Jay-Z vs. Nas feud
Encyclopedia
The Jay-Z–Nas feud was a hip hop rivalry during the early-2000s and one of the most high-profile feuds in the history of hip hop music
. It was characterized by comments (both on- and off-record, figuratively as well as literally) between Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
and Nasir "Nas" Jones
from 2001
until resolved in 2005
. The conflict received public attention owing to the critically and commercially successful nature of both artists. It is one of the most followed feuds in hip hop history, especially after the aftermath of the East Coast and West Coast hip hop rivalry
of the 1990s.
in 1994. In 1996, while recording Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt
, producer Ski
used a vocal sample
from Nas' "The World Is Yours" as the chorus to his song "Dead Presidents". Nas was invited to appear on the album and Jay-Z and his business partners, Damon Dash
and Biggs Burke, also wanted to sign Nas' group The Firm to their label, Roc-A-Fella Records
. It was also planned that Nas and his groupmate AZ
would appear on the song "Bring it On." However, the two never showed up to record their verses, creating the beginning stages of animosity between the two camps; in addition, payment and credit for the Nas sample became an issue between the two artists later in the feud. The Firm ended up signing to Dr. Dre
's Aftermath Entertainment
, releasing their eponymous album in 1997.
Nas and Jay-Z connected through their respective relationships with rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
aka "Biggie Smalls". Biggie went to high school with Jay-Z. As Jay-Z and B.I.G. began to make their reputations in the music industry, they collaborated on songs for each others' albums, Reasonable Doubt
and Life After Death
, respectively. Nas initated a self-professed rivalry with Biggie. Biggie addressed Nas in his song "Kick in the Door," which also targeted several other rappers. In the 2002 song "Last Real Nigga Alive," Nas addresses his entire relationship with Biggie, as well as Jay-Z.
When The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered on March 9, 1997, New York's hip-hop scene began to look for someone to fill the void as its greatest artist. Attention fell on Nas, one of New York's top-selling hip-hop artists, and Jay-Z, who was beginning to build a career buzz of his own. Both rappers made what was seen as thinly veiled references to each others status as the "King of New York".
made a vague reference to Nas in his song "Mind Right". The line "your lifestyle's written", was interpreted as a diss to the title of Nas' second album, It Was Written. Prodigy
was one half of the duo Mobb Deep
--who were close to Nas professionally as both artists were both from the Queensbridge projects
and had appeared on each others respective second albums. Prodigy took issue with this and also with the lyrics and imagery in the music video to Jay-Z's 1997 single "Where I'm From":
Thereafter, according to Prodigy, Nas continued to ignore the prospects of a beef, and elected not to lash back outright. Prodigy began taking shots at Jay-Z, berating him in an interview in The Source
over his lyrics in some of his songs. Afterwards, tensions between Prodigy and Jay-Z increased, including a rift between Roc-A-Fella artists and a rapper friend of Prodigy's, E-Money Bags.
hip hop festival in 2001. Reciting the opening verse to the first single for his album The Blueprint, "Takeover
", a diss to Nas and Mobb Deep, which ended with the line, "Ask Nas, he don't want it with Hov. No!"
Nas responded with an attack on Jay-Z during a radio freestyle over Eric B. & Rakim
's "Paid in Full
" beat, dissing most of the R.O.C. members — specifically Jay-Z, Freeway, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. Initially, the freestyle was untitled but was it was later called "Stillmatic" (which also became the title of Nas' next album) or "H To The Omo" (a direct reference to Jay-Z's song "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)").
," finally addressing the feud with Jay-Z in full. The song mocked Jay-Z's early years as an aspiring young rapper and accused him of being a misogynist
, as well as exploiting The Notorious B.I.G.
's legacy by supposedly stealing his lyrics. On his album, Stillmatic
, there were more implied Jay-Z disses, especially on the song "Got Ur Self A...
". "Ether" was the most concerted critique of Jay-Z.
