Nas on modern rappers: “There’s no one keeping me up at night”

Nas has weighed in with his opinion of the contemporary rap scene, admitting that none of the newer generation are “keeping [him] up at night”.

The rap icon, who made his debut with 1994’s seminal ‘Illmatic’, revealed his opinions of the current crop in a new interview with The Financial Times.

“I appreciate what’s out there, but there’s no one keeping me up at night,” he said. “I hear a new rap record and think it’s great, but I don’t listen to it the next week.”

However, he went on to reveal that he had been impressed by the late Pop Smoke – who was tragically shot dead during a home invasion in Los Angeles last year.

“We were happy to see that young king come up. He was a breath of fresh air. The drill movement in London, Chicago and New York is really exciting,” he said.

Nas’ comments come after he returned last month with ‘E.P.M.D’, his new collaboration with Hit-Boy.

“E.P.M.D. we back in business/ I visualise what it is not what it isn’t/ We at the mafia table next to the kitchen/ Eating Michelin Star, countin’ a million!” Nas raps on the new track.

In a four-star review of Nas’ latest studio effort, 2020’s ‘Kings Disease‘, NME wrote: “The album is stuffed with this kind of lyrical proficiency, which demands high levels of dissection.

“‘King’s Disease’ is an acutely perceptive and culturally relevant body of work that finds its author willing to try out new ideas. There’s a genuine conversation to be had about whether it’s the best rap album of the year so far.”