Back in 2006, Nas told New York DJ Funkmaster Flex of late Harlem rapper Big L, “He scared me to death. When I heard [his performance at the Apollo Theater] on tape, I was scared to death. I said, ‘Yo, it’s no way I can compete if this is what I gotta compete with’.”
While the two rappers never formally collaborated prior to Big L’s untimely death in 1999 (he was just 24 years old), they finally collide on “U Aint Gotta Chance,” the first single from L’s upcoming posthumous album on Nas’ label, Mass Appeal Records.
Titled Harlem’s Finest: Return Of The King, the album is part of Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It… initiative, which has included new releases from Slick Rick, Raekwon the Chef, Ghostface Killah, and Mobb Deep, as well as a comic book with Marvel Comics. Harlem’s Finest is set for release on Halloween; after that, the only projects remaining will be a new De La Soul album and Nas’ long-awaited joint project with DJ Premier.
“U Aint Gotta Chance” was constructed from a repurposed Big L freestyle for Tim Westwood, along with a new verse from Nas, and a beat co-produced by G Koop, 2One2, Al Hug, and Zach Niess, with a hook created by DJ Rob Swift. Harlem’s Finest executive producer Royce Da 5’9 is said to have offered “a few tweaks,” according to Rolling Stone.
Nas told the outlet’s Andre Gee (Uproxx alumni, I’m proud of you, my G!), “Even though Big L’s not here with us now, to get on the song with him is still pressure. He left an outstanding amount of serious rhymes. So just approaching it is like, ‘Damn, I wish we were doing this together, but it’s still an honor to do it’.”
You can listen to Big L and Nas together for the first time on “U Ain’t Gotta Chance” above.
Harlem’s Finest: Return Of The King is out on 10/31 via Mass Appeal Records. You can find more info here.