The Afflictions
of a King
It ain't hard to tell, I excel, then prevail
The mic is contacted, I attract clientele
My mic check is life or death, breathin' a sniper's breath
I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps
Deep like The Shining, sparkle like a diamond
Sneak a Uzi on the island in my army jacket linin'
Hit the Earth like a comet—invasion!
Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian: half-man, half-amazin'
Photograhps by Joshua Kissi
for Ebony Magazine
Nasir Jones understands the strength of speaking truth to power.
When creating a custom silk coat in his honor (seen on the cover of EBONY),
we found inspiration in the journey that led him to stride across stages around the globe. “How does one dress a King-Among-Wordsmiths?” we asked.
Nas’ coat is emblazoned with baroque images of a defiant Black woman holding her child and a sword, as onlookers gaze in wonder. In addition, he wore the scarf Pieta, which depicts a Black boy bravely gripping a bouquet of flowers as armed soldiers approach. These images would live comfortably in the cinematic scenes he paints on his albums. Worn as clothing, they are no less vivid. In an undisclosed New York City location, a silence fell upon us as Nas took his throne while wearing garments that had been made in his honor. Suddenly, “Royalty” wasn’t just an ideal. It was a man with humble Queensbridge beginnings that had risen to become one of the greatest writers of our age.