@Vibemagazine @Nas @DistantRelatives @damian_marley_
As Nas gets set to release what will be his most progressive album to date, Distant Relatives, a collaborative project with Damien Marley (dropping May 18th), he sat down with Vibe to do what Nas does best, talk some wild off the wall, “way too deep for yall”.

When probed about the album itself and the fear that its underlying lessons may be too “preachy” for the audience. Nas’ response was…well Nas.

“I cant explain what it is, something else takes over when we in the studio. When I hear [Damian Marley] mention Shaka Zulu, Incan warriors, I can see them rising up from the dead. I feel like we’re speaking to our ancestors with our music. I don’t have time to know what somebody [else] is getting out of the song.“

Riiiiiight. I guess Nas is in a hurry and really could care less whether you get it or not he’s too busy day dreaming about ancient Indians rising from their graves.  Anyway moving on.  Of course Nas felt like his experience of recording with Marley was enlightening right?

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna say, because if I start telling you what I learned, I might become a bigger target. It’s heavy, bro… But if we were ever to do it again, I think [Damian and I would] both marked for death. We’re just making music for everyone to enjoy.”

I thought you didn’t have time for the audience Nas???

“There’s a side we didn’t talk about in Africa where things are really wrong. Preaching? That’s a joke. This is almost baby language.”

*Blank Stare* Aight Nation, I know I’m getting on Nas a little bit.  At times he can be a insightful and enlightening brother but sometimes he just tries too hard and isn’t quite able to articulate himself.  Baby language?

And while most of the interview was geared for an audience about 5 blunts and brew deep, I was however impressed by the interviewer, JKennedy‘s question about Nas’ thoughts surrounding a topic we’ve even debated here at The Nation, the release of Malcolm X‘s assasin and even more impressed by his answer.

“Had Lee Harvey Oswald been proven to really be the one who killed Kennedy, he most likely would’ve had life [in prison] or the death penalty. For a political leader like Malcolm, it’s almost like they let [Thomas Hagan] out because Malcom’s murder wasn’t respected.”

That’s an excellent point and one I don’t believe any of us addressed in our discussion.  But just when Nas had me actually thinking, JKennedy goes left field and asks Nas about his feelings behind the 2012 rumored end of all times and if he’s an apocalypse theorist.

The shit the Mayans was talking about and cities in ruins — you can’t ignore nature. I put that in “Land Of Promise,” ’cause I’ve been to Telon, Mexico and Tultitlán and looked at the pyramids and the calendar that [stops] in 2012, like, wow, what did they know back then? They had pretty sharp astrologists and scientists, so there’s something they’re trying to tell us, man...If it’s gonna happen, lets get it in before it goes down.

Mayans and Incans and Zulus oh my.  While it might seem like I’m getting on Nas unfairly I’m not.  I’m actually more confused by JKennedy’s line of questioning.  Honestly its a little disrespectful of an artist of Nas’ caliber whose held in borderline Hip Hop immortality regard.  Here you have a man whose about to release his album, one that is controversial and a huge break from the norm but you want to ask him about 2012.  I think he was egging Nas on to talk that wild ish and to some extent Nas always falls victim because he believes in a much deeper plane.  

So while I make fun for the sake of Highbrid Nation entertainment I salute Nas for holding his own in an otherwise TMZ like interview and for always staying true to himself for however odd that might be.  

You can read the entire article over at Vibe.com