Nearing two decades in the game, Nas is embraced with high esteem, as his mere presence demands attention given his innate knack for leadership coupled with unrelenting lyricism. We’ve watched from the sidelines as Nas achieved a lot: obvious career highlights include his prolific debut with 1994’s Illmatic, the boldly titled 2006 release of Hip Hop Is Dead, and the gall which once found him at odds with dominant New York City radio entity Hot 97 after a legendary battle with Jay-Z. Like most rappers carrying a movement on their backs (in this case, it’s arguably Queens), the impetus for stellar work weighs a ton. Faced with lofty critical expectations, Life Is Good is an up close and personal tenth release from Nas.
Regularly praised for his versatility, Nas wears the multiple hats of ladies man, urban griot and voice of the people, fine tuning these roles to near perfection on Life Is Good. Having traveled various confusing paths over the years causing detractors to charge him with coasting off of early accolades, this album lends serious credence to the notion that he holds a fixed seat in Rap royalty dating back to the golden age. A reminder of his glory days, “Loco-Motive” finds Nas in a zen-like state musing, “I know you think my life is good cause my diamond piece/but my life been good since I started finding peace,” the song ending with an all too welcome backhanded compliment, “For my trapped in the ’90s niggas.” Other intentional nods to the past are “Reach Out” (as singer Mary J. Blige does a New Edition rendition) and “Bye Baby” (which samples New Jack Swing group Guy), an open letter to his ex-wife Kelis that gracefully comes to grips with the permanent ending to their marriage. While always introspective, Nas boldly chooses to discuss a topic on the latter track that has been under intense public scrutiny. Sonically, though, these portions of the album indicate a desire to reach an older audience that has loyally followed his career’s many phases to date. The downside to that though, is boxing out a demographic more likely to follow a rapper half Nas’ age with the same fraction of skills.
The complete package displays an obvious maturation from the veteran that is effectively in tune with a focus many have considered missing for some time, as “A Queens Story” (honoring deceased hood legends and Rap talents from Nas’ borough) and “No Introduction” are adventurous moments sure to please original subscribers and younger fans alike. While subject to debate, “Summer On Smash” (accentuated by Swizz Beatz’ infectious hook and Miguel’s vocals) also attempts effectively bridging the gap between today’s radio demographic and aging listeners, much like the provocative non-fiction of the recent single “Daughters.” Minor infractions such as “Stay” and “You Wouldn’t Understand” can be overlooked given a vocal command, delivery and passion from Nas largely thought to be almost obsolete. The biggest disconnect on Life Is Good lies in Nas’ ability to couple his strong lyrics and discussion topics with well-rounded songs. While clever wordplay and social commentary are strong suits, they tend to take a front seat to a complete composition. In a world where the value of a song outweighs the value of the words it contains, this can pose a problem to even the strongest career – including a living legend. Still, Nas carries the torch for what many artists today are lacking, and in continuing to do so will always have that lane primarily clear. It’s one he mastered at the onset of his career and doesn’t appear to be surrendering any time soon.
Life Is Good is a dual relief for Nas and his supporters as its title lends itself to interpretation as a reconciled statement to gossip obsessed tabloids. The weight lifted from his shoulders has provided with him a reinvigorated energy unifying the masses, rectifying the ongoing harsh criticism of his poor beat selection and strengthening the case for his importance throughout Hip Hop’s folklore.
2.5/5 Nas aint the same
ALBUM IS A JOKE 1.5/5.CASE RESTED
your a joke! go back to school…
It’s you’re or you are. You need some more schooling brother.
This is a horrible review! This idiot had the nerve to say Stay & You Wouldn’t Understand are minor infractions on the album?? O_o Those are 2 of the best record on the album & Stay might be the best song of the year in terms of substance. I can’t respect this clown reviewing the album making retarded statements like that.
I disagree. There are a handful of songs better that the two you’ve mentioned.
Particularly You Wouldn’t Understand.
co-sign…how ca he call stay an infraction? smh, classic song, classic album, its like he listened to the album and wrote his review, very poorly done..check out http://rapreviews.com/ review, they are the best
co-sign…how ca he call stay an infraction? smh, classic song, classic album, its like he listened to the album and wrote his review, very poorly done..check out rap reviews, they are the best
I think 3.5/5.
Are you Fools listening to the Lyrics? What do you expect, some Shitty Beats we are getting from all other Artists theses Dayz? This Album is a Classic, go back to School !
Bruh Esco put it best…”Some Say Hating Is Confused Admiration”
I really expected a better review from HHDX. 4/5? Smh
This is one of the best solo hip-hop albums I’ve heard in a few years and one of Nas best.
Classic. Deserves 5/5.
I wish DX had experienced writers, journalists and reviewers who knew what they were doing. I cant take these dudes seriously.
agree with u 100%, there is no depth or attention to detail with their reviews….
5
Is this a review?
Life Is Good is a Classic…
thanks nasir for a solid album.i give a 4.5/5.much repect.its breath of fresh air in an era where everything sounds the same
Im not a Nas fan but this album is the best in a while
Why hhdx hatin on Nas
xxl
Haahaha wat a joke, must want that channel orange to get album of the year
This is a 4/5. The reviews are done for all of hip hop, not just this year. If it was year by year then of course this is a 5 because its the best well get. In reality this album has average beats and hooks; and so it cant be more than a 4. Nas is lyrically still great and I dontblame him for the beats. I blame the industry, as every damn album that drops nowadays seems to have something missing
Life is Good on other reviews
Dope.
5
All am gonna say is that I know every tom dick and harry n their mama is a music critic nowadays so am not surprised by such a mediocre review. Life is Good is from 1 to 14 is pure gem musically n sonically. Even d bonus tracks better than ur favorite rappers main body of work.
Stay is one of the best tracks on album……review is fail
this album is a Morden Day Classic hhdx it went over yo heads
great throwback album
Even i copped this album i know its a 10
a so so review…though i’ve always questioned hiphopdx reviews and their ratings, not exactly their strongest area, maybe they should stick to hip hop news ..
its rare i listen to niggas who never been in my position
a caterpillar cant relate to what an eagle envisions
from the mind of a man who went at it with killers
sit down little man, let me school you in hood business
seen a lotta niggas blow, lotta dreams folded
some wasnt humble, ate too much, got bloated
aint too much left to buy, bought it im loaded i guess
lear jets i ask myself do i need love or success?
they say the artist that truly suffers he suffers the best
cause his heart bleed on his sleeve, pain pistols and sex
remember spraypaintin the word fresh and then staring at it
older folks angry, pointin, swearin at it
buildings i sprayed, nowadays drive the maclaren past it
same old man from years ago told me life is short
so from infant to geriatric, trust ya own judgment. live with it and love it
Donism right there
Classic
This all u go dx?
Even i know that this sh** better than mine
Very versatile album. Nas is an artist and has to put out what’s in his mind. Man this album is too original. It has an older audience in mind, but not just Ny rap fans because the lyrics are less Big L/Wu-Tang lyrical acrobatics and more Eminem/Tupac literal, direct and poetic lyricism. Its sonically very cohesive.
5
* Stars
4.5 at least
Man you gotta be fuckin with me , imma take the high road : FUCK YOU DX , yall gave that uglyass annoying ab-soul album 4.5 and give nas life is good a 4 ??? what a fucking joke !
I lost all respect for this website, im really sorry cuz i thought yall guys ACTUALLY respect and admire real shit. Guess i was wrong.
How u gon front on the dopeness like dat
Worst review i’ve ever read. this album is at least 4.5. stick to publishing news and leave writing reviews to heads that actually have a taste of what real hiphop is
To call them fake today is hate, real niggas extinct
Pac left me inside a rap world with niggas that’s weak
And other rappers, undercover niggas spit every way
Won’t be surprised if all their rides have federal plates
Let alone their wardrobes are Studio 4 flow
It was real when I appeared, it would’ve been some jaws broke
Nas, my real name, stage name, same thing
How could you let these claim king? I’m so ashamed, man
I light a L for Vernon, for niggas who would burn in Hell
For Vernon; 10th Street, 12th Street, Nightmare on Elm Street
Pimps creep, delve deep inside the editorials
Of the ghetto queens, kings, stories true
Who possesses the testicular fortitude
To blow away myths that’s a hindrance to all of you?
You blame your own shortcomings on section, race
The mafia, homosexuals and all the Jews
It’s hogwash point of views, stereotypical
Anti-Semitic like the foul words Gibson spewed
And it’s pathetic, I DONT GET THE CREEDIT I deserve
That’s why I hate doing interviews
But I don’t sweat it, study long, study raw
My man Deon said “Nas over-think the songs he writing”
I’m not a wack performer standing behind a corny hype man
I got the Donism, I’m here to enlighten
They thought I’ll make another “Illmatic”
But it’s always forward I’m moving
Never backwards stupid here’s another classic
LIG is a classic stop frontin’
should’ve been 4,5
Sorry we made a mistake
Real recognizes real
Officer ricky better get a 2
nuthing under 4.5 suffices
dx we dont believe u need more pple
LOL
This is the best Hip Hop album currently available in the marketplace, and makes almost every album released as of late seem like trash. Nas is back hope he follows it up again next year because hip hop needs a new Nas album frequently
Best review I’ve read so far, on point and really good. 4 stars is the real rating, if they would have added “nasty” and “roses” on the standart edition, it would deserve a 4,5 at least
Trust is dope also.
the best album out this year for now
One of his best
quality album still better than half these rappers that release albums kills albums this years
Naaaaaaas! Welcome back! Thanks to YOU hip hop is not dead!
A bullshit rating!
over rated this is easily one of nas 3 worst albums along with nastradamus and the untitled
NO PRIMO
NO PETE ROCK
NO LARGE PROFESSOR
NO Q-TIP
80% of album is produced by No ID (WAY OVER RATED ) and Salaam Remi
I’ll be bumping he’s old shit!!!!!!
Man shut your dumb ass up.
Shut the fuck up, NO ID and Remi are good
I love how since No ID started working with Nas, everyone started calling him wack, garbage and overrated. It makes me laugh. No ID and Salaam provided great production on here.
Have you even heard the album? doesnt sound like you have.
He is an idiot and cleary didnt listen to this album
Great verses, immaculate production. Very cohesite. 5/5.
Swizz Beatz fkcd up the track…5/5 Instant Classic
5 stars no doubt! best album out in a long time.
ALbum of the year!
It should be, keen to see what DMX’s new albums is like!
the roots get 5 and nas gets 4 smh!
Why you shaking your head four,The Roots put out an amazing album.If you didn’t understand the story & the deep lyrical meaning that’s your lost but I still think Nas should have gotten a 5 on this one.Shit’s a classic
*for
Life is REALLY good
SONG AFTER SONG BEFORE THE ALBUM DROPS 4/5 RATINGS FOR EACH SONG ON HIPHOPDX?
HE FLOPPED,YOU CANNOT SAY HE IS NOT AN ESTABLISHED ARTIST
RECORD SALES ELITES=YMCMB AND MMG
GOT THE GAME BY THE CLIT
rick ross has never gone platinum in his life fool
Rick Ross is wack
@DK
Nas has 8 consecutive platinum albums and 1 gold album out of 10, soon to have 6 #1 albums on Billboard out of 10 and “Life Is Good” will be the #1 album in the Country next week. Nas has rarely every had huge first week sales but he has managed to go platinum 8 times and gold 1 time for a total of 9 certified plaques out of his 10 solo album not including the “Firm” album that is platinum and “QB Finest” that is gold as well. So all together Nas has 9 multiplatinum/platinum & 2 gold albums in his long and very successful career…HATERS STAY MAD!
how did krits boring album get 4.5 and this got 4
Agreed. KRIT’s album sucked. Relative to this and all his mixtapes. Outside of 2-3 songs the lyrics weren’t there and he is mad overrated as a producer. All of his beats sound the same. I’ll take several new cats over KRIT on the boards…Apollo Brown, Oddisee and Clams Casino to name a few.
kinda ridiculous
Life Is Good is one of the best albums to come out this year and one of the best I’ve heard in a while. Great work Nasir. A 4.5 at least.
Life is good!!!!!!!
Sharp lyricism, intelligent topics, elegant production. I think this is Nas at his finest!
Thid right here is a fuckin classic! And anyone who don’t agree with this is already brainwashed from this bullshit they playin’ on the radio! 5 Stars!!! Album of the year!
One of the best REAL Rap albums in years, there’s nothing like it, how this only got 4 I will never know.
super dope!
This album is close to perfect…It should have gotten a 5…If not at least a 4.5. I’ve been listening to this album every day since it dropped!!
@DK
Nas has got the 9 platinum & 2 gold plaques to prove his is NOT a FLOP! Nas “Illmatic” debuted on the charts with 65k sold in it’s first week and that album was praised to the upmost before it debuted and went platinum and is to this day considered the BEST hip hop album of all times! It’s never the first week #’s that matter it is how you finish and Nas has always be awarded with a platinum or gold plaque for EVERY LAST SINGLE ONE OF HIS SOLO ALBUMS & The Firm & QB Fines albums!
Nas & Common are two Emcees that i know of that are worthy of the credit for creating a more adult contemporary genre of hip hop. Their themes are more mature than most radio rap today. I think LIG, Untitled, & God’s Son are albums that are more catered to adults than the 17 Y.O male demographic. I think the album is a solid 4 as were his other Def Jam releases to me.
5 stars nuff stated. Even with the Summer On Smash that may take the album away a bit. 5 stars.
The Mayweather of rap.
Some people are born with it.
wow hiphopdx you guys gotta be more selective on who you hire to write these reviews the fact that this album only gets a four making it only a half point higher than chris brown’s fortune and maybach music garbage is utterly offensive. This is Nas the legend right here. nasmade a fucking classic here, yeah i agree i couple songs stumble but if u replace them with a couple songs that are bonus tracks on the deluxe its right back to the classic please give credit where credit is due and give this man a 4.5 or a 5
this is personally in Na’s top three albums for me illmatic stillmatic than life is good
Wait this gets 4 stars and Big KRIT gets 4.5, now that just ain’t right. No way that you can say KRITs album was better than this or even close. This should be 4.5 and KRITs should be 3.
Im sorry but i highly disagree with your opinion. Live from the underground was a great album and diserves either a 4 or a 4.5, but in no way any less than that… I could agree with you on this that it maybe should have got a 4.5, but i do disagree with people saying this is a 5
This is definitely deserving of a 4.5., no excuse for anything less.
classic!!!!
Im wonderin why the reviewer is trying to say Nas is out of step with the mainstream artists all of a sudden, and this is obsessively attributed to his age? Cuz really, Nas has been out of step with mainstream pop rappers, even when he was in his teens and twenties. Illmatic is like the least commercial album ever. So the fact that he does what he does has little to do wit his age. Like his hits in the early 2000’s for example… One Mic and Made You Look, not exactly what you expect from hit records, yet JayZ and Kanye and Bun B in their 30’s/40’s are able to connect with the youth because they got a different style, yet on the Watch the Throne and Trill OG review, we didnt have the reviewer constantly reminding us how the artist may not connect with the youth.
100% agree. Like Nas said “He dont get the respect he deserves.
THE GOAT GiVES US ANOTHER CLASSIC!!!
good album
Wow!!! I can’t believe this album only got a $!!! Are u kidding me?? This site lost alot of respect in my opinion!! This is the best Hip Hop album to come out in the past 5 years!! u guys just don’t know hip hop.. and all these new young rappers are total garbage which makes hip hop music totally dead!!
Classic!
Terrible review. Great Fuckin Album
Let’s b real…Nas has reclaimed the throne, this dudes lyricism is a beast, I would probly say he is what’s left from the Pac & Biggie era..we as heads shud b proud we got such a nigga with prowess skill. In fact if u put biggie & pac together youl get Nas as your answer.. A str8 5! Now don’t tell me about Officer Ricky Ross & Gay Wayne..those niggas shud focus on serving the devil… Peace…
Easily a 5 star album!!! Hip HOP at it’s truest essence!!! This dude is a Prophet with the wordplay!!! Nobody in the same league of this man except Jigga..
Very grown album. The best so far in 2012 and definitely one of the best NAS albums. I bought it already.
This review is pretty dumb. Swizz’s hook on Summer on Smash is infectious?? Stay and You Wouldn’t Understand are minor infractions?? lmao!!! And then there’s this one “While clever wordplay and social commentary are strong suits, they tend to take a front seat to a complete composition.” LMAO!! Who writes this sh#t??
You know we live in a era where beats are more important and lyrics don’t matter when you see sh!t like this. If Hip Hop is Dead and Untitled both got a 4.5 on here, Life Is Good at least deserves the same. DX, the users on your own site have rated every song from this album at least a 4.7, except one. Smarten up.
Spot on I would say, suprised really as I think HHDX usually over-reviews Nas albums looking at ALL the reviews this album has gotten 4/5 is about right if not 4.5/5.
Favourite Tracks: Loco-Motive, Cherry Wine, Nasty
Least Favourite Tracks: Reach Out, Summer On Smash
4.9/5
I know this is a good grade, but this album deserved much better.
classic shit!
if Nas dropped a fart in a can, people would call it classic
everybody should read this comment before hopping on the bandwagon
thats hilarious..lol proly true to. I being one of those people haha. I think people jus want nas to win cus he’s like the people champ the underdog mainstream star. so people are like mothers or wifes and whatever their child does is perfect when it aint
not true, it’s universal that Nastradamas sucked
mentioned there was a lack of complete songs but you completely failed to mention one of (if not the biggest) highlight of the album, Cherry Wine….which is a very well done song
Wow, best album all year by far and this only gets a 4?
DX Lost my respect on this one.
good, not classic or near classic imo but good
dope
It’s a sad day in Hip-hop when the most respected hiphop site gives the album of the year the same rating as Ab-Soul & Torae(not terrible albums). This is clearly is a 4 1/2 star album. I like it just as much if not better than the Roots- Undun as well. What can’t be justified is when Big K.R.I.T & Killer Mike’s recent albums get higher rating when those dudes beats don’t compare to Nas’s & of course nas’s lyrics are superior to those guys as well. Even Killer Mike & Big K.R.I.T. will tell you themselves they aren’t that their albums just aren’t better than Nas’s. Killer Mike’s album was marginal at best & Big K.R.I.T gave his best material away on mixtapes
Absolutely! Stay is one of the biggest bangers on the cd. Jesse Fairfax you need to seriously look into another line of work my friend.
Damn. It’s official, HHDX is on Nas’s dick.
Strop trying to get attention you dork!! The album easily deserves better than a 4.. Simple minded joke, go listen to Wiz Khalifa’s wack ass!!
Classic
Wow you @DX reallyhave become the cyber version of Right On magazine…once the reviewer wrote that Stay and You Wouldn’t Understand were misteps I stoped reading because he or she have no idea what musical concepts mean.
WHAT HE SAID WAS ABSOLUTE BLASPHEMY!!!! Although “Stay” and “You Wouldn’t Understand” have flaws. Stay’s flaw is NO I.D. gave that beat to Cyhi Da Prince already for a song called “Whompty Doo” and “You Wouldn’t Understand” could have used an AZ appearance as he’s fit perfectly on that track.
Great Album…Leave the Jay vs. Nas beefs alone… They Both have a lot of respect in the game and that’s how it should be. With that said this is the Best Album in a While
great album for sure, i would give it a 4,5 star
I have to admit I though at this point in his career it was going to be an average album with a lot of big name features and big name producers. I couldn’t be more wrong, he killed it, definitely his second or third best album. Had that illmatic essence to it, he brought the crown back to where it all started, NY, glad to see it’s home. All these young rappers just got the bar raised up real high, Nas can still rap circles around a lot of these dudes.
In my opinion a great album. Definitley one of the better releases this year. But for now Killer mike is still in the lead for my own best album of the year award.
I call bullshit on that, thats a decent album but it’s not better than nas, hell it’ not even better than Action Bronson’s- Blue Chips Mixtape
This album clearly deserves a rating higher than 4. It’s a minimum of 4.5 stars and knocking on the door of classic! The album is full of energy and Nas sounds very hungry with aggressive and high powered, yet approporiate lyrics on each song. With Life is Good, Nas has demonstrated significant growth as an artist through thought provoking and deep lyrics, multiple Nasty Nas appearances, and a full range of production from R&B, to soul, to jazz, to pure boom bap hip hop. The in-depth storytelling allows the listener to visualize Nas’ experiences (good and bad) and paints a vivid picture of how he survived the many peaks and falls throughout life. It’s easy one of the best albums in Nas’ catalog and includes some of the best production you will ever hear on a hip hop album. I seriously doubt there will be another album in the near future that can top Life is Good. “Stay” is EASY one of the top tracks on the album. With the exception of maybe 3 tracks, every song is banging. 4.5 Stars.
