Drink Champs - Episode 169 w/ NAS

Episode Date: July 25, 2019

N.O.R.E & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this exclusive interview The Champs chop it up with the legend NAS. Recorded live during the release party for his album The Lost Tapes 2; Nas takes it back and shares stories about his journey in Hip-Hop. The guys talk about the impact of his classic album "Illmatic", Nas also shares stories of The Notorious B.I.G. and Prince, The Firm, Body In The Trunk and much much more!On this episode Drink Champs also announce their new multi-platform deal with Mass Appeal, TIDAL, and REVOLT bringing together Hip-Hop legends NAS, JAY Z & PUFF DADDY, respectively.BlueChew: Get your first shipment free at BlueChew.com, promo code CHAMPS. Just pay $5 shipping!Postmates: To get $100 of free delivery credit for your first seven days, download the Postmates app and use promo code DRINKCHAMPS.Follow:Drink Champshttp://www.drinkchamps.comhttp://www.instagram.com/drinkchampshttp://www.twitter.com/drinkchampshttp://www.facebook.com/drinkchampsDJ EFNhttp://www.crazyhood.comhttp://www.instagram.com/whoscrazyhttp://www.twitter.com/djefnhttp://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductionsN.O.R.E.http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreagahttp://www.twitter.com/noreaga--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/drinkchamps/support Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor,

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I get right back there and it's bad listen to absolute season one taser incorporated on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts why is a soap opera western like yellow song so wildly successful the american west with dan flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever, this your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. What up, it's DJ EFN. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players.

You know what I mean? In the most professional, unprofessional podcast. And your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Champs, motherfucking podcast. Where every day is New Year's Eve. It's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfuckers. Would it good be, hopefully it would still be, this is your boy N.O.R.E.

What up, it's DJ E.F.N. This is Drink Champs motherfucking Yappy Hour. Make some noise! When we started this show, we said that there was no platform for legends. When you have 10, 15 years or more in this game, they want to call you old. They want to call you washed up. They want to say it's over for you. In all genres of music, like rock and roll, jazz, whatever, the older you get, the more season you get. I wanted to change that in hip-hop.

So instead of us complaining about it, we did what the fuck we had to do so when we thought of this show the person that's here that's our guest today is the impenitent of that he is the God MC he's my favorite MC of all time I never even told him that

that's what makes me a kind of fake nigga like I should have told him that like I should have texted him that y'all cool of all time right

wow appreciate you bro one of the best businessmen he showed Queensbridge people that not only you can be from the hood, but you can transition yourself into being a real full-fledged businessman. Showed the world. Showed the world. This man has done whatever he had to do countless times.

And he's on top. He's number one MC. One of the illest lyrically ever inclined. Keeping it classy. Keeping it classy. I've never seen him on a bum day, neither. The nigga never had one bum day. Like, everybody has a bum day, Nas.

Like, at one point, you got to come outside like a bum, my dude. You got to. But if you don't know what we're talking about, we're talking about Nas Escobar. Make some noise. By the way, by the way, do you still like being called Nas Escobar? Yeah. You don't give a fuck? Yeah, I don't give a fuck.

God damn, you already drinking before me. Jesus. We're going to get a drink. No point, man. Come on. So right now we're celebrating Lost Tapes. Two. So let's take Lost Tapes two.

So let's break down the origin of Lost Tapes. Lost Tapes is records that didn't make the album. Right. Didn't make the album. You. Didn't make the album. You can make an album out of your beats. Let's make some noise for that. Yeah, you know,

you got the records that you didn't, you wasn't sure about. So you just, they sit around. What span of time is this that these records,

like between when and when were you recording? Probably like 2007 to last year. Yeah. So that's just different albums. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a couple albums, yeah. So the crazy thing is, the first time I actually met you, met you,

was on Vernon Boulevard. I think you was going on tour. And your homeboys was playing this record that I'd never heard before in my life. I heard it one time, one time, Odie. I don't know if you remember this story. I'm walking through Vernon Boulevard, because you shouted me out

without actually meeting me. Like, you spoke on a Noriega. I was like, oh, shit, I'm the man. And when I finally met you, they was playing this record. Now, you tell me if I'm bugging. It went, there's a lady cop sucking a thug's dick on some bug shit. You remember that?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, man. Yo, you never do that record out, right? Nah, nah, nah. I always look at Lost Tapes for that record. You know what I'm talking about? You've been waiting for that record. I feel like Lil Wayne bitching shit. Oh, shit.

Mr. Officer. Yeah, you know when I heard that song, it reminded me of and shit. Oh, shit. No, no. Mr. Officer. Yeah. You know, when I heard that song, it reminded me of that shit. But I didn't think nobody even remembered that you hadn't even heard that joint, dog. No one knows. That's crazy. No one knows. I swear to God, I was like, yo, Lil Wayne.

How long ago was this? Have you heard this record? This was after it was written. This was after it was written. And this was the $50 Panasonic. Those niggas ain't make no noise with the Ace. Come on, man. They ain't make no noise with the Ace. Come on, man. He ain't make no noise with the Ace. This is Nas, man.

This is Nas. Please get the money. Walking through Vernon Boulevard and obviously it was Mobb Deep that was coming up. By the way, the Prodigy tribute, we go right to that. I remember they playing on a $50 Panasonic.

And I remember, I was like, damn, this nigga saying that he's fucking a lady cop. And I had never knew that people could say that shit. I was so scared. That was like a nigga album before a nigga album. Facts. Facts. That's the truth. I remember that song, dog.

I think LES might have did that. I didn't know what to do with the song, though. That's lost, lost, lost. That's 20-something years ago. That's crazy, bro. And of course, I shouted you out because y'all was coming up and I seen that shit. And I'm like, these dudes

are the dudes right here. So it's like, on some Queen shit, you know what I'm saying? I seen them coming up, Capone, Noriega. I knew it was going to be on. Yeah, for sure. I ain't going to lie, that changed my life because, see, I know you humble, and you don't realize that you're the greatest MC of all times. Greatest MC of all time.

You can be humble. You can be humble. You can be humble. Don't worry. I'm going to be cocky for you. This is what we're here for. I want to tell you, I want to go to Illmatic. I just got to say,

I'm happy to be here, man. We're happy to be here, bro. Yo. Yeah. I just want to tell you what Illmatic was, right? It was a point in time where KRS kind of fucked us up, right?

Oh yeah. Let's be clear. I was running through Sparfit, and I was running through Rikers Island, and they were saying, Queens! These Bronx niggas, they know. I did not like that, y'all. So, it was one period, I'm sorry, because I never told you this, this is crazy,

it's one period that it changed the course of Queens. And I don't know if you know this, but I'm sure you know it. It was Illmatic. That's a fact. Listen, it was Queens niggas blowing dudes every day. They had to get it on because it was the joke of the town at the time. It would say Queens. Turn around, they'd be like...

And then Illmatic came out, and niggas was like, all right, we know what you're talking about now. Wow. Because that's how... You described a picture of Queens and Queensbridge in a way like Donald Gomes. The thing about why people read books in jail

is they go to that place. So everybody, when Illmatic came out, everybody actually was not only just from Queens Bridge, but they was from Queens, period. Do you know that? I heard. Good looking, though. Good looking.

Because your KRS story is incredible. KRS is a leader. He's one of my favorite rappers ever. So when I first, when i was putting out ilmatic it was like almost to show krs1 it was almost to that was part of my drive because i had to because of what he had done so i had to it was part of it was like yo look krs we here so you know he's one of my favorites ever but never mind saying that it changed the course of Queens or whatever. It changed the course of hip-hop, period. Yes.

