Last night, Nas and Erykah Badu performed “This Bitter Land” on Jimmy Kimmel Live, a track from the soundtrack of indie film, The Land (which was executive produced by Nas and Cleveland-native Machine Gun Kelly).
Along the lines of Billie Holiday’s interpretation of “Strange Fruit, “This Bitter Land” is a somber ballad that features a melancholy, haunting melody by Badu and a verse by Nas about the ills and grit of society.
“This bitter land / Watered with my soul / The fruit it bears / Leaves me so cold,” Badu sings. Nas flows, “Cop shot us up, he get a medal then retire / But it never will define me / Write a letter to the president, whoever in control of the society.”
Watch the soul-stirring performance below:
Nas also recently collabed with Robin Thicke on the single “Deep.”
