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Nas & Damian Marley: "As We Enter" (Live on Leno) (Video)

8:08 a.m. · May 20, 2010 · by Nick Neyland

Nas and Damian Marley teamed up for an appearance on Jay Leno’s show last night (May 19), where they performed the opening track from their favorably received collaboration together, Distant Relatives. A large part of the song is based on a sample from the track “Yegelle Tzeta" by the Ethiopian jazz artist Mulatu Astatke, which you can check out below. The song also featured in Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers.

The short but sweet "As We Enter" gives both vocalists a chance to demonstrate what they do best, and their contrasting styles actually work surprisingly well together. “We tryin' to build some schools in Africa with this one, and trying to build empowerment,” said Nas, when he further elaborated on the African influence on the record at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. “We're tryin' to show love and stuff with this album. So, the record's … all about really the 'hood and Africa also as well.”