OR What left first, good Hiphop artists or Hiphop journalism?
How would you describe your trademark flow or flows? Did these come naturally or derive from a conscious effort of development and delivery? Do you have a mental catalogue of flows or do you just roll with what comes naturally to the beat you’re working with?
Kool Mo Dee’s book There’s A God On The Mic offers a scoring system to determine the greatest MCs, including the skills areas of originality, concepts, vocabulary, flow, body of work, social impact and battle skills. How do you feel you fare against these and what does a great rapper consist of to you?
Various songs of yours reference books of rhymes and you spoke of putting pen to pad, surrounded by archival Hiphop content, to develop your contributions to The Get Down TV series. Do you always have a live rhyme book? If so, where is it and what’s a snippet of the latest entry? Do you typically write to beats?
MTV’s BioRhythm suggested you spent time as a child studying books and dictionaries to learn new words. Is this true and how focused are you on vocabulary choice when you’re developing raps, as opposed to simply rolling with what comes to you?
Away from beats and recording rap songs, do you ever write poetry and would you ever consider releasing poetry in the written form? Are there any poets and writers you’re particularly fond of reading?
The internet enjoyed thinking you were secretly rapper Your Old Droog for a while. You later questioned why you’d work under an alias as you want people to hear and know your art. Are you ever burdened by who Nas is to people and what’s expected of you – and tempted by the freedom anonymity offers?
Bob Dylan went electric. Andre 3000 swapped the mic for flute. What would you be interested in exploring musically, if anything, from a lyrical and/or production perspective, beyond the typical lanes you’re known for?
Three Stacks has spoken a lot about his move away from rapping and that rapping at his age doesn’t feel right. Meanwhile, you marked your fifth decade with two celebrated three-album runs that many people rank amongst your best. Do you think there’s an age limit to rapping or that you’ll ever stop?
You spoke of finding and making the most of your stride during those collaborative Kings Disease and Magic series’ with Hit-Boy. Conversely, have you been conscious of being short of your best in the past?
You’ve lived and shared a lifetime of creativity, dedicated to the art form of rap, seemingly open to and exploring wherever it might go next. Is there anything you explicitly do to inspire and aid this practice – and what advice can you offer people in creative fields, to find their flow?
What does Lauryn Hill mean to you as an artist and friend? Have you ever discussed her releasing a second solo record or working together on more than a one off single?
How based on true events are the Magic 3 songs ‘Based on True Events’ and ‘Based on True Events, Pt. 2’?
Your label Mass Appeal’s signing of a Run The Jewels project was really enjoyed by enthusiasts of real, underground Hiphop. How much are you locked in to up and coming rappers (not that RTJ were), the underground scene and rap genre away from the charts?
Your known business ventures are very tech heavy. Do you spend much time on the internet listening to and reading about rap? What’s it like knowing about and browsing the level of fandom surrounding your name and art?
Some UK heads might see a similarity between how you arrived in rap at a young age, providing something authentic, fresh and superior – and the ascent of the rap sub genre Grime. Are you familiar with this and the Drill scene’s past or present and what artists or tracks do you like?
What do you recall of your 2005 show at Brixton Academy, London, halted by gunfire? UK artist Mike Skinner wrote self-depricatingly in his autobiography that in the panic of the moment, he tried reassuring you that ‘they’re just plastic bullets’. Do you recollect this and know much of Skinner’s work?
In a 2010s interview, when asked what rap artists you were really enjoying, you declined to name them because you’d experienced being called the new this and that, which creates a level of expectation and pressure. It felt like you had a name on the tip of your tongue. Was it Kendrick Lamar?
What was your reaction to Kendrick’s GNX album generally – and specifically to both him shouting you out for giving him flowers and Man At The Garden, seemingly a homage to your classic One Mic?
‘Define My Name’ with DJ Premier and the accompanying announcement of a collaborative album got fans very excited. The album was scheduled to drop in 2024 but didn’t. What’s its current status? Can you commit to it coming to fruition?
Does your celebrated past collaborations with Premier weigh heavy on the process of creating new music? To what extent are you in competition with your previous work?
Are there any albums you’re particularly proud or fond of that you feel are overlooked and overshadowed by the just stature given to Illmatic?
What album or albums do you feel merit anniversary shows/tours like those done for Illmatic and which ones would you personally enjoy doing a dedicated show/tour of?
It’s said that Stevie Wonder has multiple unreleased albums from around the time of his 70s genius streak in a vault. Are there verses in a Nas vault or books of rhymes, that you’ve banked for future use against the perfect beat or project? Can you talk specifically about some of the magic you’re holding back for the right moment?