DICKRIDING – DICKRIDING – DICKRIDING
is all I could read.
This dude is a good writer but Im not sure he has any idea what he is writing about.
‘its title lends itself to interpretation as a reconciled statement to gossip obsessed tabloids’
Where the hell is he getting that from?
Also – You wouldn’t understand is the best cut on the album. Wtf?!? Realizing that I just come here for the Comment section/rankings not these dopey reviews.
I loved you wouldn’t understand.
Truthfully. Whole LP is amazing. 9.5 /10
CLASSIC who ever hasn’t heard the album hear it. its one of nas’ best works………..it has the aspects of all his best albums combined…ILL,STILL,IWW,GS,TLT
dont sleep on MIKE though
“Nas boldly chooses to discuss a topic on the latter track that has been under intense public scrutiny. Sonically, though, these portions of the album indicate a desire to reach an older audience that has loyally followed his career’s many phases to date. The downside to that though, is boxing out a demographic more likely to follow a rapper half Nas’ age with the same fraction of skills.”
You can make the same arguement that younger sounding music boxes out an older generation. I don’t really see the point of that statement. Good music is good music!
The only thing “Cruel” about this summer is how tough the wise old owl NaS just shit all over everyone elses best attempts at making a GOOD record. El&Mike did their thing this year but the true king just kicked the throne over and owned court. Checkmate…
But there may just be one last sleeper surprise smash of the summer…MARCBERG RELOADED.
Didn’t Joel Ortiz’s Free Agent album get a 4.5?
ummm
Nas did it again this album is the best rap album of 2012 fuck ycmb
ps so icy and yessir if I see you trolling here im gonna rape both of ur moms hahahahahah
bitches
This was a 4.5 album….summer on smash cost it from being a 5…..should have had that song as a bonus….
it will grow on you, its just not on the lyrical level as rest of the album so people overlook it
Big Nas fan! tho i feel like its 5 since i dont have to skip a track every track dope, summer on smash aite dont mind it. good review 4.5 wishing for a 5 but agloods.
OMAR how did you let this happen????????
Change this shit immediately to 5 stars. At least 4.5
Seriously cause when you do the year end reviews for best LP of the year. This will win. And then people will say, well how did it win with 4 stars if killer mike has 4.5
OMAR GET ON IT
killer mike was better than this imo
killer mike 5/5
nas 4,5/5
O.C.’s Trophies >>> this.
Haha oc trophies heard once and threw it out the window. Give it up homie
Nas-Life is Good>Action Bronson- Blue Chips> Big Krit- 4eva in a Day> O.C./Apollo Brown- Trophies> Big K.R.I.T.- Live From the Underground> Stalley- Savage Journey to the American Dream> Killer Mike- RAP Music
That Killer Mike was really nothing special.
Ps. Your telling me this is on the same level as terminology and statik selectahs shit?
Seriously fuck you man
.
Instant Classic. Nasty NaS is back!!
WHOEVER WROTE THIS REVIEW IS CORNY……STAY IS ONE OF THE BEST SONGS ON THE CD!!!!MAN WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE DUDES…MAYBERRY..THIS A STRONG 4.5 EASY….AS A BODY OF WORK TO ME ITS A 5…EVEN CLASSIC CD HAD SONGS THAT I DIDNT LIKE….THIS IS KILLING SHH
Oh, wow. Someone doesn’t share your OPINION? Damn, life is hard. Some sad times for you over-sensitive ass Nas stans.
ONly 4?
nigga fuck hip hop dx
Best rapper alive
I give it a 4.5/5. My personal top 5 favorite tracks so far this year:
Nas – Trust
Ab-Soul – Pineal Gland
Big Krit – Praying Man
Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools
Locksmith – Little Bunny Rabbit
I can’t hate on that list. Imma have to look up that Locksmith song.
you tripping, More appropiate list:
Action Bronson-9-24-11
Nas- Cherry Wine
Stalley- Live at the Blossum
Freeway- Let You Know
Kanye West & Pusha T- New God Flow
Wow only a 4? I thought this would have gotten a 4.5.
Now that’s about right 4.59 out of 5.00
HHDX be tripping HARD
HAHAHA
ONLY 4?
ROFLMAOOOOOOO!!! AND YA DICKRIDERS CALL THIS “CLASSIC”
THAT, IS HILLARIOUS.
WAKE UP, YA NIGGAS LOOK SOOOO SAD.
DOPE
this is what I hate about album reviews, classic is a status that cannot be given on the week of a projects release. Classics are determined by the passage of time and the ability to remain relevant. In a few years you can judge this project to see if it really is a classic; it can’t be done after a few listens.
Dx, if its nearly perfect, its not 4 starts, it’s 4.5, at least be consistent with your praise.
There’s some really good music on this album, and parts of the album may grow on me with time, which is all that I ask of a top quality release. Keep it up Nas.
You make a very good point. Nobody can claim that an album is a classic after only one week. The test of time will tell. The ability of a song/album to evoke feelings in a person even after a significant amount of time. Word up
Replace summer on smash with a premo beat and replace officer ricky with AZ on accident murderers it would of been perfect, but still dope album. Next up that Nas and Premo joint album.
That Premo/Nas album will NEVER happen, just like The Lost Tapes 2 and all the other mythical albums Nas is supposed to drop.
#Epic fail on d part of whoever did this crappy review.
All am gonna say is that I know every tom dick and harry n their mama is a music critic nowadays so am not surprised by such a mediocre review. Life is Good is from 1 to 14 is pure gem musically n sonically. Even d bonus tracks better than ur favorite rappers main body of work.
Shut up, you sad piece of shit. Nothing to do in your life besides sucking off Nas everywhere, you fucking ass clown can’t even deal with other opinions. SMH. What a cocksucker.
HipHopDX are officially wack…a 4 please,this album is a classic but then again this the same site that gave Yo Gotti a 4 rating smh.
nas’s new album isn’t a classic. No bangers on it, only same lyrics all over and over again with some ‘old’school beats on it. 90% of these tracks I already heard it on his previous albums. Monotone tunes, same yabiddiyab, nothing new. 3 1/5 stars from me.
This CAN’T be a classic, it has been barely out for two weeks, are all you guys retarded? A classic has to stand the test of time, influence the whole genre and be an exceptional piece of work. Life Is Good is nothing of this.
ya im gonna agree that its probably not a classic, at least not an instant classic, maybe will be looked back on as a classic.
But gotta disagree that he’s just reciting old lines, like … .
“keep makin my millions
Can see myself in presidential campaign dinners
But Im gassin blunts around a bunch of gang members
When youre too hood to be in them Hollywood circles
And youre too rich to be in that hood that birthed you
And you become better than legends you thought were the greatest
And out grow women you love and thought you could stay with”
Cmon now that is some quality shit.
I actually agree with this album review, honestly there is too much hype about this album. The only song I will remember for a while is daughters… This album is great dont get me wrong but I dont agree with most of you saying it deserves a five.
i love nas and he is my favorite rapper, i copped the album on tuesday, but y’all know that this album isn’t a perfect, flawless 5 out of 5.
1. summer on smash
2. the rick ross feature?
3. the “i’m on my lilo & stitch” line from ‘cherry wine’
if the above three flaws hadn’t marred the album, THEN it would have been 5 out of 5.
as it is, a solid 4.5 out of 5.
How the fuck is it a 4 out of 5? HIPHOPDX is quickly loosing my respect for album reviews!!!!!! its a 4.5 atleast! sort your head out ‘JESSE FAIRFAX’
Nas comes strong on this album but to many weak beats & Summer On Smash must be one of the worst songs on a Nas album ever!!! And Rick Ross is no help either!!!
how the fuck are thye gonna give this a 4?! if any album deserves to get a 5 its this, this is classic hiphop!
you dude, chill, this ain’t a classic album. it’s a just above average. Kids these days. They call themselves anonymous because they think it’s a cool name. Be more creative… And no, this ain’t a 5/5 album. Same lyrics but with some other words on some “old”school beats. Simply put, boring and monotone album with no bangers on it. NEXT yawn
3 stars
It started off pretty good, but then went all R&B. People knock Drake, yet bump this?
This site sucks dick @ rating they give KRIT 4.5 but they gave Nas 4 not saying KRIT is bad but Nas is Way better and life is good waz better then channel orange i dont understand why they have the same rating
Reviews aren’t meant to be compared.
Look at all these dickriders on suicide watch over a fucking rating. Disgusting.
Compared to the quality of hip-hop these days, this is a GEM.
this a gem? What about The Roots’s album “undun”? Or Common’s “Dreamer Believer”? What about Apollo Brown “Trophies”? What about Reks? What about Gangrene? What about Ohnomite?
Dude, what the f**k are u listening to? If u only know Drake and lil Wayne, than i get it when u say this a gem.
But serious? R u serious? lol.
Check Russian Roulette end of this month by ALC, serious. Know hiphop dude
ELjay stop with that nonsense you are spewing. I love you how suggest that Nas fans only listen to Wayne and Drake… MORON. The Dreamer the Believer? I love Common but no way is that touching this, I mean come on that is laughable. Reks? Dude is nice but he so clearly models his style, storytelling, and lyricism off of Nas, never mind the fact that Nas did everything that Reks does just as well as he does now except 10-20 yrs earlier LOL. Roots have several classics and Undun is very solid, but LIG is right on Undun’s level for sure. The other stuff is not worth my time
I saw in another comment you act like LIG has songs duplicated from previous albums that were better done back then. I bet you probably wine about Nas not going back to his Illmatic, yet just discount songs like Locomotive, Where’s the Love, and Trust that invoke the Illmatic style because ‘they were done better before.’
And another thing… someone who gives Nas a 4.5/5 on a piece of work that WARRANTS isn’t automatically a Nas stan jackass… people are FEELING this album for real regardless of whose name is attached… DEAL WITH IT
Good Album…classic nas lyrics..nice production and good concepts…easily the album of the year.
another great album from has. it’s not entirely a classic (due to the rick ross and swizz beatz songs), but it’s a damn near classic. it’s a 4.5/5.
ur not hiphop, if u knew swizz from ghetto stories, then u already knew swizz carries a big part of hiphop on his shoulders. but wait ur 16, ok, i get it.
It’s a great album, but save the classic talk for at least a year. It definitely has classic potential, but lets wait and see if it holds up. You just can’t say an album that just dropped on Tuesday is a classic. So many great albums come out these days, but are quickly forgotten months later. The ADHD of the modern hip hop fan is partly to blame.
but if ur into hiphop, you know when someones says it’s a classic that they mean it’s a 5 star or 5 mic album. I know what you’re tryin to say, but the main point is that you understood what they wanna say with classic. Or are you here to outsmart the rest of em?
Agree with Optimus 100%
Fashawn’s Boy Meets World is the last hiphop classic I can think of. I used to think MBDTF was on par with it, but now it doesn’t have as much replay value, too many features perhahps.
5 star!!
because if u were here just to outsmart other readers by defining “classic”, that made you look like someone with an iq not higher than 85. Everyone knows what classic means…omg
Great album
5 star
Great album.
Forgot to rate lol
Anonymous shut your bitch ass up you stupid kid
unbelievably overrated. can everyone just chill on this album for a sec! was good but jeez it wasnt that good, too repetitive for my liking, great lyrical ability and he’s still one of the best in that regard but i just found a lot of the songs a bit boring. he’s not particularly in touch with todays hip hop. you can say that’s a good thing and that he’s keeping to his roots yada yada but he’s always made the same stuff really, (barring distant relatives) gets a touch monotonous, i’d like to see him switch it up a little bit. 3 stars
This review doesn’t make sense and DX should go back and increase the album rating to at least 4.5. You Wouldn’t Understand and Stay are real dope. Maybe I’m listening to a different Life is Good because DX totally missed the mark with this bullshit review.
I feel you on STAY bro, far from an “infraction”, me personally, its my favorite track on the album, no lie.
agreed. StaY was one of the best tracksw on there
This is a fair review nothing on the album blew me away. Also people need to stop comparing this with live from the underground completely different styles might as well be different genres
im starting to be disgusted by this site. They criticizing the LIG for all the wrong reasons.The downside of this album is that it doesn’t relate to the youth. What kind of shit is that? Im done with HHDX. Its a great album thats gonna have other rappers step up their game.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!! Nas is nice! if u dont agree you don’t like hip hop.
topppppppppp
I just read xxl mag reviews and they said it a classic so nas did it once again.So fuck this reivew
This album is overrated XXL gave it:
Beats: XL (Agree)
Lyrics: XXL (Agree)
Origonaillity: XXL (Highly dissagree)
Honestly if thats an XXL than why didnt the gave section.80 and control system an XXL??? honestly thats just stupid XXL overrated this album. I agree with DX on this one
tha carter is better
I think 4X is a fair rating, Im one of the biggest Nas heads, I literally got every song he recorded, everything.
It didnt blow me away on the first listen, it was really well done, but its definitely got classic potential, it’s an excellent album. I’d say his last solo blew me away on the first listen, but I grew tired of it quickly probably cuz of the depressing/negative topics. The production and beats were also excellent on the last solo, maybe better than this one I would say. Distant Relatives blew me away on the first listen, and I think easily is a 5X classic. Life is Good is dope and is growing on me, I like every song, including Summer on Smash. If I had to put this one up against Hip Hop is Dead I say its a couple notches above that album. If I had to put it up against what I perceive as classic Nas shit, like Distant Relatives and God Son, I’d say its a notch or two below those. I’d say its on par with Stillmatic, like a really really well done Nas album.
Speaking of that, I disagree with the XXL review, which bills it as “Nas best album since Stillmatic”. Stillmatic is really dope, but I dont think anyone really thought or thinks its a CLASSIC album like XXL said. Like they forgot about GodsSon and Distant Relatives. I think Gods Son was EASILY his best solo album other than Illmatic, definitely a classic, Im pretty sure many critics agree with that. So for XXL to rate Stillmatic > Gods Son or Distant Relatives is suspect to me. Like I said, Life is Good to me right at this moment anyway, is like on par with Stillmatic, a really great Nas album, not exactly classic, at least not to me, not yet anyways.
But I might change my mind on Life is Good in like 6 months or a year, or two years, maybe I’ll think it deserves classic status, maybe I’ll think its the same, maybe it will go down a couple of notches.
The European version of Stillmatic > God’s Son (it doesn’t have the Braveheart party track and Zone Out does take away from God’s Son). To me his strongest work lyrically is Illmatic and musically it’s Distant Relatives. I don’t know what the fuck Pitchfork got in their ears when they listened to DR. It was by far my favourite album of that year. I’m looking forward to diving into Life Is Good.
nothing new. He is a great rapper but it all sounds the same.
fukk outta here
dope album
If I had to pick my favorite tracks on the album, I gotta say 1) Stay 2) Bye Baby 3) the bonus track Nasty.
And I like Summer on Smash, not sure why everyone hates Swizzy, i think its great song, as I said on a previous post, my girl was shakin her ass to it lol
And STAY is described as a minor infraction by hiphopdx, like what? That shit is like on repeat, that shit is smoother than Grey Goose fuck what ya heard
I agree, “stay” a minor infraction? Someone is smoking the wrong shit. My favorite song. Overall the whole album is sick.
Definatley the best Hip-Hop release of 2012 hands down, this is Nas’s best album since God’s Son it had everything awsome production, lyricism was on point and best of all it touched on some real meaningful shit I think everybody can relate too. Alotta people are throwin “classic” around and only time will tell on that but I definately think this album will only get better with time.
5/5 simple
The album caught me off guard the first time I listened to it. It sounds almost like a counter to Lex Luger style production, because it’s so smooth and chill. And it’s so damn lyrically dense, this album has incredible replay value. I’ve listened to it about 7 times (front to back) since I bought it. And I’m really glad I purchased it, because it seems to get better every time I hear it.
I completely agree
Didn’t even mention “Roses”, I found that to be the deepest track on the album deserves more mention. Summer On Smash is trash though, everything elses is peak work from Nas
perfect album….touch of brilliance….Nas is hiphop’s G.O.A.T
Definitely album of the year to me. NaS’ Life is Good deserves at least 4,5, c’mon DX! And 5 stars if the album had a featuring with AZ and a beat from Primo and a beat from The RZA (I don’t mention Dr. Dre cuz this legend is nowhere and elsewhere for too longtime)
I’m not a great fan of Nas, but I checked this album. And I have to say that this is really great CD, but a bit too long. I skip “Summer on Smash” every time. Both Nas and Swizz Beatz had better bangers in their discography. My fav tracks are No Introduction, Loco-Motive, Daughters, Reach Out, Back When.
good album but sometimes boring. a lot of the things he did already on other albumss, not realy new. Beats could have been better.
Album of the year!!!
You’re right and it’s all good!
good good album
“Definatley the best Hip-Hop release of 2012 hands down”
The year isn’t over yet. Relax.
How the fuck can you say You Wouldn’t Understand some how flawed the album when Nas is dropping dope lyrics like this.
“Spill more Spades, listen to Jeezy and Hov, some Rozay
It’s like we always on the grind with no brakes
So tonight we gon’ act like we on vacation with this on rotation”
fuck the comments go buy it
The fact is this is a great great rap album….he topped Untitled with this stellar effort. I didnt think this album would be so ddope…..NAS is the DON and proballyy going down as the 2nd best rapper all time
Yall can keep yall industry bubblegum rap…. this is REAL hip-hop! Shout outs to nas for keeping it real and continuing to to give us that REAL shit
Nas did his thang on this one. There are songs like Loco Motive and Bye Baby which are classics and there are songs like Summer On Smash and Daughters that I would not really ride to but still the album is nice overall 4.5/5
Summer on Smash is definitely the only weak point of this jewel. Daughters is a classic, NaS is one of the best who can put so much realism, sincerity and personal facts and make it a classic. From memory, I don’t remember listening to such deep rap song which is a big hit too.
NaS! Thanks for being still relevant and true
WHACK SHIT!!
Lol, okay just kidding but this is a 3 or 3.5 at best and I am a big Nas fan but this is a boring album. Will never top Illmatic though
If you were a tru fan ur rating would reflect that u dont have to lie to kick it clown !!!!
Seriously DX? This album is a savior for the currently sad state of hip hop and the best that can be given is 4? Unreal. Nas killed it with this album.
Exactly what it should be. Everything I want out of a Nas album. A true return to form. THIS SHIT FUCKIN’ MEANS BUSINESS!!!
does anyone else feel kinda obligated to buy this album? its not bad and Nas is my fav rapper, but i feel like he could use my money. 4.5/5 esco lets go!
I THOUGHT HHDX WAS REAL
L.I.G 5/5
I’M OUT
it ain’t hard to tell that NaS is the Don.
I’m laughing my ass off at the haters, what do you kids like? 2 chains? drake? lil wayne? rick ross? (yes he’s on the album and does a good verse),Big Sean?,Nicki Minaj? Tyga? Bow Wow? lmfao!! these people will be forgotten you know why THEY HAVE NO CLASSIC ALBUM AND THERE MUSIC HAS NO MEANING DEAL WITH IT THERE GARBAGE 106 & PARK IS A JOKE AND PLAYS 95% STUPID MUSIC WITH NO SUBSTANCE!!! I’m not saying Nas is the greatest but damn dude been putting in work for 20 years and has never really fell off in my opinion sure he’s had a few misteps with oochie wally,you owe me,natradamus and maybe street’s disciple but you cannot sit up there and tell me that BIGGIE’S LIFE AFTER DEATH AND TUPACS ALL EYEZ ON ME WERE FLAWLESS AND DESERVE THE CLASSIC STATUS THAT THOSE ALBUMS GET AND SAY THIS ISN’T? THOSE ALBUMS ARE OVERATED AND I OWN THEM,THEY SOLID THAT’S IT NOTHING SPECTACULAR, IF YOU GONNA CRITISIZE NAS ALBUMS LET’S DO THE REST OF THE LEGENDS AS WELL..fOOLS ON HERE TALKING BOUT IT’S NOT CLASSIC BECAUSE OF ONE TRACK SUMMER ON SMASH WTF!!! SHUT UP I CAN NAME EVERY CLASSIC HIP HOP ALBUM IN HISTORY AND I’LL BET YOU I’LL FIND A FLAW OR SKIPPABLE TRACK.I CAN TELL YOU PEOPLE ARE CHILDREN OR COURSE YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND THIS ALBUM YOUR A KID AND HAVEN’T BEEN IN LOVE OR BEEN THROUGH ANYTHING, STICK TO PLAYING VIDEO GAMES LOSERS, ANYONE WHO GIVES THIS LOWER THEN A 4 IS CLEARLY NOT A HIP HOP FAN AND I QUESTION WHAT TYPE OF ALBUMS YOU CONSIDER CLASSIC WITH NO FLAWS
Aight! Co-sign
Hip Hop Fan hit the nail on the head. If ur not over Let’s say 30. you hae not seen hip hop from when it was a baby. you hae not been in the disco fever, the roxy,latin quarter,union square,home base all of which were N.Y.C. clubs. Not saying that if you never attened these places that your a fan, but all this bickering about nas not being a TRUE M.C.is total Bullshit. those who can’t criticize,complain. Let’s see if any of you can last 20yrs in any field and still be someone who people want to work with. Go back to listening to the internet rappers.
even when i was ayoung head in the late 80s and 90s i would study music, to where i listened to hip hop but had to know where it originated to basically get to know where the inspiration and the samples came from, and ended up discovering soul from the 70s which was’nt my erra but made it none the more less interesting.
