Nas
Watch Nas’ ‘Cops Shot the Kid’ Video Feat. Kanye West
Nas has shared a fitting video for his Nasir track “Cops Shot the Kid” featuring Kanye West. The visual, which sees a man being chased by two police officers, includes a cameo from legendary rapper Slick Rick, whose 1989 classic “Children’s Story” is sampled in the song.
Nick Bike’s edit of “Cops Shot The Kid” was one of the most-downloaded tracks of July.
Watch the video above and download the song on DJcity.
Related: Kanye West and Lil Pump Drop New Single and Video, ‘I Love It’ Feat. Adele Givens’
Large Professor on Producing Nas’ ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’
Nas‘ “Ain’t Hard To Tell” was the second single off the rapper’s iconic debut album, Illmatic. It was the only track from the project to enter the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a staple in throwback sets to this day.
The song was produced by the legendary Large Professor, a founding member of the influential group, Main Source. On Mass Appeal’s latest episode of Off the Record, Large Pro recounts how the track came together, which he refers to as a “hood bottle-popping joint.”
Watch above.
Related: The Samples Behind Nas’ ‘Stillmatic’
The Samples Behind Nas’ ‘Stillmatic’
Following his iconic debut album, Illmatic, Nas took his next three projects in a more mainstream direction. The decision put him under heavy scrutiny and even brought upon JAY-Z‘s infamous 2001 diss track, “Takeover.”
Nas didn’t take long to respond to both his critics and JAY, however, dropping his fifth studio album Stillmatic on Dec. 18, 2001. The project, which is a nod to Illmatic, is widely considered as Nas’ comeback album. It also featured the track “Ether,” his epic response to Jigga.
Stillmatic peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in January 2002. It featured production from the likes of DJ Premier and Large Professor and included the singles “Got Ur Self a Gun,” “One Mic,” and “Rule” featuring Amerie.
To honor its 16-year anniversary, Power 106 has examined some of the album’s classic samples on its Wax Only series.
Watch it above.
Related: The Samples Behind Black Star’s ‘Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star’
The Samples Behind Nas’ ‘Illmatic’
On April 19, 1994, a young Queensbridge rapper by the name of Nas released his debut album, Illmatic. Now, to honor its 23-year anniversary, Power 106’s Wax Only series has examined the samples used on the project.
Illmatic is widely regarded as the greatest hip-hop album of all time by critics and fans alike. Wax Only host Vin Rican agrees, naming it his pick for best ever. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum.
The album was produced by some of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, including DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and Q-Tip. It sampled artists like Michael Jackson, The Gap Band, Average White Band, Ahmad Jamal, and Donald Byrd.
Watch above to see Vinny go through the samples.
Nas’ ‘It Ain’t Hard to Tell’ Gets Futuristic Remix From Arona Mane
After raising eyebrows with a BBC Radio 1-premiered Major Lazer remix, emerging producer Arona Mane has returned with a futuristic flip of Nas‘ “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.” The Sydney native’s bass-heavy rework features most of Escobar’s original vocals over a brand new instrumental.
Stream the remix below and download it on DJcity.
Related: The Samples Behind Nas’ Classics
The Samples Behind Nas’ Classics
To celebrate Nas’ 42nd birthday, Power 106 has made a video about the samples used in some of the rapper’s most classic joints. The Los Angeles radio station’s Production Director Vin Rican goes through eight samples along with the seven Nas songs that sampled them.
Watch the video above, which includes DJ favorites “N.Y. State of Mind,” the Lauryn Hill-assisted “If I Ruled the World,” “Halftime,” and “Made You Look.”
We also recommend checking out Aazar’s remix of “Made You Look,” which Diplo included in a Diplo & Friends mix earlier this year.
Related: The Samples Behind Kanye West’s ‘Late Registration’
Popular
-
August 12, 2022
New and Notable Tracks: Aug. 12
New tracks that DJs should know about.
-
August 9, 2022
Beatsource Tech: CDJ-3000 Long-Term Review: Still The King?
It’s been almost two years since Pioneer DJ released their latest flagship media player, the CDJ-3000. But with the advent of new competition in the market...
-
August 12, 2022
Listen to Dawg’s ‘Club Drill Mixtape’
Dawg. Los Angeles-based DJ/producer Dawg has just dropped his hard-hitting Club Drill Mixtape. Fitting 69 tracks in just 37 minutes, he mixes the best i...
-
August 5, 2022
New and Notable Tracks: Aug. 5
New tracks that DJs should know about.
-
February 15, 2022
New DJcity Pricing Plans Now Available
Here at DJcity, customer satisfaction is crucial, and therefore we always take input and feedback from our customers and DJ community very seriously. Due t...
-
July 6, 2022
Afrobeats and Dance added as Main Genres on DJcity
At DJcity, we are always working to make sure that the way our record pool functions reflects the needs of our users. Therefore in our latest update, we sw...
-
June 18, 2021
Get Five Record Pools for the Price of One With DJcity’s New Global Music Page
Here at DJcity, we always strive to provide our customers with great value and the highest quality of content. We are proud to announce our new Global Musi...
-
July 29, 2022
New and Notable Tracks: Jul. 29
New tracks that DJs should know about.
-
August 9, 2022
DJcity’s Spotify Playlist Update: Aug. 9
Joel Corry and Becky Hill. DJcity's Spotify playlist update for the week of August 9: Doechii & Rico Nasty - Swamp Bitches Joel Corry &...
-
August 5, 2022
N!KTHEDEEJAY Delivers ‘DJcity Podcast’ Mix
NIKTHEDEEJAY. Nairobi's N!KTHEDEEJAY has delivered a fun, upbeat mix for the DJcity Podcast. His half-hour set blends high-energy house music with Afrob...