Like, did you even imagine that you would just change, like, the evolution of hip-hop? Because to me, it changed. It was a new era in hip-hop when Illmatic came out, lyrically. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, we had Rakim and we had lyrics, but it just felt different after Illmatic. I feel you. It was like I had to represent it was like like Norris said the

pressure was on the borough and my project so it was like and then just getting in the game you had to have something to say so I definitely had to push it push the pen hard because if not it would have never flew. And people like me I'm in Miami and I feel like I was in Queensbridge

listening to Illmatic you know what I'm saying it was so feel like I was in Queensbridge listening to Telematic. You know what I'm saying? It was so vivid. Yeah, yeah, appreciate it. I'm not going to lie to you. I think I could quote that album backwards. That's how good I know that.

I know I know the album better than you. I promise you. I can promise you I can swing your verses better than you. I'm just being honest because it meant

so much more to me because we were in the P-NOW when it came out. When I was in the P-NOW, I was locked up with the Brooklyn guys in this biggie, and it was a buckshot. It was buckshot.

Black moon in the moon. And I knew, mind you, I had met you through Akineli, but I didn't know that was you. And then when you said, when I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus. What was wrong with you, sir? Or waving automatic guns at nuns. Did everybody ever ask you that question? When you was 12, you went to hell for snuffing Jesus? I was sick at what was happening in the black community.

And I felt like what was pushed on us on a religious level was um was before my time you know the black church is powerful it definitely been there through the civil rights and all of that and uh still powerful to this day but i was i didn't see it as a black thing i didn't see it as i saw no one's coming to save us you know so i just felt like it's me against the world I had a very rebellious spirit back then, like serious. So, yeah. But, you know, I love Jesus. Right, right. That's my man.

Just in case. That's my man. And there's also a rumor that's been lurking around that it was you and Akineli together. What you mean? Like when y'all went to the deal. Is that true or something like that? We used to go. The Columbia deal you're talking about?

No, not before that. Okay. Me and Ack used to meet me at the last car on the E train. And we're going to go here or I'm going to come pick you up. And we're going to go shop these tapes. Ackanella used to get me motivated to go shop demos. Get out of here. He somehow knew where the offices was. He knew who to go shop demos. Get out of here. He somehow knew, he knew where the offices was.

He knew who to go see. He knew, he made meetings with them. He booked meetings with like, like real people. It was before Live at the Barbecue and all that? No.

After. After. After. Because I met him during Live at the Barbecue. So he was like thinking like a businessman. Like he was about it.

I didn't, I was like, are we really going to these offices Like yeah For sure You know I joined the Taliban right now You seen them lately I ain't seen them

I ain't seen Akin a minute He's out here going crazy Pick up the Akineli man So I need to ask this question cause as a fan this is a hip hop fan you know Wu-Tang came and he destroyed shit but it was a skit on Ghostface album

Ray Kwan album god damn it DJ DJ Bush Rock big up DJ Bush Rock it was a skit where they said make a bit nice shit how did nice where they said, take a bit nice, shit. Yeah.

How did nice feel? They said, take a bit nice, shit. It was, that was a talk. So that was a talk. I just, I couldn't believe he said it. So. It's over the album cover, right? It's over the album cover, yeah. Because Biggie, I had a picture of young me on the cover,

and then Notorious B.I.G., rest in peace, had a picture of a baby that was going to be him. It was supposed to be him. So, of course, people start comparing, because they was comparing us anyway. So then the album cover came, and it was like, oh. So Ghost said it. I said, it's straight blood sport out here.

It's war. Oh, when Ghost said it, he said it I said It's straight blood sport out here It's war Oh when Ghost said it he said it Absolutely When Ghost said that shit On a On a raise tape Oh that was crazy That was crazy man

Cause Cause it was something after that I think Puff Big call me You've never heard this story Nas Yeah Big call me And he's like

Yo You fucking with them woo niggas? You knew they said that shit? And he's like, yo, that's how you feel away, bro? Because me and him was tight. So I was like, yo, I mean, that's Ghost. Ghost face is Ghost face. There's no love lost.

I didn't know he was going to say this shit. And he was a little disappointed because he wasn't trying to bite off my shit. No, just in general. Because he wasn't coming at it like that. Because if you listen to his album, he rap from, he tell a whole story and shit.

So I didn't look at it like i didn't look at it like that it was just competition at that time so at that time i was like i was riding with that a little bit because it was competition so it was just one for me they didn't involve into anything nah other than that okay but uh buster rhymes had told me a story because uh uh uh buster called me or i called bus i forget buster yo, tell Nas about the one time it was you, him, and Method Man in the studio, and Big was supposed to come up. Yeah.

And Big didn't want to walk up flights of stairs? The elevator? Yeah. The elevator was broke, and Big had a car accident, so he had a cane. And he's like, I love y'all niggas, but I ain't walking up the fucking stairs with this bro his shit was broke something was broke he had a car accident

yeah that was a crazy session that was gonna be some shit so i didn't lay no verse but the next day big came and um and he did his shit did you know that's the only verse that big went at pock yes the only the double album well the double album Yes. The only... The double album, well, the double album, he had some verses for him, but you're right. That was the one when he went right at him. Right at Pac. Right at him.

Yeah, Buster played me that verse. I was going to bring it here, but I said, I don't think I should. I was like, I don't think I should. So that is... So... Yeah. Okay. It comes a time after Illmatic right

where it was written you are now oh I like that I like that so it changed from the project kid to like the big the big guy.

I remember Trackmaster Tone, me asking him. I said, yo, Trackmaster Tone, I want to do um, what's his thing with Lorman? I rule the world. And Trackmaster Tone said, I will never give you that record. I said, Jesus.

And did you receive backlash from, because you, it was almost like, not like a backpacker, I don't want to say like a backpacker, but you was like the king of the underground, and then as you transitioned to, it was written,

it was like, now you're a boss, but as soon as you become a boss, people kind of, you know what I'm saying? Did you like see that crossover? Oh yeah, oh yeah, big time, big time. When we first put out the record, it was a white label. So they didn't know who was singing it. So they didn't know it was Lauren.

They didn't know it was her. So they thinking, why is somebody singing on your record, bro? Like, what's going on? And I'm like, dog, that's Houdini, the beat. That's Houdini. She's singing Curtis Bow. Dog, this is hip hop to me. It sounds good for Curtis Bowe, dog. This is hip-hop to me. It sounds good for radio, too,

but I'm just saying it's hip-hop. So this is what we doing. The way the thing was changing, it was like radio was opening up to us. Hot 97 was now a thing, and now it's opening up to us. So if we can have a record that the streets is into, but also has a appeal to go, a mass appeal.

Mass appeal. To go, to be massive. Mass appeal. Then you had to do that. We had to do that to get to the next level because, you know, that was just the challenge was to just, you can't just be rapping. You got to make records too.

It's like keeping your authenticity, but still... For sure. And then it's Lauryn Hill, you know what I'm saying? Oh, no, that one, yeah, without a doubt. And then it's Lauryn Hill, so it's like... But then, of course, people wasn't ready for the transition. And now you're on tour with Mary J. Blige. Y'all niggas out there selling shit.

Y'all out there, out there selling shit. Y'all out there stepping on shit. Y'all out there doing it. Is that where you're at in life? Because we read all about the stock and everything you got. When you come out, is there things that you want to do?

