Nas Explained Why He Thought Hip-Hop Was Dead 20 Years Ago: 'Mostly Every Form of American Music Is Dead'

Nas Explained Why He Thought Hip-Hop Was Dead 20 Years Ago: 'Mostly Every Form of American Music Is Dead'

Musically, hip-hop was in a beautiful, incredibly varied space 20 years ago. The South had cemented its legitimacy and held the crown for the region that was on top. But everywhere from Chicago to Los Angeles to the Mecca in New York were all thriving at once. Moreover, hip-hop and R&B were largely thriving within popular spaces. However, Nas felt quite the opposite. In fact, it was so bad that he declared hip-hop as dead back on his 2006 album.…