With the 20 year anniversary of Nas‘ Illmatic just days away, and Illmatic XX in stores Tuesday (April 15), several tidbits about his seminal debut have come to light, but far less about the MC himself. That changed during today’s Reddit Ask Me Anything.
Fans got a chance to ask the Queens rapper whatever they wanted during the session, during which he answered dozens of questions. Here’s what we found out about the man behind Illmatic.
His Favorites Might Be Your Favorites, Too
TV: “Modern Family, that girl, Sofia Vergara, I need her. Walking Dead. House of Cards is my sh–.”
Jazz: “I would recommend Love Supreme by John Coltrane.”
Book: “Probably Convictions by Richard Pryor.”
Another book: “Ben Horowitz, the Hardest [Thing] about Hard Things.”
New York Pizza: “Supreme Pizza near Madison Square Garden, to name one. There’s too many to name.”
Video game: “Miss Pac-Man. I got the old big arcade game in the crib”
Movies in the last decade:”There were some really good ones. Adaptation counts. 2002. The King’s Speech. And Drive, I liked Drive a lot. The music is crazy.”
Rappers: “Favorite hip hop artist to listen to at the moment…Jay Electronica and Rick Ross, Schoolboy Q. YG. and Young Jeezy.”
He’s A Fan Of Lyricists
The new rappers he likes? “Bishop Nehru, and Fashawn.”
He’s Saved Lives
“At least once a year, a fan will tell me that one of my albums helped them find a reason to not commit suicide and to go on. That’s powerful. I’m humbled. And it scares the shit out of me too.”
He did not Ghostwrite ‘Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It’ For Will Smith
Well, he kinda did. But kinda not. “Alright, let’s clear this up once and for all. I hung out with Will in the studio. And watched him write it. It was a fun studio session, and I said a line or two or three to him. It wasn’t that serious. Will Smith wrote that song. But seriously, I watched him have fun making that record on his own, and Will is a true MC.”
Making An Album With Damian Marley Was A Blast
When asked who was the most fun to work with: “Damian Marley. Definitely the most fun. And very wise, a very wise guy, very talented guy.”
There May Be A Live Album In The Works
“Stay tuned…” he said, when asked if he’d ever do an album with a live symphony.
He Had Other Rap Names Besides Nas And Nasty Nas
“Rapper Nas, and another one that I will never tell. MC Nice was one too.”
His Relationship With Jay Z Is…
“We’re just doing,” he said when asked about Jay. Whatever that means.
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