ETHER: First Memories
by: James Flames, for Special Features
since December 4, 2001
Merely a collection of first recollections of Nas' ETHER by some people you may or may not know.
Peter Parker
December 3, 2001 was a rough night. I had to take out the Sandman and Mysterio. Lord only knows how these motherfuckers keep escaping…So, I’m asleep the next day and all of a sudden my spider-sense starts going bananas. I pop up, grabbing for my mask, thinking I’ve got to hit the streets, when I turn on the radio right in time for the general to embrace the world with napalm. Gee, I wish my web shooters had that kind of ammo the night before. I would have been home a lot sooner.
J.B. – Assistant Head Janitor, P.S. 124
I was outside smoking a lucy after the breakfast cleanup. I remember, because I had stepped in some damn Applejacks that messed up the front of some fresh Fila’s I just bought on sale at Dr Jay’s. My temperature was high, yo. Anyway, Hot ’97 said they had that new heat from Nas responding to Jigga, so I started listening and by the time he kicked that line about Jay being a Judas and he kept his name in his music, the shit touched my soul, yo. My grandmother used to tell stories about Judas all the time. That’s real. That’s my man, but I couldn’t front—Oh snap, it’s lunch time. Gotta go.
Sean Connery
Trebeck’s mother was on her knees about to give me a sloppy when I got a transmission telling me to turn on BBC News. Kurt Barling, a fan of Jay-Z, I assume, was very somber. I knew right away it had something to do with Nas. I swear. Mrs. Trebeck is right here, she can tell you, if you don’t believe me.
Jean Claude Van Dam
Shooting for my new film Universal Soldier 4: Why The Hell Not? had just started. I was in my trailer stretching and doing a line of coke when I heard this music coming from Michael Jai White’s trailer and I just had to get up and start dancing.
Tootor from the Snorks
I don’t talk much, so forgive me if I’m not very articulate, but I remember this like it was yesterday: I was over at Junior’s house. We were about to finally G Daffney. Man, we put some serious water-work in on this hoe. Every time we thought we had her, Allstar’s faggot ass would come through and aqua-block. So, I’ve got my hand down her trunks and she’s a little uncomfortable and says she wanted some music, so Junior, hops up, Snork out and everything (chuckle) –that boy is wild—Snork out and everything, flips on the radio and Nas is tearing Jay a new blowhole. We all just inked out. I was all HOOOOOOONK WEEEEYEEOOOW WEEEEYEEOOOW!
Wendy
All I remember was Jay got fried like my daddy’s new Jalapeno Cheddar Double Melt burger. Between Ether and the Stillmatic freestyle, that guy got hit with a biggie combo.
Stan Smith
I don’t really understand what this is all about. I told you before, I don’t know how, but I walked in the den and my son is listening to some rapper guy, Naz, I think was his name, singing about ether. I don’t really care for that type of music, but how could I be angry about my son embracing science, his poorest subject? So, I’m happy until I look over at the speaker, on the floor where I had put favorite pair of shoes from the ’68 Davis Cup. The soles were melted. It was the oddest thing.
Prop Joe
I had just ordered a fish sammich with a side of fries and peach soda from the corner store. It’s hot in there, so I step outside to get some fresh air when one of the young hoppers pulls up bumping that Ether track by Nas. Everyone just surrounds the boy’s truck like he had a fresh supply of the new yellow tops. Why anyone would want to wake a sleeping giant, I don’t know. Common sense would tell you to join up with the brother and form a rap co-op with him. Yeah, that shit was disgusting. I cancelled my order...well, just the sammich. I got my fries and soda.
Ghost of Rock Hudson
Now, did Nas mean Rockefeller as in John D. or me as in Rock-a-fella. And if so, why? I have no beef with God’s Son.
Culture Club (*minus Boy George)
As soon as Ether leaked, we were contacted by the brass at Def Jam about clearing a sample from our hit song, Do You Really Want To Hurt Me for their artist Jay-Z, but some jackass that will go unnamed didn’t want to sign off on it.
