After DMX’s sudden passing earlier this year, critics expressed their beliefs that the rapper received an inadequate amount of love and support as he battled life’s obstacles; Nas was not one of them. In fact, while speaking to Desus and Mero, the King’s Disease emcee said that the “Slippin’” star was well respected and loved more than many current day rappers.
“People need to understand, DMX had more love than most rappers would ever see,” he said. “People said when he passed, ‘Where was the love when he was alive?’ You gotta be kidding me! He had more love than 98 percent of rappers would ever have.”
“He walked through any hood, sold millions of records, he had an incredible movie career,” Nas continued. “Kids ain’t doing that today! I wish he was still here with us, but in this life, he saw more love than 1,000 rappers put together.”
Nas and DMX’s years-long friendship includes their 1999 collaboration “Life is What You Make It” and stems further back as the two were co-stars on the 1998 film Belly. While discussing his relationship with X, who passed away in April of a cocaine-induced heart attack, he specifically highlighted a special moment they shared on the set of the cult classic.
“We formed a brotherhood,” Nas told Desus and Mero. “I didn’t have to see him or he didn’t have to call me, but when we saw each other though, it was that! Even working on the film, we cried.”
“We were at the Tunnel doing a scene and I was like, ‘You feel that, bro?’ He was like, ‘Yeah,’” the Queens emcee recalled. “And he’s crying, and now I’m crying. He was talking with that, ‘Grrr.’ I was like, ‘This man’s energy is something else.’”
Look below to see Nas’ full interview with Desus and Mero.