Just days after Stillmatics release, Jay-Z put out "Supa Ugly", a freestyle over "Got Ur Self A..." and Dr. Dre
's song "Bad Intentions." The song contained claims that Jay-Z and basketball player Allen Iverson
had both slept with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny, while they were still together. Jay-Z's mother heard the song on the radio and demanded Jay-Z publicly apologize to Nas and his family, to which Jay-Z obliged. In an interview with Rolling Stone
, Jay-Z claimed that mentioning his relationship with Bryan was fair game when Nas implied Jay-Z was gay in "Ether
". The feud continued to simmer, and rumors of a live pay-per-view
freestyle
battle
began to circulate but never came to fruition.
Nas appeared on Power 105
and attacked both the music industry's control over hip hop and the rappers who he saw as submitting to it, including Jay-Z, his label mate Cam'ron
, Nelly
, N.O.R.E.
: "Y'all brothers gotta start rapping about something that's real.... Rappers are slaves." This brought Cam'ron into the Jay-Z/Nas feud; Cam'ron controversially made disparaging remarks about Nas' mother. This caused Nas to retaliate against Cam'ron on the track "Zone Out" on his 2002 album, God's Son
. Nas said "You got a house in Virginia, the only way you sicker than us, gettin' bagged with a .22 now you a ridiculous fuck," commenting on the rumor that Cam'ron was infected with HIV (House In Virginia).
After Stillmatic, Prodigy bowed out of the feud in awe of the "Ether". Despite "Ether" beating out "Supa Ugly" in a Hot97-sponsored radio phone-in poll, Jay-Z and Nas continued to feud, including Jay-Z criticizing Nas for his apparent hypocrisy on his The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse
album's title track. On "Blueprint 2", Jay-Z begins his diss against Nas in the second verse by attacking his street credibility. Jay-Z also says that while he himself is more successful, he is more generous than Nas with his money. Jay goes on to mock Nas' spiritual persona from Stillmatic, and after accusing Nas of using both this appearance and convoluted lyrics in an attempt to appear more intelligent than he is.
In the lines immediately after, he also accuses Nas of being contradictory for putting out commercial/materialistic-oriented tracks and then denouncing materialism and misogyny on other songs. Jay-Z also says, "My momma can't save you this time / Niggas is history" referencing the public apology his mother made him make after "Supa Ugly" was released.
Meanwhile, on his track "Last Real Nigga Alive" from his album God's Son, Nas compared himself to Tony Montana
, and Jay-Z to Manolo respectively from the film Scarface
(Montana and Manolo were partners, but towards the end of the film, Montana kills Manolo in a fit of rage), The track details how Jay-Z forced Nas into battling him by attacking him while he was raising his daughter, and caring for his dying mother. After 2002, though, both artists essentially discontinued the feud; Roc-A-Fella Records was embroiled in lyrical battles with Ruff Ryders
, mainly Jadakiss
and his group the L.O.X..
, Ill Will. Jay-Z, meanwhile, began campaigning for his impending retirement, labeling 2003's The Black Album
his last project and making headlines for accepting a position as President of Def Jam Records. Neither side directly addressed the conflict until October 2005, when Jay put on a comeback concert called "I Declare War". The rapper invited a slew of guests to perform, including Roc-A-Fella artists and past associates such as Puffy and the L.O.X.; toward the end of the concert, Jay invited his 'surprise guest,' Nas, onstage to pose for photos and perform a blended version of Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" and Nas' "The World is Yours".
, on the song "Black Republican"; Nas returned the favor by appearing on Jay-Z's 2007 album, American Gangster
on the song "Success." They also collaborated on "I Do it For Hip-Hop," a song from Def Jam artist Ludacris
' album Theater of the Mind
.
Jay-Z was one of several noted individuals who supported Nas' initial decision to name his 2008 album
as Nigger. However, Nas backed down, and released the album without a title (the album is sometimes referred to with an eponymous title
, such as on iTunes
).
