Many a hip hop fan cheered this past week when veteran lyricist and hip hop heavyweight, Nas released his long overdue return to the rap game entitled “Daughters.” As the father to one daughter, 17-year-old Destiny, Nas draws upon his own personal experiences when explaining the trials and tribulations a lot of fathers face in today’s day and age, even going so far as to lyricize his daughter’s most recent run-in with the media when she posted pictures of her condom collection on Twitter. Although this song is definitely not all sunshine and flowers, it is seemingly an honest account. Much to the chagrin of many, Nas even gives mention to the fact that he hasn’t been able to spend much time with his daughter and admits that his “thug” image may have distorted her upbringing.
Despite whatever failures Nas has had as a parent, fans everywhere have been going crazy over the single, perhaps due to the fact that it is so relatable. “Daughters” currently boasts more than 2 million listens on YouTube and has favorably been the topic of many conversations inside and outside of the hip hop world. Men who have daughters understand the fear, love, and protection that goes in to raising a member of the opposite sex. Women who are daughters and/or have daughters congratulate Nas on the intensity of his feelings and concerns when raising a member of the opposite sex in a world where so many fathers walk away from the responsibility. So why is it that the one person who is most closely connected to Nas in his battle to raise his daughter correctly turning out to be his main opposition and source of disappointment?? Find out after the jump….
Last Thursday, Carmen Bryan, mother to Nas’ only daughter and also Nas’ former girlfriend, tweeted:
“Just heard ‘Daughters’ by Nas. What a disappointment! He had nothing positive to say about our daughter and his
Nas' daughter's mother and his former girlfriend, Carmen Bryan
Bryan further tweeted:
“Perhaps her father should be talking to her and spending more time with her so he can really get to know her. Destiny is still a child. It was the wrong platform.”
We all know that Bryan is no stranger to voicing her opinion. In 2007, she wrote “It’s No Secret,” a tell-all book that detailed how her and Nas’ relationship deteriorated and also shed light on her affair with Jay-Z. With that said, some may wonder if Bryan’s tweets are an attempt to stay relevant or really a mother’s grief over the presentation of her daughter by a partially absent father. I will agree that Nas’ former odes to his daughter, “The World Is Yours” in 1994 and “Me and You (Dedicated to Destiny)” in 2004, were much more loving and sugary, but almost a decade later, Destiny has grown up and the innocence that she once personified may have given way to a much more mature young woman who is capable of and has made some mistakes. In “Daughters,” Nas seemingly understood this. Yes, he does touch on Destiny’s shortcomings, but he clearly lyricizes his as well. In the song, Nas also commends Destiny for being “honest and real,” and last Thursday, sent out a special tweet to her that read:
“I Love My Princess Destiny Jones.”
Before choosing a side between Carmen and Nasir, please listen to the track, “Daughters” (link below)…….dedicated to fathers and daughters everywhere. Also, look out for Nas’ newest musical effort, “Life Is Good” in stores July 17, 2012.
Early picture of Nas, Carmen and their daughter, Destiny
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