Nas Reflects On His Rap Battle With Jay Z: “I Was Honored”

Nas Says He’s “Honored” To Have Jay-Z Feud As Part Of His Legacy

Jay Z and Nas went at it in one of the most disrespectful feuds in rap history that thankfully ended in better terms than it started. They’re good now but things got tense with the exchange of several diss tracks including “Takeover” and “Ether.”

Reflecting on it, Nas seemingly appreciates what came of it. After all, rap is considered a competitive sport, despite how vicious things could get.

During a recent interview on Rick Rubin’s Broken Record podcast, Nas explained that it was a sobering moment for him realizing that these feuds could really come to life. The OGs before him did it, as well, like a rite of passage, but the stakes were high for Jay-Z and Nas at the time.

“I was honored to have that part of my life happen because that’s how I saw some of the greats do it coming up. I saw some of the greats do it,” the King’s Disease rapper explained.

Rubin pointed out that the outcome of Jay-Z and Nas’ feud was mutually beneficial. “Again, it’s about the art of MCing and when you’re trying to make the best stuff you can make and you bump heads with another MC, and then you guys have a war or whatever, that’s what this art form was since the beginning,” Nas added, listing off Double Trouble and Busy Bee as examples of the forefathers engaging in rap beefs.

“That’s what I like about hip-hop compared to other genres is that, they go at it in hip-hop,” he continued. “Hip-hop will always be around because of how competitive it is.