Jay-Z – "The City Is Mine
" -Nov.1997Nas – "The Message" -Jul.1996
Memphis Bleek – "What You Think of That" -Feb.1999
Nas – "We Will Survive" -Apr.1999
Nas – "Nastradamus" -Oct.1999
Memphis Bleek – "My Mind Right"
Nas – "Come Get Me" -Nov.1999
Jay-Z & Memphis Bleek – "Is That Your Bitch?" -Dec.2000/Jan.2001
Nas – "Da Bridge 2001" -Dec.2000
Mobb Deep – "Talkin Reckless" -Jun.2001
Jay-Z – "Takeover" -Jul.2001
Nas – "Stillmatic Freestyle (H to the Omo)" -Aug.2001
Jay-Z – "The Takeover (New verse)" -Sep.2001
Nas – "Ether" -Oct.2001
Memphis Bleek – "The Crew" -Oct.2001
Jay-Z – "People Talking (Nas Diss)" -Nov.2001
Nas – "Destroy & Rebuild" -Dec.2001
Nas – "You're Da Man" -Dec.2001
Jay-Z – "Supa Ugly" -Dec.2001
Mobb Deep – "Crawin'" -Dec.2001
Beanie Sigel – "Hot 97 Freestyle (Jadakiss & Nas Diss)" -Dec.2001
Jay-Z – "Don't You Know" -Dec.2001/Jan.2002
Jay-Z Feat. (Cam'ron, Juelz Santana & Freeway) – "Hot 97 Summer Jam Freestyle 2002" -Jun.2002
Nas – "U Wanna Be Me" -Oct.2002
Dipset/Roc-A-Fella – "Tell a True Story (Nas & Nashawn Diss)" -Oct.2002
Jay-Z – "Blueprint 2" -Nov.2002
Jay-Z – "Some People Hate" -Dec.2002
Nas – "Last Real Nigga Alive" -Dec.2002
Cam'ron – "Show You How (Freestyle)" -Jan.2003
Jay-Z – "H.O.V.A (Super Hero Music) (Nas Diss)" -Jan.2003
Bravehearts – "Quick to Back Down" (feat. Nas & Lil Jon) −2003
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. It was characterized by comments (both on- and off-record, figuratively as well as literally) between Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Nasir "Nas" Jones
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
from 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
until resolved in 2005
2005 in music
-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
. The conflict received public attention owing to the critically and commercially successful nature of both artists. It is one of the most followed feuds in hip hop history, especially after the aftermath of the East Coast and West Coast hip hop rivalry
East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry
The East Coast–West Coast Hip Hop Rivalry was a feud in the 1990s between artists and fans of the Eastcoast and Westcoast hip-hop scenes. Seeming focal points of the feud were East Coast-based rapper The Notorious B.I.G...
of the 1990s.
East vs. West Aftermath: 1996–1997
Initially, Jay-Z was a fan of Nas, who became well known after dropping his landmark debut IllmaticIllmatic
Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording...
in 1994. In 1996, while recording Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of American rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek,...
, producer Ski
Ski (producer)
David Willis, otherwise known as DJ Ski and Ski Beatz, is an American record producer mainly working in hip hop.-Biography:Discovered by DJ Clark Kent, Ski was originally known as "MC Will-Ski". In the 1990s, he was a member of the group Original Flavor, the first group managed by future recording...
used a vocal sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from Nas' "The World Is Yours" as the chorus to his song "Dead Presidents". Nas was invited to appear on the album and Jay-Z and his business partners, Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
and Biggs Burke, also wanted to sign Nas' group The Firm to their label, Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
. It was also planned that Nas and his groupmate AZ
AZ (rapper)
Anthony Cruz , better known as AZ is a Grammy-nominated American rapper of Dominican & African American descent. He is known for being a long time and frequent rhyme partner of Nas, and also a member of hip-hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature.In a countdown of the 10...
would appear on the song "Bring it On." However, the two never showed up to record their verses, creating the beginning stages of animosity between the two camps; in addition, payment and credit for the Nas sample became an issue between the two artists later in the feud. The Firm ended up signing to Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
, releasing their eponymous album in 1997.
