pitchfork har en intervju med mannen. read it and go buy the record (or download it from here).
Pitchfork: In a recent Rolling Stone interview, you said you were trying to "inspire one motherfucker to reach beyond a beef or going platinum" with Hip Hop Is Dead. But you also said that hip-hop "is over, so fuck it, exploit it and piss on it." So, with this album, do you want to cure what you take to be culture's ills or are you taking advantage of those ills to try to sell more records? What does the title mean to you exactly?
Nas: Some people say it's bold. Some people say I'm saying what they wanna say. Some people don't agree. Some people are outraged. Some people want to see what the album is about. To me, hip-hop's been dead for years. We all should know that, come on. With that being said, then, the object of the game now is to make money off of exploiting it. That's what it's all about-- get this money. That's basically what I'm saying.
Pitchfork: But isn't that a conflicted point of view? You're saying other rappers are just trying to get money and that's what's bringing hip-hop down, but then you're doing the same sort of thing. How do you reconcile that?
Nas: It's not just a business for rappers, it's a business for record companies. It's happening for every form of music. It's not just hip-hop that's dead. Mostly every form of American music is dead. It's been dead. R&B isn't really good. You got a handful of great guys-- Ne-Yo, R. Kelly, Usher. You have a handful of great female artists. But for the most part the music world's changing and change is good. You have to make adjustments if you want to survive in that world. You start to thinking about creative moments-- bliss. When everything was all good. You realize that in comparison to the way hip-hop started off, where we should be at right now is not there. Not to say everybody's wack. Or Nas is wack. But I'm trying to provoke thought for the next up and coming MCs to do something different.
Pitchfork: What was the turning point when you thought hip-hop started to go in the wrong direction?
Nas: After Biggie and Pac died, it left with them.
Pitchfork: How do you think it would be different if they weren't killed?
Nas: It would've been better as far as creativity, artistry. They would've had it hard though. I think people love them more that they're gone. The jealously that was around them was so great. With rap music, because it's all so on the street, you get treated like a street cat: "All right, you've been eatin' enough, you're fat, get out of the way now and let somebody else come by." They would never have felt the love they get now.
Pitchfork: Are there any other moments that you can think of when hip-hop lost its way?
Nas: As it became really global it helped but it also hurt at the same time.
Pitchfork: How so?
Nas: By becoming global no one knows where it comes from. No one knows who is doing it right. There was a time when you knew that Jim Morrison was dope. You knew that Kurt Cobain was dope. You knew they were the shit. But by the time it turns into what's going on now, you don't know. How are the kids going to be inspired to create something innovative when they're being influenced by some of the shit that's happening now, which is about just copying and turning it into a business? You never get a chance to know about Muddy Waters or the shit that really meant something. You don't even care.
Pitchfork: Do you feel like there was ever a time when you fed into those negative aspects yourself?
Nas: Absolutely. You get lost in the shuffle and the touring and the money and the business and the working and the running. It feels good sometimes. But when you feel like you want to pull back and get your shit together you can't because you're so far gone.
Pitchfork: I watched the "Hate Me Now" video on YouTube recently and-- though I think it holds up really well-- I was struck by how it's so different to what you're doing now. Do you regret any of that really over-the-top stuff?
Nas: Nah. Me and Diddy, we started the bling thing. I called myself the bling king. My whole thing was to put on the bigger chain-- to ice out the stuff. Puffy was to come out and outdo. We'd get with R. Kelly on tour and he'd come out with more chains. That was happening on 80s tours, but they didn't call it bling and they weren't wearing platinum or as many diamonds. Of course, Cash Money and No Limit took it to another level. That's our thing, we started that right there. I loved that. It was like, with "Hate Me Now", we had to give 'em something to hate us for.
Pitchfork: But when you see Master P's episode of "Cribs" and he has, like, gold-plated forks, do you think that's a bit much?
Nas: That's his thing, that's what he does [laughs].
Pitchfork: Listening back to Street's Disciple, it sounds like an independent album-- it's so out there and uncompromising lyrically. Did you make a conscious decision to reign it in for Def Jam on this album?
Nas: I did at first but even when I try to pull it back in with producers who are more known for the current sound, it's always gonna turn to be what I want to do. When I try to sound like the contemporary sound, it never turns out that way [laughs]. That's just me.
Pitchfork: Were there any producers you especially wanted to work with on this record?
Nas: I always wanted to work with Kanye West. He'd be the main one.
Pitchfork: Yeah, you're on both Late Registration and Doctor's Advocate, and both Kanye and the Game are on Hip Hop Is Dead. Is it safe to say those are the two younger guys you're checking for the most right now?
Nas: Yeah. Game is a monster. He's all about doin' what he needs to do. He's gonna take on the whole world if he has to by himself. And that's impressive.
