Scarface Details His Peacekeeping Efforts During Nas and JAY-Z’s Feud
Scarface recalls getting JAY-Z and Nas to appear on the same album at the height of their very public beef.
We all know Scarface as one of hip-hop’s most respected pens. But he’s also a low-key master of mediation.
According to the rap legend’s recent appearance on N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN’s Drink Champs podcast, he was almost caught in the crossfire between Nas and JAY-Z during their infamous feud in the early 2000s, which culminated in a round of diss tracks (and eventually, a unanimously agreed upon victory for Nas.)
Hoping to stay out of their very public spat while still supporting both rappers, Face called on the New York icons to appear on songs for his 2002 album, The Fix. But even that gesture was nearly spun into a chance for them to quarrel. “Nas went at JAY on that record. I can’t remember everything that was said, but he fucking went off,” Face recalls of the first verse he received from the Queensbridge rapper for “In Between Us.” It took an uncontentious rewrite before Nas’ bars were included on the track. “I was like we not going to do it like that. We just going to make some records man. He went back and did a whole other verse. It was clean,” Face said. JAY appears a bit earlier on The Fix‘s tracklist, trading fairly harmless bars with Face and Beanie Sigel on the Kanye-produced standout, “Guess Who’s Back.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Face (literally) gets his flowers, a birthday cake (even though it was absolutely not his birthday,) and fields praise from fellow luminaries after discussing a rare and revered run in hip-hop.
Watch Scarface discuss his career N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN on the Drink Champs podcast below. Jump to the 2:32:00 mark to get right to the peacekeeping efforts.