Nas was one of the quintessential mafioso rappers during the 1990s. He dove headfirst into mobster iconography during the second half of the decade, so it makes perfect sense that he'd have an affinity for one of the most iconic mobster actors of all time: Robert De Niro. Nas and De Niro haven't worked on a project together, but they have crossed paths several times over the years. They'll do it again at "De Niro Con," an upcoming festival dedicated to the actor's career.
De Niro Con is an event put on by the Tribeca Film Festival, which was co-founded by the actor. It will take place June 14-16 in New York and feature Q&As moderated by some of De Niro's peers and fans. This is where Nas fits in. The Queens rapper has been tapped to moderate a Q&A between De Niro and director Martin Scorsese for a screening of their 1973 film Mean Streets.
Nas Will Interview De Niro And Martin Scorsese
It's a full circle moment for both Nas and De Niro, as Tribeca introduced the Nas documentary Time Is Illmatic back in 2014. Nas praised De Niro during the doc's after party, claiming that he played scenes that were close to some of the rapper's own experiences. "I want to thank Robert De Niro," he stated. "He plays me in the movies." De Niro returned the praise, though he admitted that he was not familiar with Nas songs. He'd undoubtedly be touched by the number of time he's popped up in the rapper's music. It's difficult to keep count.
Casino, directed by Scorsese and starring De Niro, was the template for Nas' "Street Dreams" video. Then there's Once Upon a Time In America starring De Niro, which was sampled on the Nas-led Firm album. His most acclaimed film role, 1998's Belly, saw him and DMX play criminals who were lifelong friends, much like the central dynamic in Mean Streets. That's not even getting into all the Goodfellas references that appear in the rapper's lyrics. The Q&A takes place June 15 at the Beacon Theater.
[via]