Nas called it dead in 2006, but now the Queensbridge icon is praising Kendrick Lamar and Clipse for reviving Hip-Hop in 2025 with chart-topping releases and renewed energy across the genre.
In a recent sit-down with Complex, the Grammy-winning MC reflected on the current state of rap, pointing to Lamar’s explosive year and Clipse’s long-awaited return as proof that the genre is thriving.
“I used to say [that] Hip-Hop is dead. It is kind of dead, but we have to think about it, in a sense, like that,” Nas said. “Because if you think about it, this year is really incredible. I mean, Kendrick’s been on a roll, Clipse cooking, Legend Has It [series], Mass Appeal.”
Nas specifically praised Kendrick’s recent run, marked by the viral hit “Not Like Us” and his critically acclaimed album GNX.
Meanwhile, Clipse’s comeback project Let God Sort Em Out, their first full-length release in 16 years, has stirred excitement across the industry.
Both albums are expected to land nominations for Best Rap Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards, signaling a broader shift in the genre’s momentum.
But Nas didn’t stop at the veterans. He also gave props to the next generation and women in Hip-Hop for keeping the culture alive and evolving.
“All the younger dudes and the females, all of the females, it’s like Hip-Hop is really alive too,” he added. “So, you have the part that’s, that can threaten it, you know, the ignorance — the stuff that’s really, it doesn’t evolve… or it gets too violent — you know, you got the things that can threaten it… But then you also have everything that’s happening this year, too, so it’s a balance.”
Nas released Hip Hop Is Dead in December 2006 under Def Jam, marking his first project after leaving Columbia Records. The title track, which featured will.i.am, sparked debate over the genre’s direction and longevity.
Now, nearly 20 years later, the “Illmatic” legend says Hip-Hop is here to stay.
“I think rap is timeless, and yeah, Hip-Hop is timeless,” Nas said. “Hip-Hop keeps reinventing itself. It keeps staying current even if it’s a certain artist that’s not doing it no more. The art form in itself will find a new person to keep pushing it.”
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