The rapper Nas thinks all artists should study: “A strong voice in hip-hop”
Nas cemented his place as a hip-hop legend with his debut album, Illmatic, in 1994. Since then, he’s never been shy in his commentary on up-and-coming rappers. One piece of advice he has for the next generation is to study the greats who came before them. In particular, he says, study KRS-One.
In an interview with Complex, Nas talked through his all-time favourite rap albums. Among classics by Tribe Called Quest and Public Enemy, Nas cited Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions as one of his top records. But with this record, it wasn’t just about the music, it was also about the drive of BDP’s leader, KRS-One.
“I feel like young artists should study KRS-One because here he is, a strong voice in hip-hop and he started off independent. I just feel like that’s a real street movement. I don’t see real street movements like that in New York anymore. I see people claiming to be the streets but I don’t see real street movements like that anymore.”
KRS-One’s life is a quintessential rags to riches story. Between the age of 16 and 21, he lived a nomadic life in the streets of New York City, despite the fact that some of his independently produced music was growing in popularity. He had singles “South Bronx” and “The Bridge Is Over” out in the world, and still no source of income or recognition from them.
“I’m sleeping in the World Trade Centre. I had ‘South Bronx’ out and “The Bridge Is Over” and I was still homeless. I would be sitting there on the edge of the train, and people would have a boombox, and they’re blasting ‘South Bronx’ like ‘Did you hear this new shit!’ and I was sitting right there because back then there was no video, no magazine.”
Eventually, KRS and his producer, Scott La Rock, were signed by B-Boy Records as Boogie Down Productions. They released Criminal Minded in 1987, which began KRS-One’s long career as a titan of hip-hop. But KRS and La Rock’s rise was truly from nothing – an entirely bootstrapped operation.
So when Nas tells rappers to study KRS-One, it’s as a lesson in entrepreneurship. “When KRS-One made the classic Criminal Minded—he didn’t need Warner Brothers, he didn’t need MCA records. He did it with an independent label. That’s why I say people should study him because here you are coming out with a classic album on an independent label….Artists today don’t see that entrepreneurship, they don’t live it. They claim to be the streets yet they’re looking for superstar record deals. If you have the talent and you’re a hustler, why don’t you go independent without the superstar record deal?”
Nas even said that he had the same entrepreneurial attitude as KRS when he was making Illmatic. “Like I said on ‘The Genesis’ I’m doing this like this even without a record contract. That meant I went to sign with an independent label and I just so happened to stumble upon Columbia Records.”
In an age where the barriers to entry on production tools are lower than ever, Nas’ advice is as applicable for young artists as it ever has been.