U.S. radio host, Ebro Darden has declared that rapper Nas has contributed more to hip-hop than any other artist in the genre’s history.
During a new episode of Ebro in the Morning, Darden praised Nas for his efforts to elevate hip-hop culture and support veteran artists through his Mass Appeal record label.
“Hot take,” Ebro said. “Nas has done more for hip-hop than any other rapper in history. He has given back more to hip-hop than any rapper in history.” Co-host Peter Rosenberg agreed, saying Nas is certainly part of that.
The discussion followed the announcement that Mass Appeal will be releasing new albums from several iconic hip-hop acts, including De La Soul, Mobb Deep, and Ghostface Killah. The label’s initiative, titled Legend Has It…, is part of an effort to spotlight some of the most influential pioneers in hip-hop.
In a press release, Mass Appeal said: “Legend Has It… is dedicated to celebrating and spotlighting some of the most important and influential hip-hop artists of all time—trailblazers who’ve helped shape the music and culture from the streets of New York City to the global stage. This series includes Nas and DJ Premier reuniting, Ghostface Killah’s long-awaited Supreme Clientele 2, and Emperor’s New Clothes from Wu-Tang’s Raekwon.”
The label also recently released Victory, a new album from Slick Rick, marking his first full-length project since 1999’s The Art of Storytelling.
Ebro’s praise for Nas comes in the wake of criticism from fellow rapper Jim Jones, who recently claimed his own catalog has remained more relevant than Nas’. Speaking on the Joe & Jada Podcast and Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Jones said:
“My son can’t tell me one Nas record. I got a hell of a catalog—me, Jim Jones. Gold records, platinum records. No Diplomats, nobody else, just me. Check my track record, then check everybody else’s. Go to Billboard and pull up Nas’ entries, then pull up mine. I’ve been spanking a lot of this sh*t
