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Nasir “Nas” Jones has been peeling back the layers of his character and ambitions in music has he continually celebrates the 20th anniversary of his classic debut album, Illmatic. The Queensbridge rap star was a guest on Charlie Rose late last month, and talked his impact in the game and his role as one of Hip-Hop’s elder statesmen.

The no-frills nature of the Charlie Rose show put the focus squarely on Nas, who gamely answered Rose’s probing questions. The 40-year-old father of two expressed to Rose how much success and fatherhood changed him, even mentioning his line from his debut on Main Source’s Live At The BBQ” track where he calls himself a “rebel to America.”

From Charlie Rose:

ROSE: How else are you different?

NAS: Well, I’ve always been a calm individual, but I’m a lot more calm, and I’ve changed in ways where I was once a rebel to America, and now I like America a lot more. I love America!

ROSE: Why do you like America a lot more? Because it accepted you?

NAS: No! I don’t want to feel accepted.

Nas goes on to explain that he wants to earn his place in America, saying that he wants to be part of “this whole human family” and shunned said acceptance. He also make mention of the imbalances that Black people face in the country despite his strides and acknowledges President Barack Obama and Dr. Dre.

Peep a clip from Charlie Rose‘s Nas interview below.

Photo: wmrctv.org