You know what I'm saying? I feel like you wanted to do the tour. Like, I feel like there's a lot of things that you can say no to. Yeah, nah, we've been talking about it for a while. So after New Year's, I seen her, and we was all hanging out. And I said, yo, do you want to tour this year? She was like, yo, yeah, let's do it. So I was like, whew.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Tell me, that's how y'all said it? Y'all just some way or another said you want to? That's easy. I hit her up. So I was like, whew. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Tell me, that's how y'all said it? Y'all just somewhere? That's easy. I hit her up. I need friends like you, Nas. Let's make some noise right there. Yeah, I called her.

I said, yo, you want to do this tour? She was like, let's do it. Wow. Let's do it. And she was serious about it. So it was just a great time. Right. And your first date was Miami. Yeah. Yeah. West Palm. West Palm. West Palm. And the show was crazy, bro. Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to Mary. She's, it's an honor to be on

tour with her, man. Her from what's the 411 with Grand Puba. She's always been that hip hop queen, you know what I mean? So it's like queen of hip hop soul you know so honor that's the sister before we move on I want to say welcome home to my brother Deuce man I miss you man welcome home my brother

okay but when you said hip hop is dead how many DM's you got from the young niggas you know what i'm saying like back to the future they wanted to kill me man because what you were saying was explain to what you people you're saying it's dead i was just because we didn't have no control and it's like you know a lot of people took offense to it that I didn't think was going to take offense. I'm talking about, let's wake up and take control.

As soon as we put out a record, there's some political or some religious or whoever leader in the community that's trying to build a name off you and start to protest your record. As soon as you try to build your company uh or try to uh be independent of uh all the labels you run into trouble you know so it was it was so many people in control of where this thing was going and it's like i thought we had a great time to turn this around culture didn't control it basically not like not like what happened not like what's going on today. You know what I'm saying? And also, you know,

I probably thought a few people could have stopped making records. I probably thought some niggas would... Let's not lie. You could have even said something about Nori one time. No, no. We'll get to that later.

Come on. I'll tell you why. That's not hip-hop. It's dead. No, I know. This was family shit that I was mad about something. That's not hip-hop. I know, I know. This was family shit that I was mad about. It's the hit. At the time when you said that, you was living in Atlanta.

Yeah. I had a crib in Atlanta. A crib in McDonough, Georgia. Okay, but that's who took offense to it, right? Man, I know. What, Atlanta took offense? I mean, because the South was running. Ludacris had a shirt that said, hip-hop didn't die, lives in the South.

Yeah, that's true. And Luda's my man. So I felt, yo, I think I... I should have had butt Luda for that. Just throw it out there. Go ahead, continue. Yo, so I felt like... I felt like, damn, it's not real.

I didn't get the point off right. Because the wrong people... That wasn't the intention. I wasn't attacking Luda and my guys. No, no, that wasn't the case. It was just like, to tell you the truth,

I forgot why I said it. It was so long ago. Something pissed me off. Something pissed me off. Essentially, the break dancing, the graffiti. That's what you mean, right?

The break dancing, the graffiti. It was the culture. It was all of this stuff that, even today, a lot of people don't care about it. And I like to care about it. Like, I like what you say about when the show starts, like, give them their roses while you can smell them.

Yes. A lot of people don't realize the great history here. That's why we're trying to, that's why we are building a hip-hop museum in the Bronx. You know what I'm saying? Because it should have been here. It should have been. It's way overdue.

It should have been. It's way overdue. We're building one here because it'll be great because sometimes the kids don't see why they should go that far back to listen to some shit. But if you go back there, you might discover some new shit that you could be doing. You know what I'm saying? Like, I looked at them old dudes, or I don't want to call them old,

but the pioneers, and I learned from them. I learned from them. And so I was like, it's important that the kids today know how important they are to this whole thing too, you know. You know, one of my favorite days of my life

was we was in Massapelle office. And because I had thought Rakim and Eric B. was touring. I didn't know that because I see Rakim but I see Eric B. by himself. I didn't know that Eric B. and Rakim hadn't been together in so long. So you said to me, you said,

you want to go to the Eric B. and Rakim show? And I was like, you leaving it up to me? You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And then we went there. So this is the favorite part of my time. As all the accolades you got, as much as you can say you the man,

I saw you sit there and pay homage to Rakim. It was the best day of my life, bro. It was the best. Just to see you, humble you. Like, you was sitting there and then Rock Kim started to do like two or three records that I never heard of.

Yeah. I thought I was the biggest Rock Kim fan and I watched Nas. You knew every fucking word. I looked. I said, this is why this nigga's

the king of hip hop. Make some goddamn noise. You remember that day? You remember that day? Yes, sir. That was a great day. That was a great day, man. I just got my big change. I just got my big change.

The first day. Heavy. Heavy. So you are really a student of the game of hip-hop? I love it. I think I am. Okay. You too, though.

Yes, I am. I am. You too. But now, now I'm going to throw, because we all up there in age, so I'm going to throw something at all of us. What are you listening to right now? A new nigga, Nas. New nigga.

Dirk. There's a lot of Dirks, nigga. Lil' Dirk. Okay, Lil' Dirk. A Lil' Dirk, he just came home, right? He just came home. The baby, the baby. Oh, the baby?

Oh, it's the baby and his little baby now. But why it gotta be someone new? Why are we playing? Because we old. I'm saying that. Dreamville joint. Who? Dreamville joint.

Oh, J. Cole. That's the Avengers. The Revenge of the Avengers. What's that shit called? Them niggas got balls. Yo, and the homie Reason from TD's problem. That's who you listening to? Dirk?

Little bit sometimes? Yeah, the baby. Little baby or the baby? Both of them. Okay, that's hard. He's political, bro. That was an Obama answer right there. That was hard.

That was hard. That was hard. Who? Davies. Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure Davies. Oh, yeah, for sure. For sure, Davies. For sure. Family.

In retrospect, like, not to say it like that, but people always say you're the second coming of Rakim. You feel like Davies is the second coming of Nas, or he's his own? Pause. He's his own coming of coming.

You know, I don't know. You's his own coming of coming, you know, I don't know. You know what I mean? Jesus, that doesn't sound right. You undid your paws. But you know what I mean. Um,

I think, I think Dave East is the first Dave East. That's hard. Yeah. That's hard. That's hard. Because sometimes that name, it'd be feeling like,

some people don't like that. So I would be honored for somebody to call him that personally, but he's his own man for sure. Have you ever seen somebody that remind you of you? Like, you know what I'm saying? You know everybody bites your style and shit. Like you said, holy shit. Lupe. Lupe Fiasco?

Lupe Fiasco, yeah. Dredge Lupe or Cesar Lupe? You know, it's two different Lubes now, Nas. The nigga with dreads? Karate Lupe? You know, Karate Lupe. You know, Karate Lupe. Karate Lupe is hard.

