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On paper, the trio of Nas, Common and Q-Tip sounds like a dream come true for even the most marginally devoted rap fan. With all three men all possessing over 20 years of rap experience, the output has the potential to be explosive. Back in 2007, the Abstract teased that he and Common formed a duo under the name The Standard. While nothing has materialized of the union publicly, Nas hinted at the possibility of joining the collaborative effort.

The New York Daily News reported today that an insider with ties to the Tribe Called Quest front man confirmed that Tip is indeed in the studio but neither with Common nor Nas. It appears that Q-Tip is focusing his energies on his latest solo outing and “in the studio, working on his own album,” said the Daily News’ source about Q-Tip’s current plans.

While none of the rappers’ reps elected to confirm news about forthcoming material from The Standard or Nas officially joining the group, the Daily News did offer that a recent conversation with Nas yielded some fruit, although vague. When asked if he would be working with the pair, Nas, who is also working on a new solo album, simply replied, “definitely.”

Could this mean that Nas is joining The Standard or that he will simply be working alongside his fellow veteran rap stars?

Photo: Def Jam