Nas and Jay-Z’s rap beef explained as the former beats the Roc Nation founder in getting approval for Resorts World casino expansion

Nas, also known as Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, and Jay-Z were feuding for years in the late 90s and early 2000s. The feud began in 1996, when Nasir reportedly failed to appear at a recording session for Jay-Z's track "Bring It On" from his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.

Jones then released a second album, It was Written a month after Reasonable Doubt's release where he took shots at Jay-Z.

After years of rap battles, the two eventually ended their feud in October 2005, when Jones made a surprise appearance at Jay-Z's "I Declare War" concert and the two performed onstage together. Jones then signed with Jay-Z's Def Jam Recordings in 2006, solidifying their friendship.

Resorts World NYC, which had partnered with Jones, has received unanimous approval from the Community Advisory Board. Jones has a $5 billion plan to transform the Resorts World New York City into a full-scale casino. This comes after Jay-Z's bid to build a casino in Times Square was rejected by a state advisory committee.

"Sorry Jay-Z, we win again" says Nas's team

Nas's Southeast Queens Casino is expected to open its doors by July 2026, following approval from the community advisory board. Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas Easy, while announcing Jones' victory, said,

"On behalf of the entire Resorts World team, I want to thank the Community Advisory Committee for recognizing the impact we will have not only on Queens but all of New York City and State."

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. took a shot at Jay-Z while celebrating Jones' victory and said,

"There's a theme in Queens, and I know that Nas was a part of this: Queens get the money. Sorry, Jay-Z we win again. You can let the Brooklyn borough president know that I send my regards to him."

The casino floor will be expanded to 350k square feet and will feature

"3,000 Units of Workforce House, more than 50 acres of new and dedicated park space, and new transit connections to JFK and Manhattan."

Resorts World will feature a state-of-the-art casino and 30 eateries, along with a 7,000-seater capacity entertainment venue to host concerts, games, and events.

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There will also be a sports academy involving Queens hoops legend Jenny "The Jet" Smith.

With the Resorts World Project, Jones hopes to bring 24,000 new jobs to Queens and $1 million in new revenue in the first year of operation.

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