Nas Performs "This Bitter Land" With Erykah Badu and Talks New Music on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'

Nas stops by 'Kimmel' to perform his Erykah Badu collab "This Bitter Land" and to chop it up with Jimmy about music, his legacy, and more.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

Wednesday's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live essentially belonged to Nas, who performed his Erykah Badu collab "This Bitter Land" and chopped it up with Kimmel about his creative process. Also, since our guy Matthew Perry apparently happened to be in the building at the same time, Nas even bravely went head-to-head with the Friends legend for a round of "Name That Famous Celebrity," which is supposedly a real game that actually exists.

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Speaking with Kimmel about why he's been hesitant to put out a new album, Nas said he was busy just soaking in life. "I gotta live life," Nas explained. "I gotta experience things. Sometimes music can shift society, man. Not even talking about me, but we are making some music out there that the world can hear now. When I first started out, I didn't know this thing would be so global. Things are changing, music is changing."

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Nas also mentioned the mural that recently went up in his neighborhood of Queensbridge, New York. The mural, according to Nas, was a pleasant surprise that he hopes will inspire younger generations to chase their dreams. "I got the call and people were texting me pictures about it and it scared me," Nas joked. "Usually when they put a mural up of someone in the neighborhood, he's dead. But it's a huge honor and I hope that the kids out there see it and me as an example. You can be something, doesn't matter where you're from or whatever. If you have a dream, go after it."

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Peep more of the Nas x Kimmel discussion above and be sure to grab the official soundtrack for The Land, available on all streaming services now.

Latest in Music