It’s not about being a critic of something you know nothing about, or actually think your jumping onto the bandwagon of something hip when looking at the soundscan
Back when Nas first came out you listened and what came back was that old juice crew flava which was that old boom bap sound refresh on illmatic
i hope everyone calling it dope went and picked up the album, or at least bought a song or two on itunes pimpins!
CLASSIC AND FUCK YOU HIP HOP DX. HOW CAN YOU RATE THIS 4 LIKE BIG SEAN AND A LOT OF THIS NIGGAS? WTF IS WRONG WITH Y’ALL? I’M REALLY MAD RIGHT NOW, I GUESS Y’ALL THE REASON WHY HIP HOP IS DEAD?
STR8 FUCKERY!
This album is the truest form of what it means to get behind a mic. Nas is a pure artist that understands that rap music is an art form. This is easily the best album I’ve heard thus far. Peace to Nas for putting the culture on his back!
Meaningful when words like “NaS” “Pure artis” “Art” “Best album” and “Culture” are in the same sentence!
Lol at this writer he probably reviewed this while listening Jae Mills Hearing Voices.
This album is classic, 4.5… Pretty mediocre review in my opinion. Should’ve at least done a track by track analysis.
The reviewer has a right to his opinion. The NY Daily News gave it the highest rating. XXL magazine gave it a XXL. Let the kids listen to their shit. We have ours. Our shit is Grover Washington Jr and their shit is like Kenny G.
Lol damn, let it be known that some of us kids listen to the real shit too
i didn’t care too much for this cd, but if you classify it as “near perfection” one would think its deserving of a higher grade than 4/5. i honestly have no idea how you people come up with these grades…just garbage
Yessss
I think this review is wack. Obviously it is weighted more toward the current trends today. Nas is one of the last remaining people to Bridge the Gap. If y’all don’t see it, then y’all don’t know. I’m 26 and some of the references on this CD or even just 80s songs in general where before my time but I respect it. But Nas does it in a way where the young and old can at least look at each other and nod. Nas aint gonna bend to this fuckin techno shit. He has found a way to adapt to the times but retain his artistry and y’all just need to just let it be and stop basing him against other people. I don’t think this review was really in depth. He had some classic gems on there. “Cherry Wine” is something that transcends hip hop and a record that is truly timeless. Hiphopdx needs to step up their game…
*were not where
im a huge nas fan. but all other nas fans need to stop responding to these trolls and just COP THE ALBUM support. leave this internet thugs be
That’s crazy, how they not going to give it 5 stars, its nearly perfect besides the summer on smash track witch is a good song its just out of place on the album. There has not been one album this year as good or even close, the album is going to be a heavy contender for rap album of the year, and there is no rapper this year who is going yo come out with something better, even nae hatred r saying its a classic every other review is saying its a classic its metacritic score is almost at 80 and the other pulicationts haven’t even gave there revise yet.
I dont hear anyone talking about Black Bond…I thought that was the illest cut on the album.
Instant classic. One of the best albums in a long ass time. Nas best albums of all time are as follows: Illmatic, Stillmatic, It was Written, Life is good.
I’m a Nas fan, but this album didn’t appeal to me. to much of a mainstream sound, dont like it at all
You must not be a true Nas fan then
Anyone who thinks the album is dope shouldn’t want mainstream to embrace it. Mainstream is out of sync with lyrical talent and solid producing right now. Especially hip hop(rap). The shit is watered down with pop-ish club anthems and an album like ‘Life is Good’ won’t contend with albums like ‘Take Care’. I’m not knocking Drake but his style is only half hiphop. Nas, Jay-Z and even Jeezy is hiphop and the only fool who sell in that market is Jay and Lil Wayne. Wayne is good but he is experimenting on the egde of rap with his lyrics and delivery as of late. I’m not trying to sound like i make the rules of hiphop but I know what sounds like bullshit on wax when I hear it and ‘Life is Good’ is legit after I’ve heard it twice. Holla.
why wouldn’t you want mainstream to embrace it? Its great music, period. I think good music should sell, let the mainstream leave the bullshit in the dust. 5/5
ill give it a 3 ill tell you why some of the song concepts have been done before by NAS
Stop to always bring back Nas to Illmatic or this era! What’s wrong with people like you huh? Each album of an artist reflects a stretch of time of his life and of your life. When you was listening to Illmatic it was 18 years ago, you grown up since, Nas too! You can’t still blame on Nas for not release another Illmatic.
Why Nas is always so critisized?? This dude is Hip-Hop, he does not do Hip-Hop, HE IS HIP-HOP! Period. When I read all of these negative opinions, I wondering how people have been so ear-formated in years to forget what is true Hip-Hop. I’m sick of it all.
How could you throw such a poor review for a so long awaiting album and to a so Great artist as NaS is. I’ve seen on DX better reviews for wacker albums dropped this year, what’s wrong with you?? What happened to you??
Sirens of average and mainstream music knocked at your editorial office? NaS has just gave us an album which mix perfectly dope and musical beats, lyrical content, clever mind, personal facts and a flow that reminds to all of us the NaS of Illmatic/IWW and all that in the same album, with this album he had satisfied old school fans and also young people who love real Hip-Hop, and you just give 4/5???? Damn I can’t believe it!! Reviewing this album is not like another releases, it deserves lyrics analysis and just not an average review as you always post on DX! C’mon Jesse Fairfax, STEP YOUR GAME UP! WAKE UP!!!
Like Nas said in the earlier posted interview, this album is a modern day version of Marvin Gayes “Here, My Dear”, you really get see the rise and fall of his marriage with Kelis, and his love for his family despite the fact that it’s broken. Real shit, and real niggas who have ever loved and lost will feel it especially.
There are a 3 tracks that could have been done without, Summer On Smash especially. I don’t know how Nas could listen to that track and think it belongs on this album.
4.5/5
dope
Cant wait till I get this album!
The worst review i’ve ever read. This album is dope!
and by far! Jesse needs to retire from reviewing albums.
crap review,,, not much substance-the rating is about right.
Summer on smash & Reach Out are terribly made forced songs.
Stay & You wouldn’t understand ae far superior records – TRUST should be on the album
Solid 4/5 from NAS best rap album this year by a mile
great album to add to an already great and underrated catalouge
yep
i hope he comes out with a lost tapes 2
Hiphopdx i am really disappointed with the4!!come on man!! come correct. this is one of the greatest efforts in hip hop 4the last couple of years. From a hip hop fans prospective i haven’t heard something so consistent and well balanced in a long while. This album cant and shouldn’t be compared to illmatic, i totally disagree with the comparison bcoz the time frame is totally different. Nas’s ideology and overall view towards life has to change after 18years, come on lets b real? This album has to get the credit it deserves which to me and most true hip hop fans is a 5. With all the controversy and trials Esco went through in the past few years I have nothing but respect for him for his harsh honesty on the mick, he truly wears his heart on his sleeve and spits about relevant day to day issues. Well done Nasty keep going and stay true to your philosophy and poetry.
5/5
4/5? This shit is a 5/5 every day of the week. Review is so whack.
This is a wack review that really doesn’t get into the album much at all. If I never heard this album I wouldn’t gain a thing from reading this. I wonder how many times the reviewer listened to it.
Wack ass review, XXL review was better than this. People complaining about the song Summer On Smash. What do you expect?! Its a party record and it fit with the concept of the album! The only thing that needed tweaking was the chorus everything else was ok. One more thing cop this album!
They forgot to mention the itunes bonus track Trust,which is one of the best songs on the album.
Jesse Fairfax needs to get fired…point blank!
Pretty decent record right here based off my first listen. I’d rate it 3.5 stars, but I’ll give it 4 stars since that’s not an option. It seemed to be inconsistent though and most of the time Nas was speeding up his flow, which I didn’t particularly care for (I prefer the more laid back Nas, and really it’s my preference for rappers in general to be more slow flowed). Another thing is that even with the core group of producers (No I.D. and Salaam Remi as far as I can tell – who are very respectable) the production was slacking in places, and there were some pretty good beats, but nothing I’d consider to be great. As far as lyricism goes, it seems like Nas is still doing his thing (and I say “seems” because it’s hard to really grasp all the lyricism on an album on your first listen), and I find it very similar to his album God’s Son in terms of the subject matter being personal (I wouldn’t go as far to call it Here, My Dear type stuff though, as Nas has compared it to Marvin Gaye’s 1978 album)
I felt the same way about the album. Not trying to bash it but it feels more like a 3/3.5 star album after listening a few times. Nas brought the lyrics but some of the production was eh.
If this was the 90’s i would of rated this album 3.5/5 but for this decade this album is definitely 4 maybe 4.5 album.
I agree with hiphopdx except the rate which I would give a 3.5 to 3.7. The lyrics are there as expected but the beats on some track are pretty weak. The beats that could have been better Loco-Motive, Cherry Wine, Where’s The Love, You Wouldn’t Understand, Roses, and Bye Baby.
i give a perfect score
I give this a perfect score too. Amazing album all the way around.
1/5
weakest album of da year.
Tyga and Nicki Minaj and Waka FLocka are da best of 2012 period. swag
You’re fucking retarded
DW about him, hes an inbred
A lot of this sounds way too mainstream. Go cop that new Lord Infamous album… shit goes way harder than this
Thank you DX, this is a fair review from you guys. It amazes me when other critics wanna hate on this album. this is a very good album, especially for a rapper nearing 40. Thank you Mr Jones!
Anyboy who calls any of the beats on this album whack need to learn to appreciate real music. This a complete, thorough, hip hop album. Sheer classic! Composed perfectly on all accounts son. It has the most authentic, classic production Ive hear in a very long time. 5/5 easily.
A thorough Hip Hop album doesn’t need horrible executed, cheesy R&B hooks and sellout features that aim at an audience that doesn’t give a shit about Nas.
Oh so apparently you went around the world and did a consensus on Nas’ audience?
Naa the greatest ever WHOOO RAPS LIKE THIS ? THISS DEEP IN THEIR CAREERS? Nobody…only 2 wack albums Nas ever had were God’s son and Street’s disciple….Critics constantly wanna suck Jay-z’s dick and now they wanna say Nas is back………..Nas NEVER LEFT…and ALLL of his albums are critically acclaimed…..Jay had his share of wack albums…Jay is in my top 10 but quit the dicksucking He aint no Nas or Kool G rap.
This is the first underscored album from you guys in a while. This is a 4 1/2 album from Nas…and easily best nas album post 2000. No beats on here are bad (i’d like to know how Stay is an infraction when the concept is brilliant). Lyrics on point…the only misstep is having swizz beatz talking too much on summer on smash.
Illmatic 5mics/xxl
Stillmatic 5mics
Lost Tapes xxl
Life is Good xxl
Anyone sense a 5mic coming?
Nas the only artist to have a classic album
in every decade from differnt publications
sorry dx we not talking bout you…
I’m feelin it
five easily no album has been as good since MTDF
My favourate track on this album keeps changing and besides SOS all tracks are fire!!
AOTY
stay is my favorite track..da reviewer doesnt know shit
They are shitfaced here at DX…go check out wich albums got a 4 or a 4 1/2, then compare them to this album. The way they review over here is laughable. If you dont understand hip hop as a culture and you review albums like its popsoda
Beyonce album got a 4 on a site called HIPHOPDX….no hate on Beyonce, but that clearly is RnB
Jesse get the fuck outta here, you dont represent hip hop
So, whenever a reviewer isn’t sharing your opinion he doesn’t represent Hip Hop? Damn, I’ve never seen grown men with more bitch tendencies than Nas stans. Look for another genre, cause you’re clearly listening to the wrong music. Nas stans are WORSE than Justin Bieber groupies. Yall will get mad over EVERYTHING that doesn’t praise your hero to the highest degree. Inferiority complex on full force AGAIN. What a group of highly embarrassing clowns. How about having your own opinion? Insecure piece of shit searching for acknowledgement. Damn, this is straight comedy. LOL @ this clown trying to shit on Beyonce when Nas’ album is filled to the max with cheesy R&B hooks and beats. Kill yourself, you worthless asshole.
Damn I got you all twisted emotional LOL
Dont cry and sit down bitch HA!
Nas stans? lol….its like hatin on Rakim when he dropped classic quality material.
all that hate
I should check out youre Ip adress anonymous fuck and let you jump the Empire state of mind lmao
nas stans on anything besides his tracks whenever confronted with reality:
bitching – bitching – bitching
you’ll never see a larger group with more bitch tendencies. scust @ these despicable, cocksucking bastards.
faggots be mad when good music is enjoyed
where exactly is his music is enjoyed? i see nothing but over-sensitive ass bitches complaining over a ranking that is based on an OPINION.
Best summary I’ve seen: “21 years & 10 solo albums in, no other MC has ever rhymed at such a high level this deep into there career”
Not posted for a reaction, but as an opinion.
Great listen, great artist.
The thing is nas still sounds the same as he ever did and has no diversity of styles. jayz rips it in a variety of styles to any beat and adds different twists to his rhymes. nas is trash and has never stepped up his game to be able to hang with anybody let alone jayz. Hence the reason he hasnt had a hit since 2006. nas will NEVER be on the charts again
Time to end this G.O.A.T. foolishness.
In this constant debate about Jay-Z being the best ever I read things like “Nas will destroy Jay-Z” or “Eminem got a better flow than Jay”
Those are OPINIONS.
When will you fools learn that you can’t win a debate with OPINIONS. Every rapper has a different style based on where they are from, the time period in which they were most successful, and their unique personality. We all can go on for days about our personal preferences but in a debate criteria like this is completely IRRELEVANT and automatically BIASED.
The only way to win a debate is with cold hard FACTS. And the fact of the matter is that, when you weigh all of the tangible criteria (Sales, Critical Acclaim, Consistency, Longevity, and Impact) Jay-Z makes the strongest case for the G.O.A.T.
Eminem has sold nearly twice as much as Jay-Z, and he is Jay’s equal when it comes to longevity and impact. But Em lacks the consistency or critical acclaim that Jay-Z has (Im not talkin cult/fanboy classics, Im talkin CERTIFIED classics. XXL/Rolling Stone/Source approved) Eminem is VERY close though.
Nas has enjoyed more critical acclaim and more overall respect in the hip-hop community through the years. And he’s definitely equal to Jay with longevity and impact. But he hasn’t been no where near as much of a consistent presence in hip-hop as Jay has. And he is obviously lacking in the sales department.
Lil Wayne just may be the most consistent rapper of all time. He’s no slouch when it comes to longevity and impact either. His glaring flaw? In his 12 year career Lil Wayne has yet to drop a truly critically acclaimed classic album (and it can be done in this climate. just look at kanye’s discography). Also, contrary to popular beleif, Wayne lacks in the sales department. Sure, Tha Carter III and IV are blockbuster albums, but his OVERALL sales of 10 mil US pale in comparison to Jay-Z’s 31 mil.
2pac is a touchy subject. When it comes to impact, pac takes the cake. No other rapper touched the world like 2pac did. He, like Em, has also sold more than Jay and he was very consistent in his time. Sadly, 2pac passed before his time which allowed Jay-Z to surpass him in longevity and critical acclaim.
LL Cool J was the prototype for what a G.O.A.T. could be. He has enjoyed the most longevity, and he was fairly consistent, but his sales, acclaim and overall impact are no where near the likes of 2pac, Eminem, and ofcourse Jay-Z.
Biggie, Rakim, Common, Snoop, the list goes on. All of these MC’s are great but none of them have the total G.O.A.T. package like Jay-Z does.
Jay-Z is the 3rd highest selling rapper of all time, and the richest. He’s one of the most acclaimed (perhaps only rivaled by his boy Kanye). He dropped multi-platinum albums YEARLY from 96′-03′, and he is still going strong today. He’s been in the game since 88′. He’s impacted hip-hop in countless ways from starting one of the 1st successful MC-owned record labels, to being the 1st non-athlete with a signature shoe, to surpassing the likes of Elvis with #1 albums.
Jay-Z is without question the Greatest MC Of All Time. Period. You don’t have to listen to him everyday (Im currently on my Kendrick wave). You don’t even have to like him. But for goodness sake, RESPECT THE FACTS.
So what your saying is that’s facts always outweigh opinions in debates like this???
So lets take Lil Waynes C4, which has sold way over 2mil+ in USA alone, compared with Watch the Throne at 1.4+….so because the facts say that Waynes album outsold that of Jiggy & Ye, in your ‘theory’ of fact over opinion, then that must mean that C4 is the better album?
Well no, its not.
Just like Drakes Take Care isn’t anywhere near as content rich as Common’s Dreamer/Believer, which to a true rap fan surely is the better album, but has no way near the amount of sales that Drake accumulated.
I know I’m only basing my argument on sales (could choose a number of categories to come back at your ‘theory’), but I just think you’ve got it all wrong.
No one is to tell me due to FACT who the best rapper is, that will always be a matter of MY OPINION, and that is what hip hop is about, debate and differences of opinion (and a lot of hate it may seem).
And just to mention, you almost sound like a Jay-Z fanboy. Almost.
Facts? you put your own opinions as ‘facts’ and think ppl are retarded enough to accept it?
the 1st non-athlete with a signature shoe lol he MUST be the goat, he have his own shoe!!!
lmao. the fucking irony. EXACTLY what nas stans have filled 10 pages with on here.
The GOAT should be determined only by rapping ability and albums. All that other shit aint relevant.
Ok let’s face it, nas back in the day had a few good songs, but come on dude just admit that your shit ain’t saying shit. I still believe jayz is a better rapper, performer and business man than nas
Jay z – uncontrollable hustler’s ambition, networth of 450 million, 14 Grammys, 11 number 1 albums, beautiful wife and family, countless historical verses and performances, huge influence.
Nas = horrible flow, uneven discography, several failed sellout-attempts, wifed two whores, broke, pays child support for a daughter whose embarrassing him on twitter, works with Young Money after accusing them of destroying Hip Hop, stops working with his weedcarriers because he’s in fear of getting destroyed on a track, goes from the africa-loving social empowerer to the violent, drug-dealing, crime-glorifying don, signed to his arch enemy to be left 4 commerical dead.
Biggies ghost= know nothing, retarded homo
lmao when did nas ever accuse young money? try agian
They embody what Nas put on blast a few years ago.
Fucking idiot.
jay z – $450mil, 14 grammys, 5 classic albums
nas – $6mil in debt, 0 grammys, ONE classic album over 19 yrs, and signed up 2 def jam, no hit songs since 2006
end of story
That’s your opinion…Jigga has NO classic albums,he self boasted himself for his entire career as a GOAT,he’s a good artist though,but bar-4-bar NAS all the way.And he ain’t even my favourite rapper so don’t try to pull a stan card on me.
5 classics ahahahahahahaaha
U forgot HipHop Battle NAs ate that nigga jigga. Jay Loved Nas flow. His name bought him all this way and a little bit of soul selling. Nas gave that nigga the game.
jay has reasonable doubt, black album, and blueprint as classic albums. what others are classic?
Nas got god’s son, illmatic, and stillmatic. you must have selective hearing and prejudice when it comes to identifying talent.
If money defines success, then why is your broke ass commenting on this? Get a job you unemployed album downloading piece of shit. How much of Jay’s net worth came from you?
Jay “dumbed down for his audience to double his dollars”…for the sake of your dumb ass to understand it
Nas is the rap version of paul mooney. He doesn’t need to blow up to the extend that white people consider him as one of them to give him a grammy and the rest of your statements are irrelevant.
you forgot IWW…its a classic to
RAP Music is superior to LIG. SOS is a total downfall – shit is trash and way out of place.
