Nas’ favourite jazz albums of all time: “That record is no joke”
It might not seem an obvious connection when looking back from the 21st century to put the work of hip-hop and jazz next to each other. The rappers are now flooding the charts with formulaic sounds rendered through digital computers and pumped through Bluetooth speakers, and they feel further away from the jazz masters than ever before. However, at the birth of hip-hop, jazz was a fundamental player. And Nas knows that.
Jazz, born in the early 20th century from the depths of the African-American experience, pulses with improvisation and rhythmic complexity. Decades later, in the boroughs of New York, hip-hop emerged as the urban voice of a new generation, echoing the spontaneity and social commentary of its predecessor.
These two genres intersect profoundly. Both thrive on innovation and resistance, harnessing the power of rhythm and lyrical dexterity, allowing the artists and audience to become lost in the worlds they construct.
Jazz may have always felt like a more analogue experience, but the worlds created by hip-hop is not less worthy because it is far more flashy. Escapism can be beautiful in any form. For Nas, one of the greatest MCs in hip-hop history, a collection of jazz albums will always provide that ladder away from reality.
When speaking with Complex, Nas shared his love for jazz, and picked out three albums he holds dearest. “Miles and Coltrane made the ultimate jazz albums; there’s a lot of others too,” he confessed, selecting Davis’ 1959 game-changing album Kind of Blue. “Miles also got commercial success from a jazz album, and if you play it, it sounds like it was supposed to be made. That album was supposed to be made. This world wouldn’t be the same without that album.”
The natural accompaniment to Davis’ record is the always beloved Love Supreme from 1965. “It’s probably my favourite record of his but I love so many other records by him,” explained Nas of the power of the LP. “It just exists on a planet by itself. It’s just a different thing. It’s mature, it’s grown, it’s timeless, it’s sexy, it’s classy, it’s unorthodox. I’ll stop there.”
While those two albums are likely the first two most people would pick when asked for their favourite jazz record, Nas then selected the lesser-known keys player Bob James and his 1974 album One: “That’s certainly up there as one of my all-time favourites. It takes you someplace new every time you listen to it, that’s the craziest part about it. If a record can take me somewhere, like really take me somewhere effortlessly, that record there is no joke.”
The link between jazz and Nas is a palpable one. With these albums, he is able to lose himself in the technique and craftsmanship of the artists. It’s likely something a generation of hip-hopheads said of his own work.
Nas’ favourite jazz albums:
- Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
- John Coltrane – Love Supreme
- Bob James – One