How the Nas Rivalry Started \u2014 And Ended<\/h2>\n\n\n\tBefore Kendrick and Drake imploded hip-hop with their 2024 battle, Jay-Z and Nas arguably had the most famous hip-hop beef of all time. Now that the two gentlemen are \u201creally good friends,\u201d as Jay puts it, they can reflect on the origins and endings of their row.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNas was supposed to be on my first album; he just never showed up to the studio,\u201d Jay revealed. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not really a guy like that\u2026 so that was that for me. I\u2019m never asking him for anything again. [There\u2019s] not a problem. But that was the end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBy the time Nas dropped his second album, It Was Written<\/em>, in 1996, \u201che was taking what I perceived to be shots,\u201d said Jay. \u201cEveryone knew I had the Lexus with the TVs.\u201d On \u201cThe Message,\u201d Nas spits, \u201cLex with TV sets\u2014the minimum, ill sex adrenaline,\u201d which \u201cbegan a cold war of sorts\u201d that escalated into a rap battle, but the competition made both artists better. \u201cHe really rose to the occasion, I\u2019ll say that,\u201d Jay said in closing. \u201cIt fizzled out at the end; during the whole thing we had so much respect for each other. It got personal\u2026 but it was more about competition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nJay-Z vs. Beyonc\u00e9 in the Studio<\/h2>\n\n\n\tIn something of a preview to the breakdown of \u201cFamily Feud\u201d in episode eight, Rubin asked Jay to compare and contrast his recording process with his wife\u2019s. Of course, Hov & Bey have teamed up for Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers like \u201cCrazy in Love,\u201d Grammy-winning full-lengths such as Everything is Love<\/em> and a pair of stadium-conquering world tours. Jay has also been a key songwriting partner for Beyonc\u00e9 over the years, contributing to her rap verses on tracks like \u201cSavage (Remix),\u201d \u201cAlien Superstar\u201d and \u201cSpaghettii\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tJay described Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s recording process as \u201cwild\u201d and \u201clayered,\u201d in contrast to his improvisational approach. \u201cShe\u2019ll record her vocal and stack it up a thousand times,\u201d he said. \u201cHer creativty, a lot of it is in the melodies and the harmonies\u2026 and she\u2019ll try anything. I\u2019m too self-conscious to try anything and be screaming\u2026 [My process is] pretty much my voice, straightforward. I play with music and melody more than the character.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
\nThe First Hip-Hop Line He Remembers Hitting Him On a Deeper Level<\/h2>\n\n\n\tAt the beginning of episode seven, Rubin asks Jay about the first hip-hop line he remembers making him realize that something deeper was going on in the lyrics. In response, Hov flawlessly spit Big Daddy\u2019s verse of Marley Marl\u2019s \u201cThe Symphony,\u201d which he remembers hearing the Brooklyn MC lay down during the making of joint mixtape with Jaz-O at producer Fresh Gordon\u2019s house. \u201cSo put a quarter in your ass \u2019cause ya played yourself\/ Like a game in the arcade, you need a far aid,\u201d raps Kane.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201c\u2018You played yourself\u2019 wasn\u2019t a popular phrase yet, and I was like Wow. Whoa<\/em>,\u201d Jay told Rubin. \u201cI was in there thinking, \u2018I got a ways to go,\u2019 I\u2019m not there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n- \n
\nThe First Time Jay Heard Hip-Hop From Outside of NYC<\/h2>\n\n\n\tJay says Ice-T or NWA were his first encounters with hip-hop music from outside of New York City. \u201cIt felt like Richard Pryor albums,\u201d he remembered. \u201cIt felt dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
\nRick Rubin Visited N.W.A in the Studio During the Making of \u2018Straight Outta Compton\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\tAs Jay reflected on his first time hearing hip-hop music from outside of New York City, Rubin revealed that he actually visited the studio while N.W.A was recording its landmark Straight Outta Compton<\/em> album. He noted that it was the first time he was around a lot of guns in hip-hop, saying, \u201cBefore that, it wasn\u2019t really like that\u2026 a lot of people with a lot of guns. It was different.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/lists\/jay-z-in-8-finale-review-episodes-7-8-rick-rubin-hbo-max\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jay-z-rick-rubin-2026-press-warner-bros-billboard-1800.jpg?w=1024″] The JA\u0178-Z in 8 finale has arrived. The final two installments of Hov\u2019s HBO Max docuseries landed Friday evening (Oct. 9), with Rick Rubin helping the hip-hop legend unpack the stories behind key moments and releases from the latter years of his career. Episode seven explores hits like \u201cHard Knock Life (Ghetto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-2188688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2188688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188688\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2188688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2188688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2188688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\tBefore Kendrick and Drake imploded hip-hop with their 2024 battle, Jay-Z and Nas arguably had the most famous hip-hop beef of all time. Now that the two gentlemen are \u201creally good friends,\u201d as Jay puts it, they can reflect on the origins and endings of their row.