Yeah. I'm sorry, Nas. I'm sorry. Both of them. Yeah, I'm sorry. Both of them. Lupe, no, that's my nigga. I got love for Lupe. I just sorry both of them Lupe know that's my nigga I got love for Lupe

I just still want him to apologize to Tribe Called Quest from that day when he came out there and he messed up Q-Tip lyrics remember

I just want him to say I'm sorry that's it so I'll be on Lupe's ass but he know I love him as a brother and as a fan but you know

he went out on Tribe Called Quest you don't remember it was a tribute to Tribe Called Quest oh yeah yeah that's it but I love Lupe

I just want to be clear and he's very lyrical he's lyrical he's got a show coming up too oh it was a tribute to Tribe Called Quest. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's it. But I love Lupe. Like, I just want to be clear. I just want, I want to, and he's very lyrical. He's lyrical. They got a show coming up, too. Oh, all right. Yeah, you so rich, you don't even know

what you're doing. No. You ever, you ever thought hip-hop, like, I know, I know this is like a cliche type of question. You ever thought hip-hop

would really be where it's at? I always wanted it to be. I can't say that I thought... This your own weed? Smoke Champs, yes, it is. Oh, you can have that, Nas. Yes, yes. It's not...

Oh, God, we didn't have the action? Oh, God. No, no, no. We're like, Nas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh! Oh! Smoke Champs, baby.

Yes. Yes. We didn't have to ask him, God damn it. God damn it. The God MC. So, what'd you say? It don't matter.

Would you like a shot, Nas? Anything you do, I'm with you, bro. Okay, let's do a shot. We ain't going to say what shot we doing. Shout out to Wingstop, by the way, man. Shout out to Wingstop, who provided us some wings. Shout out to Cherry.

At Best Buy. At Best Buy. At Best Buy Liquors. I ain't going to lie, Nas. We sold mad advertisement. Talk about rich. We found niggas. Stop, Nas. Stop, stop.

Talk about rich. This episode is about you, brother. This episode is about you. So, you know what I want to big up to? Queens get the money. Queens get the money. But you know who I want to big up to? Who I feel like don't get as much props,

and I feel like is one of the best executives ever in the world. And I know no one's not going to know what I'm about to say right now. Jungle. Jungle. That's big Nah that's That's one of my favorite I tell him that And I

He We always bent when I say it So he think I'm playing But I'm like Yo Jungle You my favorite executive Like Because he was hood

He knew exactly what to do Like Do you remember We made Body in the trunk I can't forget that. I can't. You know what? Wait, you mean the way

we came up with it. Okay, no, I'm sorry. It was Jungle. It was Jungle and Chappelle. But before we get into that, I'm going to tell you a crazier story. One day we're in the studio,

me, you, and it's nature session. So me and you is both in nature session. And nature, it's a song called Triple Threat. you was both in Nature Session. And Nature, it's a song called Triple Threat. It winded up being called Triple Threat.

But me and you in the studio and Nature said, so Trackmaster's tone, Trackmaster's period, plays the record and Nature said, yo, I'm going to take this shit and I'm going to go home.

And me and you just looked at each other. And as soon as Nature rolled out, me and you just bodied the whole record. You don't remember that? Hell yeah. Triple D had no nature on there at first. It was just me and you.

You don't remember? Oh, he came back and did it. He came back the next day. We was foul niggas. Now I'm going to throw that out there. We was foul niggas. So your drive. It was your drive, though.

Your drive was like nothing I'd never seen. Thank you. Your drive motivated me. So I'm sitting here with you, and I'm like, if I stand next to homie, we're going to make some real records. So it was your drive, bro, and your vision, bro. So I was just riding with you, man. Thank you, my brother.

Thank you. Because I don't know if I ever told you this, but if it wasn't for I'm Leaving, I don't think I would have had a solo career. And I don't know if you remember, but you guys started recording the Firm album in Miami. And y'all supposed to give me a flight, and I never got that flight.

But you gotta relax, you can't complain, you gotta shut up and just wait for your hunger. But you got to relax. You can't complain. You got to shut up and just wait for your hunger. And then one day, Jungle called me. He was like, you been to L.A.?

And I was like, nigga, I made it. L.A., L.A.? I don't want to go to L.A. And they're like, this is the only house. We need you on the firm album. And I flew out there.

And you know who the fuck was the engineer? Who? Dr. fucking Dre, my bro. The only time I've been in a room with Dr. Dre is because of your ass, god damn it. Thanks a lot. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States.

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going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up. So now I only buy one. The demand curve in action.

And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on everybody's business from Bloomberg Business Week. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick.

Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to everybody's business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of

the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian, Dr. Randall Williams, and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and Meat Eater founder Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time,

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But I want to go there for a second. The Firm album. Yeah. What was the vision to even create the Firm? And we need a new Firm, but that's later. I needed my niggas. Right. You know, I was do niggas. Right. You know, I was dolo, really.

So you needed to squad up, because everybody was squadding up. So it was only right. You had Junior Mafia. You know, you had even, you know, Wu-Tang. It's a lot of them. Death Row, it's a lot of them, you know. So I had to squad up.

Right. Yeah. And I want to on the record reflect because a lot of people thought up in the air, who put on Foxy Brown? She was signed to you? Nah. No. No, no.

I lost the bet. No. Well. Damn. Damn. Can I retract the question? Nah. I lost. I'm lost

I'm back Go ahead You know AZ introduced me to Foxy He said Yo I got a girl I got a girl That's going

I'm like nah It's not going to happen This girl Kim There's nothing we can do To get anybody to go Wait so Kim was out already Before you met Foxy? Yeah Yeah for sure Definitely That makes sense Oh shit I lost another bet Okay continue nothing we can do to get anybody to go. Wait, so Kim was out already before you met Foxy? Yeah.

Yeah, for sure. Definitely. That makes sense. Oh, shit, I lost another bet. Go ahead, continue. It felt like y'all were creating the firm on mixtapes. I mean, I might be completely wrong, but that's the way it felt.

No. I could answer that, but I'm going to let him answer it. Like, just doing joints on mixtapes, it just felt like the firm was being created before our very eyes on mixtapes. When we did mixtapes with DJ Clu, we started doing stuff to promote the albums. Right, mm.

So, yeah, we started doing that. And that became the thing. So we were using that. DJ Clu was our key to the streets. And we just started doing a lot of mixtape stuff because we couldn't wait for the albums to come out. Yeah, but A introduced me to Foxy. And I met her.

And I'm like, oh, she's a beautiful, beautiful sister. And she got bars. Oh, she's going to win. So once they saw that I was invested, everybody just went crazy. We were flying, me, Foxy, flew her to LA to talk to Jimmy Iovine to try

to get her a deal. Is that how y'all connected with Dre from those? No, I already had kicked it with Dre. My first album, he came to one of my shows and he was like, yo, we got to work together at the Grand Slam Princess Club in L.A. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I went to Miami, too. Yeah, yeah, for sure. But yeah, we were flying around shopping with her, trying to get involved, but at the end, I saw she was already on her way, so I stepped back and let it go. So the firm forms yeah you figure you figure uh it comes out and then dr dre says this one line he says some some shit or the firm flopped

everybody's saying i turn pop or the firm flop y'all are the reason Dre ain't getting no sleep. So fuck y'all. So where you at in your mind frame at that time? I mean, the expectations of East Coast dudes rocking with Dr. Dre at the time was a lot. So it did platinum. And if it didn't do three or four platinum it was a flop wait it went platinum i only got gold plaque yeah i had no idea that it actually went platinum i'm now i'm about to go

give you your platinum so so what's, yeah. So what's your, if you had... And I needed you on that album. Oh, yeah, thank you. You was our guy. Dang it, keep talking like that. That's a fact. That's a fact. I felt that.

Nah, that's a fact. The I'm Leaving song... I'm not even looking. I don't want to. I'm leaving song was the song that really was our presence in the streets of New York. That was the only song off the album that went crazy on mix shows at night was this.

