Seems like parts of Kanye West and Nas' collaboration was not as original as we may have thought. The cover art and a beat they used for Nasir appear to have been inspired by work from another artist. The Architect, a Bay Area producer, came out with material that might have been ripped by the duo after its release.
The beat found on "Adam and Eve" bears a great resemblance to a free track The Architect had previously shared on Bandcamp. Even an untrained ear could discern the resemblance. The song, whose ironic title is "No Idea's Original," was actually part of a remix project that dropped last October. Coincidentally, this song, in particular, features Nas.
Then comes the cover art. The photograph used for Nasir was shot by a photojournalist named Mary Ellen Mark. Again, the picture had already been used for a project released by The Architect. Trill Life Mathematics, a collaboration with Nowaah The Flood, came out four days before Nasir officially dropped.
The Architect shared his thoughts about the uncanny resemblances with Complex. He doesn't seem too bothered by the fact that Adam & Eve features a sample he had dug up:
"I’m fully aware that a lot of the material that we use nowadays as far as on the underground is sample-based. Obviously, I don't own the samples, so I wasn’t going to say anything about it. The fact that I have Nas rapping on it—I don't know [...] At the end of the day, I don't have any hard feelings. It could also be creative-type minds working alike. If anything, I would like to work with the guys and be running around with them instead."
Those interested in the full interview can view it here.