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 staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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