Def Jam president Jay-Z and rapper Nas – once fierce rhyme enemies engaged in bitter lyrical warfare – are now all smiles, hugs, pounds and business as the two have a new recording partnership described by Jigga as “bigger than both of us.”
“It's not really about us,” Jay tells MTV in the duo’s first joint interview since announcing Nas as the latest artist signed to Def Jam. “I mean it is, but it really isn't. It's more about the culture, about showing people another way, because [the battle] we staged was something that stopped the world. Now everyone emulates the battle. 'If I do that, I can get attention drawn to me.' Now everyone is emulating the end result. So now we have to show them another way.”
The longstanding battle between the two artists went public in 2001 when Hov released “The Takeover” and Nas responded with “Ether.” While both had spent the following years claiming their beef was over, it wasn’t until last October when fans saw actual proof. The two performed together during Jay’s I Declare War sets for the Powerhouse 2005: Operation Takeover concerts in New Jersey and Philly. Then last month, it was announced that Nas had officially signed to Def Jam.
Both say that a duet is very likely down the road. In the meantime, the two admit that the timing of their reconciliation was not something that was choreographed.
“It's not a date you can say, ‘We're friends today,’” he explained to MTV, drawing a laugh from Nas. “But you can say it's respect [between us], and from respect, anything is possible."
Nas added: “In the midst of a battle, you never know how it's gonna turn out. All you know is that you're gonna fight to the finish. In the middle of it, that's how it was. It was always respect, it wasn't that he wanted to gun me down or I wanted to gun him down. It was never that. That's not how real bosses move or real men move."
Nas and Jigga have also done an interview with BET which will air soon. According to rumours Nas calls out Cam'ron and the Dipest crew, whom he has never had the greatest realtionship with.
“It's not really about us,” Jay tells MTV in the duo’s first joint interview since announcing Nas as the latest artist signed to Def Jam. “I mean it is, but it really isn't. It's more about the culture, about showing people another way, because [the battle] we staged was something that stopped the world. Now everyone emulates the battle. 'If I do that, I can get attention drawn to me.' Now everyone is emulating the end result. So now we have to show them another way.”
The longstanding battle between the two artists went public in 2001 when Hov released “The Takeover” and Nas responded with “Ether.” While both had spent the following years claiming their beef was over, it wasn’t until last October when fans saw actual proof. The two performed together during Jay’s I Declare War sets for the Powerhouse 2005: Operation Takeover concerts in New Jersey and Philly. Then last month, it was announced that Nas had officially signed to Def Jam.
Both say that a duet is very likely down the road. In the meantime, the two admit that the timing of their reconciliation was not something that was choreographed.
“It's not a date you can say, ‘We're friends today,’” he explained to MTV, drawing a laugh from Nas. “But you can say it's respect [between us], and from respect, anything is possible."
Nas added: “In the midst of a battle, you never know how it's gonna turn out. All you know is that you're gonna fight to the finish. In the middle of it, that's how it was. It was always respect, it wasn't that he wanted to gun me down or I wanted to gun him down. It was never that. That's not how real bosses move or real men move."
Nas and Jigga have also done an interview with BET which will air soon. According to rumours Nas calls out Cam'ron and the Dipest crew, whom he has never had the greatest realtionship with.