Fuck Swizz Beatz for ruining the album sequence.
Besides that the album is good.
Fuck Nas for hiring Swizz Beatz. LOL. Typical Nas stan behaviour. Always putting the blame on someone else.
LOL typical retard, the guy clearly says RAP > LIG and you still call him a stan. I bet you call everyone who doesn’t hate nas a stan lmao pathetic bitch
Classic album
all niggaz under 25 don’t know shit about hip hop
typical excuse. yall nas stans don’t know shit about hip hop.
rakim, g rap, gza, masta ace >>>>>> nas’ sorry ass.
Rakim maybe, but not g rap gza or masta ace
This nigga said Gza.lol smack the shit out yourself. g rap double smack. Rakim maybe
worst line off liquid swords >>>> nas’ best shit. but nas stans don’t appreciate culture keepers, only sellouts.
g rap’s live and let die completely destroys illmatic.
stay listening to nas’ “i’m on my lilo & stitch” garbage.
I hate when niggaz say stupid shit. Nas shit all on them niggaz you named including Rakim.
well, g rap and rakim birthed him
and outclass him in every single aspect of rapping. just to use one of the typical, stupid arguments for nas.
FUCK YOU HIP HOP DX AND Y’ALL CAN EAT A DICK. WORST REVIEW EVER, HOW THE HELL TO Y’ALL RATE THIS 4? BIG SEAN AND A LOT OF THIS RAPPERS HAD 4 STARS. THIS A CLASSIC ALBUM, I BET YOU GUYS WERE LISTEN TO JIM JONES BEFORE MAKING THIS REVIEW. LIFE IS GOOD 5/5. P.S IF Y’ALL WANNA SAVE Y’ALL LEGACY, GET RID OF THAT NIGGA WHO WROTE THIS REVIEW AND THE LAST TIME I CHECKED XXL MAGAZINE, NY DAILY ETC!!! HAD A LOT OF POWER MORE THAN Y’ALL. THEY RATED THIS ALBUM XXL.. MEANING 5 STARS
FUCK YOU HIP HOP DX AND Y’ALL CAN EAT A DICK. WORST REVIEW EVER, HOW THE HELL DO Y’ALL RATE THIS 4? BIG SEAN AND A LOT OF THIS RAPPERS HAD 4 STARS. THIS A CLASSIC ALBUM, I BET YOU GUYS WERE LISTEN TO JIM JONES BEFORE MAKING THIS REVIEW. LIFE IS GOOD 5/5. P.S IF Y’ALL WANNA SAVE Y’ALL LEGACY, GET RID OF THAT NIGGA WHO WROTE THIS REVIEW AND THE LAST TIME I CHECKED XXL MAGAZINE, NY DAILY ETC!!! WERE MORE POWERFUL THAN Y’ALL.THEY RATED THIS ALBUM XXL.. MEANING 5 STARS
keep crying over a ranking, bitch ass.
Probably one of the best albums this year has to offer.It’s deep,well producted,and enjoyable.NAS has always been one of the greats and came out with the great album in an era when hip hop is slowly mutatin’ from a cultural movement to a hobby with no sense
Yall Jay stans funnyazhell. Just like jay yall threatened by Nas. Yall automatically get defensive whenever Nas name is mentioned. Oh he aint better than Jay though.In 2001 Nas Ate this nigga then Gave JAy the Game. Nas didnt want all that commercial success thats why he caught himself on Stillmatic. Jay selled his soul and took off. Every song they was on together Nas Bodied that shit. Fuck outta here
My brotha Hov & I talking about how #LifeisGood http://instagr.am/p/NR4yU4pEu7/
Kill yourself, dumb ass bitch.
LOL @ didn’t want all that commercial success. Probably the most laughable and ridiculous shit I’ve EVER read. That’s the reason he went completely out of his way and tried to be a rapper that he wasn’t and why he went on to sign to Jay. You’re wrong, bitch, Nas COULDN’T take it to the level of Jay, you fucking loser.
Fuck outta here U jay dickrider. WHen it comes down too it back 2001 like i said when he cut this nigga head off. Nas didnt give a fuck about being on top cause he knew real niggas know the deal. Jay when for the power and fame and Nas said fuck that im good. He wanted to get back to himself. u listen to I am and Nastradamus he was running with it but said that wasnt him. Jay sold his soul for the fame and thats it. we all know truth.Give a fuck what u say. Kiss my ass
Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?
So we saying Power and Fame means ur better now. Damn shit all fuck up these days. So weezy and drake sold more are we saying there better than Nas. only thing I give Jay is he a smart business man. but not all his CD where classics and probably only did numbers cause his Name. Plus when u sell u soul u get takin care of. Nas will get 5 mics in the Source
nas sold his soul by selling to jay.
Yeah thats really what u think so every rapper who signed to Jay when he was on def jam sold there soul. Sound stupid.
Since when does 2 out of 18 fuck up a CD from being a Classic. I hope he performs at the HipHop Awards. Just to clown these other fucks in the game and he better win album of the Year.
Took you guys almost a week to get the review up..
fuck hiphopdx Life is good 5/5
This CD was amazing, I have only rated 1 other album a 5 besdies this one. DX, you are fucking stupid as usual.
LOL the faggotry on this comment board is worse than this shit reviewer calling tracks like you wouldn’t understand and stay ‘minor infractions’… You Jay stans should go bump that new 3 Kings tracks… thing is it is WACK lol I can’t believe you guys bring Jay into the discussion of LIG when his decline is so unmistakable that even the biggest Jay stans are scratching themselves and asking ‘Really Jay’? LOL LISTEN TO HIS THREE KINGS VERSE… AHHHHHH PATHETIC SUMMER ON SMASH IS THE WEAKEST CUT ON HERE AND THAT DEMOLISHES THAT BULLSHIT TRACK
You Nas haters can stand when the guy drops same top shelf music, truly warranting classic discussion in due time. I swear giving Nas props makes you faggots insecure about liking someone besides Nas… can’t let true Nas fans enjoy his music so FUCK YOU
And of yeah… that post about OPINIONS when it comes to considering the GOAT is fucking bullshit BECAUSE NOTE EVERY OPINION IS EQUAL… You lames get sensitive when Nas gets brought up because you can’t even handle the depth of his catalogue… we got fuckboys calling this whole album wack because of the ‘Lilo and snitch’ line meanwhile Ni**as in Paris gets played 11 consecutive times and you faggots swear you never heard anything better… ITS LAUGHABLE YOU COCKSUCKERS STAY LOSIN
Like your favorite rapper has anything this good in their 20+ year career… and this is like Nas’ 4th best album… Maury show bitchmade cornballs counting the next mans money and refusing to confine their criticisms to the music… YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF
Ayo we hard hittin’ just like Camacho and Varagas… Loved your post brethren!!
lol. stop it, dude. it’s way beyond ridiculous at this point. one thing: LEARN TO DEAL WITH CONTRARY OPINIONS!!!
Shad is a guy with three albums that are lyrically, conceptually and sonically superior to Nas’ whole catalouge.
For real i respect this comment shit is true they threated by Nas. theats why they always bring Jay Up.
So, you feel like you had to shit on Jay just to big up Nas?
SMH @ these niggas always trying to dodge critique by shifiting the center of attention.
Why is it that Nas stans always try their hardest, typing up essays and shit to try and dismay and discredit Jay? That shit speaks for itself, you wouldn’t have to write so much if the things you claim were actually true and people’s point of view.
Tell us something we haven’t heard before, motherfucker.
You’re always trying to point some bullshit out. Except for completely ignoring your own actual, unrivaled stan based bias.
Plus stop trying to point out shit that was evident a decade ago.
Just so you and the rest of the defeated nas stans can attempt to celebrate a false win.
You bring up Jay’s wack verses, acting like it’s everything he does, while consistently ignoring the greatness of his works (American Gangster, WTT).
You remind people of Nas’ great verses, acting like it’s everything he does, while you’re consistently downplaying his wack shit.
The fact that you carry the torch for Nas on here and then bring him up in your explanation by praising him, as if he has never done any wrong just makes me and any Hip Hop fan with a sense of logic say: Damn!
Even when you give Hov minimal props to give your comments a little, but false sense of objectivity, you shit on him by saying he had to forcefully recreate his old shit (AG) or needs Kanye (WTT) to be any good. Do you see people saying Nas needed Damian Marley to lit a fire under his ass and actually come through on the musical side of things? No? Then fuck outta here with that bullshit.
Why couldn’t you just make a Nas appreciation comment if you wanted to highlight his accomplishments instead of letting him shine by bringing down Jay?
Damn, you Nas stans really have some kind of weird inferiority complex.
Did you ever listen to No Church In The Wild, Primetime, Who Gon’ Stop Me and Shiny Suit Theory? If so, why do you say Jay fell off? He reinvented himself and is still on top. Deal with it.
Your post is not credible because you have a hidden agenda. Why the fuck would I boast about Jay-Z’s influence? I referenced to him doing different shit being why people staying consistently anxious to hear what he’s doing. The reason to why you are too dumb to understand, is cause you say all he raps about is “Look at em I’m rich, I hang out with white people”. When BP3 and American Gangster his two latest albums had nothing to do with either money or white people. Oh he mentioned DeNiro and Frank Sinatra, get lost son.
Kingdom Come, AG, BP3 and WTT are 4 albums that sound COMPLETELY different, completely different flows, completely different deliveries, topics, productions, samples.
Jay mentions white dudes in 1 bar over 4 albums.
Jay hater: (synonymous with geek ass nas stan HipHopDX apparently):
Jay only talks about hanging with white people.
Jay talks about ballin on like 8 songs out of 4 LP’s.
Jay hater: He only talks about ballin’.
There is a reason to why people use that “Do you listen to music” line, cause you obviously don’t, it’s either that OR you’re too dumb to understand. What else could it possibly be?
I’ve actually been coming to hiphopdx for quite some time bc they are usually knowledgable about what’s going on in the hip hop world. This review made them lose a lot of creditbility in my eyes. After taking almost a full week to post, it is filled with a bunch of large words and clever sentences in an attempt to sound knowledgable. They completely misguided people who may not have heard the full album by saying Nas struggles with making well rounded songs? And the minor infractions referenced for “stay” and “you wouldn’t understand” was a ridiculous statement considering those are two of the strongest songs on the album. This album is and will be remembered as a classic in just about everyone in the industry’s eyes…except for hiphopdx apparently..
Classic
Excellance
This album isn’t a 5/5 or a classic, it was a good album and hiphopdx got it right, it’s a 4/5. Get of Nas’ dick you faggots.
This album embodies the standard Nas should’ve been at for his whole career, the level that Illmatic promised. But these dickriders getting all excited and shit, because he actually released halfway decent album. LAME!!!
NAS = GOAT
That had to be the one of the worst reviews I’ve read so far. This site lost a lot of credibility in my mind for that. The review was very half baked. The reviewer did not listen to the album closely and it shows. How are Stay and You Wouldn’t understand weak tracks? Stay is a thematic song built in the mode of Second Childhood. Two stories, one theme in vivid detail on top of a beautiful soulful beat. Just about every song is a story. The album is not music as Nas says. It’s a cinema. Classic album with the some of the realest best written stories and compositions in the musical history. It’s just dope but at least the people who visit this site understand even if Hiphopdx does not.
NAS U DID IT AGAIN BRO!!! CLASSIC I WOULDNT SAY, BUT BY FAR THE BEST ALBUM I’VE HEARD IN A COUPLE OF YEARS
#NoLie
This is one of the best rap albums that i’ve heard in a very long time. I didn’t think nas still had it in him. I loved hip hop is dead and I would but this ahead oh it. Of course this isn’t better than Illmatic or Stillmatic but it might be better than It Was Written. Best mainstream rap album in years. Instant classic. Nas is that dude.
I am pissed, I think there are enough of us hip hop heads to give Nas a big first week, projections of140K is disappointing. We need to support real hip hop. Drake can push 700K and Nas can’t break 200K? Stop illegally downloading the album and support the cause. I don’t want have to deal with a decade of pop and crap rappers like Chief Keef’, Flo-Rida and Ca$his. This is a great album, you can’t compare it to illmatic because music has evolved its not as gutter and hard as it used to be and he is at different state of mind…when at GOAT status, they compare you against your own music, not against whats hot right now. Thats how you define a GOAT rapper.18 years deep and still sounding as good as he did 94′!! Hip hop needs Nas and this kind of music….
This is that grown man hip hop. Best album in a while. Possibly since Hip Hop Is Dead. I would put this ahead of that one.
The more you listen to the album the more it grows on you and the more you realize just how good it is. At first I was ehhhh, but I am feeling it a lot more. It is a really good album.
I can describe this album in one word: Amazing.
I am 18 years old. i have spent my life on hip hop music since i was 4 years of age. i am here to tell you, all bullshit aside this is an 4.5 album MAX. Nas proves he’s still got a lot left in him this deep in the game. He made fun, honest, introspective music in a day where speaking your mind only gets you a few downloads and twitter follow. a few hiccups tho (Summer on Smash? cmon Nas.) but all that you bloggers type is heresay nobody knows the truth like the people who lived it(Nas and Jay beef, Nas career etc.) just shut the fuck up and embrace the music and the man while we still can. Life is Good. Keep it up nas, keep it up music. peace.
first time i played this i thought it was a good album then it just kept getting better every time i played it only song i really hate is Summer On Smash Swizz Beatz just really gets on my nerves
Is it a classic i dont know we all have different opinions
this album is dope..
might be Nas best work post stillmatic..
LIFE IS GOOD will be considered a classic in years to come..
Great album to me,Queens Story,Daughters,Rose,and Trust are my favs. Nas is one of the best lyricist if not the best ever vivid pictures you can just sit back with the headphones one and picture the images your head.When you can paint pictures with words like that you are truly talented !!!
4/5.
Only memorable track is Daughters.
Ya niggas hyped up too much. It’s only a good album, like Untitled and God’s Son. 10 years later ain’t nobody remembering this shit.
U a fucking clown
Whenever ever Nas named is mentioned people go run and get there best cause they no damn well he is. They run a go bring Jay name in the mix. If u dont like Nas than just say it but dont justify wit Jay. Totally diff rapper with diff agenda. He wanted to run the rap world by business wise and he did but lryically he dont run shit. Many rappers that came and went even underground with slaughter Jay. he consistent yeah. But When u have older cats in the game who respect Nas more than Jay. its for a reason. He stayed himself. Almost changed for the money but caught himself
lol @ jay not running shit lyrically. you never really LISTENED to reasonable doubt, in my lifetime vol. 1, the black album or american gansgter. take the grammy family freestyle for instance or breathe easy, fuck it, there are countless examples for jay’s overall greatness, you just killed your whole credibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGKlRWqpODM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMIGEn_hcD4&feature=player_embedded&pxtry=1
lmao. fuck outta here, you biased asshole.
These haters are so funny. I think Nas supporters are not saying that this is his best record but hiphopdx needs to at LEAST put this at a 4.5! even though they rated a 4, that .5 makes a difference. This isn’t about being a Nas fan. It’s about being a fan of HIP HOP. This album was Amazing! I’m not saying it’s his best but it’s in the list of Nas’ top 5 albums (not including Lost Tapes 1)
1. Illmatic
2.It Was Written
3.Stillmatic
4.GodSon
5. Life is Good
Hiphopdx, y’all need to make that a 4.5. If Common’s latest album was a 4.5, this SURELY IS! Im a Common fan but that last album was hyped off of 2 singles…THAT’S IT! (BE is a whole diff thing…That was classic!)
Hiphopdx lost credibility in my book. Stop ignoring real hip hop when you see it!
This is what we should expect from one of hip hop’s elders. A man that is approaching 40. This a mature album. Introspective, honest, and confident at the same time. True grown folks music. Nas elevates the game again. Life is bigger than cars, jewels, and money.
Fuck ya Jay-Z stan why wae arguing the battle happened and HipHop already confirmed Nas the winner.
There’s nothing wrong with contrasting the trajectory of his career with Nas to illustrate the point. It’s a fair and valid thing to mention considering how their careers mirrors each other as elite NY rappers with similar subject matter, have achieved success and longevity while coming under scrutiny in regard to their degree of artistic compromising for mainstream success, and are probably the only two emcees from the mid 90’s that have maintained mainstream success and respect as emcees.
How can HHDX only give this 0.5 more than Chris Brown or MMG’s Vol 2? Terrible review. This deserves a 5, or atleast a 4.5. If you aren’t gonna properly review and applaud the proper amazing albums, stop writing editorials on how hip hop is dying. You’re part of the damn reason.
i didn’t want to prematurely rate this album off of a few listens. I tend to do that especially with Nas albums. But thanks to the congested freeways of LA I really got to spend some in the ride with this album and fully digest it.
With Salem Remi all over this I was afraid we would have Nas rhyming on some pretty lackluster beats, but with NO ID joining him the two styles merged wonderfully. Nas is on his A game and has now set the bar really high for his class of emcees, ie Jay Z.
Yeah a Premo beat would have been nice but we will keep our fingers crossed. Here is where this album stands in my Nas fans
ILLMATIC…surprise
It was Writen
Life is Good
Stillmatic
The debate will be is this in his top 3, or a very close 4. I think the 5 mic rating for Stillmatic back in the Source days was a little too much.
God’s Son?
Nas = horrible flow, uneven discography, several failed sellout-attempts, wifed two whores, broke, pays child support for a daughter whose embarrassing him on twitter, works with Young Money after accusing them of destroying Hip Hop, stops working with his weedcarriers because he’s in fear of getting destroyed on a track, goes from the africa-loving social empowerer to the violent, drug-dealing, crime-glorifying don, signed to his arch enemy to be left 4 commerical dead.
Lol Don’t ever speak at this man’s funeral.
“Anyboy who calls any of the beats on this album whack need to learn to appreciate real music”
That’s why they say opinions vary. Maybe to you every beat was on point, and that’s coo, cause maybe production like that is what you look for in a hip hop album. BUT… (u knew that was coming), alot of people listen and buy albums based on production. Granted, we all know Nas is more lyrical than trunk rattling, but some of the beats off Life is Good are zen puzzling. Like what was he thinking? If that was Drake, 1,000 comments would be aimed at how soft it was, or put the car windows up Yet, Nas gets a pass? I think honest Nas fans just want to know why he comes with 2 or 3 aggressive sounding tracks, then falls back into R&B, sleepy time stuff.
Exactly. But these super Nas stans are so ridiculous, it just got tiring at this point. I wouldn’t be frustrated with Nas’ new work if I wasn’t such a huge fan of his.
“Like what was he thinking? If that was Drake, 1,000 comments would be aimed at how soft it was, or put the car windows up Yet, Nas gets a pass? I think honest Nas fans just want to know why he comes with 2 or 3 aggressive sounding tracks, then falls back into R&B, sleepy time stuff.”
And THAT is just exemplary for the fucked up stuff that’s going on here. No need to mention the perception of his publicity stunts and his content.
album is mature and raw hip hop.
Illmatic was raw Hip Hop, this is soft ass R&B music.
3 stars the album was pretty good but i was lookin for a little more 2 keep it 100 im feelin rick ross new album more than this one!
nas neva fails. fuk a 4.66 im giving dis a 4.99. almost a classic.
@ That super Nas dickrider and the critique aginst your hero:
This happens to all of the greats or anyone wanting to be a part of the conversation. The only variable is how a particular fanbase chooses to react to the critique.
Nas and Jay are held to higher standards than Waka and Soulja Boy. This isn’t anything specific against Nasa. Jay has been fighting the ghost of Reasonable Doubt for almost 20 years. If you don’t want Nas judged like a potential GOAT, then remove him from the conversation!
Why do Nas stans create more comments about Jay-Z and post more about Jay-Z than his own fans?
Niggas are so insecure about favoring Nas over Jay that they have to talk about Jay and listen to Jay all day just to write books about Jay to put him in contrast to Nas.
Jay makes different types of music, he’s already impressed the “lyrical folks”, he’s also impressed the hipsters, the real street niggas, the grammys, the Australians, he’s got albums that was created to perform in front of 20k in countries all over the world. It’s obvious that Jay doesn’t give 2 shits about the “real hiphop” geeks and has not been doing so since his first album. What’s he doing next? I don’t want to hear him sound like RD, I’ve already heard that. I don’t want to hear the flow from BP I’ve already heard that.
