Update 4/16/2012: Jay Electronica has denied that he ghostwrote lyrics for Nas. He wrote on Twitter:
Nas is one of the Greatest Ever. never has and never will need a ghostwriter. that man’s pen and legacy is without question.
— ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTRONICA (@JayElectronica) August 15, 2012
Stic.man of Dead Prez, also named as a Nas ghostwriter, addressed the rumors in a post to his Facebook page, saying he and Nas were collaborators:
Nas is one of the if not the most prolific original lyricist to EVER do it. My contributions to his album was a collaboration and an honor and under his direction of what he wanted to convey and say. Haters cant discredit that man's genius. Nas is the Don.
- - -
Last night writer and director Dream Hampton claimed that Nas used ghostwriters for his untitled 2008 album, commonly known as the Nigger LP. Asked why Jay-Z hasn't made an album as provocative as Nas' ninth disc, Hampton claimed that Nas solicited help from Jay Electronica and Stic.man of Dead Prez for that album's songs:
I think Jay writes what he believes. Nas' "Nigger" album was largely written by Stic of dead prez and Jay Electronica
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 13, 2012@jusaire
As Smoking Section points out, Frank William Miller Jr., an employee at New York's Hot 97 when Nas' untitled album was released, supported Hampton's claims last night on his blog, writing, "The day Jay [Electronica] called me at work to tell me he was ghostwriting for Nas was a hard day for me...I was happy for Jay Elec, but he basically speared a childhood music hero and make a sock puppet out of him." Hampton, co-author of Jay-Z's book Decoded and the first female editor of The Source, went on to praise Nas' writing as well as Dead Prez' 2004 album, Revolutionary But Gangsta, saying she hopes rappers will continue to create radical albums.
I love Nas. He's one of my generation's best writers. Maybe he was blocked. Whatever. Untitled's aight. Revolutionary But Gangsta was better
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 14, 2012
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 14, 2012
@senyo_twilightwasn't coming for his "legacy" was responding to s'one who said hip hop needed more radical albums like "Nigger"
and finally, as evidenced on my TL, the only reason I mentioned the authors of Nas' most radical album is because I was discussing Belafonte
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 14, 2012