Pitchfork: Do you see some of yourself in that?
Nas: Nah, he does what he does.
Pitchfork: One of the tracks on the new album samples "Unforgettable", which is a bold move…
Nas: It was amazing. That totally stands out to me because it's a classic Nat King Cole song, him being the guy of his era. It's something you don't really wanna touch because it's so great. But I did feel like this album was an epic moment for me, so why not?
Pitchfork: Looking at some of the big hip-hop names that are coming out with albums this season-- you, Jay, Ghost, Snoop-- there are a lot of rappers trying to stay relevant and commercially successful with their sixth, seventh, eighth LPs, which is kind of uncharted territory for the genre. Do you worry about that? Is it exciting?
Nas: We're gonna be the first [long pause] real rap artists. Period. And that's scary because I always thought it was Run-D.M.C. I always thought it was Rakim. They're still the forefathers. But we're stepping into something they haven't done. We're reinventing the game, and hip-hop's never seen that. The shit's crazy.
Pitchfork: You've mentioned Gnarls Barkley as an act that you think is pushing things forward musically. Would you ever consider making a less traditional rap record akin to their album?
Nas: I don't do what Gnarls Barkely do, I just appreciate what they've done musically and what Andre 3000 has done musically-- just the bravery. I think Andre 3000 may be one of the bravest artists in rap music. And Gnarls Barkley is the second coming of that. I love that.
Pitchfork: At the same time, there's a difference between being brave and actually making great music. Prince is an obvious example of someone who was doing really strange things that were also amazing and popular. But I don't know you if you can say the same thing for someone like Dre…
Nas: Well, you can't count a man out because one record went…a different direction. You gotta count the things that scored, not the misses. Especially someone like Andre who hasn't had many misses.
Pitchfork: I interviewed Common recently and asked him about some contemporary rappers and he said that he doesn't really listen to that much rap as much as jazz and old r&b nowadays. Where are you as far as keeping up on things?
Nas: I listen to whatever's good. That's why I work with Game, he's dope. I love Kanye. Twista. Even the shit that's cool to dance to-- I call it intermission music. It's the stuff we listen to between the times that good artists come out.
Pitchfork: So you think there's a place for groups like Dem Franchize Boyz?
Nas: Definitely. To the South's credit, they kept the lights on in hip-hop for at least two years. And I rock with all their records. Hip-hop ain't died because of the South, that's retarded. When I named the album originally, I thought I bit off more than I could chew but you'd be an idiot to think I'm talking about how the South killed hip-hop or how New York isn't where it should be or where it once was. It was like, "Damn, I need to explain this?" But I thought, "Nah, the proof is right there. We should know what it is." I expect the hip-hop audience to be avant garde. I want them to be where I'm at or beyond where I'm at.
Pitchfork: What's your take on the state of the country and the current elections? Do you vote?
Nas: Not until [Barack] Obama runs…or even maybe when Ms. Clinton runs. Obama is an exciting cat.
Pitchfork: It seems like no matter how good an album you make, everyone's like, "It's good…but it's not Illmatic." In a weird way do you ever wish Illmatic wasn't that hot?
Nas: I could never wanna wish that. Because if there's a record I do that's as good as Illmatic, it wouldn't be intentional. When I say as good as Illmatic, I mean to those Illmatic fans, in their opinion. I want each album to say something different and be accepted better than the last one but I don't have any point to outdo any particular album of mine.
Pitchfork: Do you ever listen to your own albums?
Nas: Maybe once a year. At most maybe three times a year.
Pitchfork: Are you planning a tour for the new record?
Nas: Next year. Probably with other people, don't know yet. I do wanna tour. I wanna do something different onstage. Something more exciting.
Pitchfork: I was at the recent Roots show at Radio City a few months ago where you came out to do a short set with them.
Nas: That was nice with a live band. That's what made me really wanna do some live shit.
Pitchfork: Is there any possibility of you doing that much talked-about album with DJ Premier anytime soon?
Nas: I hope so. We have to wrap our minds around doing that and that only. Both of us. And it could be exciting.
Pitchfork: Is a project like that even possible with all the label politics you'd have to get past?
Nas: I'm sure we're gonna meet some bumps in the road, but if it's meant to be it will happen. If we get in there and the chemistry's there, it's gonna happen.
Pitchfork: Thinking about the history of popular American music in the past 50 years or so, Motown eventually fell off after lots of success, and rock was considered to be in a decline before punk jumbled things up in the late 70s. Do you think it's inevitable for genres to stagnate after a while and become re-energized?
Nas: Absolutely.
Pitchfork: And I guess you think calling an album Hip Hop Is Dead is the best way to do that?
Nas: Absolutely.
Pitchfork: Do you think there's anybody else following your lead?
Nas: I think everyone will [laughs].
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