Told that talk, Nas. Told that talk, Nas. They need to hear this. At first, some of the people was like, yo, you bringing too many Queens guys into this. It's a fact. It's chill. Yo, why you bringing them in? Told that talk, Nas.

And I said, nah, he got to be on the joint. So, and then God used all the joints. No, we know this. Yeah, because they was acting like the production was too big for us. Firm biz, single. We had in vogue singers in it,

cars flying off the roof and all that shit. He leveled it. And that was just our vision also, just knowing that he's the one that's coming. That's a classic record. Let that talk, man! That's real shit. Let that man talk! And then y'all...

I don't know what they're singling, but we still going. We still going, right? They're singling a little bit. I don't know what they're singling. It's like a plane coming in right now. They're going like this. We're going to still go because you go cuz you the king MC, okay Now we here so if you had if you had one album that we got to do a shot. We didn't even do shots This is terrible. This is Shots with everybody You can pick your poison. We don't have to say what it is

You pick it off You pick it off camera? Pick it off camera Let's pick it off camera I'm going to hit the Henny You're going to hit Alright then we're going to hit the Henny then I'm going to hit the XO We're going to hit the Henny

You want to hit the Henny XO God damn it I'm not going to lie Let me tell you something Yeah Nas you're the only nigga That can make me drink Hennessy You know why?

Last time I drank Hennessy I woke up in Flatbush My mom was like What am I in Flatbush? I woke up in Flatbush I'm like why am I here? Like this shit is You know last time I drink Hennessy Another new flat which is not the new flat with the old flat boy so goddamn. I we're gonna do Henny listen. Listen. Let's listen Now I'm not sure out here. Congratulations, man. I'm keeping it real now. Let's keep it real.

Let me tell you something. I had so many fights before Illmatic came out. And when Illmatic came out, I ain't going to lie. I had at least two weeks I didn't fight. Wow. Because niggas was like, ah, y'all Queens niggas got it. Wow. Why everybody always, why they always trying to bully Queens, man? Nah, nah, I ain't gonna lie. Listen, listen.

It's hard for us, man. I told KRS you made a lot of killers. I told them you made a lot of killers. Because that Queen shit was not funny, man. It was not funny. Salud. But you know what, Illmatic? Salud, brother. So Nas, we want you to know, we don't want you to go away to have to tell you that we love you. We don't want to have you go away, something happen to to you, we'll tell you that you're appreciated here. Right now. Your flowers are deserved now.

We know you got all accolades, but you know what? Every now and then, we got to say thank you, because you know what? Thank you, man. If it wasn't for Illmatic, there won't be no Nori, and that's the real shit. You know what my MC name was before Illmatic? Well, nah, what's that?

MC Yahoo with the ball to beam. I wouldn't have worked, Nas. I wouldn't have worked. It wouldn't have worked. I needed this. I needed it. Yo, how you make up these words, though? That's a hard one by itself.

He got a language that's crazy. You got to trademark all your crazy shit. I'm going to tell you some funny shit. Yo, one day, I don't know if you, you had the Nordica van, I believe. And you came and you picked me up and me and this nigga both didn't know how to roll weed. You remember that day? I ain't going to lie, I'm keeping it 100. You're going to look at me different.

But for like two weeks, I was Nas Weed Roller. Like, that was my job. Like, it was cool. I was just like, all right, cool. He came up, and I pulled up, and that's what we do. We go to Flushing Meadow. And we did not have a driver's license. No, no, but I still don't got a driver's license.

You got a driver's license? I got mine a few years ago. So you got a driver's license? Tell me. What the fuck? I told you he's the non-driver's license niggas. And Jungle's still smoking bogeys. Still?

He's still smoking bogeys. We're going to get Jungle to still smoking bogeys. Still. He's still smoking bogeys. We're going to get Jungle to stop smoking bogeys, and I'm going to get a driver's license. Please, let's do that. So, your favorite era in hip-hop. Let's do one more shot. I'm in. I'm into that.

You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm with you. Your favorite era in hip-hop. If you had to pick one era. One era? One era. Be honest. Be honest.

Be honest. Could I put them in order? Yeah However you want However you want Oh shit Run DMC Fat boys That shit was magical to me man

That shit was magical Like the 80s Late 80s is your magical. Like the 80s, late 80s is your favorite? The early 80s. The early 80s. Coogee, not, Coogee Rap. But like before Coogee Rap, LL Cool J's original I Need a B. Because the words he was using,

he had to go to the dictionary and I was like okay it's real and then he dropped the Rock the Bells the new one that we all know today that was crazy so that era right there

was like him and MC Shan was like was real crazy because i walked to the record store and buy the record so um that was crazy to me that's number one that's number one some of the illest um thing that i ever mentioned on drink champs was i i told a person that if you want to study hip-hop, I think you should start from Illmatic and then go backwards. Oh, shit. That's ill.

Remember I said that. So at first, I thought everybody was going to like, that's blasphemy. Ironically, it's only a couple of people who said it was blasphemy. But everybody, because the thing about it is, and this is all due respect to our forefathers, it really wasn't saying champagne and

getting pussy in, you know what I'm saying? Sometimes that's what we need to relate to to get us in. Like a Donald Gomes book. So I say that, like, if you study Illmatic and then go to reverse engineering, and ironically, I only had

two people who disagree with me. That ill that's ill that's crazy that's crazy that's very crazy i'm a fan of the show and i saw you guys interview krs1 and um he said some words that humbled me down to the to the floor and we talked about you yes sir and uh i love the conversation you had you told him that he created a lot of killers in queens that shit was funny but um just to bring him on this show and to talk about the art of it it's like it's like that's what to see. So, I don't know why I brought that up. Oh, because you,

you, you was talking about KRS and then going back. I feel like you want another shot. I feel like you want one more. I just like, that's it. It's like,

I feel like, let's get one more. Let's get one more. Nah, yo, I really, I really appreciate you though, my brother.

Let me just tell you something, man. In a lot of ways, you, you birthed my career because of the album you made. And I follow this too. You birthed Mobb Deep, and Mobb Deep kind of birthed CNN, and I will always do that.

So when you got on the Lost Tapes, on the Lost Tapes, you actually got a tribute to Prodigy. Yes, yes. It's called Queensbridge Politics. Yes, it's about Queensbridge Politics, but it's love to him too. I'd do a little more, man. Come on, I ain't gonna front. You're like violating me, man.

Come on, man. You're like disrespecting me in front of all these people, man. I'm a man. I'm a man out here, nigga. So, um... I ain't gonna front. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I had a side note.

I thought it was just me and him here. So, you got to join Queensbridge Politics. Now, this is... Because the thing about Lost Tapes is it's taped through different periods. So was that an old record? That was last year. Oh, last year. That's when I did that, yeah, last year.

Wow, wow. Can you talk about the memorial, the mural and all? Yeah, yeah, that was last year. I never thought we'd lose P. Right. And we lost him too soon. May he rest in peace. Rest in peace.

Yes, we can make noise for that, yes. Yeah. You know, he, it's hard to get into it because he's not here. Right. You know, so, there's a lot of things that went on

that I wish never happened. Right. So, that... You even say, I wish you never wrote that book. In the rhyme, you say that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did too.

Yeah, yeah, that was... You never know why people do certain things, you know. So, I think P was probably going through a lot of pain. Right. But, the politics of every hood, you know how it is. The politics of every hood is what it is. So if I would have finished that song, if I would really, it would have been four or five minutes long to really get into a lot of the history

that I watched growing up. A lot of people that taught me a lot, I would have had to get into. God damn it, man. I see the shock. to get into yeah god damn it man i see this shot god damn it god damn it you're taking hennessy man you're taking hennessy god damn she got real she got real she got real she got real so like as a kid you've grown up I'm like, yes, it's only for this nigga. And it's the XO. And I ain't going to get the wedding. So, like, as a kid, you growing up loving Hennessy. Do you realize you got a fucking job?

