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Nas Talks Kobe

ALLHIPHOP.COM

Nas, who lyrically attacked basketball superstar Kobe Bryant among others in his song "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)," appeared on ESPN's Sportscenter to share his thoughts on the Los Angeles Lakers forward.

Nas addressed Bryant's rape allegations, which were recently dismissed in court, as well as Bryant's blemished character in "These Are Our Heroes" a song off Nas' latest double album Streets Disciple.

"That kind of action is what we call the action of a sellout," Nas told Sportscenter. "My biggest disappointment with Kobe is the question of who is he."

Ever since Bryant was accused of raping a 19-year-old Colorado hotel clerk, his image has remained tarnished in the media and amongst fans.

Comparing Bryant to former Lakers teammate Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal, Nas said, "I can feel who Shaquille O'Neal is. I can feel his vibe, he's a star and he's a hit. But Kobe Bryant, one minute he's Michael Jordan, the next minute he's Allen Iverson, and I think he's just confused right now."

In "These Are Our Heroes" Nas rhymes, "Now you lose sponsorships that you thought had your back/Yeah, you beat the rap jiggaboo, fake n*gga you/You turn around then you sh*t on Shaq."

Bryant, a Philadelphia native who entered the NBA straight out of high school, was also reportedly booed when he appeared at rapper Jay-Z's concert.

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This story circulated on the newsgroup rec.music.hip-hop and reached the archive on December 24, 2004. It is reproduced as posted — headlines, typos and all. Original source, as credited in the post: AllHipHop.com.