but American Gangster was a great album to me.

[BOSSLADYAF]

You must not have listened to the album or u just a jay dickrider,what exactly was the message on American Gangster, same old tired mafioso tales, fuck outta here

[ffedelcastro]

NASIR JONES HOLLA WHOOP WHOOP!!!!

[richieesco]

nas is a real dude, he never went fake and let fame get to him like some of my other favorite rappers, ignorrant people have been blastin his album as rascist cuz of the song n.i.g.g.e.r. but im hispanic and italian and i can relate to a lot of the lyrics in that song it hit my heart, hes the only mainstream rapper with balls to come out with the true shit about whats goin on in the world, underground rappers also hit thatits time to wake up and people like him are our john lennons of our time

[nogoodnigga88]

do you remember the "hate me now," or the whole "QB Finest" album? that was nas letting fame get to his head. come on. you have to be able to recognize when your favorite rappers put out shitty work.

[richieesco]

yo im from nyc i was witnessed all of what nas did, you are 100 percent right but hate me now was on i am and that whole album was great, i think u are talkin about nastradamus man, that album was whack and qbs finest was a callab project... i was sayin for a career nas has kept it real unlike a lot of fake ass rappers, the whole jay-z and nas beef u could tell who was real, it was nas, he didnt have to talk about people moms and wifys on tracks like gay-z

[nogoodnigga88]

i am... was weak. the beats suck. nas is like was the only good song on the album. nysom pt 2 is one of the most annoying beats ive ever heard.

[RealspitHiphop604]

hate me now was still ill lyrically, the video was stupid as hell though diddy look alike lol

[jethrodboy]

he was young...he never sold out tho

[norfillyson]

nas is the best

[McRip45]

Untilted Is one Of His Best album 2 Me itz On The Same Level Of illmatic and Stillmatic just with a diffrent type of Tone Production wise and subject Wise..Nas One of the Best FUCK Nas Haters...Fuck Every Artist whoz Responable 4 Hip Hop Dying I dont DL Music I Buy It in the Store so Dont DL Untilted BUY IT Buy Reall Hip-Hop 4 A ChangE!

[Datguy15]

i was on the set of that taping..

i even got a pic wit nas

[DominoDee]

Since Biggie and Tupac.Nas and Rakim is all we got left.And Rah don't realy record anymore.Tavis and Nas Great!!!!!!!!My Brothers

[Cortez112]

thnaks for posting this ! Nas cd is what America needs to heed!!

[AlphaKillaX]

you could tell Nas doesn't agree with that ludacris song

[jethrodboy]

what ludacris song?

[juleskersey]

politics obama is here

[qnznyc]

nice post. TAVIS SMILEY & NAS couldnt ask for anything more..good interview. & yeah buy the album!!!worth every cent.

[benvindo05]

Nas is cool

[MACCAPONE60]

TIGHT

[nitetyme032873]

Nas is my favorite MC and it's good to see he's improving his interviewing skills.

[ilmatic1]

A very good cd..i really hope people will go and get this album and listen to it closely...

Thank u NAS!

[MZWHITE007]

Nas CD was very good. I think it was worth the controversy people needs to really listen to this.

[NoahSife]

This interview is dope!! Need a music video? Get at me... myspace/NeedaMusicVideo