Nas and Jay-Z connected through their respective relationships with rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
aka "Biggie Smalls". Biggie went to high school with Jay-Z. As Jay-Z and B.I.G. began to make their reputations in the music industry, they collaborated on songs for each others' albums, Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of American rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek,...
and Life After Death
Life After Death
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released March 25, 1997 on Bad Boy Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death on March 9, 1997 and serves as his final studio album...
, respectively. Nas initated a self-professed rivalry with Biggie. Biggie addressed Nas in his song "Kick in the Door," which also targeted several other rappers. In the 2002 song "Last Real Nigga Alive," Nas addresses his entire relationship with Biggie, as well as Jay-Z.
When The Notorious B.I.G. was murdered on March 9, 1997, New York's hip-hop scene began to look for someone to fill the void as its greatest artist. Attention fell on Nas, one of New York's top-selling hip-hop artists, and Jay-Z, who was beginning to build a career buzz of his own. Both rappers made what was seen as thinly veiled references to each others status as the "King of New York".
Prodigy fuels the feud: 1999–2000
Throughout the late 1990s, Jay-Z and Nas avoided competition. Nas became more isolated due to his caring for his ailing mother. However, in August 1999, Roc-A-Fella artist Memphis BleekMemphis Bleek
Malik Thuston Patrick Cox , better known by his rap persona of Memphis Bleek or "Bleek", is a New York rapper mainly known for his tenure with Roc-a-Fella Records and CEO of his own label Get Low Records...
made a vague reference to Nas in his song "Mind Right". The line "your lifestyle's written", was interpreted as a diss to the title of Nas' second album, It Was Written. Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
was one half of the duo Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
--who were close to Nas professionally as both artists were both from the Queensbridge projects
Queensbridge, Queens
Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens, and opened in 1939. The 3,142-unit complex is owned by the New York City Housing Authority. The complex is located in Community Board 1...
and had appeared on each others respective second albums. Prodigy took issue with this and also with the lyrics and imagery in the music video to Jay-Z's 1997 single "Where I'm From":
Thereafter, according to Prodigy, Nas continued to ignore the prospects of a beef, and elected not to lash back outright. Prodigy began taking shots at Jay-Z, berating him in an interview in The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
over his lyrics in some of his songs. Afterwards, tensions between Prodigy and Jay-Z increased, including a rift between Roc-A-Fella artists and a rapper friend of Prodigy's, E-Money Bags.
First round of disses: Summer Jam 2001
Jay-Z made the first public overtures toward a conflict at Hot 97's Summer JamSummer Jam
Summer Jam is the annual hip-hop fest held in East Rutherford, New Jersey and sponsored by New York based radio station Hot 97FM. Normally held in June, the concert features the most popular acts that hip-hop and R&B have to offer in a particular year....
hip hop festival in 2001. Reciting the opening verse to the first single for his album The Blueprint, "Takeover
Takeover (song)
"Takeover" is a track recorded by Jay-Z for his 2001 album The Blueprint. The song is a diss track aimed at rappers Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.-Background:...
", a diss to Nas and Mobb Deep, which ended with the line, "Ask Nas, he don't want it with Hov. No!"
Nas responded with an attack on Jay-Z during a radio freestyle over Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
's "Paid in Full
Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)
"Paid in Full" is a song written, produced and recorded by American rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, released as the fifth and final single from their debut album of the same name, Paid in Full....
" beat, dissing most of the R.O.C. members — specifically Jay-Z, Freeway, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Sigel. Initially, the freestyle was untitled but was it was later called "Stillmatic" (which also became the title of Nas' next album) or "H To The Omo" (a direct reference to Jay-Z's song "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)").
