Nas just gave Kendrick Lamar one of the biggest compliments imaginable — calling him hip-hop’s “North Star.”
During an interview with Rolling Stone, the rap icon praised Kendrick while discussing the parallels between his 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead and Lamar’s track “Watch the Party Die.”
“We all as artists love this art form and have our opinions on it,” Nas said. “Kendrick is one of the brightest stars we’ve ever seen, and I don’t only mean superstar — I mean like the North Star. I think he’s one of those.”
He continued, “Out of all the artists in this business, there’s some that’s not here for the art. When we see those people damaging it, they’re hurting the future of the art. So I think artists like Kendrick are going to speak out.”
Beyond talking about Lamar, Nas also addressed his approved proposal to expand a casino in Queens — while a competing plan from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation to open one in Times Square was rejected.
“It’s just one of those things people will always bring up,” he said about fans comparing their long-past feud. “No one can control that. I still study Rakim and Big Daddy Kane. Some rap fans just like to debate that stuff sometimes. That’s all it is.”
Nas’ $5.5 billion casino expansion recently received the green light from a community advisory committee, marking a major milestone. However, it still awaits final approval from the State Gaming Commission.
This isn’t the first time Nas has shown love to Kendrick — right after Lamar dropped his latest LP last November, Nas saluted him on Instagram, writing, “Always inspired by my brother KL. Keeping the essence of this shit alive and at the forefront. Salute King!”
