Ever since he burst onto the scene in the early 1990s, Nas has been one of the most socially and politically conscious artists in hip-hop, which means he has been particularly vocal in recent months about the ever-increasing racial tensions in this country. In a new interview with Time, the Queensbridge rapper discusses the racial divide in the United States and compares our country to South Africa during its oppressive apartheid era.
"It's not cool to look like apartheid South Africa 1988," the rapper laments. "How are we going to be the free world or the most powerful country when inside this country we're fighting because of skin color? That's just embarrassing. I'm one of the guys that's out there saying, 'Listen, it has to stop.'"
"America, we are really smart enough to figure it out," Nas continues, "but I guess it's safer to hang out and be ignorant, be hateful and think that one person is better than the other."
Recently, Nas has joined Russell Simmons in the New York City protests in response to the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown at the hands of police officers.
"It's the culmination and beginning of — at the same time — a lot of hard work," Simmons told Revolt about the protests, "and the beginning of a shift, and I know for sure that there'll be change in the way police police the police."
You can check out a video of Nas's Time interview here.
In September, Nas boasted on a remix of Schoolboy Q's "Studio" that his new album was finished, though it still has yet to be released or even given a release date. The album will be Nas's 12th overall, his first since 2012's Life Is Good.
You can check out Nas's classic track "N.Y. State of Mind" here:
