Just weeks after Akademiks called OG rappers dusty, 21 Savage has caused an uproar for his comments about Nas. In a recent Clubhouse conversation, The Atlanta rapper sparked serious debate surrounding Nas's relevance in hip-hop.
At first, the conversation surrounded Nas' contributions to the culture. However, as the rapper and his cohorts discussed relevancy in the culture, the conversation led to controversial commentary on Nas's status in hip-hop. Though he's considered a titan with one of the strongest pen's in the history of the genre, the Her Loss rapper suggested that God's Son wasn't relevant.
"I don't feel like he's relevant," he said over the call. "I just feel like he got a loyal fan base. He still makes good music." The comment then prompted the co-host to ask 21 to define relevance. "Mostly connected or appropriate to what’s being done to be considered," he then said in response.
Though many began pushing back against what 21 was saying, another participant compared the reception to King's Disease III to Jay-Z's verse on "God Did." The Hov verse had the internet in shambles while Nas's King's Disease III didn't necessarily have the same impact. Nonetheless, the latest release from Nasir Jones proves that he's still a master of his craft with plenty of things to say, nearly 30 years after the release of his debut album, Illmatic.
Of course, one could argue that Southern bias is to blame for 21 Savage's comments or the fact that he's coming off of the highest-selling rap album of 2022, Her Loss. His new collaborative effort with Drake shot to the top of the Billboard 200 with 404K units -- an impressive feat for both the Toronto superstar and the Atlanta rapper.
Still, fans believe that 21 Savage might be gassed up due to the recent successes.
Another wrote, "21 Savage said Nas is irrelevant. It's funny because Nas at 49 years old just released 4 better quality albums than his whole discography. But it's even funnier when 21 Savage is being relevant exclusively thanks to Drake in the last year."
In addition to the previous tweets, check out a few more reactions below.