Nas Opens Up About Possible Collaboration With Kendrick Lamar

Hip-hop fans have long imagined what it would sound like if Nas and Kendrick Lamar shared a track. Two of the most acclaimed lyricists of their generations, both known for social insight and poetic delivery, have never collaborated. Yet Nas is not ruling out the idea.

Speaking with Complex during New York Comic Con, where he was promoting the Legend Has It comic collaboration between Mass Appeal and Marvel, Nas addressed the possibility of recording with Kendrick Lamar.

“Oh, man. It’s just all about the artist,” Nas said. “When you get the chance to record and work together, for me it should feel really natural. That would be great, I’d love to work with him. But I feel like it would have to be smooth the way it connects. Anything I do with anybody, especially someone like [Kendrick], I just want to take my time with it. So we’ll see. Hopefully.”

He laughed and added, “All you MCs out there, give me a call, man! I got some verses here and there. They’re hit or miss.”

Though the two have never shared studio time, mutual admiration has existed for years. In 2024, when Kendrick Lamar was announced as the headliner for the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, Nas showed public support on Instagram, writing, “Congratulations to my brotha. Can’t wait to watch the party die!!!!!”

Kendrick acknowledged Nas’ message on his GNX album opener “Wacced Out Murals,” where he rapped, “Won the Super Bowl and Nas the only one congratulate me / All these n****s agitated, I’m just glad they showin’ they faces.” The line reflected not only Lamar’s sharp penmanship but also his awareness of Nas’ respect for him.

Kendrick’s GNX album also featured a track titled “Man at the Garden,” whose beat carried the same introspective tone as Nas’ “One Mic” from Stillmatic. The resemblance was seen by fans as a deliberate homage to one of rap’s greatest storytellers.

In a separate interview with Rolling Stone, Nas praised Kendrick Lamar for his consistency and purpose. He described him as hip-hop’s “North Star,” someone who shines through the noise and speaks when it matters most.

“Kendrick is one of the brightest stars we’ve ever seen, and I don’t only mean superstar, I mean like the North Star,” Nas said. “Out of all of the artists in this business, there’s some that’s not here for the art. When we see those people that are not here for the art damaging it, you’re hurting the future of the art. So I think artists like Kendrick are going to speak out.”

He added that hip-hop’s survival depends on artists who care deeply about the craft. “Sometimes the rest of us won’t see it. Sometimes it’ll take Kendrick to remind us where we are lacking.”

A Nas and Kendrick Lamar collaboration would represent a rare bridge between eras. Nas, who defined 1990s New York rap with Illmatic, and Kendrick, who reshaped modern lyricism with To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN., share a commitment to authenticity and storytelling. Both artists explore race, identity, and truth in their music.

For fans, such a partnership would not just be a song. It would be a statement about hip-hop’s evolution and endurance. Nas’ comments suggest that if the collaboration happens, it will come naturally, not through pressure or expectation. His careful approach mirrors the way both artists treat their work: with patience and intent.

For now, the prospect remains open. As Nas said, “Hopefully.” If that hope turns into reality, hip-hop may witness one of its most important artistic moments yet.