Nas Almost Collaborated with Eminem on 2012’s Life Is Good
Nas revealed he nearly featured Eminem on his 2012 single “Daughters” from the album Life Is Good, but the Detroit rapper declined. Speaking with Joe Budden and DJ Premier to promote their joint project Light-Years, Nas explained that Eminem had recently recorded several personal songs about his own daughter.
“Every record I do is not a battle. I remember I sent the song ‘Daughters’ to Eminem and at the time he had spent so much time speaking on daughters, he was like, ‘Thank you, but I told my daughter I’m not gonna do anymore songs directly about daughters at the moment because it’s a sensitive issue with all the music I’ve put out,’” Nas said. He added that Em appreciated the non-confrontational nature of the track.
Despite their limited collaborations, Nas and Eminem have shown mutual respect over decades. Their first connection was on “The Cross,” an Eminem-produced track on Nas’ 2002 album God’s Son. They later traded verses directly on “EPMD 2,” from Nas and Hit-Boy’s King’s Disease II, released four years ago.
Eminem has frequently cited Nas as a key influence. In a 2023 New York Times interview, he reflected on the impact of Nas’ 1994 debut Illmatic. Em highlighted the album’s complex rhyme schemes and internal rhymes, saying it shaped his approach to lyricism.
While fans have long anticipated more joint work between the two, this revelation shows how creative timing and personal focus shaped the collaborations that did happen. Their shared admiration underscores the influence both artists continue to have on hip-hop.
