Name your top 5 MCs of all time. No matter who’s responding, Nas remains a part of the conversation. In a recent interview with Andre Harrell for Revolt TV’s “Music Talks,” the Queens lyrical legend was asked to name his favorite rappers from the current generation and quickly reeled off the names J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. Perhaps not coincidentally, his first pick, J. Cole, has been performing recently at Light, the Mandalay Bay nightclub that has been programming more hip-hop recently. It’s also the spot where you can find Nas himself Friday night.
Clearly, the title of Nas’ 10-year-old album Hip Hop Is Dead is not a belief to which he currently subscribes. That could be further proven this year if he releases his first new album in four years. He told Harrell there’s a “very high percentage” that’ll happen: “There’s something interesting about this year musically, and I want to play my part.” Nas at Light at Mandalay Bay, January 6.
