If there is one thing that makes Nas the Hip-Hop legend that he is, it is the fact his knowledge of the culture’s rap element runs respectively deep. This past Saturday welcomed in the 45th anniversary of the DJ Kool Herc’s pioneering party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave, the birth of Hip-Hop culture. In honor of the prized day, Nas dropped the titles of what he considers to be his top five most favorite Hip-Hop records of all time.
On Saturday, the Illmatic hitmaker shared a clip from Mass Appeal on Instagram commemorating Hip-Hop’s 45th birthday. In the clip, he is asked to name 45 of his favorite Hip-Hop songs and he did not hesitate to drop names and even insisted he can drop the names of 50 records. The Queens-born rapper went on to drop the names of the first five records that flew into the top of his of mind and the list wonderfully reflects his true appreciation for Classic Hip-Hop. Most of the records reign from the Golden Era, as he elected classics ranging from the revolutionary Public Enemy to the stylistic trio Run D.M.C.
“I’ll give you five that just come to my head. ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ by Public Enemy. No-brainer. Eric B. and Rakim, ‘Eric B. for President.’ ‘It Takes Two’ by Rob Base and E-Z Rock. Rest in Peace E-Z Rock.”
When it came to namedropping a Slick Rick record, he felt compelled to reevaluate his answer a solid three times, giving the London born legend’s era-defining song with Doug E. Fresh “La Di Da Di.”
“‘Children’s Story’ by Slick Rick. Wait, ‘Mona Lisa,’ Slick Rick. Wait. ‘La Di Da Di.’ Yeah.”
He also couldn’t resist hesitating when it came to the Hollis, Queens kings Run D.M.C, as Nas traveled through several bangers, eventually landing.
“It’s either ‘Sucker MCs’ by Run-DMC, ‘It’s Like That,’ by Run-DMC, pick any Run-DMC. ‘Peter Piper.’ ‘My Adidas.’ I’ma go with ‘Sucker MCs’ by Run-DMC. That’s one of the most important records. Ever. Ever. Ever.”
And of course, he could not forget where it all started being a product of the environment of Queensbridge projects in New York City. MC Shan and Marley’s 1985 record “The Bridge,” the song responsible for the historic Bridge Wars made Nas’ ballot, sealing the list’s potential Golden Era nostalgia. “And I could put ‘The Bridge’ in there. MC Shan and Marley Marl. Come on,” he adds.
Nas often acknowledges Hip-Hop history through his mesmerizing rhymes and accompanying endeavors such as Mass Appeal to which he serves as an investor for the media brand. Immediately making reference to such monumental classics only reflects the steepness of Nas’ Hip-Hop scholarship. Salute.
