I can’t say I saw this collaboration ever coming: The Beastie Boys enlisted Nas for a new song off the forthcoming Hot Sauce Committee and they performed the track at Bonnaroo. I’ve never thought much of the Beasties as top-notch lyricists – seventeen years later and I still can’t get over Mike D rhyming “commercial” with “commercial” on Pass the Mic – and bringing one of the great wordsmiths aboard in Nas probably further exposes their shortcomings. But, hey, I love the idea in theory.

MCA does tip his cap to Nas’ N.Y. State of Mind when he raps (somewhat awkwardly): “You’ll never die ’cause death is the cousin of sleep.” (It made a lot more sense when Nas said, “I never sleep ’cause sleep is the cousin of death.”)

(Video via URB.)