Nas Reveals Eminem Turned Down ‘Life Is Good’ Collaboration

Nas and Eminem, extensively thought to be two of the best rappers ever, virtually labored collectively on the previous’s 2012 album Life Is Good.

In a sit-down with Joe Budden alongside DJ Premier to advertise their long-awaited joint mission Light-Years, Nas revealed that he tried to characteristic Em on his single “Daughters,” however the Detroit native politely declined the provide.

“Every file I do will not be a battle. I keep in mind I despatched the music ‘Daughters’ to Eminem and on the time he had spent a lot time talking on daughters, he was like, ‘Thank you, however I advised my daughter I’m not gonna do anymore songs instantly about daughters in the intervening time as a result of it’s a delicate subject with all of the music I’ve put out,’” he stated, alluding to songs like “Mockingbird” and “Hailie’s Song.”

“I feel [his] message was like, ‘Thank you ’trigger most individuals wish to do songs the place they’re battling me on a file. It was refreshing to get a file the place you’re not coming for me.’”

Nas and Eminem have remarkanly solely labored collectively twice. They first linked up on “The Cross,” an Eminem-produced monitor from Nas’ 2002 album God’s Son.

But their first time really buying and selling bars on the identical monitor got here simply 4 years in the past on “EPMD 2,” off Nas and Hit-Boy‘s King’s Disease II.

The pair’s lack of collaborations doesn’t imply a scarcity of respect and admiration between them, although.

In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, Eminem opened up about the impact that Nas’ landmark 1994 debut Illmatic had on him when he was honing his craft as an MC.

“I keep in mind The Source gave Illmatic 5 mics [a perfect score],” Em stated. “I already knew I preferred Nas from ‘Live on the Barbeque’ with Main Source as a result of his verse on that is among the most traditional verses in hip hop of all time. But I used to be like, ‘Five mics, although? Let me see what that is.’

“And once I put it on, ‘And be affluent, whough we dwell harmful / Cops may simply arrest me/Blamin’ us, we’re held like hostages.’ He was entering into and outdoors of the rhyme scheme, inside rhymes. That album had me in a stoop, too. I do know the album entrance to again.”