Though naturally recluse, Nas opens up to the world whenever he steps into the booth. From the release of Illmatic to recent efforts like the King’s Disease series, Nas drops gems, whether from his own observations of the world around him or his own self-realization. Today, he appeared on the opening track of Swizz Beatz’s Hip-Hop 50 Vol. 2, “Runaway.” The Queensbridge rapper dives into his own experiences of being a parent, specifically when raising his first-born daughter.
On the record, Nas discusses his struggles balancing his life as a rapper and a father to Destiny, who he shares with Carmen Bryan. He reflects on providing Destiny with the financial backing to succeed but ultimately, failed to spend as much time as he should’ve. “Probably was a bad father to my first born/ Love her to death, but I ain't been home since my first song/ Provided for her, but money can't replace a father for her,” he raps on the record. Nas previously addressed raising a daughter on 2012’s Life Is Good in the song, “Daughters,” where he similarly reflected on some of the mistakes he made as a parent.
Nas Reflects On Fatherhood
In addition to Destiny, Nas also shares a 13-year-old son with his ex-wife Kelis. Even though the two had their fair share of public disputes surrounding custody, the rapper expresses his gratitude on “Runaway” for his kids. Still, he admits that he didn’t expect to live long enough to watch them grow. “Plus I got a son, blessed with kids, yeah, man, I adore 'em/ And I was sure I was gonna leave this life too fast/ I got the guardian angels, came down and saved my ass,” he raps on the record.
Swizz Beatz’s Hip-Hop 50 Vol. 2 serves as a tribute to New York’s rap scene and includes appearances from Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Jay Electronica, Bandmanrill, Fivio Foreign, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and more. The project follows the release of DJ Premier’s Hip Hop 50 Vol. 1. Each of these EPs has been released through Nas’ Mass Appeal imprint. Check out Nas’s new song above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.
