Bridging The Gap 3 3
In addition, racial profiling, the FBI, police brutality,
slavery and the struggle of African people worldwide
are also dissected. “My father and mother instilled in
me who I was,” he states. “But you have to go
through so many layers of lies and oppression just
to get to the truth about who you are. When you’re
a lost tribe in a continent where you don’t really have
a homeland, it puts you in a unique situation, so we
have to dig a little harder to find that truth cos no
one’s putting it out there for you. I think once you
do learn, it puts you in a better place.”
He hopes more children are to follow with Kelis,
whom he has been dating for nearly three years.
The pair fell in love almost instantly, he gushes, after
meeting at a New York nightclub. “She was standing
there with these amazing heels, this gorgeous outfit,
her hair in a ponytail and bright gold teeth. I said ‘Is it
you?’ She said her name and I said, ‘I’ve been waiting
to make you my wife for a long time.’ I knew right off
that I didn’t want her to get away. I knew that she was
the one.”
Since that fateful evening, the pair has been almost
inseparable. They regularly accompany each other on
Countering the highly charged political poetry are tales
photo-shoots, interviews, tours, and, appear on each
of love, sex, friends, music and family. There’s an entire
other’s records.
song devoted to one of Nas’
hip hop heroes, Rakim, a look
However, it’s from the simple
at his future wedding day and
Whether or not Kelis
things in life, Nas insists, that
a dedication to his daughter
is now Mrs Jones,
the couple get most of their
Destiny. “It’s a whole story, it
enjoyment. “We’re just
talks about my life, my views
Nas admits he’s more
homebodies,” he states. “In
and where I’m at today,” Nas
than ready to settle
New York, we love to walk the
says simply.
streets. And not like a lot of
into family life
normal people walk. Some
Where he’s at today,
people would think we were
personally and professionally,
crazy but we walk from one end of Manhattan Island
is a pretty good place, by all accounts. Despite losing
his mother to cancer two years ago, an experience that to the other end of the Island. We walk.”
he continues to deal with daily, his family life is
He’ll continue to march along the path in life he has
otherwise looking very healthy. There are rumours he
both chosen and been guided towards. While other
recently married his fiancée of two years, the singer
rappers retire or resort to churning out cheesy makeKelis, although if that’s true he’s not saying today. “I
money-quick albums, Nas has no intention of hanging
can’t answer that,” he defers. “It’s too much
up the microphone just yet. “You never rest until you’re
information. We’ll let you know. Soon as it happens,”
dead when it comes to being an emcee. It’s gonna be
he promises.
times when I slow down and do other things but we’re
emcees till we die,” he insists. “I think we’ve come to
Whether or not Kelis is now Mrs Jones, Nas admits
a point where we won’t let anything stop us,” he adds
he’s more than ready to settle into family life having
been through the ‘roaring 20s’ of his life. Already father before getting up to leave. “We wouldn’t be here if the
generations before us didn’t believe that they had a
to 10-year-old Destiny, her birth was the happiest
destiny and that there was a bigger destiny for their
moment of his life, being a family man is of grave
grandchildren – us. So I feel all along we have this will
importance. “Being a father is so serious. I have no
love for people who leave their children. I think all men to survive.”
that bring children into this world and don’t take care
of them should be executed,” he states soberly.
Nas’ album Street’s Disciple is out now on Columbia Records.