S. Samuel
Rap veteran Nas recently reflected on nearing the 20-year anniversary of his iconic Illmatic solo album and named the biggest difference from the 1994 version of himself to 2014's Mr. Jones.
In Nasty Nas’ opinion, the main thing he has more of these days is zeros in his bank account.
“Now I got money. Back then I was rich with spirit. Now I got money. That’s the difference. Back then I was talking about “you should get money, the world is yours.” Now, I became a man and I’ve experienced the finer things in life.” (Complex)
The hip-hop poet also gave a take on where he stands today as an artist.
“I am in a great place. When you first start, you want to speed and outdo the ones that came before you. You want to let them know you are here and they need to respect you now. But when you are where I am, you realize that you don’t have to do that. Your journey is your journey. You don’t have to rush it. It’s going to be what its going to be. Right now I’m at a place where I am good. How I feel, my everyday life, and how I feel artistically, I’m real good. So when I go sit down to make music, it’s from a great place.” (Complex)
During a recent panel discussion, Nasir talked about being perceived as a high-profile entertainer and shared some words about his upcoming Time Is Illmatic film.
“I don’t see myself as the most mainstream around, I just see myself as, I’ve been around,” Nas said on being asked what it was like to be accepted by the mainstream via the film fest. “I wanted to see what it was like… I definitely stepped into the mainstream stage for a little while, partied and had a good time, and then I went back to what I was doing.” (XXL Mag)
According to reports, Nas’ Time Is Illmatic documentary will premiere in April at the annual TriBeca Film Festival.
Premiering on April 16, “Time is Illmatic” is the second music-themed documentary in a row to open the festival, after last year’s “Mistaken for Strangers,” about the band the National. It will also be the second year to include a musical performance by the documentary subject. The screening is to be followed by a special concert with Nas performing “Illmatic” from beginning to end. This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will run from April 16-27. (New York Times)
