Nas sagte zu MTV über das anstehende Album:

“This album is just a piece of my blood, flesh and bones. This album right here is like — this is the one. They all are the ones, I love all my joints, but this one right here is, ‘Life is good.’ I’m letting a lot go on this. I’m happy that I’m here, man. I’m just a survivor and I look at a lot of us as survivors,” he said. “Everything is addressed; it’s all life. No matter what, at the end of the day, everything is a blessing. I’m a learner, I learn from my experiences.”