Rap icons and former lyrical rivals Jay-Z and Nas inspired hope within the hip-hop industry when they ended their war of words. The two infamous artists appeared on-stage together during a Powerhouse Concert held in New Jersey’s Continental Airline Arena. This reunion terminated a beef between the New York rappers, which had been on-going for several years, and shocked hip-hop fans everywhere.
For years, dating as far back as 2001, Brooklyn-born rapper, Jay-Z, and Queens-native, Nas, took lyrical stabs at one another. Jay-Z took the beef to a personal level. In a song directed at his nemesis, he took a shot at the mother of Nas’ daughter by insinuating that the pair had been involved romantically.
For the most part, Nas strayed from the personal attacks; instead, his reply, entitled Ether, drew into question Jay’s street credibility.
Although the beef never quite matched the extremity of the East-Coast, West-Coast rivalry, which ultimately ended in the tragic deaths of Tupac Shakur andNotorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Nas, proved to be ruthless lyricists. In what Nas later deemed a battle to be considered “King of New York,” according to MTV.com, many feared that these two men were playing with fire.
It seemed as though Jay-Z would continue on his path of feuds, when he declared the Powerhouse event an “I Declare War” concert on a popular New York radio station. Instead, he surprised the audience when he and Nas appeared on stage side-by-side. Within an industry marred by tragedy and feuds, these two accomplished men decided to promote peace by putting an end to their beef.
Nas joined Jay-Z in front of hundreds, maybe thousands, of fans and together they performed Jay’s hit “Dead Presidents.” Each artist then went on to perform their own hits individually, coming back together at the end of the concert.
Their reunion has definitely received mixed reviews.
This performance is viewed by many to be a landmark event, a stepping stone towards a new attitude within the rap industry. According to sophomore Eric Pendleton, “Two of the biggest and greatest MC’s of our era, who had such a big beef, finally came back together. It is definitely a big thing in hip-hop’s history. Hopefully, it sends a message throughout the industry.”
Despite the hope that many feel this performance affects hip-hop, there are some skeptics. These individuals question the motives behind this event, deeming it all to be a publicity stunt. Furthermore, there appears to be a large amount of doubt regarding the impact that this event will have on the rap industry in general.
” Feuds have been a part of rap from the very beginning. It’s just what rappers do. They use words and lyrics to battle, each displaying talent and the ability to come-up with the best insult. And, there is nothing wrong with keeping it strictly lyrical; the problem comes when it is taken beyond words and into actions. I doubt that Jay and Nas’ performance will inspire a drastic change within their industry. It’s going to take a lot more,” an anonymous source said.
Whatever the leading opinion may be, one thing is certain: the reunion of these two iconic rappers was surely monumental and worthy of its own place in rap-history.
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Posted to the web by Brandon Edwards
