Nas And 21 Savage Link For New Song, Ending Relevance Debates
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Nas and 21 Savage have put the relevancy comments to bed with the release of a new song. On Tuesday night (Nov. 29), the two men took to their Instagram accounts to give an update regarding Savage’s comments about the Queens rapper’s relevancy. To fans’ surprise, the update would be a new three-minute song called “One Mic, One Gun.”
“Nas x 21 Savage TONIGHT Only way we moving is with love, respect, and unity,” Esco typed in his caption as he revealed the new song’s cover art. “The foundational principles of Hip-Hop. Excited to collaborate with my young brother, and I hope more artist use turbulent moments and turn them into a time to make new art. That’s what it’s about.”
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The track is produced by Nas’ King’s Disease Trilogy collaborator Hit-Boy and is a play on Nasir’s iconic Stillmatic single “One Mic,” and a reference to 21’s I Am > I Was track “asmr,” where he rapped: “I just need one Glock, Nas need one mic.” “One Mic, One Gun” finds the two rapper’s quashing any mention of beef. However, 21 fired first, addressing his controversial comments through unity, as Nasir previously mentioned.
“Rappers bandwagon tryna get some likes/I do it for the fam’, never for the hype/When you turn to legend, no such thing as relevance,” he wisely rapped. “They must’ve forgot that I’m a new rapper that got integrity/All of the media and blogs, that’s just a place I don’t care to be/Most of these ni**as wouldn’t say sh*t if they was ahead of me.”
Nas then steps into the light, giving some bars to recent reports alleging his home was a target of a burglary, Hip-Hop’s gun violence, and the idea of relevancy and unity.
“No back and forth, I did it back then, I do it right now/They tellin’ me that I’m the G-O-A-T, I been here for a while,” the King’s Disease emcee spit. “G.O.A.T., love me today, hate me tomorrow, no switchin’ my style/21, Yak’, y’all get together, be big for the South/But look at me now, damn, y’all, look at me now/Whatever I do is New York, you hear that shit all in my vowels/I shook up the town, I shook up the city, I shook up the state/I’m one of them ones, on my second run, I’m on a new wave.”
21 Savage called Nas’ relevancy into question on Nov. 14 when he hit a Clubhouse room entitled, “Is Nas the Greatest Rapper or What?,” and voiced his unpopular opinion.
21 Savage said Nas is irrelevant. It's funny because Nas at 49 years old just released 4 better quality albums than his whole discography.
But it's even funnier when 21 Savage is being relevant exclusively thanks to Drake in the last year ? pic.twitter.com/ffIdthZ2ti— Bitch Please (@HipHopEsp_) November 14, 2022
The Her Loss Slaughter Gang artist declared that the icon was no longer sitting on rap’s throne, but gave the Illmatic legend props for amassing a loyal base for three decades.
“What y’all saying, relevant though?” said 21 Savage. “I don’t feel like he’s relevant. I just feel like he got fans. He just has a loyal fan base, and he still make good-ass music.”
His comments proved controversial as his stance spread across the internet like wildfire, with artists like Hit-Boy, Kodak Black, and Nas’ brother, Jungle, coming to the defense of the iconic emcee. Amid the backlash, the “Rich Flex” entertainer took to Twitter to clarify his comments.
“I would never disrespect Nas or any legend who paved the way for me y’all be tryna take stuff and run with it,” Savage, 30, tweeted.
Listen to the track below.
