R&B was largely thriving in popular spaces 20 years ago, with hip-hop and R&B largely thriving within these spaces. However, Nas felt it was too much commercialized, stating that it was infected with commercialism and that it had lost its way. In a 2006 interview with Pitchfork, he explained that "mostly every form of American music is dead," and that the object of the game now is to make money off of exploiting it. He also highlighted that R&b artists working back in 2006, highlighting that their music is not without talent, but that creativity can sometimes take a backseat to a paycheck. Nas cited Tupac and Biggie's deaths as reasons for his belief that their artistry would've meant more had they lived longer.