Jay is the most influential and these niggas role models cause he does something new with every album (A dumb fuck with no sense for art would label this as selling out.). Some niggas are too dumb to understand this, but it’s cool it wasn’t meant to be easy.
Real recognize real, most rappers understand, most of hiphop media understand, most commercial media, most legends, most execs and on. People anticipate to see what Jay is gonna do next like he’s been on a Hiatus even if there’s only 1 year between his albums on average. The reason for this is that he’s not trying to emulate RD and BP or AG or TBA or any album. And cats know this.
like Sheila implied I am surprised that a stay at home mom able to make $6536 in one month on the computer. did you see this web page (Click on menu Home more information) http://goo.gl/EYM5f
Quote:
Jay proceeds with what I believe to be one of the best verses of his career. Tears on the mausoleum floor, blood stains the Colosseum doors, lies on the lips of a priest, Thanksgiving disguised as a feast. Tainted beauty. Elaborate, magnificent, seemingly holy surfaces that distract from the depravity, violence, decay and corruption that lie underneath. Jay then references his car, attire and past as a drug dealer, almost as if saying that hes a part of the same historical tradition he first referenced. But its not until the next few bars when it all comes together. Im wondering if a thugs prayers reach, is Pius pious cause God loves pious? Socrates asked whose bias do yall seek? All for Plato (play dough), screech. Woah, a rapper referencing the Euthyphro dilemma? Jay is really operating on a higher level here.
I wont go into too much detail about the dilemma since that would take up an entirely new post. But it basically poses this question; is what society considers to be morally good commanded by God because it is truly morally good, or is it morally good because it is commanded by God? It asks the question of whether or not there is a definitive moral standard or if morality is completely relative and subjective. Jay is addressing this from two different perspectives which lead to the same conclusion. He looks at the dilemma from the point of view of its creator, Socrates, who was referencing the gods of Greek mythology, who are known to be biased and flawed despite their power. Since societys moral standards are coming from a biased and flawed source, those standards shouldnt be completely trusted or followed, giving way to moral relativism.
Where Jay really gets bold is his second perspective, the Judeo-Christian God who is perfect and infallible. As Frank Ocean states, these moral standards are meaningless if you dont even believe in its source. But Jay goes further with his Pius/pious wordplay. Theres the actual word pious which not only means religious but also a hypocritical display of virtue. Then theres Pius, the name of numerous Popes throughout history who often were, you guessed it, religious while showing a hypocritical display of virtue. It ties back to Jays earlier references of tainted beauty as well as what Jay believes to be the hypocritical nature of those in power, whether a god or man, who decide what is and what isnt morally right.
So whats the point of all this? Its an outright rejection of what society teaches to be moral in favor of a move towards individualism and living a life free of boundary. Since Jay has rejected this while giving his reason for doing so, hes now free to do whatever he wants, including indulge in materialism and drug dealing which he references earlier in the verse, two things that society deems as immoral. To drive this point further he ends his verse by comparing Kanye to Jesus and himself to the holy ghost. Blasphemous? Only to those who actually believe in who he references.
Jay is straight SHITTING on Nas and his wanna be substance. Jay always went over people’s heads, I mean, people are still deciphering Reasonable Doubt.
Poison, worlds an addiction, paitence. Nas exceeds on rapping realism in society more and better then Jay IMO. I find nas to be best at that i n particular maybe you should do some more research and listen more to nas rather then just jerking off your favorite rapper and insisting he’s better and claiming nas has a “wanabe substance” when he has been doing what you mentioned his whole career.
only people still trying to disciphering reasonable doubt are new fans getting into the music and trying to understand what it means..
no hip hop head after 17 years of an albums release trying to figure out what it means
they just dumb
^^^^
Best Jay verses of all time? AHHHH… dynasty intro, reservoir dogs, nearly every RD verse except for Friend or Foe, December 4th, where have you been, in my lifetime, you don’t know, ignorant shit, where i’m from, young gs, COUNTLESS other verses better than that WTT shit and you KNOW BETTER
You can miss me with Jay’s philosophizing when he raps ‘Psycho I’m liable to go Michael… Jackson… Jordan… Tyson… game six’ THIS is why the ‘you don’t listen to music you just skim through it’ is a very fair criticism jay…
They’re talking 250? Im going to try to get them to 300, though I might settle for 275′; nice that you got paper Jay, and I like that you have constantly been reminding me since 96
Holy fuck are you Mitt Romney? PLEASE tell me you’re getting paid for this. You read rapgenious.com a lot, I can tell. Anyone who’s had any sort of psychology major or taken a logic class, shit even some high schools know this example. So when you say Jay is working on a higher level, I guess your assuming that level thats so so high in your opinion is college. Not even a degree, just some college. HAHA IM REAL IMPRESSED. Also amusing that you say you won’t explain the dilemma because it takes too long. The question is asking are the gods in love with something because it is “pious” or are things pious because the gods chose to love them. Real long post that took. PEOPLE ARE STILL DECHIPHERING REASONABLE DOUBT!? yah people who’ve never done it, fuck was it written in hieroglyph? HOW IS HE STRAIGHT SHITTING ON NAS AT ALL. NONE OF THAT OVER ANALYTICAL, PSEUDO INTELLECTUAL RANT IS UNBELIEVABLE. HE DOESNT KNOW YOU EXIST. He’s no genius. shut the fuck upppppppp.
BRO YOUR SMOKING LYSOL PELLETS. JAY IS 10000 TIMES MORE MATERIALISTIC THAN NAS COULD EVER BE. YOU EVER HEAR NAS TALKING ABOUT HIS YACHTS AND HIS MANSIONS? FUCK NAW
that dissertation of jayz sperm was excellent
my god you need a life
Nas never talking materialistic things?
LOL. What a fucking idiot.
“Talk money, is you jokin’? Cash everywhere, in my bank, in the sofa In the walls, in the cars, in my wallet, in my pocket, on the floors, ceilings, the safe
Bitch I got all you envy, but don’t offend me.”
I don’t even need to quote The Don.
“Google earth Nas I got flats in other continents”
Dumb ass Nas groupies.
OMAR CHANGE THIS TO A 4.5
Nas is the greatest
‘VVVVRROOMM… You guys get all that?’
Jay 3 Kings. Yeah Jay I got it… sounds like the I know what girls like 2012? Or would you say Oochie Wally 2012? Imagine if Nas did that… I bet I would see the ‘100 Reasons Nas Lost’ post resurrected… at least I could laugh at that one… but I digress
While Jay is dropping his 2012’OH BEHAVE’ material LIG is the most commercially accessible album of Nas career and won’t get the misguided reviews IWW got… straight good music
You guys can pull the ‘another Nas dickrider essay routine’ all you want because this is just legitimately excellent work by Nas… don’t like it then don’t post here
‘This is an r&b album’… yeah sure it is… No Intro, Locomotive, back when, you wouldn’t understand, trust, where’s the love, the black bond, accident murderers… sound like I can 2012 don’t they? And No ID was tight at least until he started giving Nas tracks right? Yeah the beats are wack once again I know
Why are you guys even jocking Jay anyways? Ye’s verse on New God Flow smashes anything Jay has done since AG LOL
LOL you Jay fans get your feathers ruffled every time people give Nas props, regardless of whether Jay has any place in the conversation… Then you resort to insulting dude based on his personal life, his daughter, the IRS, his divorce, his signing with Def Jam… but IM the insecure Nas stan I got it
clapping for this man
they just a bunch of track 9’s..
they wouldnt understand
i could not have said this better
Bang (Mike Breen voice)
Nas did Another Girl Lost, which makes Jay’s verse on 3 Kings look like something off The Black Album.
5 mics coming soon
Crazy album #classic
best album ever along with anything else produced by No I.D.
issss niiiiiiiiiicccceeee
over-rated album. Trophies is the best album of 2012 so far
True, this album is overrated but it’s still ill. And it’s def better than Trophies and Professor at Large, which are about the only other two good albums so far this year.
Killer Mike!
Oddisee
Bumpy & Premier
Oddisee People Hear What They See
Nas might not be the greatest rapper, but he is superior to Jay-Z.
So you bought a Nas album and listened to the tracks and thought of Jay-Z???
Nas just dropped an album and his fucking groupies can’t stop thinking about Jay.
What the the fuck does Jay have to do with Nas album, everybody on here still talking about them battling is stuck in 2001, damn do y’all listen to the music anymore Nas ain’t thinking bout Jay and Jay ain’t thinking bout him when they in the booth Life is Good for both of them niggaz ….give it a rest
Classic album, best of the year so far
Dope album
4 is low in my opinion, i would say 4.5 when compared to classic albums of the 90’s, but when compared to todays trash i’d give it a 5 without hesitation
Best album i’ve heard in a while
i hope this goes platinum or at least Gold in its first week, Nas deserves it with this album
you’re fucking retarded, this will sell around 150k.
Really dope album, deserves all the praise its getting
Typical overrated Nas trash, that will be forgotten in a month.
great mix of songs on the album, 5 star for me
This album’s flaw doesn’t take away the classic effort that Nas has laid, I’m sorry. Summer on Smash is bad, but I can still listen to that song without skipping it. This album, definitely, I’d say, should be in the running for “BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR”….
Escobar season has return! This album is a classic! 5 Stars! Best album of 2012!
i been into hip hop since 1987 i have heard every classic album to date and i hear nothing here but noise; that wont be playing in no more than a month from now. sure i hear his lyrics on some of the songs but over bullshit beats and lot of swag shit that i get sick of. you magazines can jump up and down if you want. this album try to make it look like hip hop is still interesting so people will come to your sites. but deep down inside i know this album is bullshit and a lot of you do too.
Exactly. They’re dickriding so much, because they know this album is trash. Everybody would be called a pussy for the same content on these beats, but Nas gets a pass, as always.
You two are
A) the same person
B) absolutely deaf and retarded
1/5
weakest album of da year.
Tyga and Nicki Minaj and Waka FLocka are da best of 2012 period. swag
OnLy ReAl NiGgAz KnOw Da TrUtH. FuCk NaS aNd Da ReSt. YmCmB 4 LiFe BiTcH.
After listening to it for a while I would say 85/100 is fair for the LP. There are weak tracks and the production never really blew me away. The Subject matter is great and the verses are impeccable. I still want an album from NaS in which he just goes out, gets some beats from Just Blaze, Alchemist, RZA, Pete Rock, Preem, Large Professor, Apollo Brown etc and he just rhymes. Like an album full of tracks like Nasty, Just Pure hip hop rhyming. Also props to Def Jam for releasing the 3 best albums of the year (Imo) so far with KRIT, FRank Ocean and Nas and not forcing any of them to compromise their sound.
THANK YOU NAS FOR A ILL ALBUM
I honestly mostly agree with this review. I listened to the album quite a bit and I think it’s a 4/5. “Loco Motive” is the obvious highlight, but its filled with meaningful lyrics and throwback tracks that are really gems among the hordes of crap we have today thanks to YMCMB and their cohort. Honestly it’s Nas’ best work in a while. There’s no point saying it’s another Illmatic cause that will never happen, but it’s a good thing. Nas shows he’s matured, he’s willing to talk about relevant issues, but the Queens storyteller inside him is more evident than ever. He maintains a good flow and great lyrical ability which, coupled with great vocal performances, highlight even the tracks which have weaker beats. The album’s only misstep is “Summer On Smash”, on which Nas’ great lyricism is still evident and I much prefer Esco’s rendition of a hip-hop “summer hit” to and of Flo Rida’s music or similar artists of that kind. Fans of true hip-hop be relieved, this is a another great album from the Nasty kid.
THIS REVIEW IZ BETTER
Amen to your review
The thing is nas still sounds the same as he ever did and has no diversity of styles. jayz rips it in a variety of styles to any beat and adds different twists to his rhymes. nas is trash and has never stepped up his game to be able to hang with anybody let alone jayz. Hence the reason he hasnt had a hit since 2006. nas will NEVER be on the charts again
I agree with the part that Nas sounds the same in all tracks his flow is monotonous never delivers different styles
Every Jay album = completely new flows.
1|No Introduction|4:15 (Produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League) 3.75 – 4
2|Loco-Motive (feat. Large Professor)|3:40 5
3|A Queens Story|4:35 (Produced by Salaam Remi) 5
4|Accident Murderers (feat. Rick Ross)|4:27 3.5 – 4
5|Daughters|3:20 5
6|Reach Out (feat. Mary J. Blige)|3:46 (Produced by Salaam Remi, Darkchild, DJ Hot Day & Nas) 4 – 4.5
7|World’s an Addiction (feat. Anthony Hamilton)|5:01 (Produced by Salaam Remi) 4 – 4.25
8|Summer on Smash (feat. Miguel & Swizz Beatz)|4:19 (Produced by Swizz Beatz) 2 – 2.25
9|You Wouldn’t Understand (feat. Victoria Monet)|4:35 (Produced by Buckwild) 4 – 4.75
10|Back When|3:22 4.5 – 5
11|The Don|3:02 (Produced by Salaam Remi, Heavy D & Da Internz) 4 – 4.25
12|Stay|3:45 4.75 – 5
13|Cherry Wine (feat. Amy Winehouse)|5:56 (Produced by Salaam Remi) 4 – 4.25
14|Bye Baby|3:59 (Produced by Salaam Remi & 40) 5
|Bonus Tracks|
15|Nasty|3:04 (Produced by Salaam Remi) 4.25 – 5
16|The Black Bond|2:22 (Produced by Salaam Remi) 4 – 4.25
17|Roses|3:31 (Produced by Al Shux) 4
18|Where’s the Love? (feat. Cocaine 80s)|4:27 3.75 – 4
Overall: 77 4.28/5 86%: Exceptional, repeated listens demanded; BUY IT
I thought I’d seen that before. You’ve copied it from rateyourmusic.
Loco-motive is by far a 5 out of 5. Best song here.
This album is a 5/5 Magnum Opus, a Hip Hop Masterpiece. Who else aside of Nas, Scarface, Jay, Ice Cube, Rakim, G-Rap can make a classic. Recognize Hip Hop greatness. This Timeless Music. Nas had his heart on his sleeve on every song on this album.
Fuck all the Cock block hate and Fuck this Review.
Go Peep the album again and well Mister Jesse Fairfax.
Time will come when People will realize and be brought to terms with the fact that Nas is probably the Greatest to ever do this.
Top 5-Nas, Pac, Scarface, Biggie, Rakim
Fuck whoever don’t subscribe
Ermmm… you top Emcees are flawed by missing out the like of Andre 3000 & Eminem etc.
eminem has been washed up for 8 years fuck off with that bullshit
album is good but far from a classic.
you all acting like Nas reinvented hiphop
he uses the same flow over and over again and sometimes its really monotonous.
beats are weak
You’re completely right. This album is decent at best.
You’re totally missing the reason people thing it’s a classic. It’s refreshing, topics wise, lyrics are sharp and it’s different from what you are hearing right now. IT A GOOD ALBUM. The problem is that we have been listening to wack albums so much that we don’t know what is good or now. Just because it gets mad radio play doesn’t mean it’s creative. It’s just a raw hip hop album with no electronic made up beats.
Woulda been better if the BasedGod was on it-Lil B
A solid 4 out of 5. No more, no less.
Just took a look on iTunes and shit is fucked up…..the most popular song is Summer on Smash, it reached #24 on song chart…second is Cherry Wine….still better though….and it followed by Reach Out.
Clearly ppl aint listening to his lyrics but those R&B hooks and R&B beats…Nas did pick wrong move on that one I guess
The Itunes audience seems to be only for singles
U not even making sense. How is it Nas’s fault that the iTunes audience luv Summer on smash; a club banger more than No Intro or Locomotive? Oh, u tryna say he shldnt even have done those tracks or wat exactly is ur point?
summer on smash is ill bump dat shit in ma car all day.”do u know whos pool u r in”
FUCKING AMAZING…”gone a few years the whole world snoring on him”
This album could go down as the blueprint for mcs, rappers over 35. It’s mature and the majority of the album has songs that you can play 10-15 years from now and they still would sound relevant, relateable and fresh. Compare this to others in Nas’ age bracket and it’s not even close. All we should be expecting from him is great music and he delivered again. We can’t expect a classic every time, although this album does have the potential.
This is album is good, but stop with the absolute bullshit that Nas is the only one who tackles these topics.
Please go buy this cd it’s as real as it gets in hip hop today.
The verses are mostly dope, but damn, the hooks get so fucking annoying after a few listens.
go listen to drake he has a lot of sing-song hooks on his albums
IllSide Radio Podcast review Nas’ Life is Good. Give us a listen.
http://illsideradio.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/illside-radio-breaking-down-life-is-good/
Dope Album, Biggest Nas fan!
THE ALBUM IS A CLASSIC., and will more then stand the test of time. I HAVE NO DOUBT THST IT WILL INCLUENCE THE SOUND OF FUTURE ALBUMS. ARTIST WHO ARE FROM HIS ERA HAVE NOT MADE A ALBUM THIS GOOD IN YEARS. JAY Z LAST GOOD ALBUM WAS AMERICAN GANGSTA. AND THIS IS BETTER, blueprint 3 SUCKS JUST LIKE BLUEPRINT 2.. THIS SHOULD WITHOUT A DOUBT UNLESS SOMEONE CAN MAKE A BETTER ALBUM BY THE END OF THE YEAR WITCH I DOUBT WILL HAPPEN, THIS SHOULD WIN THE GRAMMY FOR RAP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
5 mics. Source is about to givenas 3 different 5 mics in 3 decades
TIME magazine called it nas best cd in 18 years. Since Illmatic
Queens story blows away your favorite rappers whole catalogue
Album is 10 out of 10
The nas haters are the same 3 people with no lives who goto every nas post and talk shit. Then praise jay for some reason
Retarded isn’t it? One is an business man who cares about money and feels like he has to prove he’s better this us in all his songs.
The other is a true artist who every single peer in the game goes out and buys his cd to hear what he’s doing next.
Man. Clowns on this site ficks me up
The same shit could easily be said about Jay. He drops his albums on a yearly basis and people still act like he has been on a 3 or 4 year Hiatus.
“Queens story blows away your favorite rappers whole catalogue”
And THIS is exactly why NOBODY takes you ridiculous Nas groupies seriously, you just exposed that you have no knowledge about the artform.
Cosignee totally. Only thing u kinda got wrong is that its actually just one old n bleeding anonymous bitch that goes about spewing ignorance when ever Nasirr drops a gem on his fav rapper.
Queens Story is def better than anything I’ve heard in the last 3 years for sure. Only feeling i got that came anywhere near it was hearing Joell’s Battle Cry for the first time.. 5 mins and no breaks.. i liked it. and it was nice.. wasn’t choppy like when canibus rhymes for 5 mins straight.. ya dig?
so yeah.. queens story blows away WHOLE ALBUMS at this very point of the year.
You’re listening to the wrong shit than.
album of the decade! classic
I’ve been saying 2012 will be the year we see the re emergence of lyricism. Thank You Nas.
Dude is on pont
this is classic material.
I love the album CLASSIC
How can you listen to any other artist out after you heard this? This makes all the new rappers sound like garbage…
Nas the don nas the don Nas the don nas the don Nas the don nas the don Nas the don nas the don Nas the don nas the don Nas the don nas the don
G.O.A.T
HHDX – all respect gone. 4 stars? I’m not going to waste my time listing the plethora of albums you have given 4.5 or 5 that were worse than this. This rating is disrespectful to the hip hop genre.
You sad negro just stop dickriding just stop.
“This rating is disrespectful to the hip hop genre”
No. It was in fact very generous considering there’s no way this album is 4 stars.
Says you, and only you.
Hellen keller
“One is an business man who cares about money”
That’s funny. Nas talks about money and material possessions all the time, but Jay’s evil?
You heard jay z newest verse? Lol. Yeah he’s better than us we get it already.
When has nas ever said he’s better than us
I’ll take Jay talking about his own life and experiences over Nas’ fake ass shit everyday.
Dumbass.
“Source is about to give”
They lost all credibility years ago. 5 mics for largely an R&B album? Decent effort from Nas, but nowhere near a classic. Nowhere as good as It Was Written, or Stillmatic.
Is it 1996 and/or 2001 ?
Or did nas just drop a classic in 2012
Whys you cut that sentence off?
3 5 mics in 3 decades bitch
Why do people still put so much stock into these “established” ratings from The Source, XXL, here ect.?
Listen to the album and judge for yourself
“hope this goes platinum or at least Gold in its first week”
Are you ill?
“album is mature”
For $13.99, I don’t want mature. I want reckless.
Shut the fuck up.
