21 Savage faced some major backlash in the past 24 hours. As usual, his appearance on Clubhouse drew controversy when he debated the relevance of Nas. A snippet of the conversation circulated online where 21 explained that he didn't feel Nas was relevant to the current soundscape of rap. Instead, he thinks Nas simply makes quality music with a dedicated fanbase awaiting each drop.
"I don’t feel like he’s relevant,” he said. “I just feel like he got a loyal fan base. He still makes good music." From there, the conversation led to a comparison between Jay-Z and Nas in 2022. Another participant on the call explained how Jay-Z has the internet talking non-stop over a single verse while Nas doesn't necessarily gain the same type of traction when he releases music.
Of course, this type of discourse led to a wider conversation about the way the OGs are treated in hip-hop these days. Still, there really aren't many rappers that can have a career like Nas' that stretches back 30 years.
The comments ultimately landed in Nas' brother, Jungle's feed who clapped back at 21 Savage.
"21 Savage is trash [crying laughing emoji],” he wrote. “Glad Nas dropped KD3 so fans can hear real bars.. 21 can u do something for me?? [crying laughing emojis].”
It didn't take long for 21 Savage to fire back at his critics. The rapper later went on Instagram to address his comments, though he didn't necessarily apologize. In fact, he seemed to blame the public for taking the quote and spreading it on the Internet without context.
"I would never disrespect nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it," he said.
Nas doesn't seem pressed about 21's comments, though. The Queensbridge rapper hopped on Instagram with a new set of photos and the caption reading, "[laughing emoji] SMILE."
Ultimately, 21 Savage's comments appear to pertain to the space he exists within, which is mainstream, radio-friendly rap. Savage is fresh off of his latest #1 album with his collaborative album with Drake, Her Loss. The project topped the Billboard 200 with 404K units in its first week -- the biggest debut for any hip-hop album in 2022.
Though Nas might not be able to do Drake-assisted numbers, there's no doubt that King's Disease III stands as one of the best rap releases of the year.