Second round of disses and fallout: 2001–2002
In 2001, Nas put out the single "EtherEther (song)
Ether is the second track on hip hop artist Nas' 2001 album Stillmatic. The song was a response to Jay-Z's "Takeover" - a diss track from that rapper towards Nas which appears on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, during the Jay-Z vs. Nas feud...
," finally addressing the feud with Jay-Z in full. The song mocked Jay-Z's early years as an aspiring young rapper and accused him of being a misogynist
Misogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
, as well as exploiting The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
's legacy by supposedly stealing his lyrics. On his album, Stillmatic
Stillmatic
Stillmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
, there were more implied Jay-Z disses, especially on the song "Got Ur Self A...
Got Ur Self A...
"Got Ur Self A..." is the second single from the 2001 album Stillmatic by the rapper Nas. The song samples "Woke Up This Morning" by Alabama 3. It reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Music video:...
". "Ether" was the most concerted critique of Jay-Z.
Just days after Stillmatics release, Jay-Z put out "Supa Ugly", a freestyle over "Got Ur Self A..." and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's song "Bad Intentions." The song contained claims that Jay-Z and basketball player Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
had both slept with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny, while they were still together. Jay-Z's mother heard the song on the radio and demanded Jay-Z publicly apologize to Nas and his family, to which Jay-Z obliged. In an interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Jay-Z claimed that mentioning his relationship with Bryan was fair game when Nas implied Jay-Z was gay in "Ether
Ether (song)
Ether is the second track on hip hop artist Nas' 2001 album Stillmatic. The song was a response to Jay-Z's "Takeover" - a diss track from that rapper towards Nas which appears on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, during the Jay-Z vs. Nas feud...
". The feud continued to simmer, and rumors of a live pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
freestyle
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
battle
Battle Rap
Battle rap is a type of rapping that includes a lot of braggadocio content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses against real or imaginary opponents"...
began to circulate but never came to fruition.
Nas appeared on Power 105
WWPR-FM
WWPR-FM, also known as "Power 105.1", is an urban contemporary radio station that features hip hop and R&B licensed to New York City that serves the Greater New York area....
and attacked both the music industry's control over hip hop and the rappers who he saw as submitting to it, including Jay-Z, his label mate Cam'ron
Cam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, N.O.R.E.
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga , is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent...
: "Y'all brothers gotta start rapping about something that's real.... Rappers are slaves." This brought Cam'ron into the Jay-Z/Nas feud; Cam'ron controversially made disparaging remarks about Nas' mother. This caused Nas to retaliate against Cam'ron on the track "Zone Out" on his 2002 album, God's Son
God's Son
God's Son is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 13, 2002 on Columbia-imprint Ill Will Records. Production for the album took place during 2001 to 2002 and was handled by several hip hop producers, including Salaam Remi, Chucky Thompson, Ron Browz, and The Alchemist...
. Nas said "You got a house in Virginia, the only way you sicker than us, gettin' bagged with a .22 now you a ridiculous fuck," commenting on the rumor that Cam'ron was infected with HIV (House In Virginia).
After Stillmatic, Prodigy bowed out of the feud in awe of the "Ether". Despite "Ether" beating out "Supa Ugly" in a Hot97-sponsored radio phone-in poll, Jay-Z and Nas continued to feud, including Jay-Z criticizing Nas for his apparent hypocrisy on his The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse
-See also:*List of number-one albums of 2002 *List of number-one R&B albums of 2002 - External links :* at Discogs...
album's title track. On "Blueprint 2", Jay-Z begins his diss against Nas in the second verse by attacking his street credibility. Jay-Z also says that while he himself is more successful, he is more generous than Nas with his money. Jay goes on to mock Nas' spiritual persona from Stillmatic, and after accusing Nas of using both this appearance and convoluted lyrics in an attempt to appear more intelligent than he is.
