For those who missed the BET news special Toure, unsuccessfully, tried
to get straight answers from Jay and Nas about
their beef, the public
reconciliation and what any of this has to do with the direction of
hip-hop in the future. It all seems entirely to good to be true, yet
when questioned neither alluded to the idea that this new
working relationship is calculated and both suggested that other industry
insiders, one of which was Biggie's manager, had more to do with it
than any change of heart on either of their ends. To take it even
further they were so deep in their beef that neither could see outside
of the tunnel, and both wished that they had the wisdom and maturity to
have seen this option. While that is entirely believable, and it's hard
to see where anyone could be indifferent about that stance; at the end
you have to wonder if there truly is a working relationship, or if it
is all a facade, because both seemed to have difficulties hiding their
true feelings, as their body language spoke volumes.
Jay put down Camron, of which, when questioned by Toure, wouldn't even
speak on the situation except to say that his new album was garbage.
Toure, unmoved, continued to take potshots suggesting that both
artists were really polite. One point of note was when Toure suggested that
perhaps Biggie's dead spirit was in the room at that original meeting,
perhaps
that was the catalyst for the reconciliation. Nas played it off saying
that the implication was really deep, and all three had a laugh about
the idea that was merely a suggestion that Toure was throwing out
there, for the audiences consideration.
Nas pulled a Mobb Deep by chiming in on Jay's beef with Camron talking
about the nerve of some artists. He was pretty slick about it, and if
you had tuned in at that moment you may have thought that he was
speaking of artists he's had issue with in general, like 50-cent. Or it
could have been all-inclusive it was hard to tell. Toure, still on top
of his game, asked if Nas was referring to anyone that spoke ill of
anyone on his and Jay's level. But Nas played it off saying that while
that was a key point, it goes a lot deeper, and that in and of itself
is an even greater issue, and another story.
For his own sake, I think Nas could benefit greatly from Def Jam's
production and distribution, as well as the schtick from having
recorded with Jay, if and when it was ever to happen. And Nas should
change his sound a bit rather than continue to drive home to us the
idea that he represents real hip-hop. The problem wasn't his sound to
begin with, but the fact that he wanted to be a rapper and had
digressed to recording verses that didn't reflect his intelligence as
well. But someone of his caliber should be able to use the pop beats
without loosing any credibility, whereas there is no reason we can't
receive an album from him that isn't as easy on the ears musically as
it is lyrically.
You could say that Jay sort of has Nas in his pocket, the way he does
everyone else these days (or it at least appears to be that way), and
that while Nas won't come out and say so,
then again perhaps he doesn't necessarily need to anyway because it is
self-evident. That's a moot point these days as a lot of top artists
and executives are in a similar position. What does matter is how the
artist that is working at a loss, rather than at a vantage point, can
parlay that experience to win respect with the public and core fan base.
The city has a way of insulating artists and keeping their focus on the
streets, rather than the nation. Writers are going to continue to
showcase the negativity in the game as long as the mainstream continues
to eat it up, regardless of what is actually happening on the streets,
or the true sentiment there is. Yet for hip-hop's permanence, of which
most of us continue to take for granted, some positivity is needed.
What better place for it to occity in which it all
began ...