The internet chatter over 21 Savage’s impolitic comments on Clubhouse about Nas’ relevance always felt a bit silly. 21 Savage tried to assert that the Queensbridge rapper may not resonate with today’s youth; in the process, he seemingly impugned a golden-era cohort that loudly frets over its obsolescence. Given the circumstances, the duo’s “beef-killing” single “One Mic, One Gun” is a pleasant surprise. Produced by Hit-Boy and released on November 29, it finds 21 continuing to backtrack his off-the-cuff comments, rapping, “When you turn a legend, no such thing as relevance/They must’ve forgot that I’m a new rapper that got integrity.” Meanwhile, Nas adds, “I’m with 21 on my second run, this shit come with age,” referring to his increasingly acclaimed King’s Disease series. The two-minute song works best as a statement of generational and coastal unity. It’s reminiscent of Nas’s J Cole ode “Made Nas Proud,” Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix),” and other numbers where the “Goats” try to connect with Gen Z on musical terms before time and taste pass them by.
Bars for Gaza
Over a year after the Israel-Hamas war began, numerous rap songs have appeared that address the ongoing conflict.