You got a fucking Hennessy deal? Like, that's crazy. And a Nike deal. Like, you got Hennessy and Nike. Yo, can you tell them niggas at Nike to put me off the blacklist? You said Nike? Yeah. What you mean? What's that? No, the sneaker at Nike to put me off the blacklist? You said Nike? Yeah. What you mean?

What's that? No, the sneaker. Put you on the blacklist? I think I'm on the blacklist. Can you help me out? I don't have a Nike deal. You got a Nike something. I watch you on Instagram, nigga.

You got Nike everything, nigga. Nigga, please. Can you tell them niggas I ain't dissing them niggas? Tell them niggas, please get me off the blacklist. Tell me y'all, Nas, I don't need nothing else. I can do that. Do you think there's something called blackball? Because, you know, like remember when the firm actually dispersed, right?

And it came time for Nas to stand on his own. I remember almost each and every member, like, actually accusing maybe you or the industry of that. A blackballing them? A blackballed. Do you think that exists? A blackballing exists. Do you think that exists? It exists everywhere.

Is it really something that organizes? It's really basically people just saying, don't fuck with that person. Or do you think it's more organized than that? Nah, I don't think it's that deep. I don't think it's that deep. I mean, what is blackballing? If somebody's sitting on a blackball, you going to let them? Right, right.

You just keep moving. I'm not letting them blackball me. So I don't really care about so i'm sure people people tell me all the time yo they try to black ball you son they try to right i don't phase me because i'm not letting nobody stop me so people probably try to pull the rug from under my feet a couple of times People probably pull a rug under everybody's feet. Right. If you let them stop you, you ain't built for this game. Right.

God damn it. Period. Because... So, Lost Tapes 2, you had a party recently at Mass Appeal office. Yeah. And you said you have enough

for three and four. I do. Damn, nigga. It's... it's... You got records. Yeah, not like three and four, though. Come on, let's go, let's go. It's about you, let's go.

You got three and four, and besides your normal albums. I got, yeah, I do. Jesus. With some big artist features, and I can drop another one with features. Because this one, the two, I kept it no features. The next one has...

The production is the features. The production, definitely. I got love to all of those guys on there. But there's nobody really, there's nobody rapping with me. But the next one, the features are crazy. On part three? Yeah. Okay, let me ask you one, the features are crazy. On part three? Yeah. Okay, let me ask you one question. Yes, sir.

Is there anybody that said no to Nas? Like, is there anybody? Because I feel like you can finger pop Jesus. I'm just throwing it out there. That was one of your runs, basically. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Anybody that ever said no? Like, yo, I ain't fucking with you. Or not that he. I'm so sorry. I'm just saying, anybody that ever said no,

like, like, yo, I ain't fucking with you. Or not that he ain't fucking with you, like, they didn't call back Carlos Santana or something, I don't know.

Like, somebody weird. Come on, Nas, pick somebody weird. And Chapo? Do not say Ja Rule because I'm going to be

fucking upset. You're like, I'm just playing, Nas, I'm sorry. I'm on one right now. I didn't ask for a lot of, I didn't really ask for a lot

to be turned down. There's certain people I won't dare call because I just know they're not going to probably do it. Like, who you waiting call? I want to know this.

I seen you flicks with Madonna, nigga, so I know you went there, nigga. Come on. Let's go there. Let's go there. Let's go there. So who you ain't going? Don't worry, we good.

So who... The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it. I'm J.R. Martinez. I'm a U.S. Army veteran myself. And I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and iHeart Podcast. From Robert Blake, the first Black sailor to be awarded the medal,

to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor, going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways.

Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams,

and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser-known histories of the West.

I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and meat-eater founder Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here and I'll say it seems like the ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company

dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. and episodes 4, 5, like... I don't know. You don't know? That's what I'm saying, nigga. There's no one...

Like, you got to call God. You got a God text message? Like, text message that nigga and say, yo, y'all is all right, too. So no one's never fronted on you? You never wanted a feature that you never got? Sade, somebody.

Somebody had to say no. I can't. Maybe Sade. Probably be her. Yeah, probably be her. I'm not saying that. I don't think I called her for a record. I don't think I ever called her for

a record. I got it. Okay. Prince. Hold on. Let got it. Okay. Prince. Now, hold on, hold on. Let's take it over. We're going to edit that. We're going to edit that. Say, I got it again.

I got it. I got it. Hold on. Who is it? Prince. Prince. I ain't going to lie. Rest in peace, Prince.

As soon as you said Prince, everything got purple to me right here. I'm just, I'm fucked up right now. It's purple. Yeah, it's all purple. Yeah, it's all purple. It's velvet. It's velvet.

It's velvet. It's velvet. It's velvet. It's velvet. It's velvet. It's velvet. It's velvet. It's velvet.

Okay, I need to hear this story now. Yo, um, did he answer the phone? Because I felt like he answered like, hello? Yo, it ain't Michael Jackson. It's Prince. They're both niggas. It's him.

Prince was low like, hello. Oh, he's so slow. He had D-Boys? Oh, okay. I saw him. Okay. Because he came to my I Am album release party. And, you know, Prince is Prince.

Right. So. Was he flowing? He was. Okay. He Prince is Prince. Was he flowing? He was. He was. He was. And he had this bad joint with him. And I was like, yo.

Is that the chick from The Last Dragon? Vanity? In my mind, it's the chick from The Last Dragon. Let's just keep the story like that. Nah, let's keep going. She was with the chick in Apollonia. So he walked in with Apollonia. Go ahead. Let's take it from there, Nas. I'm sorry. This is my own story

of your life. Let's go. I can't. Nah, it was one of them. And I just, you know, I said it. I pulled a Nori move. I said, yo, look, man. Yo, look, man. You know, let's do this. Let's do this song.

And he was like, you know, do you own your masters? Oh! No way. Yes. That's his answer. But he blew my shit, because I was like, I don't. And I'm far from it Cause I owe this label

About four or five albums So I was like damn He dropped a jewel He kind of helped me See the future And he was like when you own your masters Give me a ring Cause everybody thought he was crazy

The way he was doing it with his masters They thought he was crazy In the beginning. I'm not going to lie, that deserved a slow clap, not a... Slow clap. Slow clap is different. That's when you're like, that's hard. But we kicked it a few times.

We got cool. He was a very cool dude to me. He invited me on stage to perform. I was like, I can't go out there. You know, like, like. Wait, you didn't go out when he asked you? Nah, I didn't go. Because, you know, Prince might have had his ass out.

It's different. It's different when you hang with Prince. It's like, you know, I understand. I understand. Chill, man. That's one of the gods, I understand. I understand. Chill, man. That's one of the gods, man. Prince, baby.

But, yeah. But, yeah. He, I think everybody wanted to work with him. So the pressure that he had from everybody, he turned Michael Jackson down. Right. Yeah. The pressure he had from people wanting to work with him was crazy.

Yeah, so, whoa, hold up. Yeah. The pressure he had for people wanting to work with him was crazy. Yeah. So, whoa, hold up. Damn. We love Prince stories on this. Didn't Havoc give us a Prince story? Havoc said he made a beat for Prince. Wow.

