ScHoolboy Q feels people rooted for Nas during his feud with Jay Z because he was the underdog.
TDE spitter ScHoolboy Q may consider Queensbridge emcee Nas his favorite rapper, but according to the Los Angeles-based artist, he feels Nas lost the battle against Jay Z.
When asked who won the battle between Jay Z and Nas during an interview with Vlad TV, Q was quick to label Jay Z the victor in the battle between the two New York artists. While speaking on the beef between Jay and Nas, ScHoolboy Q commented on Jay’s ability to recruit others to “his roster” during the feud.
“Honestly, I think Jay Z won,” said Q. “Everybody say Nas won, but honestly I think Jay won. I mean Nas is my favorite rapper, but Jay Z he was pretty scandalous. He didn’t let it go. When Nas kinda was letting it go, Jay Z didn’t let it go. He was still throwing a little [jab] out there. And like adding people to his roster. Nas was going simply at Jay. Like one time he mentioned someone else…Jay felt some type of way after ‘Ether.’ You know what I’m saying?”
Q later commented on Nas being the underdog in his battle against Jay Z, who he referred to as the better rapper, and cited that point as being one of the reasons why people list “Ether” as one of the highlights in the lyrical feud.
“Cause Jay is the best rapper and everybody don’t wanna believe that Jay—even though Nas is my favorite, but Jay he’s like LeBron, Jordan, Kobe,” he said. “People just wanna say ‘no’ or hate. People just wanna hate on Kobe. Like ‘He’s old.’ Fuck that, he just had 35 points…Nas was such an underdog. People wanted Nas to win. But, I mean, at the end of the day more people said Nas won. So honestly, what I’m saying is kinda irrelevant. I’m just going off what I feel. Cause I think people are caught up in him being an underdog.”
Prior to speaking on the battle between Jay and Nas, Q spoke on his appreciation for Nas as an emcee and the rapper’s ability to craft material that he feels would be considered classic in today’s music.
“He was rapping crazy like in 93, 92,” said Q. “People don’t understand the verses he was kicking would be like something classic now. Like that was like 92 when people—when even Snoop Dogg and them was rapping ‘one, two, three, and to the four. Snoop Doggy Doggy and Dr. Dre is at yo door.’ You know what I’m saying? Nas was kicking some whole other shit around that time. Like he was reading a book as he was writing his raps. It was crazy.”
As one of the most talked about feuds in Hip Hop, the feud between Nas and Jay Z lasted several years and resulted in the release of several diss records including “Takeover,” “Ether,” and “Supa Ugly.”
Years after the feud between the two rappers was ignited, both Jay Z and Nas would go on to work at the same label together and collaborate on a handful of records including the Magna Carta Holy Grail track “BBC” and reportedly the Timbaland-produced “Sinatra In The Sands.”
