Nas Lists Billy Joel & Bruce Springsteen As Dream Collaborators

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The hip-hop legend also mentioned Sade and Al Green in a list of people he'd love to work with one day.

In a recent interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Nas said that Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are among his dream collaborators. Also, the hip-hop legend said that he'd love to work with Sade or Al Green one day, as well. When answering Colbert's prompt about hopeful team-ups, he emphasized the sheer star power in that list and spoke on Joel's particular showmanship. In fact, these dream collaborations aren't just dreams, as the Queens MC tried to bring some of them to light.

“There’s a lot," he remarked to the talk show host when asked about his feature wishlist. "From Sade to Al Green to Billy Joel to The Boss, Bruce. I tried that at Billy Joel’s concert. I went to his show and it was incredible. He’s the king of the Garden." In fact, the "It Ain't Hard To Tell" MC recently performed at Madison Square Garden for a one-night gig this Friday (February 24). From all accounts, the show was a wonderful spectacle and yet another point on Nas' board in GOAT conversations. Given his incredible career trajectory over the past few years, maybe he himself will become the next king of the Garden.

Nas Names His Dream Collaborators

Elsewhere in the interview, the 49-year-old spoke on why he doesn't feel inspired by rappers his own age anymore. Instead, he explained, he tries to stack himself up to what the current generation is doing, maintaining that hunger for creativity. “I’m really trying to figure out what my next move is, and I feel like a lot of Hip Hop artists my age are not putting out a lot of material, so I can’t look to them as reference,” he stated. “They kind of slowed down — for whatever reasons, I understand it’s a tough thing — but I got bit by the bug, man.”

However, that doesn't mean that the Mass Appeal mogul's completely forgotten about older artists. In fact, 50 Cent recently revealed he'll assist Nas and Hit-Boy on King's Disease IV, which should entice 50 fans and doubters alike. While it's been a while since the TV mogul was known primarily for music, it's very likely that a more long-standing legend like Nas and one of the best producers right now like Hit-Boy could inspire him by comparing themselves to the present, not the past. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on the one and only Nas.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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