DJ Khaled may have promised that the Nas album was done, but as it stands, we're still waiting for the God's Son to return. Still, it seems likely that Nas will return with his new project in 2018, and the legendary Queens rapper has found another way to pass the time. Today, Nas teamed up with Google to pen a powerful open letter for Black History Month, in which he celebrates the importance of black musicians and creatives across history.
"Music has scored my life since day one," writes Nas, in the opening line of his "We Continue To Rise" open letter. It isn't long before he's reminiscing on his father Olu Dara's relationship with music, writing "I was blessed to have love from both of my parents, and it just so happens that my father’s love for music took him around the globe via his own sonic excursions, both live and recorded. Pops would come back with mad loot (cash money, that is) from around the world. It was a testament to his globetrotting and a cool little nod to me that said, young blood, when you’re ready, the world is yours."
Near the letter's conclusion, Nas reflects on some of his biggest influences, writing:
"I would realize—through the education I received from my parents and my own travels—that Robert Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan and Slick Rick were one in the same. Native storytellers who shined a light on our purpose, preserved our legacy and, without question, rocked the house. The conversation never stops and we all continue to push it steadily along, through our arts n crafts and even within the way we speak. Bumps in the road can’t stop this. Some might argue that this here scribe is talking a whole lotta jazz but anyone fly enough and culturally astute enough to listen will hear what we’re saying."
For the full letter, be sure to check out "We Continue To Rise" right here. It might not be a new album, but it's always nice to hear Nasir Jones dropping knowledge.
