Gil Scott-Heron said the revolution will not be televised. Nas said hip hop is dead. It would seem the weight of their words caught up with the two street poets on the remix to “New York Is Killing Me.”
Collaborations between living legends and modern musicians used to be the most uncomfortable pairings, save for George Clinton's involvement in G-Funk. It was commendable that a gap was being bridged and mutual respect was obtained, especially in hip hop – a genre that once pinned curmudgeons against the nihilistic youth. The true satisfaction of generational collaborations is upon us, as neither side is sacrificing its sound on “New York Is Killing Me.”
Gil Scott-Heron is doing his Last Poets, soul stricken croon over minimalism with a tenderly updated vibe of bass thumps. Nas holds his presence as a street disciple with raps of trifle – everybody wins. Nas' latter years have produced the best results when he gets outside his signature sound and contributes to song such as this, case in point “Bridging The Gap” with Olu Dara.