The fact that this album is mature and has the some of the best rhymes in the past 5 years is exactly why I consider this album worth $16.99 (what I spent). Same reason for Common’s last album.
I consider Rick Ross a guilty pleasure in my music library, but I’m much more apprehensive in giving him my money if he’s just going to keep recycling Lex Luger-style beats or throw it at strippers at King of Diamonds.
we have had MANY dope albums in the past 5 years what the hell have you been checkin for?
Rick Ross isn’t even wack.actually dude gets even better every album.Port of Miami was nothing special.Trilla caught attention.deeper than rap was hard as fuck.God Forgives, I Don’t is dope as fuck.
^^ignore this guy above
Fuck this garbage ass R&B album. I want an album of Nas going all out over beats by Premo, RZA, 9th Wonder, L.E.S., Just Blaze and Pete Rock.
The reckless Nas >>>>>>> the introspective one.
“Take It In Blood” is by far his best track.
first verse of “reach out” is truly unreal. Only a man that his mastered his craft and has put the work in for close to 25 years could ever spit something that on point. The flow, concepts, symbolism, homage to an older era, all the while staying edgy , cocky, and of course nasty truly define the greatest mc I have been blessed to hear. Everyone please listen to this verse again and see if you disagree. If you do, check your motherfucking eardrums and learn how to recognize game cuz you probe won;t be blessed with another verse like that for a long time.
When I was young they called me Olu’s son. Now he’s nas father.
I was the good seed. He was the wise gardner
^^ highly simplified, wannabe Lupe Fiasco garbage.
I think 4 stars is just right. I can push for 4.5, since it’s refreshing to hear rhymes of this calibre in this generation, and Nas sounds really motivated and passionate on this album.
Nas’ beat selection has definitely improved, but still not quite on point.
Summer On Smash is definitely the black sheep on the album, but I don’t hate it as much as everyone else. I don’t like it because it’s 1 minute too long and Swizz Beatz’s hook is annoyingly repetitive, plus I hate his voice.
All in all, it fills a void in hip-hop that has been unbalanced in this generation, and is one of the best albums of the year.
has nothing to do with generation.
plus you said THIS generation.
I have been here since the early 90’s
>This generation
U mean in this 4-5 years.
good album but not classic
Matter fact I’ve never seen “classic” album in about 4-5 years.
There’s a few that are close if not classics in my eyes….Elzhi “The Preface” Saigon “The Greatest Story Never Told” Kanye “My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy”
Pharoahe Monch -W.A.R Classic
O.C. & Apollo Brown – “Trophies”
Reks – “Grey Hairs”
GREAT REVIEW
I LOVE NASIR HOPE HE RELEASES LOST TAPE 2 IT GON BE CLASSIC
WOW…Nas may be the only MC left that could possibly pull off a damn near perfect album. Only track I would remove is the Swizz record and I think most people who really listen to the album feel the same. Either 4.5/5 or a 5/5 nothing less!
fuck nas lil waynes next album fina be a classic like all his other albums n mixtapes! ymcmb 4 life!
hell nah!!! the carter 4 sucked major balls..the only songs that were good were the ones he wasn’t in lol lil wayne hasn’t been the same since the carter 3 n will continue to plummet as an artist..NAS nigga NAS!
Carter 4 > everything else wayne ever dropped.yall def
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Good joke.
CLASSIC ALBUM!!!!
Smarten up DX
We all need to buy this joint. I mean damn nas–this sh@* is straight FIRE!!!
my favourite album afta illmatic
Classic album 2006 – 2012
5. Untitled
4. Graduation
3. The Cool
2. Food & Liquor
1. Life is Good
Food & Liquor, The Cool and Graduation are the only classics off that list.
I don’t think Graduation is a classic
i cosign
Graduation is not a classic…if you don’t write all your songs you are disqualified
Take Graduation off, that album represented the downfall of Kanye bro…he started the “viva la pop” life with that bullshit…Food & Liquor, The Cool, Untitled I agree with you…I really like LIG but we has hip hop fans need to give the album some more time before we say classic status…a lot of you say LIG is classic…I respect your opinions, I have Illmatic, IWW, I Am, Stillmatic, God’s Son, Street’s Disciple, HHID, Untitled and DR…I love Nas people but this album is 4/5 period…
Closest thing to classic on that list is Food & Liquor. The Cool suffered from production, not having Prolyfic on the beats hurt him. Untitled was excellent lyrically but the production was minimal. Graduation was not a classic although a greet album it was, I though Median’s Relief by Median(from the Justus League) was better than graduation that year. Time will tell with Life is good but it has two flaws on it.
My List would be:
The Roots- How I got Over
Lupe Fiasco- Food & Liquor
Median- Median’s Path to Relief
Ghostface- Fishscale
Common- The Dreamer, The Believer
Median-Path to relief revisted ep & Skyzoo/9th wonders cloud 9 are classics too
Fuck all of you fanboys, i’ve loved Nas for years and this album SUCKS, everyone who likes this album is either a nas dickrider or a teenybopper who says “omg rap music nowadays sucks, i’m gonna listen to nas cause hes the best”, Nas is one of the GOAT, but any true Nas fan would know that this album blows.
I agree to the fullest. This album is total garbage, but Nas has waaay too many fake ass bandwagon groupies.
How about people just like the album?
Stop trying to push your feelings about it as law
STFU…the fact that you think this album is garbage shows how much of a non nas fan you are…i understand not liking some songs but to say its garbage…you fuking waste of sperm
Good to see a traditionalist back at work
Nas has just ethered the rap game once again. The lyricism and flow on display is genius.
His flow is absolutely horrible, been the exact same for 20 years and if you think “I’m on my Lilo and Stitch” are dope lyrics, you’re fucking retarded.
LOL this anonymous dude doesnt understand the line Lilo and stitch
If you think Nas’ flow is horrible, something is wrong man…Nas’ flow isn’t the best but it’s pretty good bro…it’s a 74 minute CD (deluxe version)…and u picked that lyric to base your impression on this album…u stupid bro, All the great rappers spit a wack lyric or perturbing lyric from time to time. What are you new? Anyway the album was good appreciate good music.
The best album of the year.
perfect!
*****
hiphopbaby76
The Legend Continues
5
Awesome album
as Sarah explained I am inspired that a mom can earn $5534 in a few weeks on the computer. have you read this web page(Click on menu Home more information) http://goo.gl/2qSC5
Another nas classic album of the year so far 4.5/5
Life is definitely good…thank you Nas for this refreshing LP which shows that all is not lost in commercial hip hop…I rated this 4 out of 5 stars because Illmatic (classic), IWW (classic), Stillmatic (classic) and God’s Son were notches above this album…I believe HHDX was right with their rating…Nas is top five period but people has to compare this to Nas’ standards and not today’s bullshit music…Life is Good man…waiting to hear the albums of Kendrick Lamar and Wu-Block…support real hip hop
Album is good but fuck those gayfanboys who dont know shit about hiphop. This would have gotten 3,5 mics in the 90’s!!!!
Nas sounds monotonous and his flow is always the same. Dont talk shit about nas being personal. There are a lot of other mc’s which are also personal. I dont give a fuck about his wack marriage with Kelis!!!! Although the song daughters is dopa as fuck.
Agreed. I’ll take any Mood Muzik version over this.
^And Joe Budden doesn’t have a monotonous, tired sounding voice majority of the time? Oh yeah, Budden’s joints are full of energy. FOH!
Nas > Joe all day every day
lol 4 stars!! fuck this rnb/rap album.
Anonymous is a troll
“O.C. & Apollo Brown – “Trophies””
Dude, it sold 10 copies. Get over it.
“Says you, and only you”
All it takes is one.
Nino Graye woulda bin perfect for this LP
“the some of the best rhymes in the past 5 years”
Nothing he said was innovative or one of a kind. About the only songs that saved the album and allowed it to be 3 stars to me were the more aggressive one’s. If Nas could make an entire album full of songs like that then come back and say 4 stars. Then I’d agree, but for now, that’s not the case.
Exactly, Nas’ tiring ass flow is so boring, we got TEN albums of him sounding EXACTLY the same and if you’re an avid rap listener, NOTHING about the lyrics was even close to being special. I got a feel that most of the writers here only listen to Nas.
You sir is what we call a 1 dimensional national hip hop fan.
hip hop classical!
If you think this is good, check Budden’s Mood Muzik 4, where the intro alone is better than this whole album.
MM4 has been out damn near 2 years, we’ve all heard it. It’s dope on its OWN ACCORD. How you even brought MM4 up on this thread is mind boggling.
NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON NAS THE DON
another joke review. i dont know why i even read this site anymore..its becoming so predictable.
Your absolutely right on that!!!
the best album of 2012 im a big hip hop fan im 40 and this is hip hop not lil wayne kids
None of the fuckers impress me. Nas is the cat that shits on ya favorite rappers best albums with one verse. For all u “he needs Preemo and AZ/Illmatic” niggas, “Loco-Motive” was written just 4 u.
Now STFU and let the veteran live. Life Is Good!
lol. shut up, you cocksucking clown.
the last emperor >>>>>>>> nas.
Not a classic, but definitely a great album by The Don. The bonus track are wack though (except for Nasty).
modern day classic
I’m not a huge Nas fan but I always listened to his music. Illmatic was an classic this is not and I can tell you why. I bought this cd at bestbuy by the way. This is a great album but you just can’t compare this to Food and Liquor and Illmatic, it’s not fair. When I took the plastic off FL and put it in my cd player I knew I was about to hear something that is rare in hiphop. From the first song all the way to the last I was blown away, for Life Is Good I was not instead I thought it was pretty damn good album from a legend. Now I have to admit Lupe is more exciting than Nas to me, but overall I respect both of them. Really if you think this album deserves a 5 out 5 , Food and Liqour and Illmatic must be 6 out of 6 then….. just saying listen to those albums again and reevaluate your self.
I give LIG a 4-4.25 maybe out of 5…..Great album just not a classic
Exactly. If you give it 5 out of 5, what deserve REAL classics then?
I will listen to this album for next month to see if I change my mind or not, I understand music takes time to grow on you. Just don’t know if there’s enough here to do that, to call it a classic.
“Illmatic was a classic”
Is it really? Or have people been saying that because they’re told to like it? It was good. Don’t get me wrong, but even today, if you put that into your deck, it doesn’t exactly hype you up. Halftime is still a good song, but it’s hip hop on a low budget level, and this is 2012. That was then and can be appreciated for what it was THEN, but this is now. Move on people.
You make a valid point but for a lot of us, albums like The Chronic, Illmatic, Ready To Die, Enter The 36 Chambers were our favorite albums when we were young. When most of us hear those albums now they bring back a lot of great memories of an era of our lives. We also remember an era in which all hip hop wasnt high budget, a lot of it was underground. Just because we still listen to old music doesnt mean we arent moving on. Illmatic will always be a classic to me. Maybe not the best album ever but its close.
lol anon got steamrolled.
The Chronic, Illmatic, Ready To Die and Enter The 36 Chambers are classics and are still listened by many people. Including me who never lived the golden age (born 95), those albums need to be shared with the new generations, a sick beat never gets old, same for a verse. I remember I dropped Doggystyle to a my friend’s brother, we was 14, and he enjoyed it, real recognize real.
When 1st played this album it bored me to death. When I played it a 2nd time I wanted to shoot myself.
This shit is a CLASSIC
I went trough the same!!!… CLASSIC
All shit all these lames catching feelings over this album and reviews…I say fuck they reviews cause am still goin bump this and these dudes saying I heard better albums and lyrics since when dude..the old shit back then was ill not no swag bullshit I see….haha got me laughing over these kids jokes…young money no sir no I don’t buy the hype ….then the dumb shit saying Joe budden one song is better than the album, I listen to Joe yeah he good but facts is facts..he aren’t fucking with this right here….classic fuck who say not yep …
This was a classic album
Classic Album. No doubt. But According to DX, this is on par with Big Sean’s Finally Famous?
Smarten Up DX. THis shit is a 6/5 if Big Sean got a 4.
Fuck it, this shit is a 50/5. NOBODY is able to fuck with Nas. He makes everybody else, even legends, look wack.
Well Finally Famous was decent too, but there’s no way it is comparable with LiG.
“lol anon got steamrolled”
If you’re talking about yourself, I agree. You’ve been getting smacked around extra Ike like for months now.
Who are you fighting with?
“Just because we still listen to old music doesnt mean we arent moving on”
You made some good points, and I too dust off older albums and give them a listen. In some cases, the older stuff can be better. Its Dark and Hell is Hot still sounds good today, but that said, I think some people think every album today that isn’t Illmatic sucks. No wonder sales are low. People don’t give most albums a chance to be good, cause they compare them to Wu Tang, or Nas, or Pac.
Good album through in through can’t stop repeating the intro song hard as fuck. That’s how you start an album off just get right to it. I’m glad I didn’t hear all those same types of beats that we hear on every new album that drops now a days. Nas always pushes the limit and brings something that will last forever LIFE IS GOOD!!!
His albums’ replay value last for about a month, aside from his obvious highlights.
His best since It was written. My number 3 Nas joint. Finally, something with substance. Sick of this bullshit comin from down south with the exception of Killer Mike.
can’t leave out the homie big krit
the only classic rap album of the 21st century is grodt
This guy is 12 years old.
its the truth
What about Food & Liquor and The Cool…
nas made a drake album
Much worse though.
and the haters keep coming out
hip hop excellence
Jay-Z is a LIVING LEGEND! period.
Proof: if he died tomorrow there would be hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) of so called “haters” coming out the closet saying he’s the greatest of all time, etc. etc.
To be as commercial as he is and still embody hip-hop is amazing! People who look at underground rappers as “real” hip-hop don’t understand that those rappers want to be JUST like Jay-Z.
Nas has bitten many rappers, he stole Tragedy Khadafi’s style, he stole lines from Lord Finesse, he’s a poor mans Rakim, he sounds like Kool G Rap, he’s used more Rakim lines than ANYONE else – he even wrote a song about Rakim’s personal life including talking about his children, he jocked the Mafioso rap movement as soon as Jigga made it popular, he stole Tragedy’s shoutouts from the Rebels, he CNN’s ‘thugged out’ style, end of story
Word. Nas is the biggest and most phony piece of shit out there. Fuck this fake ass sellout and his made up bullshit stories.
Fucking loser caught a devastating L for thinking he could fuck with Rakim though.
That is just ignorant. Cuban linx kid. Birth of the mafioso rap. GTFOH with him jacking Jay-Z’s style. BIG and Jay bit the Chef and Nas. I don’t get why you are even posting when this is not about Nas as a person, but a specific album. Have you listened to it???
I think anon its hurt that Nas has a good album right now. Rae, Ghost, matter of fact Wu-Tang, Nas and AZ is who started Mafioso rap fam. BIG followed suit and blew it up because he was more commercially successful. Since Jay was under BIG’s wing, he became successful with the Mafioso persona. Jay wanted to be on Nas’ albums…using Nas samples. I like Jay and his contribution to hip hop he is top seven to me but Nas’ is better lyrically. Nas is top three, period.
if nas is the goat, why didnt he jump on the renegade track with Em? coz he knew he’d get murked on that song just like hova did
He got murked by Cormega, Killah Priest, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, AZ and Jay. Fuck it, even Ross and Wale bodied him with ease.
that was emeinem song he took royce off and added jay-z verse because eminem wanted to get on the blueprint album but him and jay-z didnt have time to create a original song
eminem has become so inconsistant and annoying the last 8 years, he has more pure talent than Nas or Jigga, but they’ve gotten the mostr out of their talent unlike em in terms of quality.
Em might be the most technically gifted rapper of all time, but Nas’ and Jay’s music >>>>>>> Eminem’s.
most of these rappers aint real niggas. Word, Nas bankrupt never was a drug runner, Lil Wayne aint no blood, Jeezy aint no BMF, 50 a snitch, Game a stripper. None of these niggas real you guys. If they was all real they all be dead now. Like it or not Ross is the new biggie.
BAWSE!!!!!
nas said Hiphop is dead, yet he works with minaj and wayne? ahahhahahahaha
Good lookin’ out, young don! You know we waitin on ya album, we got the summer bangin! @rickyrozay
from Nas’ twitter.
There you got ya “real” rapper. Nas stay shitting on his groupies.
Idiot fags.
600 posts for this trash? hahahahaha, this album will be luck 2 sell 1000 copies 1st week
it managed to sell 301K so far.
Jay-Z = uncontrollable hustler’s ambition, networth of 450 million, 14 Grammys, 11 number 1 albums, beautiful wife and family, countless historical verses and performances, huge influence.
Nas = horrible flow, uneven discography, several failed sellout-attempts, wifed two whores, broke, pays child support for a daughter whose embarrassing him on twitter, works with Young Money after accusing them of destroying Hip Hop, stops working with his weedcarriers because he’s in fear of getting destroyed on a track, goes from the africa-loving social empowerer to the violent, drug-dealing, crime-glorifying don, signed to his arch enemy to be left 4 commerical dead.
Countless historical verses? lol Nas owns him even on American Gangster or the Black Republican track. Why does Jay Z always get outshined by anyone who appears on a track with him if he is so great?! Slim on Renegade, Kanye on that Alicia Keys joint about New York.. the list goes on.
AND why is this review thread for Nas’ album mean Jay Z has to be mentioned?
Jay is popular sort of how Lady Gaga is popular. Case in point, if you own a Gaga CD you might be a Jigga fan also because you are into what the radio plays.
Plus he came at Nas like a ho, subliminal diss.. Nas hit him with real facts and called him out by name.
Just to let u know i own both cds(the one with takeover and the one with ether) Nas diff, 100% blows jay z away, not even close, but to your other point. Jay z is the better buisnessman not the better rapper
lol @ these fucking losers cheering this sellout bitch. he proudly appears in nicki minaj’s video and features her and you idiots have the fucking nerve to call him real??? lmao.
Ok let’s face it, nas back in the day had a few good songs, but come on dude just admit that your shit ain’t saying shit. I still believe jayz is a better rapper, performer and business man than nas.
nas is the better rapper/lyricist jay-z is the better artist/businessman
nas f***in sucks!! The guy is a phony man. I dont care what kind of trash this guy puts out…he lost my respect when he got exposed for what he is years back. I cant take anything he says seriously man. Straight garbage. nas haha give me a break!
i got 10 bathrooms i can shit in all of them fuck that sheet oh sheet that must be ur best line
Who cares? Much better than “I’m on my Lilo & Stitch” and “cheap as limousine liquor”.
only active rapper on nas’s level is jay-z chill with all the nas hate.
i agree, only other rappers in todays market that compare are wu tang, jay z(but i wouldnt call Jay z a better rapper just a better buisnessman)eminem(but hes gotton soft) and thats about it rap used to be good, now its turned to wack radio garbage(pitbull,waka,florida, etc
shit beat, shit lyrics, shit production.
hey nas, take a hint. 5 letters: YMCMB
ignorant ass nigga
#swag
u need a new hobby fagget
jayz – $500mil
nas – $6mil in debt
numbers dont lie
whats ur net worth may be 100$
Dude is officially up there for most overrated of all time, NOTHING about what’s he’s doing is special in any kind of way, whether artistically nor rapwise. GTFOH with this dude even being in the consideration for the GOAT title for a 9 track album where the best producers of that time played a bigger part than him, nobody with so much inconsistency will never be the greatest of anything. If you think he rhymes good, I can only tell listen to some underground rappers
so and to trap music same beats baby school ryhes shit that you like stay away from nas dick fool
Nas is one of the most consistant artist of all-time, I love mos def & Busta Rhymes but those are inconsistant artist. Nas is top 6 dead or alive. Pay Respect where respect is due. You dissing nas is the equivalent of a basketball fan dissing Hakeem Olajawon!
think yall will find alot of teenagers that believe Nas is the GOAT and that Illmatic is the best album of all time. Let me say this: These fucks know NOTHING AND HAVE THE NERVE TO FELL ELITIST, they just REPEAT what they they heard. I have heard hundreds, no – THOUSANDS of tracks that STRAIGHT UP MURDER anything Nas EVER did lyrically. That yall haven’t heard these tracks says more about yall than Nas.
Just because yall are Nas/2Pac/Eminem fanboys, doesen’t mean that these are the best – just that you are a dumb and ignorant fanboys.
if you think someone is the best thats your opnion what makes your opnion better than anyone elses you twat
EMINEM IS DA GOAT
LOOK AT HIS TRACK RECORD… WHO HAS IMPROVED WITH TIME? WHO ALWAYS TAKE A BIG FAT DUMP ON EVERY SINGLE TRACK HE IS ON?
