The month of September saw the boiling point of New York rap for 2009. Backed by releases such as Jadakiss and Fabolous, the 90s era of Hip-Hop was slowly making its presence felt.
The Blueprint III and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…pt. 2, blew the lid right off everything as the veterans showcased the fact that no matter what the age, they can still content with everything going on today.
With the announcement of the two projects, however, it was a hope by many that another New York native would come for the ride to be a part of both sequels. Featured on such classics as “Verbal Intercourse” and “Success” rapper Nas was a shoe in for the upcoming releases. The Queensbridge rapper, unfortunately, was absent from both projects entirely.
Speaking with the PunchBowl Blog while at an Orange Rock Corps show in London recently, the rapper was questioned as to why he wasn’t on either project. Initially, he dodged the interrogation overall and even stated that it was his first time hearing about submitted a verse for a possible “Verbal Intercourse 2.”
Things must have gotten hot under the collar when asked about “Empire State of Mind” as he was originally on the credits to be featured from many of the premature tracklistings generated for the third installment of The Blueprint. Hoping to dead the whole discussion, Nas simply told her to move on to the next one, meaning question.
He did offer praise to the artists for their newest contribution to the art form though.
“I love what Jay-Z’s album, Raekwon’s album are – my favorite rap albums. I think they have made Hip-Hop serious again and I’m just…I feel great about the whole world now because of those two albums.”
Whether it be dealing with the legal issues between himself and Kelis or prepping the upcoming album Distant Relatives with Damian Marley, his presence would have been greatly appreciated and left some a little sour that he didn’t RSVP for the party.
Speaking on the collab project, the rapper stated that he hopes it will be out before 2009 comes to a close. He also offered another consolation prize stating that his next solo project should be coming around next year.
Well, New York, clearly you have started something and it’s time to keep the ball rolling. Who’s up next?