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cNas was supposed to be on my first album; he just never showed up to the studio,\u201d Jay revealed. \u201cAnd I\u2019m not really a guy like that\u2026 so that was that for me. I\u2019m never asking him for anything again. [There\u2019s] not a problem. But that was the end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBy the time Nas dropped his second album, It Was Written<\/em>, in 1996, \u201che was taking what I perceived to be shots,\u201d said Jay. \u201cEveryone knew I had the Lexus with the TVs.\u201d On \u201cThe Message,\u201d Nas spits, \u201cLex with TV sets\u2014the minimum, ill sex adrenaline,\u201d which \u201cbegan a cold war of sorts\u201d that escalated into a rap battle, but the competition made both artists better. \u201cHe really rose to the occasion, I\u2019ll say that,\u201d Jay said in closing. \u201cIt fizzled out at the end; during the whole thing we had so much respect for each other. It got personal\u2026 but it was more about competition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \n\tIn something of a preview to the breakdown of \u201cFamily Feud\u201d in episode eight, Rubin asked Jay to compare and contrast his recording process with his wife\u2019s. Of course, Hov & Bey have teamed up for Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers like \u201cCrazy in Love,\u201d Grammy-winning full-lengths such as Everything is Love<\/em> and a pair of stadium-conquering world tours. Jay has also been a key songwriting partner for Beyonc\u00e9 over the years, contributing to her rap verses on tracks like \u201cSavage (Remix),\u201d \u201cAlien Superstar\u201d and \u201cSpaghettii\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJay described Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s recording process as \u201cwild\u201d and \u201clayered,\u201d in contrast to his improvisational approach. \u201cShe\u2019ll record her vocal and stack it up a thousand times,\u201d he said. \u201cHer creativty, a lot of it is in the melodies and the harmonies\u2026 and she\u2019ll try anything. I\u2019m too self-conscious to try anything and be screaming\u2026 [My process is] pretty much my voice, straightforward. I play with music and melody more than the character.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \n\tAt the beginning of episode seven, Rubin asks Jay about the first hip-hop line he remembers making him realize that something deeper was going on in the lyrics. In response, Hov flawlessly spit Big Daddy\u2019s verse of Marley Marl\u2019s \u201cThe Symphony,\u201d which he remembers hearing the Brooklyn MC lay down during the making of joint mixtape with Jaz-O at producer Fresh Gordon\u2019s house. \u201cSo put a quarter in your ass \u2019cause ya played yourself\/ Like a game in the arcade, you need a far aid,\u201d raps Kane.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201c\u2018You played yourself\u2019 wasn\u2019t a popular phrase yet, and I was like Wow. Whoa<\/em>,\u201d Jay told Rubin. \u201cI was in there thinking, \u2018I got a ways to go,\u2019 I\u2019m not there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \n\tJay says Ice-T or NWA were his first encounters with hip-hop music from outside of New York City. \u201cIt felt like Richard Pryor albums,\u201d he remembered. \u201cIt felt dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n \n\tAs Jay reflected on his first time hearing hip-hop music from outside of New York City, Rubin revealed that he actually visited the studio while N.W.A was recording its landmark Straight Outta Compton<\/em> album. He noted that it was the first time he was around a lot of guns in hip-hop, saying, \u201cBefore that, it wasn\u2019t really like that\u2026 a lot of people with a lot of guns. It was different.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/lists\/jay-z-in-8-finale-review-episodes-7-8-rick-rubin-hbo-max\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jay-z-rick-rubin-2026-press-warner-bros-billboard-1800.jpg?w=1024″] The JA\u0178-Z in 8 finale has arrived. The final two installments of Hov\u2019s HBO Max docuseries landed Friday evening (Oct. 9), with Rick Rubin helping the hip-hop legend unpack the stories behind key moments and releases from the latter years of his career. Episode seven explores hits like \u201cHard Knock Life (Ghetto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-2188688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2188688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188688\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2188688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2188688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2188688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Jay-Z vs. Beyonc\u00e9 in the Studio<\/h2>\n
The First Hip-Hop Line He Remembers Hitting Him On a Deeper Level<\/h2>\n
The First Time Jay Heard Hip-Hop From Outside of NYC<\/h2>\n
Rick Rubin Visited N.W.A in the Studio During the Making of \u2018Straight Outta Compton\u2019<\/h2>\n