Soul Fixin'

Nas & The Wall Street Journal
In anticipation of the release of his new album, Nas sat down with the Wall Street Journal's Adviser. Readers of the WSJ aren't your typical rap fans but you can't blame a man for trying to reach a broader audience. Nas touches on his new album, jazz music and even Bob Dylan.

You're one of just a handful of people who've had a long career in hip-hop. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Hopefully I'll still be doing what I'm doing. When I watch Billy Joel, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, I see myself headed down their path. These guys have been around for decades and they still love it. I would look to them. Hip-hop is still young but we're going to see it grow older. We're going to be going to Snoop Dogg concerts in the meadow.

On the album you address race, politics and other big themes. What do you hope listeners will take away from it?
At the end of the day you should be able to go pick up a Lil Wayne album and a Nas album and not get the same thing on both. Rap should be like other music where it's not all the same content. I'm just giving people a different thing.

Your father, Olu Dara, is a jazz musician. What have you borrowed from jazz?
Jazz has a feeling to it that pushes me. I can hear the tempo and I can hear flows that I want to produce. It gives me direction for what I want to do with my words.

For the entire interview,click here.