Nas’ verse on Scarface’s “In Between Us” is one of his greatest guest features of all time, but it actually wasn’t the original verse he recorded.
In an interview with N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN for the Drink Champs podcast, the legendary Houston rapper revealed that Nas’ original verse on the song included disses towards Jay-Z.
“Nas went at Jay on that record,” recalled Scarface. “I can’t remember everything that was said, but he fucking went off. And I was like we not going to do it like that. We just going to make some records man. He went back and did a whole other verse. It was clean.”
“In Between Us” was featured on Scarface’s classic The Fix (also featuring the Hov collaboration “Guess Who’s Back”) which dropped in 2002 – right in the thick of the Jay-Z and Nas battle – but he didn’t want to get involved.
“I watch the bombs fly over head, but I never reach in and grab one. That ain’t where I’m at, I’m not in there. Like don’t fucking put me in that shit. If y’all squabbling my nigga, let me stay where I’m at. I got my own lane.”
