Thirteen years into the history of Unkut Dot Com and here it is, my first positive Nas article! Wonders will never cease.
30 thoughts on “Nas Is Like….pretty good”
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Thirteen years into the history of Unkut Dot Com and here it is, my first positive Nas article! Wonders will never cease.
Comments are closed.
I think Escobar era Nas is unfairly hated on, sure there were some poor production choices but rapping wise the Mafioso style was a better fit than him making cringe worthy songs about politics and social issues.
I get how it was a disappointment following Illmatic, but It Was Written is still a front-to-back solid album, and arguably Nas’s second-best. I even dug the Dre track people still shit on (I’m not sure what was being expected….it pretty much sounds like what Dre was doing production-wise circa ’96, so although it would’ve been amazing for Nas to rhyme over some “Deep Cover” ish, it wasn’t going to happen).
It’s certainly better than the overrated Stillmatic and God’s Son, which if you combine the best of both, you would have a classic (or at least a very excellent album). The good on those records are great, but goddamn, there’s a lot of AWFUL filler that people weirdly give a pass or just refuse to talk about (“Rule”? “My Country”? “Hey Nas”?).
While waiting for that Alchemist& Nas album, this one is highly enjoyable.
http://www.datpiff.com/Madlib-x-Nas-Nasimoto-Mash-Up-mixtape.842788.html
And I agree, Life is good is perhaps Nas best album, in terms of cohesiveness and amount of dope tracks. Only dud on there is that Swizz Beats-joint, which is awful. Nas is great when he wants, just generally terrible at picking beats.
@Robbie: Life Is Good is actually the first album that came to mind when you started that poll about boring rappers. I’ve tried on three occasions to sit through it and I always find myself zoning out.
@Paul H: Agreed about Stillmatic. I think it’s a perfect example of the top-heavy albums Robbie complains about. The intro was really solid. Got Yourself a Gun was excellent. And who can deny the power of Ether? But after that it turns into one of Esco’s worst efforts. Like, really bad.
Nas is a quintessential example of the “be careful what you wish for, it may come true” paradox at the heart of Rap. Rappers start out raw and hungry to tell it like it is but as soon as they achieve fame, they’ve robbed themselves of their raison d’etre and “telling it like it is” when you’re rich and famous is pretty boring. Fame’s a ever-shrinking hall of mirrors.
For me, Nas’s rock bottom came on that “Distant Relatives” album. It’s no good preaching all that “Back to Africa” “conscious” crap if you’ve got Joss Stone (White lass from Devon, England) singing the hook.
So yeh, still a technically good rapper and I still check for him but he is mostly boring.
@Slappy White – “2nd Childhood” is Nas at his best. Incredible track, great Premo beat that diverts from his typical sound at that point in time. Both Large Pro tracks are superb. “The Flyest” is great. But the lows on that album are really low, not just passable filler.
Songs like “Dance” and “I Can” on God’s Son could’ve worked, but the production choices are just so misguided. “I Can” could’ve been a solid, cute song, but they overload it with the children’s choirs, bells, and overdramatic nonsense. I don’t want to shit on “Dance” because it’s obviously a very heartfelt track about his recently deceased mother, but the easy-listening beat doesn’t even try.
@Ben: Agreed.
@Slappy: It’s not something I’d play from start to finish either. There are three snoozed-out R&B tinged songs in a row that kill the buzz.
I don’t get it cause seeing the cats you think are so dope posted on here couldn’t fuck wit Nas on his worst day… Life is Good was such a dope personal album that went over cats heads on here I guess… For one of the greats to bear his soul like he did when most cats are too cool in the rap game was a breath of fresh air. And he still had that fire on the album I swear niggas just be complaining and bitching so much that they miss the real gems.
@Paul H: I totally forgot about 2nd Childhood, good call. But The Flyest gives me the douche chills. No thank you. And those Large Pro tracks are garbage (and I say that begrudgingly, because I’m a certified Xtra P junky).
@Robbie: That’s probably what it is. I do really love the song Nasty, though. Not sure why that was regulated to a bonus track.
@Slappy: “The Flyest” is a post-jiggy club joint, but it works. Much in the way I dig “Fast Life” or “Hypnotize.” Can’t agree with you on those Large Pro tracks; the “Sugarman” flip on “You’re Da Man” is great.
Nas is a hit and miss artist with all his albums apart from illmatic. While he had rave reviews for illmatic the sales didn’t match it and hence him switching his style.
