Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Ever since the release of Distant Relatives with Damian Marley, Nas has been trying to reintroduce himself as a solo act. Two years ago, Nas was a hot topic in hip hop. The rapper made plans to name his 2008 album, Nigger. He wanted to give new meaning to the word instead of the negative one it had.
Initially, Nas had the support of Def Jam, then headed by Jay-Z, and the hip hop community. But, Def Jam's parent company did not want to promote an album with such a name. Jay-Z was willing to fight for Nas, but never had the chance. As the battle was going on, Jay-Z left Def Jam to create Roc Nation.
Nas' love affair with Def Jam ended after the Nigger debaccle, as the label stopped supporting him. In 2009, Nas agreed to join in with Damian Marley on the album, but Def Jam did nothing to promote the release. A power struggle has ensued in the months since and Nas has written a letter to express his feelings about the label. Nas wants off of Def Jam and he is working hard to make it happen.
The Queens rapper wanted to close 2010 with another Lost Tapes album. At the same time, Nas began working on his next studio album. The original plan was for Nas to release his Lost Tapes album and then return sometime in 2011 with his next album. But, the creative process has led to Nas stopping all production on his Lost Tapes album and focusing solely on the other album. As a result, Nas is farther along in the other album and plans to release it first, followed by the Lost Tapes album.