Nas & DJ Premier - Define My Name (new single out now, album releasing later this year)

[Awesome Wells]

Nas NEVER said that in 2006 and ya’ll need to stop running with that lie.

I have the magazine. Nas himself said that he’d be working with Premier again but that he wanted to work with other producers as well. The theme of the article wasn’t even Nas and Premier working on an entire album, it was simply them working together on SONGS again after not linking for a few years. Nas was quite clear that the album that became Hip Hop Is Dead was going to have multiple producers on it.



Nas and Premo put out an entire press release saying the album was coming this year. That means its coming this year. Period

You need to do better research, fam.

Nas was on Shade45 on Premier's show, same night Primo debuted Jay Electronica's "So What You Sayin'" and said that. I was in there with Lord Finesse. Green Lantern was there too, speaking about giving Nas beats for a mixtape. Not too long after, they dropped The N*gga Tape. Do your homework. That was a whole thing back then.

I said the cover of the magazine was pushing the same narrative, and was mentioned on the show. So both of them have been speaking on doing this album for over 20 years. Like I said, for those of us that have been in the room or just paying attention, we know they've been saying the same sh*t since the early 00's.

 

[prophecypro]

You need to do better research, fam.

Nas was on Shade45 on Premier's show, same night Primo debuted Jay Electronica's "So What You Sayin'" and said that. I was in there with Lord Finesse. Green Lantern was there too, speaking about giving Nas beats for a mixtape. Not too long after, they dropped The N*gga Tape. Do your homework. That was a whole thing back then.

I said the cover of the magazine was pushing the same narrative, and was mentioned on the show. So both of them have been speaking on doing this album for over 20 years. Like I said, for those of us that have been in the room or just paying attention, we know they've been saying the same sh*t since the early 00's.

I know that was 2008 before untitled. I do also remember around 08 Nas saying he wanted to do an album with Dr Dre and an album with DJ premier next but that just conversation to the public and in press interivews.

But I do believe they had tried to do some work in 06 for Hip Hop is Dead, simply just off the Scratch magazine getting buzz (but I got the impression he was gonna be one of many producers). I recall an MTV.com interview around September that year (06), where Preem said he had some beats he was working on for Nas album....but that was hoping Nas would drop the album in the new year to really set a bomb off. What I think happen was Preem's beats just didnt make it in time for the album submission to the label. HHID got released mid to late December but there was blog posts about listening sessions in November so Def Jam made the cut off point super short too. Which is funny when you think about how Nas is Like was done last minute before a submission to the label and that thing was buzzing as a single for months before the album. I dont know how these things work back then lol

I think Classic Better Than I Ever Been (With Ye, Rakim and KRS) probably was in those sessions and then became the Nike promo joint cause it dropped in the new year.

 

[ThirdAct]

Why is this thread so long

I’m a Nas fan as much as anyone else but yall nggas just weird

Because @Cladyclad got more posts in here than even most of the Nas fans

 

[Awesome Wells]

I know that was 2008 before untitled. I do also remember around 08 Nas saying he wanted to do an album with Dr Dre and an album with DJ premier next but that just conversation to the public and in press interivews.

But I do believe they had tried to do some work in 06 for Hip Hop is Dead, simply just off the Scratch magazine getting buzz (but I got the impression he was gonna be one of many producers). I recall an MTV.com interview around September that year (06), where Preem said he had some beats he was working on for Nas album....but that was hoping Nas would drop the album in the new year to really set a bomb off. What I think happen was Preem's beats just didnt make it in time for the album submission to the label. HHID got released mid to late December but there was blog posts about listening sessions in November so Def Jam made the cut off point super short too. Which is funny when you think about how Nas is Like was done last minute before a submission to the label and that thing was buzzing as a single for months before the album. I dont know how these things work back then lol

I think Classic Better Than I Ever Been (With Ye, Rakim and KRS) probably was in those sessions and then became the Nike promo joint cause it dropped in the new year.

FACTS!

Yeah, he was talking about the Dre thing and the Primo thing a lot back then. Especially around the time when he was having issues with Columbia and saying he needed to find a label that would let him be himself.

But you're right, Premier was always saying he was working on beats for a Nas album, and was ready whenever Nas was to do an album with him. But like you said, "Nas Is Like" was super last minute, but this is back when you needed that Primo track on your album, and it worked! Especially for the heavyweights.

 

[prophecypro]

FACTS!

Yeah, he was talking about the Dre thing and the Primo thing a lot back then. Especially around the time when he was having issues with Columbia and saying he needed to find a label that would let him be himself.

But you're right, Premier was always saying he was working on beats for a Nas album, and was ready whenever Nas was to do an album with him. But like you said, "Nas Is Like" was super last minute, but this is back when you needed that Primo track on your album, and it worked! Especially for the heavyweights.

His issues with Columbia were always there (and later Def Jam) but yeah I think after Streets Disciple was handled thats when he looked to do the Def Jam/Colombia joint deal. I also think it would be a tough recoup.

