Nas Shades Pete Rock Over "Illmatic" Lawsuit

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2014 Tribeca Film Festival - Opening Night Premiere Of "Time Is Illmatic" - After Party
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 16: Pete Rock (c) and Nas (r) attend the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival Opening Night Premiere of "Time Is Illmatic" after party at Providence on April 16, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Nas addresses Pete Rock's legal threats over "Illmatic" royalties on "30."

It looks like Nas is finally addressing Pete Rock's lawsuit surrounding Illmatic royalties.

This morning, Nas and Hit-Boy dropped the third installment in the King's Disease series. The project boasts no features but Nas is certainly poppin' his ish across the tracklist. On "30," Nas takes on Hit-Boy's production with a chip on his shoulder, specifically toward Pete Rock's legal threats.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: Nas performs onstage during the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 03, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

"Premier album still might happen
I wonder why Pete Rock would act like that
That type of behavior make me give rap right back
And now I can't tell if all the good that I did's bein' hid with they agenda again, n***a
I know that y'all prayin' I go back to nothin'
We in the future, let's get past the frontin'
Let's get money."

"30" - Nas

Nas and Pete Rock's issues emerged into the public at the top of 2022. The producer's attorney said Pete Rock's share of royalties haven't hit his bank account.

Rock produced one of the most famous songs on the iconic album, "The World Is Yours." Though he confirmed that he receives royalties for the song, he hasn't seen a payment for years. His attorney said the unpaid royalties amount to $1M.

"We haven’t gotten any information to state what that [amount] is at this juncture. And if we don’t get it before we file a lawsuit, we’ll obviously ask for that in discovery," Pete's attorney Lita Rosario-Richardson said.

"The goal here is for Pete to get paid his royalties," she continued. "And obviously, if we can do that without having to file a lawsuit, that would be preferable. We’re not looking for a sum of money and then that’s the end of it. We’re looking for his ongoing and continuous royalties."

It remains unclear whether Pete Rock moved forward with the lawsuit. Clearly, the rift weighed on Nas's mind during the recording process of King's Disease III.

Peep the song below and let us know your thoughts on Nas and Hit-Boy's new album in the comments.

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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