Yeah, yeah. Wow. Okay. But now, you went to Wyoming, like, and you worked with Kanye. You didn't work with the regular Kanye.

You worked with MAGA hat Kanye. Did you know it at that point? Like, did y'all talk about that? Or you was just like, you know what, let me let this nigga be crazy. Yeah, yeah. Took it too far.

I went too far. Yo, Kanye's still a genius, man. No, we still love him. I want to be with him right now. Like, I'm still going to take a beat, but I'm going to tell him to take the hat off, nigga. I'm sorry. So he called me, and he's like,

we always talked about him producing my album. So I'm like, he's like, yo, you ready to do this? This album? I'm just like, yeah, let's do this album. So he's like, all right, cool. We're going to figure out the schedule. Once we figured out the schedule, before we started working,

he wanted to announce the album. And I said, all right, cool, because that makes us, it puts the pressure on, makes us have to deliver the album. The next day is when the Trump thing went crazy. So my phone's ringing, yo. Get away from slime.

Yeah. It's like, no, go the other way. That was tough. That was tough. That was tough. Because you know why? You like the hood savior. I don't know if you ever accepted this pressure, but whatever Nas do, we do.

If Nas rock Nike, we rock Nike. Nas rock silk shirts, we rock silk shirts. If Nas get a half moon in the park, nigga, I'd just stop getting a half moon in the park. Come on, nigga. Come on, your nigga's still over there with half moons in the park, nigga, I'd just stop getting a half moon in the park. Come on, nigga. Come on, your nigga's still over there with half moons in the park. Look at them niggas.

So whatever you do, we do. So if, I'm just curious, like y'all ever even had that talk or you just was like, you know what, let the music. Like it's like me and Pharrell. I don't, when I get in the studio with Pharrell, I don't talk about shit. I just talk about music.

I don't talk about subways, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, none of that shit with that nigga. We just stick with music, nigga. That's all we got in common. Y'all are a great combination. Y'all are a great combo.

I went too far, though. You gotta let me know. Nah, that's straight. So did y'all even talk about that? Or you just like, fuck it, let's stick with the music? Who's that? Kanye with the mag and the hat.

Did he come with the mag and hat? After the Trump. In my mind, he didn't come with the music. Who's that? Oh, Kanye with the Magna hat. Did he come with the Magna hat? After the Trump. In my mind, he didn't come with the Magna hat, right? He better not have. Nah, nah, nah. You're from Queensbridge, Nas. You got to step it up. Yeah, that was some shit.

Because, you know, he got his ways of thinking and doing things, you know? That's what he is. Nowadays, it's called trolling. You know what trolling means. I know you're rich, but you know what trolling means. I know what you mean, yeah. Trolling is to do something. There's rich trolls, too.

There's rich trolls. 50's a rich troll, I would say that. Kanye's a rich troll. I think that Kanye is a troll. You understand what he's trying to say? I would say he does things his way. I don't do shit like that.

He's a genius at what he does. He pisses people off. But he's a good brother. He's a real good brother. I agree with you. I'm going to take another shot. Come on, Mr. Lee. Now, your investments. I don't want to take up more time.

It's about Lost Tapes 2, so I want to get into that. But your investments. Ring? Yeah. I got that in my door right now. That's a fact. I use your investments. What else are you a part of?

Dropbox. Dropbox? Yeah. Lift? Ring? My son got hit through lift right now. Investments what else you your part of? Box My son got right now ring as well How did you what was the Anthony Sinai Always say they know I'm dyslexic Dyslexic no, you know, I'm proud to be dyslexic. Fuck it. Like, at this point, just let me just roll.

But what was it that said, you know what, I'm going to start doing investments? I wanted to do that from watching TV as a kid. I wanted to be a businessman when I was a kid. Like, I wanted an office and a briefcase. Really? And a suit. And I wanted to connect dots. I wanted to make big things happen.

I wanted to see things happen. I always wanted to be that. You know, life takes you in another direction and you go to music. And then after a while, it comes back around. It's like, all right, I got time now. Before, I didn't have no time. I got time now. So it's like...

You sound like the kid on the internet. I got time today, cuz. Yeah, yeah. I got time today. You got time today. Salud, my brother. Yeah, salute, bro. Salud, man.

Let me tell you something. It's the same as you, though, you know? It's the same as you. You're a businessman. No, no, I ain't going to lie, Nas. I follow you. I'm going to be honest. I wanted to...

Ooh, that shit hit me different in a different way. That shit hit different. That shit hit different, god damn it. So, ooh, it still hit me. All right, hold on let me let me get my life together wait for it one more so i'm not gonna lie you seeing you transition and like becoming the full-fledged businessman that you are it's so inspiring it's so like inspirational because i remember like me you and jungle just you know sitting there in justin's and eating fried

fried chicken and just like talking about it and it. And I'm going to tell you something that I know you don't remember or maybe you have. I filmed you in Jungle. And we were talking about, this is backpack hip-hop at the time, and we all hated backpack hip-hop at the time. I won't say who it was. Who it was.

I won't say who it was. But you know what you told me? You said, yo, one day they're going to pay you for your conversation. You are Nostradamus, nigga. That's what you told me. But it's your gift. That's your gift.

Your word play is crazy, bro. That's why your flow is crazy. That's why what you, yeah, no. Well, I'm telling you, when Eno, I remember I met you Also in D&D Studio And you remember that? You came to meet me

And you told me What was going on In your business And what you wanted to go on And I said, I'm with you And The whole N.O.R.E. album Can you continue?

His whole N.O.R.E. his whole N-O-R-E album we was there for that we got you, let's go so anybody that want to complain and say somebody's holding me back this is proof we're proof, no one can hold

what's destined to be nobody, so what you did was what I did. We got here, we came, we saw, we conquered. Anything else is bullshit. Yeah. Because I know where you was getting at with that. No, no, because, you know, I see so many people.

I mean, all of us as rappers, we have people who we want to bring and bring with us. For sure. But then there's certain people that don't want to work, but they think that they still deserve to be there. So the thing is, you just got to just put it in yourself. So I followed your footsteps, you know what I'm saying? And I followed what you was doing. So, you know what, man?

You got any more questions? I mean, I want to keep talking about okay how you was going to do body in the trunk okay no i just think that it's important for people to understand like the evolution of how we can diversify ourselves but other things like you said we're doing podcasting um you're doing the investment stuff announce this mass appeal deal too okay did i think we should go right there to be honest did you. Did I announce it just now? You just announced it. God damn it. Let's do a right one.

Let's do a right now. Just in case y'all don't know, every time you hear Drink Champs, that shit is going to be on mass appeal. Make some goddamn noise. Yo, family. Such a beautiful. Good energy. Yes, good energy, man.

We connect with good energy. And we want you to know, Nas, let me tell you something. Let me tell you something. Listen, just because we down with Master Pell or whatever, you still, you're the biggest artist. You're one of the biggest artists in the world. To me, the biggest artist in the world

because I'm from Queens. And yeah, to me. I say that. And you could have went anywhere, but you came to us. And I pause. I really appreciated that. Nah, because a lot of people don't know.

They're thinking that we just did this now. You showed up to our main headquarters in Miami. Like, you serious about a show day? That humbled us. That humbled us. Yes, yes. First day of the tour. Yes.

I got to come see my guys. I never did it before. It's family time. The timing couldn't have been better. Like I said, I'm a fan of the show. Thank you. I love what you guys do. I think there's no show like this in the game.

