Nas and DJ Premier Sit Down with Joe Budden to Talk “Light-Years” and Legacy

What does it look like when two of hip-hop’s most revered names finally lock in for a full album? For Nas and DJ Premier, the answer is Light-Years, a project decades in the making, shaped by respect, timing and an undying love for the culture. Premier’s hands have been on the boards for some of Nas’ most essential cuts since the early 90s, but this album is different. This time, they set the pace together from start to finish.

In an extended sit-down with Joe Budden, the two legends opened up about how Light-Years came together and why now was the right time. What unfolded was a layered, honest and sometimes philosophical conversation about hip-hop's evolution, their personal growth, and how they continue to push forward without chasing trends or playing by outdated rules. The album is more than a collaboration. It is a statement on longevity, experimentation and legacy. With each record, they are adding another page to their own history books, and reminding the world what it looks like when the past and future of hip-hop collide in real time.

Why "Light-Years" Was Always the Destination

It started with the name. When Joe Budden asked how they landed on Light-Years, Nas and Premier ran through the list of discarded titles. Some were raw, like a tongue in cheek suggestion called “Forget a Title.” Others were more traditional, like “Hip Hop Is Alive,” a nod to Nas’ earlier Hip Hop Is Dead statement. But none of them felt complete.

Then Nas said it. Light-Years. A phrase that, on its surface, sounds simple. But for these two? It means time traveled. Ideas that move faster than the moment they’re created in. “Hip hop is light years ahead of most things,” Nas said during the interview, explaining that artists in the genre have always had the ability to speak into the future. Premier agreed. He added that hip hop is full of these messages that age into prophecy. For them, the title wasn’t just about how far they’ve come. It was about how far their music can still reach.

Working Together Then and Now

For Premier, this album was a long time coming. He has been part of Nas’ story since the Illmatic days, laying down foundational cuts like “N.Y. State of Mind” and “Memory Lane.” But back then, he was just one of several producers in a room full of energy and noise, watching a young MC try to make his stamp. In those early sessions, the studio was packed with friends, laughter and Hennessy being passed around. Premier remembers having to ask people to quiet down while they tracked vocals. It was chaos, but it was beautiful.

Now, things are different. It is just Nas and Premier. No entourage. No distractions. The energy is more focused, but no less urgent. They’re older, sharper, more deliberate. Premier called the process more pressure, but the good kind, the kind that sharpens the tools. Nas echoed the sentiment, adding that their dynamic has shifted into a place where each move is intentional. “It’s like two generals making battle plans,” Nas said.

The difference now is not just about age or experience. It is about having something to say and knowing how to say it. These are not two legends trying to recreate a moment. They are expanding on one.

A Legacy Fueled by Passion, Not Nostalgia

One of the biggest themes throughout the conversation was endurance. Joe Budden asked how Nas continues to deliver at this level, even after six albums with Hit-Boy and a relentless touring schedule. Nas didn’t credit himself. Instead, he pointed to the artists who keep him inspired, Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick, Havoc, and the late Prodigy. “Getting on those records made me feel like I was 19 again,” he said.

Each collaboration, especially those post Hit-Boy, felt like a test. He talked about Havoc asking him for multiple verses and the pressure to show up at that level. “If I don’t bring it, what’s the point?” Nas said. That challenge, that need to still prove something to his peers, is what fuels his pen.

Premier has his own fire to maintain. As a producer who came up in an era where scratches were the DJ’s verse, he still treats every project like a competition. He wears three hats when producing for Nas, DJ, fan and coach. As a DJ, he imagines how the record will sound in a set. As a fan, he wants to hear Nas at his sharpest. As a producer, he takes the role of architect, guiding the overall sound and mood of the record without micromanaging the artist. “I just help him find the best version of what he already wants to say,” he explained.

New York Then and Now: Part III of an Anthem

Revisiting “New York State of Mind” was not a decision they took lightly. The first record helped define Nas’ voice. The second built on that legacy. For a third installment, they needed more than nostalgia. They needed purpose. Premier admitted he was hesitant. “Do we need another one?” he asked Nas. But the concept clicked when Nas introduced a Billy Joel sample. The idea of New York as something ever changing but eternally inspiring made the track make sense.

Nas said the city still holds that same energy for him. It’s gritty. It’s layered. But now, he sees it with a different lens. “Back then it was chains and whips. Now it’s legacy and business,” he said. The new track isn’t about reliving a moment. It is about documenting how the city has evolved and how Nas has evolved with it. The potholes are still breaking rims, but the dreams have changed.

The Tech Era and the Age of Ownership

Nas has long had one foot in the booth and one in the boardroom. On Light-Years, the lines blur even more. He’s vocal about tech, AI and cryptocurrency, not just to show off, but to plant seeds. The opening track, “Get Ready,” introduces him as “Mr. Cryptocurrency Scarface,” a nickname that embodies his role as both artist and entrepreneur.

Nas believes hip hop has always been about information, and now that includes digital finance and artificial intelligence. “We’re already in the tech business. We just don’t always realize it,” he said. To him, it’s not enough to rap about the streets. The next evolution is bringing the streets into spaces that were once off limits, like tech and venture capital.

Premier supports that mission fully. He shaped the scratches around Nas’ lyrics to reflect that theme. On “Get Ready,” he cut in a De La Soul line that says “pay that man his chips,” which Nas loved for its double meaning. The goal was to treat the scratches like a voice of their own, co-signing, reacting, adding depth.

Graffiti and the Elements That Built This

A surprising highlight on the album is a song called “Writers,” where Nas pays tribute to graffiti artists, the unsung storytellers of hip hop. Premier pitched the concept, expecting it might be a stretch. Instead, Nas jumped in headfirst. He studied old graffiti films, dug into names and history, and crafted a verse that felt more like a documentary.

It became the longest song to finish. Not because it was hard to write, but because Nas wanted to get every name right. Every reference had to hit. “It reminded me of when Big L took six months to write Ebonics,” Premier said. “It’s that detailed.” Nas felt a responsibility to honor the foundation that came before him, even if it was a lane he never walked in personally.

That mindset, reverence mixed with research, is what makes Light-Years stand out. It’s not just beats and bars. It’s archival. It’s educational. And most importantly, it’s intentional.

Growing Older in a Young Man’s Game

Hip hop hasn’t always been kind to aging artists. But Nas and Premier are flipping that narrative. They’re not chasing youth or trying to stay current. They are showing that with time comes clarity. Nas spoke about artists in other genres who continued working well into their seventies and eighties, Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Mick Jagger. “Why should rap be any different?” he asked.

Premier compared scratching to a guitar solo in rock. “That’s my instrument. I’ll never stop playing it.” And both of them agreed that the industry still has room to grow in how it treats its veterans. But rather than wait for change, they’re creating new standards. New ways of measuring impact that go beyond Billboard numbers and viral moments.

There’s More to Come

As for what’s next, they made it clear this is not a one off. Premier said they already have five more songs in the vault. The chemistry hasn’t dulled, and the ideas keep coming. Whether it’s another full project or another chapter in their shared catalog, they’re not done yet.

Light-Years is not a nostalgia trip. It is not a victory lap. It is a declaration. A reminder that real hip hop ages well when it’s rooted in truth. From the first scratch to the last verse, Nas and DJ Premier have built something that doesn’t just belong in the culture. It builds on it.

And they’re still building.

Light-Years is out now on all streaming platforms.