DMX Was Originally Supposed To Appear On Nas’ “One Mic”
Nas‘ “One Mic” is regarded as one of his most outstanding lyrical performances to date and among the definitive songs in the rap icon’s illustrious catalog.
Yet, according to late producer Chucky Thompson, the song’s producer, “One Mic” nearly featured an appearance by another legendary artist, the late Hip-Hop star DMX.
However, the proposed collaboration was ultimately nixed due to Nas’ reservations about performing the song live.
Rapper DMX speaks during the 2012 Rock the Bells Festival press conference and Fan Appreciation Party on at Santos Party House on June 13, 2012 in New York City.
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In our exclusive interview with Thompson prior to his death in 2021, the composer recalled the making of “One Mic,” revealing that DMX was actually present during the song’s creation and was prepared to hop on the mic if needed.
“The crazy part about it is DMX was in the studio with us at that time,” Thompson said of the historic session.
“He was actually about to get on it, but Nas is like, ‘I don’t think I should do that ’cause then I would have to have him every time I perform the song. I’ll just go ahead and drop this joint and get it done.’ It was just that. It was some theatrical Hip-Hop sh*t. I was just there to color it in for him.”
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The collaboration would’ve been one of several between DMX and Nas, as the pair have appeared alongside each other on “The Grand Finale,” “Life Is What You Make It,” “Sincerity,” and most recently, “Walking In The Rain” and “Bath Salts” from X’s posthumous Exodus album.
They also famously starred opposite each other in the classic Hype Williams-directed 1998 crime-thriller Belly, a film that further links the New York natives.
Thompson also spoke on the timing of the premiere of “One Mic” amid Nas’ lyrical war with JAY-Z. He felt the record served as a calming of the storm between the two heated rivals.
Rappers Jay-Z (R) and Nas perform onstage during Power 105.1’s “Powerhouse 2005: Operation Takeover” at the Continental Airlines Arena on October 27, 2005 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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“Well, he sought me out” the Washington D.C. native said of the origins of his working relationship with Nas. “I had submitted a couple of songs [to him]. I never heard back. And then he was like, ‘Why don’t you just come to the studio? We can just vibe.’ At that time, he was going through all that Jay-Z stuff. All that stuff was kind of happening, and in my brain, I’m like, ‘This sh*t gonna be over with [soon].’”
The late boardsman also revealed Phil Collins‘ connection to “One Mic,” crediting Collins’ classic hit “In The Air Tonight” with being the inspiration behind the record.
“We just started rapping about life,” Thompson shared. “So I was like, ‘Well, what’s that energy [you tap into] if it’s about to go down? What’s that record to calm you down from a situation happening?’ We both thought about [Phil Collins] “In The Air Tonight.”
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He continued, adding, “Nas always has this thing where he’s like, ‘I want the hooks to be calm, but I want the verses to be up!’ You remember how those drums come in [on “In the Air Tonight”]?
“If you listen to “One Mic” and you listen to “In The Air Tonight,” they kind of have the same canvas, you know what I mean? That was really it. I didn’t know nothing about the story, I just painted the canvas for him. He told me what he needed.”
Released as the third single from his fifth solo studio album Stillmatic, “One Mic” was lauded by critics and performed well commercially, peaking at No. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Read Chucky Thompson’s full interview with VIBE here and listen to Nas “One Mic” below.