As Cole and his friend and manager, Ibraham “Ib” Hamad, waited to board, Ib was listening to “Let Nas Down,” which Cole had just recorded.

“He’s playing the song — like freshly just did this joint — we’re playing the song, and all of sudden this ni**a Ib is like, ‘No way,’” Cole said. “Like, he gives me the headphones back — I think he had finished the song — he’s like, ‘No way.’ I said, ‘What?’ He was like, ‘Yo, this ni**a Nas is right there, boarding the flight.’”

Cole then saw Nas for himself as the Queensbridge rapper was making his way on the plane.

“Right in that moment, I was like, ‘This is some divine s**t,’” Cole said. “This is ridiculous, bro. I don’t believe in coincidences. I was like, ‘This is a sign from God like, keep on your path, stick with it.’ Mind you, I’ve never met Nas before… I get on the plane and I know I’m like, ‘I have to play him this song. I’m supposed to play him this song.’”

With his seat being in front of Nas, Cole took the opportunity once they were aboard the plane and showed Nas the song.

“I say ‘what’s up’ to him and I’m like, ‘Bro, I know this is gonna sound f**king insane,’” Cole said. “‘I just made this song f**king two days ago. I can’t even explain to you how crazy it is that I’m seeing you right now, randomly on this flight. But I have to play you this song.’”

Although Nas agreed to hear it, Cole admitted that he didn’t remember what the “World Is Yours” rapper said upon listening to the then-unreleased song.

“I have no idea what he said and now, looking back, I have no idea how he felt or how I expected him to feel,” Cole recalled. “All I knew was, ‘You’re right here. This is God.’ I’m sure he was on some s**t like, ‘Yo, that’s dope.’ I don’t remember us having a conversation about the song. But it’s just nuts that I even played it for him, that raw after it was done.”

In 2013, “Let Nas Down” was released on Born Sinner. That same year, Cole and Nas went on to release a remix of the track titled “Made Nas Proud.”

Then, in 2014, Cole went on to praise his hero during the Vibe Impact Awards.

“I look to rappers for insight, and [Nas] and 2Pac were giving me the most insight on what it’s like to be grown and Black or young and Black in this world, and what to watch out for,” he said, before giving Nas thanks for “all the creativity, inspiration and wisdom you ever gave us throughout your music.”