21 Savage was coming off a great week after the hoopla over his collaborative album with Drake,
Her Loss, shifted the culture and became a conversation piece for a variety of reasons. In a recent Clubhouse chat, 21 Savage seemingly questioned the relevancy of Nas in the wake of the Queens, N.Y. rapper releasing the acclaimed King’s Disease III with Hit-Boy, and that comment was later clarified after much criticism.
21 Savage made the comments about Nas while praising the veteran MC for his staying power and high-quality releases. In a classic case of “words mean things,” the term “relevant” is typically (and sometimes incorrectly) used to frame the arc of an artist’s career.
“I don’t feel like he’s relevant. I just feel like he got a loyal fan base. He still makes good music,” the Atlanta rapper reportedly said.
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The comment sparked a flurry of comments from fans of Nas and the golden era that he hails from, with many taking shots at 21 Savage and his perceived level of intelligence along with other pointed jabs.
Via Twitter on Monday (Nov. 14), 21 clarified his statement on Nas’ relevancy in a rather quick fashion.
“I would never disrespect [N]as or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it,” 21 wrote, thumbing his nose at the critics.
Relevancy is a tricky subject in Hip-Hop because the word has a loaded connotation for some. Without actually knowing what he meant, it can be assumed that 21 was speaking to the fact that Nas isn’t a fixture on the radio or in the so-called mainstream. This much is true, despite Nas winning a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2021 for King’s Disease.
Check out the reaction from all sides to 21 Savage and his comments below.
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Photo: Getty
