Nas has written a powerful foreword to Miles Davis’ centennial autobiography, connecting hip-hop and jazz through shared struggles and artistic innovation.
Nas is taking on the role of literary curator by writing the foreword to the centennial edition of Simon & Schuster’s Miles Davis autobiography, recognizing how the jazz legend’s journey reflects hip-hop’s own struggle for artistic freedom and cultural dominance.
The Queens legends are deeply connected to Miles’ story, understanding that their worlds are intertwined through innovation, rebellion and rejection of the constraints of industry gatekeepers.
“Miles and hip-hop share the same blood, sweat, and tears,” Nas wrote in a preface to Rolling Stone’s publication of the full story. “The same struggle and victory.”
For Nas, the connection runs deeper than superficial appreciation or nostalgic reverence for jazz history.
He understood that hip-hop didn’t appear out of nowhere, but grew from the roots that Miles and his contemporaries had planted decades earlier.
“Hip-hop music is heavily influenced by jazz music,” Nas explains in the foreword. “It’s our roots. Many of our biggest hits have jazz samples in them.”
The relationship between hip-hop and jazz has always been about artistic lineage and mutual respect.
Nas sees in Miles’ story the same disdain for systems designed to limit black artists. While Miles revolutionized music in his own way, he also faced racism, discrimination, and industry control.
From its earliest roots in the Bronx to its current global dominance, that same spirit runs through HP-Hop’s DNA.
Nas calls the autobiography “exciting,” and his foreword lays out why Miles’ journey is important to today’s hip-hop scene.
This book is not only about one man’s musical genius, but also about how an artist navigated power, creativity, and survival in an industry that often worked against him.
According to Shore Fire Media, the Centennial Edition will be released through Simon & Schuster on May 21, 2026, priced at $23, ISBN 9781451643183.
Hanif Abdurraqib also wrote the foreword for this edition, bringing another contemporary voice to Miles’s legacy and cultural impact.
