Exclusive Nas & FUTURA Interview: Hip Hop, Graffiti, Authenticity & th

Photo ©Louis Kassam

More than 50 years after hip hop first emerged from New York streets, two of the culture’s most influential figures reflected on what it all means today.

In this exclusive interview, Nas and legendary graffiti artist FUTURA discuss:

the early connection between graffiti and hip hop
growing up around New York street culture
authenticity in modern music and art
how hip hop evolved globally
and the creative thinking behind the Nas x FUTURA vinyl collaboration

The conversation offers a rare insight into two artists who experienced hip hop during its formative years and helped shape the culture from within.

Alongside the interview, the Nas x FUTURA project itself stands as a celebration of Hip Hop 50, combining music, visual art, and limited-edition vinyl collecting into one curated release.

“Spray Cans or Songs”: Nas on Growing Up Around Hip Hop & Graffiti

One of the strongest moments in the interview comes when Nas reflects on how closely music and graffiti were connected during his childhood in New York.

He explains:

“I don’t know which one I saw first or heard first, spray cans or people talking about pieces that they were making, or actually seeing the stuff on the wall, or hearing a song.”

That line captures something central to early hip hop culture: music and visual art evolved together.

Long before hip hop became a global industry, it existed as a local creative movement built across:

MCs
DJs
graffiti writers
breakdancers
street parties
neighbourhood communities

Nas even recalls trying graffiti himself as a kid: “I tried my hand at graffiti when I was a kid.”

He specifically references the customised denim jackets that became iconic within early hip hop style: “People would do the back of the denim jackets, like a whole piece.”

Rather than viewing graffiti as separate from rap music, the interview makes it clear that both were part of the same cultural ecosystem from the beginning.

How Films Like Wild Style & Beat Street Shaped Hip Hop Culture

During the conversation, both Nas and FUTURA reference classic hip hop films like Wild Style and Beat Street as defining moments for the culture.

“You go back to Wild Style and you go back to Beat Street.” - Nas

These films helped document:

graffiti culture
breakdancing
DJing
rap battles
New York street life

At a time when hip hop was still considered underground, they helped introduce the culture globally.

FUTURA describes how the movement spread worldwide once people outside New York were exposed to these visuals: “If they had subway systems, they wrote on them.”

That global expansion became one of the defining stories of hip hop itself.

What started in New York eventually evolved into:

regional rap scenes
international hip hop movements
new artistic styles
global street culture

Yet throughout the interview, both artists repeatedly return to the same idea:
the roots of hip hop still matter.

Nas & FUTURA on Authenticity in Modern Culture

Another major theme throughout the interview is authenticity.

FUTURA explains: “Last year, the biggest word was the word authentic.”

That idea becomes a central thread throughout the conversation.

Both artists reflect on how rare authenticity can feel within modern music, fashion, and online culture.

Nas responds by explaining why he believes he has remained culturally relevant for decades: “I feel like the same kid I was growing up in New York.”

That perspective is important because it directly connects to why projects like the Nas x FUTURA vinyl collaboration resonate with collectors and fans.

The appeal is not simply nostalgia. It’s cultural credibility.

Both artists were there during hip hop’s formative years, not as observers, but as participants helping shape the culture itself.

The Nas x FUTURA Vinyl Collaboration Explained

The Nas x FUTURA vinyl collaboration was created as part of Hip Hop 50, the global celebration marking 50 years of hip hop culture.

Rather than focusing on one specific Nas album, the project takes a broader approach:
celebrating the music, artists, and cultural movements that shaped hip hop itself.

The release combines:

curated hip hop tracks
FUTURA artwork
collector-focused vinyl design
limited-edition production
visual storytelling tied to hip hop history

Importantly, the project connects Nas’s music to the wider cultural ecosystem that influenced his career.

Tracks featured include:

“N.Y. State Of Mind” by Nas
“Who Shot Ya?” by The Notorious B.I.G.
“Shook Ones, Pt. II” by Mobb Deep
“Eric B. Is President” by Eric B. & Rakim
“South Bronx” by Boogie Down Productions

The result feels less like a standard vinyl release and more like a curated tribute to hip hop’s evolution.

👉 Explore the full Nas x FUTURA vinyl collection

Why the Nas x FUTURA Project Feels Different

One of the biggest takeaways from the interview is that this collaboration feels grounded in real cultural history.

FUTURA describes himself as: “an eyewitness”
That perspective matters.

This is not a modern brand collaboration attempting to imitate hip hop aesthetics decades later. It’s a project created by artists who experienced the culture firsthand as it was developing.

That authenticity is increasingly important in today’s collector market.

As vinyl culture continues to grow, collectors are placing more value on releases connected to:

genuine artistic collaboration
cultural storytelling
scarcity
historical relevance
visual identity

The Nas x FUTURA vinyl sits directly at that intersection.

Produced in limited quantities, the release was designed specifically for collectors rather than mass-market distribution. For fans of hip hop, graffiti, and New York culture, it represents a physical connection to the movement’s origins.

Hip Hop Beyond New York

Another important part of the interview is how both Nas and FUTURA discuss hip hop’s global expansion.

Nas explains: “It went everywhere. It went in every direction.”

He highlights how hip hop became a platform for communities worldwide to express themselves: “We get to learn about different places in the world and what’s happening there through the people that make hip-hop music there.”

That idea reinforces why Hip Hop 50 became such a significant cultural milestone.

Hip hop is no longer simply a New York genre.
It’s a global artistic language.

Yet the interview repeatedly reminds listeners that the foundations of the culture remain deeply connected to:

New York streets
graffiti
DJ culture
storytelling
community expression

That tension between local origins and global influence is part of what makes the Nas x FUTURA collaboration feel culturally important.

Explore More Nas & Hip Hop Collector Guides

If you’re exploring Nas’s music and collector culture further, you can also read:

Together, these guides explore:

Nas’s most important music
hip hop vinyl collecting
rare records
cultural influence
collector-focused releases

Final Thoughts

The exclusive Nas and FUTURA interview offers something increasingly rare:
a genuine conversation about hip hop from artists who lived through its earliest evolution.

Rather than focusing purely on nostalgia, both artists discuss:

authenticity
creativity
cultural influence
artistic identity
how hip hop spread globally

The Nas x FUTURA vinyl collaboration reflects those same ideas.

For collectors, it represents more than ownership.
It represents participation in a cultural legacy that continues to evolve more than 50 years after hip hop first began.