Nas & Erykah Badu Perform 'This Bitter Land' on 'Kimmel'

Nas and Erykah Badu joined forces for a stirring performance of “This Bitter Land,” their powerful collaboration off the official soundtrack to The Land.

Hitting the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” stage with an orchestra, Badu—who will return to host the Soul Train Awards next month—delivered the stirring chorus, while Nas rhymed about issues concerning police brutality and race, puling out cash to help illustrate his points.

“Cop shot us up,” raps Esco. “He get a medal then retire / But it never will define me / Write a letter to the president / Tell ’em stop riding me.”

https://youtu.be/t_-kLuNaDTA

While “This Bitter Land” appeared on the soundtrack for The Land, which Badu acted in and Nas executive produced, a new Nas album has not been released in five years. Sitting down with Kimmel, Esco explained why.

“I gotta live life,” he said. “I’ve got to experience things. Sometimes music can shift society. Not even just talking about me. We making music out there that the world can hear. When I first started out, I didn’t know this thing would be so global. Now, things are changing. Music is changing.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNRtL-NuI7A

In another segment, Nas also spoke about his various tech investments with Queensbridge Venture Partners, a firm that he named after his hometown.

He also discussed his brother Jungle’s various pitches, including a hip-hop amusement park that Kimmel thinks should be called Nas Berry Farm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIv6Tke8QXI

Nas’ takeover wasn’t complete there. He also celebrated a new mural resurrected in his honor and defeated Matthew Perry of “Friends” fame in a game of “Name That Famous Celebrity.”