Jay-Z‘s celebration of his career and the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt has made the rapper and mogul a hot topic in hip-hop. Fellow rap legend Nas has now joined in on the conversation, sharing his favorite songs from Jay-Z’s discography in a new, personally curated playlist.

Released on Thursday (July 9) via Tidal, the playlist, titled Curated By God’s Son: Hov, offers an intriguing glimpse into Nas’ musical taste and the Jay-Z songs he’s gravitated toward over the years. Comprised of 31 songs, Nas’ playlist embodies a healthy respect for Jay-Z’s entire music catalog, including tracks from several of the rapper’s solo albums.

The Jay-Z album most represented on Nas’ playlist is Reasonable Doubt, with “Can’t Knock The Hustle” featuring Mary J. Blige, “D’Evils,” “Brooklyn’s Finest” featuring The Notorious B.I.G., and “Dead Presidents II,” which famously samples vocals from Nas’ Illmatic single “The World is Yours” among the songs that made the cut.

Jay’s sophomore album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, and American Gangster come in second with three selections apiece. Multiple songs from The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse, and 4:44 also appear on the playlist.

Nas’ picks were rounded out by a handful of Hov’s collaborative efforts, including tracks from Watch The Throne with Kanye West, as well as his and Jay’s song “Black Republican” from Nas’ Hip Hop is Dead album.

According to Tidal, the idea of Nas creating a playlist inspired by Jay-Z’s career was both reciprocal and congratulatory.

“JAŸ-Z and Nas are two of the most important, influential, and successful artists of any musical genre at any time in history,” says Tidal’s Editor-in-Chief Tony Gervino.

“A few years ago Jay recognized Nas’s diabolical pen with an exclusive Tidal playlist, and on the eve of Hov’s legendary run of Yankee Stadium shows, the king of Queens returns the favor, in what we consider to be the ultimate game-recognizes-game moment.”

In 2021, as a sign of respect, Jay-Z unveiled his own 24-song playlist, Curated By The God Hov: Nas, featuring his favorite songs by his former rival. However, Hov’s selection style slightly differed from Nas’ as half of the tracks were from Nas’ first two albums. Illmatic, Nas’ historic debut album, topped the list with eight selections, while It Was Written, his sophomore effort, spawned four tracks on the playlist.

Hov’s picks were rounded out by loose album cuts and standout Nas guest features, including his verses on Kanye West’s “We Major,” Raekwon’s “Verbal Intercourse, and Mobb Deep’s “Eye for a Eye.”

Listen to Nas’ Curated By God’s Son: Hov playlist over at Tidal.

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