Funny I just had One love on repeat in the car. Good to see you repent for your hip hop sins.
@Paul H: I can hang with the beat of You’re Da Man, but Nasir’s performance is kinda cringe-worthy, and that chorus is abysmal. And Rewind has no redeeming qualities. It sucks.
Just make an album with Alchemist already.
Please Rap God make this happen.
Also, I might be the only one on here that says Nastradamus was ahead of its time and went over people heads.
You guys are crazy.
Stillmatic, Lost Tapes and God’s Son are all 5 mic classics that were released within the span of 12 months. Name another rapper that dropped so much heat in such a short span of time.
You see the thing is, Nas grew up. He doesn’t rap about driving a nice car with rims, or making it rain at the strip club, he raps about things that (Black) people in their 40s can relate to.
His only misstep was Braveheart Party. That song was lame but he removed it from the second pressings so he gets a pass.
Anyway, stop hating. Nas is the best to do it. If you were going to make a top 5 list with skills, discography, impact and content being the criteria you’d have to agree that Nas is top 5 dead or alive.
@5 Grand: I wouldn’t have to admit it, because it simply isn’t true.
@5 Grand: Cormega’s first two albums were released within 12 months during the same era and they are vastly superior efforts.
Also, The Lost Tapes was a compilation album containing material that was two or three years old (at the time), so no dice on that.
I have no issue with Nas growing up, but I have serious issue with some of his shitty, shitty production choices.
Stop defending Nas!!!!!!!
Nas is a sell out!!!!!!! He sold out a long time ago!!!
Dial Tone you’re in serious denial! Or maybe you like shitty music? I bet you’d defend Common’s last album lol!!’
5 Grand you’re the lamest! I am Black and older and don’t wanna hear Nas sell out Bullshit!!!!! Stop defending Sell Outs!!!
Go listen to wack ass OutKast with their R and B bullshit!
01. Amongst Kings
02. The Blackness (Seed Of Heaven)
03. Rich Niggas feat. The Bravehearts
04. Second Coming (produced by IAM)
05. Tales From The Hood
06. Worst Enemy
07. The Rise and Fall (produced by The Trackmasters)
08. Chizzled (produced by Large Professor)
09. Serious feat. AZ (produced by Saalam Remi)
10. Star Wars (produced by Large Professor)
11. Death Anniversary
12. Talk Of New York (produced by Saalam Remi)
13. Where Y’All At (produced by Saalam Remi)
14. Something Foul
15. Surviving The Times (Cool and Dre Mix) (DJ Green Lantern Mixtape Version)
the denial & slander is proof of his standing…for so-called kings, naysayers and nonbelievers have done the same to prophets for many millenia…carry on tho
@$yk: yeah man… and targzissians are obviously reptilian… you see what I mean…
Yes! More songs like “Mastermind”.
Nas’ discography is solid, imo. Even the albums I don’t like overall has bangers on them. Feel how you want about dude, the fact remains he’s one of the best to ever do it…
NAS’ creativity and experimentation of styles should make him bar-none. I’d like to see ya’ll favorite rappers do songs like “Rewind”, “2nd Childhood”, “I Gave You Power”, etc. Yeah, I know Organized Konfusion visited the gun metaphor first. But, this NAS hate in the comments is beyond disrespectful. When this nigga die, ya’ll gon be the first ones prolly yelling how untouchable his career is smh fukn despicable. Go listen to his verse on “Last Words” off his quote-unquote worst album, Nastradamus. That verse alone shits on ANY FUCKIN RAPPER’S CAREER!!!!!!! Who, but NAS, could spit a top tier verse about being a prison cell?????!!! U muhfukas are delusional & pathetic to say the least
@Bejai: I wouldn’t want NaS to die, but his death wouldn’t change my feelings about his music. That being said, if I could push a button that would sacrifice NaS in order to bring Prodigy back, I would do it without hesitation.
Despite his uneven output, Nas is unquestionably hall of fame, deservedly top 5-10 based on ability alone. But he does need a Havoc and ALC produced L.P. RIP Prodigy.
@RBI – Spot on. And big yes to an Alchemist-produced LP.
I dont see where all the hate is coming from. Yes. Nas has some terrible filler on his albums but I gotta blame a major part on that is the production. The lyrics are ALWAYS on point. I dont know what people expect, a prefect discography?!