Nas Thinks 'Hip Hop Is Dead' Backfired

Nas made a provocative statement with his 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead.

The album's title -- and its title track -- angered some of the younger emcees in the game, especially those from the still rising Dirty South.

But ten years after its release, Nas doesn't feel like it did what it was supposed to do.

"I felt like it would be dope if I could say something like Hip Hop is dead that would make some of the young guys realize not only can you follow what’s happening today, but you can go back into the history," Nas explains. "I was just trying to open up the art form." "In retrospect, I missed the mark by miles," he continued. "I didn’t want to pick people apart. I felt it was for a younger artist to do. I thought the title was enough. To say it's dead is to say 'I don't know where to begin, I don't know where to start. At least I'll name it this, and we'll see what goes from there.'"