With edgy crooners Robin Thicke and Janelle Monae snagging the first the first cover, I guess it would be okay for super MCs Nas and J. Cole to take over Vibe's 20th Anniversary 'second cover' issue.

And even though we're now awaiting the release of the third and last cover, the two masterful wordsmiths, forever stuck on the realness, were both dressed in American classic brands, along with Nas repping for the "NY Knicks & Mets" during the photo-shoot at Manhattan's Neo Studios.


According to Vibe Magazine,

"There's still no awkward DJing can quell the bromancing shared by Jermaine Cole and his prophyte Nasir Jones today, a respect jelled in wax on “Let Nas Down,” Cole’s conflicted explanation for pandering to radio standards. Just days before this shoot, the mellow vet responded with his own genuine endorsing remix, knighting Jay-Z’s star student as a young rap valedictorian. 

Yet, the coronation had already been earned, thanks in part to J. Cole’s moody sophomore LP, Born Sinner, which outpaced its release date rival Kanye West’s Yeezus by scoring No. 1 in it’s third week on Billboard charts on its way to RIAA Gold Certification. Nas’ pen is still Ginsu-sharp as well. 

The impossibly 39-year-old face of Hennessy’s Wild Rabbit campaign is already antsy about diving into his 11th solo studio album, the follow-up to last year’s renaissance project Life Is Good. 

“I told you before I need some tracks—your shit’s tight,” Nas insists to Cole. ‘Pac has been silenced, and the two rap geniuses now are plopped on a black leather couch in the studio’s posterior. “We need to do more shit [together] ‘cause it just makes you sharper as an MC.” They trade schedules for a hypothetical future studio session. But today, the meticulous lyricists have assembled to talk the art of rhyme, from conception to the vocal booth. It was written, and here, it is told.

Image credit: VIBE MAGAZINE