Nas Once Asked Eminem to Join “Daughters” — But Em Quietly Declined
Nas and Eminem have built two of the most respected careers in hip-hop, and at one point their paths nearly crossed on one of Nas’ most personal songs. During a recent conversation with Joe Budden, Nas revealed that he once invited Eminem to collaborate on the track “Daughters,” which appeared on his 2012 album Life Is Good.
According to Nas, he sent the song to Eminem with hopes of bringing the Detroit rapper onto the record. However, Eminem ultimately decided not to take part.
Nas explained that the decision wasn’t about rivalry or creative differences. Instead, it came from a deeply personal place.
“Every record I do is not a battle,” Nas said while reflecting on the moment. He recalled that when Eminem received the song, the rapper responded with appreciation but chose to decline because of the subject matter. At the time, Eminem had already spent years speaking openly about his daughter in his music and felt he needed to step back from making more songs centered on that theme.
Eminem reportedly told Nas that he had promised his daughter he wouldn’t continue releasing songs directly about daughters for a while, explaining that the topic had become a sensitive issue after so many personal tracks earlier in his career.
Throughout the early stages of his career, Eminem became widely known for songs referencing his daughter Hailie, weaving fatherhood into some of his most emotional and defining records. That personal storytelling became one of the elements that distinguished his work.
Nas also shared that Eminem appreciated being invited to collaborate on a record that wasn’t built around competition.
“I think his message was like, ‘Thank you,’” Nas explained, adding that many artists typically approach Eminem with tracks designed to challenge or compete lyrically. Receiving a song that focused on something deeper felt different.
Although Eminem ultimately passed on appearing on “Daughters,” the moment didn’t close the door between the two legends.
Nearly a decade later, Nas and Eminem would finally join forces when they collaborated on the song “EPMD 2” in 2021, marking the first official recording between two of hip-hop’s most influential voices.