In the lines immediately after, he also accuses Nas of being contradictory for putting out commercial/materialistic-oriented tracks and then denouncing materialism and misogyny on other songs. Jay-Z also says, "My momma can't save you this time / Niggas is history" referencing the public apology his mother made him make after "Supa Ugly" was released.
Meanwhile, on his track "Last Real Nigga Alive" from his album God's Son, Nas compared himself to Tony Montana
Tony Montana
Antonio Raimundo "Tony" Montana is a fictional character from the 1983 film Scarface. He is portrayed by Al Pacino in the movie, and is voiced by André Sogliuzzo in the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. Tony Montana has become a cultural icon and is one of the most famous movie...
, and Jay-Z to Manolo respectively from the film Scarface
Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
(Montana and Manolo were partners, but towards the end of the film, Montana kills Manolo in a fit of rage), The track details how Jay-Z forced Nas into battling him by attacking him while he was raising his daughter, and caring for his dying mother. After 2002, though, both artists essentially discontinued the feud; Roc-A-Fella Records was embroiled in lyrical battles with Ruff Ryders
Ruff Ryders
Ruff Ryders Entertainment is a record label founded by brothers Darrin "Dee" Dean and Joaquin "Waah" Dean, uncles of producer Swizz Beatz. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Fontana Distribution.The label is currently active as Ruff Ryders...
, mainly Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
and his group the L.O.X..
Fan response: 2003–2005
For two years after the de facto end of the rivalry, fans speculated consistently on the outcome of the battle while Nas concentrated on recording and his record label under Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, Ill Will. Jay-Z, meanwhile, began campaigning for his impending retirement, labeling 2003's The Black Album
The Black Album (Jay-Z album)
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come in 2006.The album debuted at number one...
his last project and making headlines for accepting a position as President of Def Jam Records. Neither side directly addressed the conflict until October 2005, when Jay put on a comeback concert called "I Declare War". The rapper invited a slew of guests to perform, including Roc-A-Fella artists and past associates such as Puffy and the L.O.X.; toward the end of the concert, Jay invited his 'surprise guest,' Nas, onstage to pose for photos and perform a blended version of Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" and Nas' "The World is Yours".
Reconciliation: 2006–present
The feud was put to a formal end in 2006, when Nas signed with Def Jam, of which Jay-Z was still President at the time. Nas and Jay-Z toured, recorded and appeared on television and radio together throughout 2006; the artists collaborated on Nas' Def Jam debut, Hip Hop Is DeadHip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 15, 2006 on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam...
, on the song "Black Republican"; Nas returned the favor by appearing on Jay-Z's 2007 album, American Gangster
American Gangster (album)
American Gangster is the tenth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 6, 2007 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It is Jay-Z's last studio release for the Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records label and his first concept album, which was inspired by the film of the same name. The album features...
on the song "Success." They also collaborated on "I Do it For Hip-Hop," a song from Def Jam artist Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
' album Theater of the Mind
Theater of the Mind
Though the album was well received by music critics, it debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 214,000 copies in its first week, making it his sixth top 5 album. It was his first album since 2000's Back for the First Time and 2001's Word of Mouf to not reach number one status, and his...
.
Jay-Z was one of several noted individuals who supported Nas' initial decision to name his 2008 album
Untitled Nas album
The untitled ninth studio album by American rapper Nas was released by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records on July 15, 2008 in the United States, with earlier dates in some other countries. Its original title—Nigger—was changed due to controversy surrounding the racial epithet...
as Nigger. However, Nas backed down, and released the album without a title (the album is sometimes referred to with an eponymous title
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
, such as on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
).
List of relevant records
- Jay-Z –
The City Is Mine
"The City Is Mine" is a the third single from rapper Jay-Z's second album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. It features vocals from Blackstreet and production from Blackstreet member Teddy Riley...
" -Nov.1997