It's pure. It's right. And you're drinking. It's a grand slam. It's beautiful. Yes. So I couldn't wait to be on the show. I saw Steve Stout on the show.

Yes, yes. He's crazy. I got to be on the show. I saw Steve Stout on the show. He's crazy. I gotta ask you about that. I saw KRS. KRS won. I saw oh man. Was it EPMD? Big Daddy came. It was great. EPMD. So keep doing your thing.

I just want to thank you so much because you're a whole legend out here. You know how they how they be like nigga got here with a whole baby yeah yeah you are you are you wait wait let's be real though on record though yeah you got lost tapes too yeah we're gonna have with you drink champs with naz part two let's get it let's get it. In Miami. Let's get it. In Miami. No problem. I like that. No problem.

I just want to say, you know what? You know what? It's so perfect. You know what? I could go in for six hours, but I'm going to- I know, man. I can't believe it's short. It's already ended.

Listen, listen. I'll keep going. We ain't got to go six hours. I'm getting poked over here. Yeah, yeah. I don't know what these fans- We got to celebrate. We got to celebrate with you.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Yeah, I ain't going to lie. It's a big celebration day for us. I ain, yes, yes. Once again, I just want to say thank you. You know what I'm saying? Because at the end of the day, certain people don't have to do what they got to do to keep hip-hop going. You're at a level where you can say, you know what, I can stay on Wall Street. You're still here.

You're still making business ventures with niggas like us. We're trying to get an apartment in Wall Street. I'm trying, nigga. I'm coming. I ain't got it right yet. But I'm coming, nigga. I'm right behind you. But, and I just want to thank you because

in case you don't know what you mean to hip-hop, if it wasn't for Nas, there wouldn't be a whole genre of music. There wouldn't be a Mobb Deep, there wouldn't be a whole genre of music. There wouldn't be a Mobb Deep. There wouldn't be a Capone and Noriega. There wouldn't be a The Lox. There wouldn't be,

there's a lot of people that you birthed with that drug dealer, real nigga rap. That, that I know, I know, I know you're humble. You're a Virgo.

I'm September 6th, you're September 14th, 13th. So, I know you don't, but all rightgo I'm September 6th You're September 14th 13th Body in the trunk So I know you don't But alright now So body in the trunk Do you remember

How we made body in the trunk Alright Hell yeah Hell yeah Hell yeah I don't want you We used to hang a lot Yes yes

We used to hang a lot Yes yes A lot Yes You used to take me To seafood place Yes yes You're captain

Of the seafood Yeah Oh my god Oh my god Oh my god He used to take me to Seafood Place. Yes, yes, yes. You're captain. This is for y'all. Oh, thank you. Thank you. He always had a style about him. He could be in the hood, but he knew how to spin niggas, and then we'd go through the fly shit.

So, yes. So, Body in the Trunk, that was us in the studio. Just wanted to make records. No, I'm going to be honest. This is what you said to me. Because we had had like seven records at the time. And I don't know if y'all know, but none of y'all niggas in this room was lucky enough to have seven records with Nas.

All right? So relax. I had seven. And Nas said, yo, let's do a concept record. So the whole time we're driving. Hey, everybody. Come on. I ain't going to lie.

I got out of control. It's okay. So as we're driving to see you, you and the Hit Factory are ready. Okay. Well, I'm with Jungle and Chappelle. So they keep battling each other. There's a body in a trunk, y'all. There's a body in a trunk.

So I walk in the studio with you and I'm like, yo, let's do a concept record. So I was like, all right, cool. And we start thinking of concepts. I went to the bathroom, they still out there bullshitting. I said, I came back in,

I said, yo, do you, did you hear what they talking about? He's like, nah. I said, yo, they keep talking about it's a body in a trunk. He's like, that's perfect for the concept record. I was like that's my right there that's always crazy

that was a crazy joint because it was like you had to like the a movie part in it like you had the sound effects and the beat is stupid. The beat go dumb. Y'all should make a movie right now about that motherfucker. By the way, I do that to Jungle all the time. I hear him talking. That shit turn to a song. It's like, oh shit. That nigga be later. He get a little ripped. I ain't get paid for that song, son. His publishing ain't right on that song. That's not true. I paid him for the whole motherfucking executive producer because you know what? And I'm going to be honest.

I'm going to be honest. I owe Jungle more. I owe you more because you know what? As a fresh dude in the game, what happened was I took that whole album on my own and y'all didn't take over, but y'all came over and just let me

No, you did your thing. You was helping me with the spices over here and over here and I can't never thank you enough. But you did the incredible, bro. Yes, yes.

Everybody can do that. Thank you, my brother. Everybody can do what you do, bro. Thank you, my brother. That's what it is. So listen, everybody Before we get out of here we also got to big up

not only are we going to break news Mass Appeal. Yes. Tidal in the building with us too. Yes, yes. And Revolt TV. And Revolt TV. Let me just say something. Yeah! Let me say something to the people real quick. You ran a play right there. Let me say something to the people

real quick. Good friend of mine named Peter from Mass Appeal. He said to me, and I don't even think he knows he said this to me, but he knows that this was a heavy weigh-in on

us. We had a heavy deal with iHeartRadio. I don't get too crazy detail. I'm not going to get too crazy. I got to relax. Yeah, you got to relax. I see people waving. Chill. Relax. Chill, Nick. I crazy detail I'm not going to get too crazy alright I gotta relax yeah you gotta relax I see people waving chill yeah yeah relax

alright chill nigga I know what I'm doing but Peter said something crazy to me he was in Bahamas and he said I heart ain't going to get y'all y'all going to do something crazy and I heart ain't going to be there

and as wild as that shit sound, it was very simple. We know we say wild shit. We know that any other show can be censored and can be tamed. We know this. So, instead of our heart, we chose motherfucking Mass Appeal.

Love. And I want the record to show that because I know Peter didn't know what he said when he said that. He said that shit to me and he said it so nonchalantly, but it made so much sense. Because the thing about it is,

I want everybody to listen to this. Not because I'm ill, but because I'm ill. Go where you appreciate it. Go where you celebrate it. Don't go where you tolerate it. Wow. I'd rather be with my people.

I never had business, I never had dreams of doing business with Warren Buffett or Steve Jobs or things like that. My thing was, I want to do business with Puff Daddy. I want to do business with Nas. I want to do business with Hov.

Because that's who I look up to. And that's who I can see myself becoming. So, no disrespect, but why go to Spotify? Why go, I don't got that guy's number. I don't even know who's Mr. Spotify, who is that nigga? And hold on, hold on, hold on, and let me tell you, there's nothing more hip-hop.

Did I kill that? I feel like I killed that, yeah. There's nothing more hip-hop than to say a Cuban kid from Miami That's right, talk that shit, earflap. is sitting at the table with legends nonetheless and then we can announce a monumental deal in hip-hop that includes Revolt, Tidal, and Mass Appeal. God damn it. That's real. And on that note, Nas, Nas, thank you so much.

I want to thank the Mass Appeal staff, from Jeff to Ann to Peter to, damn, so many of them. I forgot the London girl. I forgot her name. What's her name? She, what's her name? The London girl with the accent? The publicist? Okay, I'm wilding.

All right, I'm out, I'm out, I'm out. Big up to the title, big up to Revolt, Robin, and everybody. Yo, now. Hey! A lot of times, big economic forces show up in our lives in small ways. Four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. Small but important ways. From tech billionaires to the bond market to, yeah, banana pudding.

If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app,

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