Nas known as it useless in 2006, however now the Queensbridge icon is praising Kendrick Lamar and Clipse for reviving Hip-Hop in 2025 with chart-topping releases and renewed power throughout the style.

In a current sit-down with Complex, the Grammy-winning MC mirrored on the present state of rap, pointing to Lamar’s explosive yr and Clipse’s long-awaited return as proof that the style is flourishing.

“I used to say [that] Hip-Hop is dead. It is kind of dead, but we have to think about it, in a sense, like that,” Nas mentioned. “Because if you think about it, this year is really incredible. I mean, Kendrick’s been on a roll, Clipse cooking, Legend Has It [series], Mass Appeal.”

Nas particularly praised Kendrick’s current run, marked by the viral hit “Not Like Us” and his critically acclaimed album GNX.

Meanwhile, Clipse’s comeback mission Let God Sort Em Out, their first full-length launch in 16 years, has stirred pleasure throughout the business.

Both albums are anticipated to land nominations for Best Rap Album on the 2026 Grammy Awards, signaling a broader shift within the style’s momentum.

But Nas didn’t cease on the veterans. He additionally gave props to the subsequent era and girls in Hip-Hop for maintaining the tradition alive and evolving.

“All the younger dudes and the females, all of the females, it’s like Hip-Hop is really alive too,” he added. “So, you have the part that’s, that can threaten it, you know, the ignorance — the stuff that’s really, it doesn’t evolve… or it gets too violent — you know, you got the things that can threaten it… But then you also have everything that’s happening this year, too, so it’s a balance.”

Nas launched hip hop Is Dead in December 2006 below Def Jam, marking his first mission after leaving Columbia Records. The title observe, which featured will.i.am, sparked debate over the style’s path and longevity.

Now, practically 20 years later, the “Illmatic” legend says Hip-Hop is right here to remain.

“I think rap is timeless, and yeah, Hip-Hop is timeless,” Nas mentioned. “Hip-Hop keeps reinventing itself. It keeps staying current even if it’s a certain artist that’s not doing it no more. The art form in itself will find a new person to keep pushing it.”

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