Nipsey Hussle & Jay-Z's OG Version Of "What It Feels Like" Surfaces

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The original version of Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle's newly released collab surfaces with an additional verse from Tito Lopez.

It was a big day for releases yesterday. Though the supposed "surprise drop" Spotify teased didn't live up to the anticipation, we did get Judas & The Black Messiah: The Inspired Album. Now, usually, when films decide to enlist a slew of rappers to contribute to a soundtrack or an album inspired by the movie, it doesn't always come out with incredible results. This is different, though.

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Among the many songs that have been highly discussed in the past 24 hours is Nipsey Hussle and Jay-Z's "What It Feels Like." Even if Nip isn't here to celebrate the coveted collab with one of his heroes, fans rejoiced at the release of new music from Nip and a new verse from Jay. However, this song has been sitting in the vault for a while -- eight years, to be exact. And before Jay even considered hopping on the record, it was Tito Lopez that assisted Nip.

The song was initially recorded in 2013 with Mike & Keys, Mars and 1500 or Nothin handling the song's production. The same verse heard on the official version was the same one he had recorded back then with Lopez whose verse was replaced by Hov. Tito Lopez confirmed that this was the case. Later on, a snippet of the original surfaced on Instagram. Check that out below.

What are your thoughts on Jay-Z & Nipsey's new collab? Worth the hype or nah? 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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