Seems like parts of Kanye West and Nas' collaboration was not as original as we may have thought. The cover art and a beat they used for Nasir appear to have been inspired by work from another artist. The Architect, a Bay Area producer, came out with material that might have been ripped by the duo after its release.
The beat found on "Adam and Eve" bears a great resemblance to a free track The Architect had previously shared on Bandcamp. Even an untrained ear could discern the resemblance. The song, whose ironic title is "No Idea's Original," was actually part of a remix project that dropped last October. Coincidentally, this song, in particular, features Nas.
Then comes the cover art. The photograph used for Nasir was shot by a photojournalist named Mary Ellen Mark. Again, the picture had already been used for a project released by The Architect. Trill Life Mathematics, a collaboration with Nowaah The Flood, came out four days before Nasir officially dropped.
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The Architect shared his thoughts about the uncanny resemblances with Complex. He doesn't seem too bothered by the fact that Adam & Eve features a sample he had dug up:
"I’m fully aware that a lot of the material that we use nowadays as far as on the underground is sample-based. Obviously, I don't own the samples, so I wasn’t going to say anything about it. The fact that I have Nas rapping on it—I don't know [...] At the end of the day, I don't have any hard feelings. It could also be creative-type minds working alike. If anything, I would like to work with the guys and be running around with them instead."
Those interested in the full interview can view it here.
