Hot 21 Radio

Nas was supposed to appear on JAY-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt' song 'Can I Live,' claimed former Def Jam executive Irv Gotti.

JAY-Z and Nas were embroiled in one of Hip Hops most storied beefs in the late 90s and early 00s, but years before their feud reached fever pitch, the rap legends were apparently supposed to be on a song together. During his recent Drink Champs interview alongside Ja Rule, former Def Jam executive Irv Gotti revealed Nas was supposed to appear on Can I Live, from Hovs 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt. However, the Queensbridge MC failed to show up to the studio session. We was waiting for Nas to get on Can I Live,' Gotti revealed at the 2:06:30-minute mark, much to N.O.R.E. and DJ EFNs surprise. N-gga, no one knows yeah, they know now. We was waiting for Nas to do the second verse! He didnt show. Thats the end of the story! When N.O.R.E. asked Irv Gotti who produced Can I Live and described himself as JAY-Zs consigliere during the making of Reasonable Doubt if he was confusing Can I Live for Dead Presidents, which sampled Nas The World Is Yours (Tip Mix), he replied: Im sure, n-gga. I was there, I was in the studio. Dame Dash remembers things a little differently. During an interview with MTV in 2007, the Roc-A-Fella co-founder claimed it was Bring It On that was supposed to feature Nas, along with his Lifes a Bitch collaborator AZ. Nas and AZ was supposed to be on Bring It On, they kept not showing up, Dash said. Thats when we wanted to put out The Firm. They didnt show up. We was meeting and they was saying, Yeah, but they wasnt showing up. We would be waiting and we would be getting offended. So we brought Sauce and Jaz on the song. Fueled by subliminal shots between their respective crews and a vacant King of New York throne in the wake of Biggies death in 1997, JAY-Z and Nas beef exploded into lyrical warfare in 2001 with the diss songs Takeover and Ether. Hov fired back with the flagrant Supa Ugly, on which he bragged about sleeping with Nas then-girlfriend, Carmen Bryan, and leaving condoms in the baby-seat in his car. Many including Jays own mother felt he went too far, resulting in the Brooklyn rapper apologizing for the song on Hot 97. Read more