Hip-hop aficionados gleefully binged on the eight-episode Netflix series Rapture upon its release. For one, the series highlighted the lives of several rap veterans such as Nas and T.I. while exploring the careers of several budding MCs, including Logic and G-Eazy.
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One highlight from the series came during Nas’ episode when he entered the studio and watched Killer Mike piece together his track “Black Power, White Powder.” For Mike, hearing Nas’ effusive praise about being an “extremely talented lyricist” made the Atlanta MC feel reassured about his standing in hip-hop.
“I’m so humbled by that,” Killer Mike told Billboard earlier this week at the NBA Awards. “Nas is truly one of the greatest lyricists to ever come out of Queens, which has produced more great MCs than any other borough. He’s one of the greatest MCs of my lifetime and in the world. He’s also a friend. So for him to say that, I really appreciate it.”
Later, Mike candidly shared one of the most important gems Nas instilled in his life in regards to staying afloat in the music industry. “The best advice that I’ve gotten from Nas is honestly to just be me and to keep staying true to myself,” he said. “It took me a long time to figure out how to pop, but then, when you get famous, people are kind of like, ‘Oh, well, we don’t want as much of you.’ Nas really taught me to keep being intelligent, keep being street, keep being unapologetic about it and keep being down for the people.”
Mike also lauded 2 Chainz — who appears on the brooding track “Black Power, White Powder” — for bulldozing his way through the underground circuit. “He’s a friend. I really respect him,” he said of Chainz. “We’ve come out together in terms of being on our grind, coming out of the underground together, and who better than two reformed drug dealers to talk about what it means to legitimatize your life, become a family man, put businesses in the community and turn the same mentality you got from the trap into a legitimate business? Who better than 2 Chainz to talk about it with me?”
If you haven’t already, take a listen to “Black Power, White Powder” below.