I think with Preem its hard to tell. He says hes ready to work with people but then takes his time. Thats probably why not only Nas but even Jay started to shift to other guys for the street singles (Salaam, Just Blaze etc). The guys not on majors had time for him and vice versa cause sonically also thats where the bulk of his production fits. But yeah I wonder if thats why we dont get him on so many major label albums no more (even 50 and Kendrick did joints with him that didnt make albums)

 

[Cladyclad]

Why is this thread so long

I’m a Nas fan as much as anyone else but yall nggas just weird

Nasty Boys math is terrible. Its 1k replies i have 30 of em. I havent replied to this wack ass song thread since May. We are in fukking November and these dweebs still talking about everything but that wack ass song

Coli Nas stans are fukking weird af because u know all of em damn near 50 years old

 

[Mike the Executioner]

FACTS!

Yeah, he was talking about the Dre thing and the Primo thing a lot back then. Especially around the time when he was having issues with Columbia and saying he needed to find a label that would let him be himself.

But you're right, Premier was always saying he was working on beats for a Nas album, and was ready whenever Nas was to do an album with him. But like you said, "Nas Is Like" was super last minute, but this is back when you needed that Primo track on your album, and it worked! Especially for the heavyweights.

You're telling me that if I Am... never leaked, "Nas is Like" would have never been made? I guess that's the trade-off.

Since the album came out in April, when was the track made? Also, do you know why Premier stopped getting placements after Stillmatic? Him and Nas don't have a single bad song together.

 

[Awesome Wells]

You're telling me that if I Am... never leaked, "Nas is Like" would have never been made? I guess that's the trade-off.

Since the album came out in April, when was the track made? Also, do you know why Premier stopped getting placements after Stillmatic? Him and Nas don't have a single bad song together.

It was on there. But it came in mad mad late! Like a couple days before mastering.

Primo was doing a lot of underground sh*t after 2001. It seemed like once labels stopped wanting to spend on production, Preme started working with more indie artists like Skyzoo, NYG'z, Bumpy Knuckles, Shut, Pitch Black, Ed OG, Royce, etc. His whole trajectory kinda changed and stayed there too.

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Was at the Nas concert yesterday and they did a little teaser for the album, played this joint and a snippet of another one. Said its definitely happening but no date or anything specific.

 

[ThirdAct]

Was at the Nas concert yesterday and they did a little teaser for the album, played this joint and a snippet of another one. Said its definitely happening but no date or anything specific.

Dope, how was the snippet sounding?

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Dope, how was the snippet sounding?

Soulful, Nas didn't rap over it though and it seemed like he forgot the DEFINE MY NAME lyrics cause they cut it short real quick (great show though).

 

[Awesome Wells]

His issues with Columbia were always there (and later Def Jam) but yeah I think after Streets Disciple was handled thats when he looked to do the Def Jam/Colombia joint deal. I also think it would be a tough recoup.

I think with Preem its hard to tell. He says hes ready to work with people but then takes his time. Thats probably why not only Nas but even Jay started to shift to other guys for the street singles (Salaam, Just Blaze etc). The guys not on majors had time for him and vice versa cause sonically also thats where the bulk of his production fits. But yeah I wonder if thats why we dont get him on so many major label albums no more (even 50 and Kendrick did joints with him that didnt make albums)

Yeah, that's when I was at Def Jam.

They agreed to cover the bread Nas owed Columbia, but Sony still wanted to eat off their rights to the next project, so that's where the whole joint deal came in. They had spent mad money on everything already. He was in a lot of debt to them, and needed to get more music out to recoup.

The whole "super producer" thing f*cked up the game. Labels were paying wild money for those beats and then marketing the producers on the albums just as much as the artists. But that was killing the budgets for artists and they would owe mad bread, over some damn beats. It was a wild time.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Yeah, that's when I was at Def Jam.

They agreed to cover the bread Nas owed Columbia, but Sony still wanted to eat off their rights to the next project, so that's where the whole joint deal came in. They had spent mad money on everything already. He was in a lot of debt to them, and needed to get more music out to recoup.

The whole "super producer" thing f*cked up the game. Labels were paying wild money for those beats and then marketing the producers on the albums just as much as the artists. But that was killing the budgets for artists and they would owe mad bread, over some damn beats. It was a wild time.

Wasn't that rumored two million dollar Neptunes beat supposed to be for Nas? I know it was bullshyt, but it was a wild time and I wonder what's the most someone actually paid for a beat. Neptunes and Timbaland were

 

[3rdWorld]

I dont like this beat..
Breh gave Group Home his best work and Nas scraps..

 

[Thatrogueassdiaz]

Soulful, Nas didn't rap over it though and it seemed like he forgot the DEFINE MY NAME lyrics cause they cut it short real quick (great show though).

Saw Nas in 2008 live. It wasn't very memorable--he forgot lyrics and was constantly out of breath.