WHO HAS NEVER BEEN OUTDONE ON A TRACK?
Evidence
Nas 1st rapper to have #1 Album in 3decades
Nas 1st rapper to get XXL rating in 3decades
Nas 1st rapper to get 5mic rating in 3decades [fingaz crossed]
90’s / 00’s /10’s
I hope you played a part in creating this album, otherwise you’re just a sad piece of shit that lives vicariously through the achievements of another man.
But you’re a sad troll that goes around making sadistic/sarcastic comments that exude negativity. KRS-One sd you’re not doing hip-hop, You are hip-hop. I’m proud of Nas, he spit reality raps most of the time & dudes three decades in still making wonderful music
Good lookin’ out, young don! You know we waitin on ya album, we got the summer bangin! @rickyrozay
from Nas’ twitter.
There you got ya “real” rapper. LMAO. Nas stans stay catching L’s. The groupies of him stand up harder for his made-up principles than he himself does. Unreal. Nas ain’t got no stans, he got groupies like KISS in the 80’s.
Problem is, they’re ALL dudes.
wtf are you talking about? you come off like a nas stan copying & pasting his twitter & shyt. If you don’t like REAL hip-hop then say that shit, otherwise stop hating on the living legend
^^ There’s no such thing as real Hip Hop.
the hell it ain’t
Nas now is the best of best. Album of the year
I enjoyed this album a hell-of-a lot. Iw rote my own review. Check it out when you can http://thestixxclusiveblog.com/2012/07/21/life-is-good-the-stixxclusive-review/
Best album this year by far! Im glad to see him back on that level
Let’s make it clear. Nas definitely won. Jay-Z has admitted it multiple times. However, Takeover is still the better track. I love it because Jay made Nas stop acting dumb…and he succeeded (hence, Stillmatic). Jay had legitimate disses (taking the ‘presidents to represent me’ line) and the beat fit with the style (swagger, bravado, king, etc.) Ether was just really dumb. No, Jay-Z is not gay. No, he does not like penis. No, he’s not homosexual.
At this point, you may have noticed that the preceding statements were all about homosexuality. Exactly. Nas just called Jay-Z gay all the time, and in today’s homophobic world, it works.
On the other hand, Nas accuses Jay of saying that he was better than B.I.G. (well in my opinion he is, but whatever). The point isn’t that Jay thinks he’s better than B.I.G. He’s just saying he’s the best who ever did it. If anyone claims that they’re the best who ever did it, they’re claiming that they’re better than Biggie. Nas has claimed he’s the best several times. Should he Ether himself? (actually he should…that would be funny)
And so what if Jay-Z got killed by Eminem on Renegade? AZ killed Nas on Life’s a B*tch. Plus Eminem made the beat, so naturally he would be better.
Well after Ether, things just get really dumb. Jiggaman made the Supa Ugly freestyle over one of Nas’ beats (Got Urself a Gun…), and that was quite a bomb. It was way out of line and made so many stupid points about Nas’ closest friends and relatives that Jigga Ethered himself. Lul fail.
So if Jay-Z didn’t Ether himself, he would have won. Godd*mnit Jay.
oh yeah and ether’s beat was made by ron browz, who is some pro-autotune f@g grrrrrrrrr 392ht0gg
JAY-Z WON HE WAS SPITTING FACTS GO LOOK AT NAS DAUGHTER AND ASK YOURSELF WHO DO SHE LOOK LIKE AHAHAH
She look like nas you idiot. Hate when niggaz say dumb shit.
“I dont have a scratch on me
You feel Jay soft
Rip jay off”
“I’m tha J, tha A, to the fuck this broad
This nigga never sold asprin
How u escobar?
Had to buy you’re chain back tha last time u got robbed
The nerve of this coward nigga….(Oh My God)
And all rap rumors are induendo
I bring them to you live
Lift up ya window
Let tha public begin to see your dirty laundry
Ya’ll dont want me to continue(Oh!)
Super Ugly”
“Me and tha boy A.I. got more in Common than just ballin and rhymin
Get It?
More in Carmen
I came in ya Bentley backseat
Skeeted in Jeep
Left condoms in tha baby seat”
“You thought I was boning Ranette
You calling Carm’ a hundred times I was boning her neck
You got a baby by that broad
You cant disown her yet
When does ya lies end?
When does the truth begin?
When does reality set it?
Or does it not matter
Gotta hurt that I’m ya baby mama’s favorite rapper
And ask your current girl
She know whats up
Holla at a real nigga”
“And y’all buy the shit, caught up in the hype
Cause the nigga wear a coofie, it don’t mean that he bright
Cause you don’t understand him, it don’t mean that he nice
It just means you don’t understand all the bullshit that he write
Is it “Oochie Wally Wally” or is it “One Mic”?
Is it “Black Girl Lost” or shorty owe you for ice?”
To end all that, Jay SIGNED Nas.
Jay got Beyonce wearing his chain. Nas was left by two whores who both admired Jay.
@And since you infatuated with sayin tha gay shit Yes u was kissin my dick when u was kissin that bitch:
are you still living in 01′? Yes that WAS a hot diss, but a poll on Hot 97 that time voted 58% for ether, 42% for Supaugly. New York had Nas’ back homie. Jay-Z wanted to be on IWW, I Am and Nastradamus. When he was snubbed Jay went on the offensive like a bitch. Now before you accused me of being a Nas stan, recognize that I hold both Nas and Jay dear and both are in my top 10 MC’s: Nas, Kool G Rap, Ice Cube, Jay-Z, AZ, Big L, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One. The point I am making is both MC’s made serious bitch moves, period. Stop magnifying Nas’ without acknowledging Jay’s because you will be guilty of dickriding and staning. Think before you speak, and let both legends live.
And what does Jay marrying/dealing with Beyonce have to do with Jay-Z rapping ability? You really are a Jay dickrider.
My top 10 MC’s no particular order Nas, Kool G Rap, Ice Cube, Jay-Z, AZ, Big L, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Andre 3000 and KRS-One.*
GO G ET IT:
GFID:
http://kat.ph/rick-ross-god-forgives-i-don-t-deluxe-edition-t6532372.html
In this Maybach/Young Money world Nas’ sound is such a relief from this bullshit we call music. The 90’s feel is present in every track and every track is a well verse delivery of poetry that NONE of the artist of today can accomplish. The art of story telling or grio is a talent, to be colorful and put you in the situation. Any rapper can talk trap talk, or talk about street situations or swag but Nas makes poetry Hip-Hop. Lil Wayne sucks balls, Rick Ross I wish he would die from bad pussy but Nas is the truth. Music is art and this is the embody of that. 5 stars all the way. Fuck the radio I will not listen.
The WORST Killah Priest verse >>>> Nas’ best writings.
“A homeless man smiles at me showing no teeth
A young man laying dead in the cold streets
He was a victim beaten bad by the police
And everyday another funeral there’s more grief
And everyday I like to pray when I see the Sun
And if there ever was a Lost Tribe we the one
And every hood there’s a project with us in it
The old man in the dust going nuts finished
Years before they use to say “You use to own business
Caught them on tax, I guess you’re black, you gotta know you limit”
And everybody tried to be Happy someway
I think of dinners in the winter on a Sunday
And everybody’s poor but we always pull through it
‘Cause of Marvin’s influence, we always played his music
My Pops said he was a Trouble Man courtesy of Uncle Sam
Then I hit the streets then start hustling
But I could see my Grandma when she dressed for Church
Her style is hat, white dress with the matching purse
And I could hear her sing aloud with the choir marching in
With the face of joy, proud ’cause her heart’s with him
And she could live everlasting and pure peace
No longer worried eyes, speaks to him before sleep
And I stood by the door when she came at me
She said, “You gotta endure and learn to be Happy”
“(Cause this is my pain)
Dear auntie I still feel your timeless sorrow
Before you died it’s like your body was mine to borrow
Like I jumped in your physical shell
While you was going through miserable hell saying goodbye to tomorrow
Everyday it make me sad, angry, mad how you were sent to heaven sacred path
Duct taped and gagged plus raped and stabbed body draped in blood what a faith to have
Such a pitiful end I’m popping Ritalin like they skittles cause
When I sleep I can feel it again and again and again it’s difficult
Killing is the wickedest biblical sin I’m talking about momma’s identical twin
I see your face when I look at her
Her reminder of how I’ve been in the cold
Since 14 years old
Swear to GOD I’ll probably be in heaven when the pain stops
Til then all I’m hearing is wind and raindrops. (Rest In Peace Chacha)”
“These niggas aint never seen dough
They cant dream though I bump into em in between shows
People say Im emo, what that really mean though?
Is though the song cant breathe I actually make it seem so
I lost loved ones because they couldnt deal with me
Cherish whoever still with me though the marriage be killed in me
Normally its just me and my lonely mind
Everyone storm is different so this forecast is only mine
Fans recognize my misery uplifted me
Shifted me to my epitome, guess the curse is a gift to me
Maybe its serendipity, maybe its weighing on me physically
Maybe I should man up and tell God not to solicit me
Been medicated, meditated
Sedated, hated
Character assassinated, all theses years I masqueraded
Hard headed, if it was on my mind I had to say it
Tongue on the devils pitchfork to see how disaster tasted
Rap is fabricated, rappers are so exaggerated
Wouldnt be scared of the truth if they werent castrated
Grab a mag, spray it, surrounded by people to shoot it before me
Better unconditionally love my beautiful ugly
Now lemme speak to who I cater to
Would you love me to sang before my weeks were not favorable
Promised to maintain being unique but relatable
All while suffering from a disease that could do away with you
Poetry on the beat, spoken-word for the masses
Therapy over pro-tools, every word is on acid
Consonants on Kush, every vowel is blunted
Highly wanted this whole organization privately funded
This is bigger than the Eiffle, this is alert to public
Had a cop us by our tunnels and our bridges with the rifle
Sentences meant to stifle, this is a man aching
This is the dam breaking, contraband in the making
This is panic unveiling, got potential but I never met it
He be trying to come over, it seem like God wont let it
Either he never got my invite or he jus dismissed it
But if all Im hearing are the sounds of blackness, why am I pessimistic?
Youll never progress if youll never try
All I ask, let every word I birth never die
My wings spread, but when Im at the sky
Weather didnt change like I thought and had me petrified.”
“I do it for the seeds y’all, in they formative years when they need y’all
we gotta believe, in what we conceive y’all, it’s deep y’all
I give them the truth, so they approach the situation, with ammunition
I keep nothing away, they hear everything, cause they know how to listen
Teach them the game, so they know they position, so they can grow
and make decisions, that change the world, and break old tradition
They put kids in jail, for a life they ain’t even get to start
that’s murder too, and it’s breaking my heart, it’s breaking our nation apart
We gave the youth all the anger, it’s just
we ain’t taught them, how to express it, and so it’s dangerous
You can’t talk to them
Unless your language is relating to what they going through
so busy ignoring them, you can’t see what they showing you
And you wonder, why we called baby-daddy’s and baby-momma’s
when we grow up, we can’t act like adult mothers and fathers, yo”
amen. I guess hip hop ain’t completely dead yet.
Why does Nas lower himself to work with the peoeple he accused of killing Hip Hop though?
I agree, 98% of all rap played on the radio is straight garbage. Havn’t heard the album yet, but i know who nas is and he don’t make that fairy rap that is put out in todays market
But he has been on the fairy tale trip since IWW or can somebody direct to the criminal record of the international-active druglord also known as Nasir Jones?
You’re thinking of Rick Ross.
To that Killah Priest cockblower:
Nas first verse off Street Dreams remix shits all over any verse you posted and any verse in KPs career. Oh yeah… that is a b-side remix with R Kelly off the Illmatic to Stillmatic remixes disc… and Nas has like 30 verses better than that one
To that Jay-z assclown:
STOP w/ the revisionist history ‘oh Jay ethered himself w/ the Supa Ugly diss’ bullshit. Notice how the root word of the verb you used is ‘Ether’? LOL… ask Em, Jada, Fat Joe, Beans, HELL THE WHOLE ROC TEAM WHILE JAY WAS SITTING IN THEIR PRESENCE… Jay got bodied. Not too mention him crying on Hot97 like a little bitch… ‘Ehh… (sob) (sob) that was just far man… very vulgar’ GTFOH. Ether not factual? Guess Jay never was on Nas’ jock for samples and features on albums he later claimed to be wack, guess he didn’t constantly bite BIG while claiming to be better, guess he never said he did tae bo, never got roasted on Renegade, never took the blame for stabbing Un Rivera. On another note… GUESS NAS NEVER DISSED JAY ON HIS OWN TRACK
Right… actually all of those things happened… and apparently 1 hot album in 10 years is factual too, even though IWW is as good as or better than any disc in Jay’s entire catalogue… LOL
Fuck off with your tired rehashing of the beef anyways cause no one cares… WTT? BP3? Kingdom Come? I got weed plates on my coffee table that get more play than those wack ass discs… but at least Jay is staying relevant by having Kanye carry his washed up ass LOL… plus dropping heat like that ‘3 KINGS’ verse right? That shit makes Oochie Wally look like a classic
LOL… Hov is in my top 5 but keep his fucking name out of this thread… I know you Jay stans are feeling sensitive since Nas dropped another classic… you realize you can like both MCs at the same time right?
OH BEHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAVVVEE
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH choke that rod til it pokes out the back of your threat fuckboys
“Nas first verse off Street Dreams remix shits all over any verse you posted and any verse in KPs career. Oh yeah… that is a b-side remix with R Kelly off the Illmatic to Stillmatic remixes disc… and Nas has like 30 verses better than that one”
You just can’t hide your cumguzzler mentality, huh?
Go buy “Heavy Mental” off the Amazon marketplace for a few bucks, close your windows and start to COMPREHEND real lyricism before you spew out some bullshit again.
Killah Priest MURDERED Nas on “Gun 4 Gun” and “The Saints” with his vocal performance and his lyrical content.
But I guess that’s the root of your madness, huh?
You get depressions for every single time Nas has been taken to school by a far superior rapper, that has happened very OFTEN and you know it. You still know A to the Z completely outshining Nas’ other 8 songs with a single, barely one minute long verse. Or Cormega murking him on “Affirmative Action” Or Nas deciding to scrap his verse off “Desperados” after he was humiliated by Canibus. Thank god that Nas was never dumb enough to jump on a track with O.C. or Eminem. That spared us all another embarrassment.
“Examine the logic, that contaminates projects, and turns men into inanimate objects”
“Its kinda frigid and heat is hells parallel, as modern day pharaohs dwell, with gang leaders controllin the streets from a narrow cell”
“Shootouts, drugs, liquor stores, broken projects where niggaz jet
D’s predict the war, I jog up my steps
I hear “Freeze nigga hit the floor” y’all from my rest
I dropped my keys someone clicked the door I jumped in the apartment
I swear my heart left that time I dodged death
I said “God Bless”, salute the gamblers, “one,” shuffled up a card deck
Ran in the room, dice game going on
Ice chain, folded arms, niggaz in the cipher one dude low
Throw dem bones across the floor ’cause my thoughts of wars is going fast
I ran, frantic, panic, damage, I paint sandscript across my canvas
Outlandish, watch the constellation take shape
My conscious elevate like binoculars, eye on the great space probing
Along the face of the deep, to below on Earth
Where the cops chases the creeps and the thiefs
Priest lead us out of hell like Moses
Pass the snakes all the vultures, the Greek sculptures
On the court buildings, chalk ceilings
We cross revealings, The Lost Children
They keep oppressing us, this the exodus
Cops arresting us, so press ya luck
Peace and togetherness forever kid
It’s operative, we free our heritage
Flee from devilish and habitat, black on black crimes & crack
Nines we clap, they cuff your wrist behind your back
The ghettos infested with drugs and police
A wino with no teeth, rose and said “Priest go preach”
He had flames in his eyes told me it wasn’t from wine
Open his arms and showed me a sign
Then read my mind said “Yeah I looked familiar”
You saw me when you stared in the mirror
Dropped off his dusty blanket
And what was standing there was a King ancient
Royal rose with diamonds and rubies, Gods beauty
Life’s truly, a blessing in my essence
Priest, I slid the lid back off my coffin
This happens often, before I start speaking I start coughing
Then I said “I’m back with another classic called The Offering”
It started storming and hailing, the church start railing
The preacher falling over the pew
People know the view I’m writing lyrics, while fighting spirits
They poking pitched forks, I hook a lip gloss, smears on my cheek
She threw a kiss soft while trying to stick a dagger through the Priest”
“Is it my cage I’m in?
Is it the rage I’m in?
Why they degrade my skin?
This way I pray Amen
I say my prayer while I’m looking at the guns flare
A victim fall while the innocent young stares”
“The night’s a dark lord well dressed seducing our sun
Upon the dawning of her full day he usually would come
Galloping upon his winged horse
Leaving trails of stars across the planet the night scene of New York
Comes to life with lights pubs clubs with thugs
Mobsters gangsters criminals dealers with drugs
Loud music crowds are moving up and down blocks
In and out of spots cops watch for a foul shooting
So how we moving my soul scour through the clouds
Where the moon ah sit
Like the wise owl searching through a gloomy mist
6 will bring a casket down to its tomb
Another child gets pushed through the uterus
From the womb we’re intuitive
Eternal peace or damnation depending what we do with it
A genius or a lunatic
A general or a fugitive it’s essential”
“Who’s the greatest king? Now y’all know
Surround by souls that may be from the Dark Ages
They tell me things
Right before I dart my pages my art’s contagious
Like skills from parts of Asia
God like paper found on my desktop
Y’all searching for the best well the best just drop”
“So read your horoscope in the bars I wrote
Priest the project ghost
I show you tales of shootouts in the cosmos
Hold my rhymes like a tarot card close
“Look” see the black prince that wears a dark cloak
Looks kind of Goth though
In Heavy Mental I showed you my art growth
Look at my silver sword swinging in the calm snow
But in my imagination these fallen snow flakes
Could make the globe shake
And leave craters in the earth that rotate
This one’s for Israel revolutionary fist held
Both legs impaled by the devil’s dagger I stagger
Let off a clip then fell
I lost my grip slipped in the pits of hell my crown fell off
Down a hole grabbed by a million tortured souls
Burning flesh as they tore through my clothes
This arch angel stood my body up
Lifeless but righteous handed me a pair of cuffs
Alright then the sky cut with streaks of lightning I ran into ’em
Like a Bison eternal fighting forever”
You suck off Nas storytelling so much, right? Go listen to Fashawn, Blu, Elzhi’s “Talking In My Sleep” or Vakill’s “The Apology” on YouTube that shit ALL over Illmatic.
“Play the game for my people stay in charge of your dreams
Keep your vision focused, get wise, and largen your cream
Marketin’ schemes, so many in the dark that’s unseen
Caught inbetween, perhaps rap was a fortunate thing
Forced to be keen, from hustlin’, supportin’ them fiends
Bustin’ guns, I had no remorse as a teen
Rockin’ birth stones, my first, get bent nurse the dome
It hurts to zone, now I realize I’m on this Earth alone
Time ticks, devilish minds design tricks, leave you blind quick
Cause you to die behind shit, Math-e-matic
Master one twenty, I’m Asiatic
Amazed with magic, cuz it’s illusions that made me savage
Life change once you establish the right game
Love the night rain, found a new way to fight pain
Clocks never stop, It’s all a race to the top
Tryin’ to freeze time, that’s why I ice the face of my watch”
“Laid back, I ran into some brothers from way back
Those I dug we hugged, besides that, black, I don’t say jack
I stay in tune with the sun, stars and moon
‘Cause behind bars you’re doomed if your mind can’t consume”
“Plus spiritual pain can bring forth physical reign
And without knowledge of self how else can a criminal change?
And bein’ locked up just ain’t the life for me shit is way too trife for me
You’re comin’ home soon, sounds so nice to me”
“Yo, it’s hard to show resistance when money-gettin’ niggas
Need my assistance to stock figures, beyond non-existence
Fuck keepin’ my distance, ‘cos bein’ poor produced persistence
Plus plea’s, a hundred G’s, I had me blockin’ out of jail centers
I’m recognized by the illest of individuals
Killers and criminals, even willies that’s really into jewels
But still septic on who I cling to
‘Cos every single nigga that swing through
Ain’t my man just ‘cos we mingle”
We ALL know that Nas will never jump on a track with AZ again and that has a profound reason.
Or what about Saigon?
“Suckers could not survive without philoso-phy
When somebody dies, you see why I’m not suprised?
