Hip-hop legend Nas has announced a MasterClass on hip-hop storytelling.
In the new online course, which kicks off Oct. 14., Nas said he would create a brand new song just for MasterClass to demonstrate the writing process in real-time to his students.
Nas announced his plans alongside a music video directed by Ben Dean.
“I’ll be teaching you how to find your inspiration, find your flow, and how to turn your life experiences into music,” Nas shares.
“Nas shares his philosophy as a lyricist, breaking down how he used his life experiences and emotions to create incredibly raw yet cinematic lyrics with a message to inspire MasterClass members to do the same,” MasterClass shares.
The Grammy Award-winning artist sat down for an interview with Complex to discuss the program.
“MasterClass is a great thing for people to get the inside scoop on what’s going on with artists, producers, actors, and people,” he told the publication. “I think it’s dope that we take time out of our lives to sit down and think about what it took for us to get here, and think about our journey and share it with people in a way that’s different than we ever did before. I think the whole thing is a great concept.”
He also shared how he created the curriculum: “It’s all about giving you what you need in chapters, increments, and giving you the vibe. It’s sort of hard to break it down, so those different classes and different steps make the most sense to me. That’s how I would like to receive it from an artist, so I thought that that’s the way for the person that’s watching it to give them the time to soak it in, each one piece-by-piece. I break it down piece-by-piece, and each piece is different. Each piece gives you more of my life. A lot of it is about my life journey.”
Nas is one of several music artists sharing their knowledge on the platform including Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Usher.