In the not so distant past, Jon B walked into Nas’ London concert expecting simply to enjoy the show, but he left with a memory that stitched their careers even tighter. The R&B singer recalled how the Queensbridge legend welcomed him backstage after performing with a full symphony orchestra. They had a special history that made the link-up so much more special.
“They got Jon B here to see you,” he remembered hearing. Nas responded with a grin, “R&B Jon B? The singer? Tell him come in.”
The reunion sparked conversation about their 2001 collaboration on “Finer Things,” a track Jon B crafted specifically with Nas’ style in mind. The smooth song mixed R&B textures with suave-street storytelling.
“I wanted a pocket like the ‘Street Dreams’ tempo. I cooked it up specifically for him,” Jon B told AllHipHop in WonWorld Studios. “He was on it. Two verses. He wrote the song twice, actually, dedication like Pac.”
Watch Jon B talk about Nas at the 20-minute mark below.
Jon B said Nas’ precision in the studio was unforgettable. He rewrote his verses to reach a standard only he could reach. “That closing rap…fire,” Jon B said, reciting the bars with admiration.
That moment and others underlined Jon B’s enduring dedication between R&B soul and Hip-Hop. His career took off in the mid-1990s with hits like “Someone to Love” and “They Don’t Know,” but his collaborations with Hip-Hop figures has distinguished him from others. He worked with Tupac Shakur, Nas, Fat Joe and, more recently, Rick Ross. These links have cemented his crossover viability.
Three decades later, Jon B continues to push forward with integrity. His latest album, 2024’s Waiting on You, marked his first studio project in more than a decade. The opus is classic R&B, live instrumentation and grown-man songwriting. Beyond his singing, the album underscores his evolution as a producer and arranger.
Jon B credits Hip-Hop culture for shaping him from the start.
“I grew up with hip-hop in the ’80s—truck jewelry, breakdancing, locking, graffiti, the DJ…there’s nothing like it,” he said.
He admitted that rap has always been in his musical toolkit. “I wouldn’t call myself a rapper, but rap is a musical tool for me. I have fun freestyling, been doing it for years,” he said.
For Jon B, the link between Hip-Hop and R&B—and more broadly so-called urban culture—has always been authentic, not just a business strategy. Tt’s been a creative lifeline. With Waiting on You, he reminds longtime listeners and newer ones he’s back like he never left, much like Hip-Hop’s greatest MCs.