Two of Billboard’s newly crowned R&B/Hip-Hop Hall of Fame recipients joined forces on Friday morning (Sept. 15), when Nas enlisted Lil Wayne for his Magic 3 standout track “Never Die.”
The Hit-Boy-produced song comes shortly after Nas’ 50th birthday, as the venerable MCs ruminate about their longevity in the rap game. “We ain’t gon’ never die, I’m an icon in real-time,” declares Nas on the triumphant hook. Esco also gave a nod to his partner-in-rhyme during his verse, saying, “The brand new Brand Nubians, N-A-S and Wayne.”
Weezy closed things off with a smoldering verse littered with sports metaphors as he name-drops Deion Sanders and Zion Williamson. He also salutes Nas during his lyrical barrage, rhyming, “Weezy and my slime Nas, ain’t nobody like us.”
For Nas and Wayne, “Never Die” marks their first collaboration in 12 years. They last sparred together on Weezy’s Tha Carter IV song “Outro” before pairing up on Nas and Damien Marley’s 2010 Distant Relative track “My Generation.”
Last month, Nas and Lil Wayne were honored at Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event after being inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 for their cultural contributions in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
“To see that we’re here and [hip-hop is] thriving [is incredible],” said Nas in his cover story with Billboard in August. “The art form is crazy right now. That’s a beautiful thing, and for younger artists that are just 20 years old to realize the history that is there and was laid down for them, to look at it and go, “Wow, this is a long history with deep roots,” is a great feeling.”
Listen to “Never Die” below.