Had a plot to rise since I looked in the doctor’s eyes
Since I started drinkin milk through what’s homogenized
I would strive with or without a pops to provide
Moms still cries ’cause she fell for a crock of lies
I try to teach her to fight her fears
I try to teach her to wipe her tears”
“he drama’s pitiful, lil’ niggaz is homicid-ical
Couple meals ago, shorty was eatin through his umbilical
Now he feels he unkillable, shit is all amazing
The wrong altercation’ll leave his ass with a long abrasion
I try to make my life de-focal through rhymes
These niggaz do vocal booth crimes, I shot niggaz multiple times
You sold a few dimes, but when you rappin, you the crack king
I sold it to whites when you thought it was just a black thing
I’m filled with this realness, rappers happen to lack it
I’m flabbergasted you got a platinum plaque for that wack shit
All the real gangstas, they on their way to bein dead or in jail
They don’t make records to sell”
“Why am I mentally filthy?
Why is pistols being concealed and issued with criminal tendencies that relentlessly got me?
Why is it 99.9 inside of me highly sheist and enticed with beef?
Why is it hard for me to think that I’ll probably die in poverty?
Why the police authority only fuck with minorities?
Why is there black blood in thugs arteries?
Why does the cold part of me, got me loving crime whole heartedly?
Why is the federal bureaucracy prophecy locking me?
I cop a ki rock a commodity lockin ya property
Stockin monopoly properly, why the vodka be knockin me?
Why hypocrisy tryin to rob me of my philosophy?
Why does the pyrophobic fear fire?
Why the CIA wear wires?
Saw the messiah sharp as the eye of Jeremiah
And it’s ridiculous niggas solicite this
Why does wickedness breed the foul in me?
Why the ghetto mentality?”
“Why the cop’ll shackle a theif?
Why not a week of national peace?
Why am I being followed by sorrow, shadows of greif?
Tackle a preist blow the chapel and the tabernacle a piece
Cuz lying is a act of the Beast
Pitiful they slander the Biblical
Lock us down in the land of the critical
Why aint none of us analytical?
Am I a man or a miracle?
Infectin’ the Western Hemispherical
With deadly lyrical thats incurable
Why the media players protray us as crack-weighers?
Why is it gonna take black mayors to turn the Mac sprayers to tax payers
Get at me with that, I spit facts naturally black
You dont know the half of me, Ask”
Since you always jock off to Nas’ lyrical skills, just wanted to remind you that there are so many rappers besting him in own lane.
Oh, I just wanted to save you from posting some G Rap verses or remind you of “Live Or Let Die” that SHITS ALL OVER IWW!
what a breath of fresh air. Love this album
What with all these old heads still crying about some beef from 2000? Get over it, Nas & Jay-z careers wont be defined by some beef. Have some respect. Listen to the music or fuck off
Five Stars easily. This is the best Nas I heard since Illmatic. May be even better. Flow, subject matter, beats, passion, versatility, everything. Outside of Rick Ross’s out of place verse (rappin’ about being rich on a song about accidental murder victims?) there’s no week points.
R&B beats are the only flaw IMO
R&B beats and hooks are the flaw, I was hoping he would go for a rougher sound, still a great album though.
Still, I hope Nas will give us at least one album of him just rapping and going all out over fire beats before he retires. We got enough concept, substance-filled albums from him. I want something along the lines Take It In Blood, just a pure skill demonstration.
The album is awesome.why not five stars to be honest.Thank you Jones.No bubble gum rappers next time e.g Rick Ross no.They can’t adhere to the concept of the track.out
Summer ’88, or was it ’89
Or was it winter-time, ah, nevermind
I’m in my room, boomin
Drawin LL Cool J album covers with crayolas on construction paper
I’m trying to fuck my neighbor, I’m tryna hook my waves up
I’m tryna pull my grades up, to get them saddle lace ups
Before Le marc was Jacob, before them girls wore makeup
Before my voice would break up, before we’d tour them shake clubs
Before my mama wake up, before my palms would cake up
Before they told me they love me and we’ll never breakup
Before the time she makes love, to someone that I thought was, my homeboy
But boy, was I wrong, now
I don’t budge, don’t want much, just a roof and porch
And a Porsche, and a horse and unfor-tunately
But of course an assort-ment of tor-ches that scor-ches the skin, when they enter
Intru-ders, whose tutors did a lousy job
How’s he god if he let’s lucifer let loose on us
That noose on us won’t loosen up but loose enough to juice us up
Make us think we do so much and do it big
Like they don’t let us win, I can’t pretend
But I admit it, it feel good when the hood pseudo-celebrate
Hence why every time we dine we eat until our belly aches
Then go grab the finest wine and drink it like we know which grape and which region it came from
As if we can name em, hint hint, it ain’t um Welch’s
Hell just fell three thousand more degrees cooler
Ya’ll can’t measure my worth
But when you try, you’ll need a ruler made by all the Greek gods
Because the odds have always been stacked against me when back’s against the wall
I feel right at home, y’all sitting right at home
All Kelly green with envy while I’m jelly beans descending
Into the palm of a child, looks up at mama and smiles
With such a devilish grin, Like “where the hell have you been”
She yelling that sellings a sin, well so is telling young men
That selling is a sin, if you dont offer new ways to win
A dolphin gone shake his fin, regardless if he gets in
Or out of water, most important thing for him is to swim
And flipper didnt hold his nose, so why shall I hold my tongue?
(I miss the days that Ov and Market Hole had scowl on his arm?)
And I set off these alarms, when cameras snap snap snap snap
Return fire, pa-pa-pa, pa, pa-pa, pa, pa, pa
Theyll learn why, near privacy, so essential
They won’t make no laws, I break their laws till they see out our window
I take the fall to make them all treat human kind more gentle
Forsake them all, I hate them all, dont like em dont pretend to
Yea something tells me, we aint in Kansas anymore
All that shit that used to be cool aint cool anymore
All the women you been pursuing, now they want more
And they deserve it all, dont settle for what aint yours
Damn, Nas, you have just been topped with a single verse.
When did it become fashionable to dick ride
Andre 3000?
@anonymous…ill verse homie. Andre 3000 is one the most underrated greats of all time. He is a top ten lyricist. However why did you feel the need to shit on Nas’ though? Check out your irony cuz…you put an ill Andre verse on a Nas post about his new album. Are you that insecure homie? You couldn’t enjoy Nas’ success? Put your verse on an Andre post to show your love fam. Give respect there it’s due.
Andre 3000 ain’t gonna thank you for dickriding brah…
^^ Nas ain’t gonna thank yall for defending him and Hip Hop has always been about competition or didn’t Nas himself say “Eminem murdered you on your own shit”?
3K passed Nas like 10 years ago, dude…let Nas get his shine on
Yeah right. Let’s continue to act like dudes along the line of Three Stacks, who outclasses Nas in every aspect of rapping while being more successful, don’t exist.
If the situation was reversed and Nas was going plat every album and Jay was struggling to sell 150k these fucking, disgusting Nas stans would be posting 100 comments a day on about how Nas is selling more than Jay.
But since it’s their hero who is selling less, it’s sales don’t matter, but let’s congratulate Nas for his weak ass numbers nonetheless.
If the situation was reversed and Nas was going plat every time? Uh moron nearly 90% of his albums have gone platinum LOL… way to know what you are talking about
Could give a fuck about the sales when the album is a classic… but I know how much you Jay stans LOVE counting the next mans money
It took Illmatic years to go platinum… but yeah I know mainstream opinion based on sales is an infallible indicator of quality… puts Vanilla Ice and Nelly in the top 5 no question
DAMN I BET ALL YOU NAS FANS ARE ALL HURT BECAUSE THAT HIDDEN TRACK WIT HIM N FRANK OCEAN DIDNT APPEAR ON THE ALBUM…I KNEW NAS WAS ON THE DL
^^^ Depressed? LOL couldn’t be more ecstatic that his wack ass is nowhere near the album… admirable attempt though gaylord
Hey “Franksuckedit” deflecting?
Solid album from the greatest rapper of all time. As with any Nas album, it comes down to the beats and the production here has peaks and valleys like most Nas albums. Happy with the finished product. Everybody seems to want to compare their favorite rappers with Nas. This is a testimony to what Nas brings to the table lyrically. One of the most consistent, one of the best flows ever and a true poet. I give it a 4/5 personally. This is grown folk music tho.. It is a personal record… but there is something there for most of us to relate to. Plus it’s nice to have an Amy Winehouse appearance. They really had some good chemistry.. it’s unfortunate she isn’t around anymore.
Nas fans, like Lupe fans, stay gassed…
Perfect Five
Yep number one and well deserved. Nas made a album that brought the best out in it showed through in his lyricism, which had to have a vintage 90s sound, because that’s when Nas had his best material in my opinion. Hunts Saalam(Fugess), & No I.D.(Common) & justice League. Don’t why Premier or Q tip didn’t appear on this album being they still mike Bangers (Q tip produce That’s my bitch on W.T.T.)But not at all disappointed, in fact quite shocked how really good this album is, it managed to capture the old and make it current love this album
Really like Nas he’s a legend will be remembered in Hip Hop for a long long time… hate his dickriders.
You obviously aren’t a hip-hop fan.
No, he just has enough pride to not present himself as a cocksucking whore on the net, against the current trend. Sad much?
Bigging up your comment. How intelligent. Dumbass.
Nas did a great thing. Can’t believe it’s only 4 stars. His 5th classic imo
Great album
Hip Hop Classic…Best Album in years
This is such a great album Nas sounds so hungry. 4.5 / 5
im sorry but this some lame n*** garbage up in here. only one hot track… well let me say . one hot verse. its with the boss, rick rozay. hate on me if you want but nas been in the game too long. hes old. tired. give the crown up to a new king. ROSS. like he said. everyday im hustin. believe that
its cha boi
You need to find the nearest bridge. Preferably close to your parents house. Tie a rope to it and around your neck and back flip off that shit. You’re the only one around here sucking Ross’ dick hard.
1) Illmatic 2) IWW 3) The Lost tapes 4)Stillmatic 5) Life is Good
I Am is no worse than #3…It’s a lot better than Stillmatic, at least
top 5 albums in order
Half of this LP will only appeal to homosexuals and white girls. I’m not hating on those kind of people, but they’re already catered for by Gaga, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift ect. When that kind of music contaminates hip-hop, like the horrible, un-listenable, insipid R&B tracks on this record, the core hip-hop audience feel neglected and rightly take umbrage with these types of tunes. Nas not being able to pick beats doesn’t hold weight when the first track off this record was the excellent Nasty. If Life is Good was filled with songs of that calibre, he could finally say he has worthy successor to Illmatic, but alas, I’m afraid this is another fail for Esco.
he cant do 15 songs just like nasty FOOL
he’s an artist.. nas talks about real shit
your obviously not even a fan if you speak like that
But Nasty was another one of his fake ass, “I’ll talk about other nigga’s lives”(my dumb dickriders believe me anyway)notepad-stories.
Nope. You’re thinking of Rick Ross.
nas life is good #classic
5 mics, 5 stars, 10/10 best album of the year best album since gods son . all that
grammy nod would be nice
The Most Overated Album Since Stillmatic.
Exactly. Both are overrated as fuck for being halfway decent albums after Nas put out pure trash for years before them. His stans highlight the highs of this album while they completely ignore the wack tracks on there.
All of you are idiots.
Another Nas crybaby that feels offended by a comment about his hero. Cry yourself to sleep, fucking bitch.
YOU AND WHOEVER AGREED WITH U R CERTIFIED CRACK BABIES YALL HAD TO BE IN SPECIAL CLASSES AND IF U WERE THEN U GRADUATED CAUSE THEY PASS EVERYBODY STILLMATIC IS 1 OF THE GREATEST ALBUMS EVER
I think the comments on here prove Nas has one of the least intellgient fan-bases in all of music.
^^^Says the moron that can’t spell intelligent and thinks fanbase has a hyphen in it
You, my friend, are an idiot. This shit even spell checks…lmao
Best album i heard all year. Still dont understand how Rick Ross got a 4 rating and Nas aint get higher
Yeah, DX totally got it F’d up. Life is Good is an easy 5 if that repetitive garbage from Ross is a 4. DX has too many teenagers writing for them now.
Fucking insecure crybabies that need their opinion to be confirmed by others.
Cuz your living in the 90’s.
Like Nas said on Locomotive.. For my 90’s niggas
AFTER LISTENING TO THIS FOR A WHILE I GOTTA SAY DX ..YOU WAS WRONG. 5/5
AFTER LISTENING TO THIS FOR A WHILE I GOTTA SAY DX YOU WAS WRONG. ITS A 5
AFTER LISTENING TO THIS FOR A WHILE I GOTTA SAY YOU WAS WRONG. ITS A 5
AFTER LISTENING TO THIS FOR A WHILE I GOTTA SAY YOU WAS WRONG ITS A 5
FIVE
I give this a 5/5 .. Classic album from the day it was released … All you Soulja boy/Waka flocka fans need 2 stfu and start reppin real hip-hop, for my 90’s niggas !! #LifeIsGood
Nas is proudly repping the so-called fake Hip Hop on every media outlet though.
good joke, hating ass nigga.
Do I need to link you to his BET appearance, where he praises Nicki Minaj as one of the greatest female rappers of all time? Or him promoting the shit out of Ross on his own facebook and Twitter pages? Or him appearing in Nicki’s video, on Nelly Furtado tracks or the tracklist of the Carter IV, Rich Forever or Careless World??? Damn and you want to label yourself a fan? Damn, I thought Nas would have smarter fans than Rihanna.
All I see is hate. Yawn
It’s rare I listen to niggas who never been in my position
A caterpillar can’t relate to what an eagle envisions
From the mind of a man who went at it with killers
Sit down little man, let me school you in hood business
Seen a lotta niggas blow, lotta dreams folded
Some wasn’t humble, ate too much, got bloated
Ain’t too much left to buy, bought it I’m loaded I guess
Lear jets I ask myself do I need love or success?
They say the artist that truly suffers he suffers the best
Sometimes I sit on the bench just to watch the game
Feet on cement, there ain’t a mobster living I could name
Who made it out rich, in his absence I do not proclaim
To not have a heart like wild animals not tamed
Maybe just a typical thug nigga was my rank
‘Cept I had a vision above niggas, what I think
It’s crazy how many brothers come where I come from
Some made it out big, some dead, some unsung
Shots for soldiers on 23 hours lock-up
Younger generation, they want to mimic and mock us
Laughing, separating themselves like they not us, like
“Cops’ll look at you like they look at me? That’s preposterous”
Ain’t it gangsta how your man made it? I’m humble
One gun, one crazy ass nigga, that’s Jungle
Now we having babies, cause growing up it was just us
No uncles or cousins to fight with us, we was fucked up
But still it was beautiful, the love is mutual
Even though me and Jung ain’t show up to your funeral
I hold your son hand, tell him he the man, we love you
Your pops was king, you have a whole lot to live up to
The G is in your genes, already you tuck
Inherit your dad’s swag, it’s George Jefferson’s strut
Stay flyest, they gon’ want to know what in your diet
Don’t be surprised if they want to check your shit and your vomit
Tell them you let it marinate, they swear you made them a promise
No matter what they do, you just stay a man of honor
I’m a street corner nigga, New York Knicks loyalist
Corona sipper, pass it out, might blow it with you
It ain’t the Truman show; it’s the human show
Ask the F.B.I. agent at his cubicle
Chews on his pencil eraser with intents to erase you
Young brother go and get your paper, I got love
Classic
3:45 AM can’t sleep, can’t dream
I’m stuck, money problems pop up
How will I survive, guess it’s best to decide not to decide
So that’s my decision
Whatever happens happens
I keep makin’ my millions
Can see myself in presidential campaign dinners
But Im passing blunts around a bunch of gang members
When youre too hood to be in them Hollywood circles
And youre too rich to be in that hood that birthed you
And you become better than legends you thought were the greatest
And outgrow women you love and thought you could stay with
Life become clearer when you wipe down your mirror
And leave notes around for yourself to remember
I like to teach and build
With brothers about how easy it is to reach a mil
All you need is some skill, then its grindtime
Imagination better than knowledge, as Einstein
Its all in the mind
Nasty the nicest, Im somewhat of a psychic
Just one minute after its heard
You all excited, you all repeat it
So call me a genius, if you didnt
Now that I said it I force you to think it
Write in my little vignettes, sipping Moet
Bitch when you vision me, you vision the best
When I was young they called me, Olus son
Now hes Nas father, I was the good seed
He was the wise gardener
To call them fake today is hate, real niggas extinct
Pac left me inside a rap world with niggas that’s weak
And other rappers, undercover niggas spit every way
Won’t be surprised if all their rides have federal plates
Let alone their wardrobes are Studio 4 flow
It was real when I appeared, it would’ve been some jaws broke
Nas, my real name, stage name, same thing
How could you let these claim king? I’m so ashamed, man
I light a L for Vernon, for niggas who would burn in Hell
For Vernon; 10th Street, 12th Street, Nightmare on Elm Street
Pimps creep, delve deep inside the editorials
Of the ghetto queens, kings, stories true
Who possesses the testicular fortitude
To blow away myths that’s a hindrance to all of you?
You blame your own shortcomings on section, race
The mafia, homosexuals and all the Jews
It’s hogwash point of views, stereotypical
Anti-Semitic like the foul words Gibson spewed
And it’s pathetic,
I don’t get the credit I deserve
That’s why I hate doing interviews
But I don’t sweat it, study long, study raw
My man Deon said “Nas over-think the songs he writing”
I’m not a wack performer standing behind a corny hype man
I got the Donism, I’m here to enlighten
Nigga’s not even trying anymore, cause he knows his dickriders will eat it up.
^^^It’s sad when Jay stans don’t lack comprehensions skills.
“Who possesses the testicular fortitude
To blow away myths that’s a hindrance to all of you?
You blame your own shortcomings on section, race
The mafia, homosexuals and all the Jews
It’s hogwash point of views, stereotypical
Anti-Semitic like the foul words Gibson spewed”
classic in my book
His worst since Nastradamus. Too many garbage R&B beats, too many soft ass hooks, too many sellout attempts, too many simpleton rhymes. Elzhi and Reks took this nigga’s spot and are now humiliating him.
Listen again my dude. Im not even gonna flame u. Just listen again fam.
I love Elzhi and Reks (no Frank Ocean), but c’mon son their not in Nasir’s class.
@Annonymous #3, Reks, no. But eLZhi is on the same artistic level as Nas.
^^^ Elzhi and REKS took Nas’ spot? How did they accomplish that exactly? By remaking an album that was dropped more than 15 years ago and is better than any album in either of their respective catalogues? By going double wood and getting support from purists who only download music? How many years was Elzhi in the game with Slum V before he decided to make Elmatic?
But yeah these two guys have completely overshadowed Nas you’re right
Elzhi and Reks took Nas’s spot as one of the greatest mc’s of all time? I hadn’t heard that, thanks for the update.
LIFE IS REALLY GOOD
Classic shit. His best album since Stillmatic.
Now I now kno that Nas just dropped this classic and he also said he was working on something with Common, but can we get Nas to replace Kanye for WTT2? Yeezy my dude, and Common is too, but Jay-Z and Nas would be the definition of Watch the Throne.
Jay-Z and Nas going all out, entirely produced by Kanye would be the real Watch The Throne.
The Best Album this year.
Reasonable Doubt (Platinum)
Vol. 2 #1 Album (5x Platinum)
Vol.3 #1 Album (3x Platinum)
The Dynasty #1 Album (2x Platinum)
The Blueprint #1 Album (2x Platinum)
The Blueprint 2 #1 Album (2x Platinum)
The Black Album #1 Album (3x Platinum)
Kingdom Come 1# Album (Platinum)
American Gangster #1 Album (Platinum)
Blueprint 3 #1 Album (Platinum)
Watch The Throne #1 Album (Platinum)
Empire State of Mind #1 Single (3x Platinum)
What does Nas do? Gets at No I.D.
the same masses also helped wayne do multi plat and songs like “starships” go platinum.. the fuck does mass appeal got to do with quality of rap music NOTHING YOU FOOL! life is good is a better rap album than jay has put out in almost a decade.. FACT
Jay-Z is my fav rapper of all time but dude above me has a point. LIG squats on every Jay-Z release since The Black Album. American Gangster is really close but LIG is a better album.
Nas defensive brigade on full force again, inferior complex-ridden fuckboys can’t stop talking about Jay, even when Nas dropped his best album since Stillmatic. And Nas finally coming through and dropping a halfway decent album makes all his other garbage CD’s invisible? He drops 4 straight duds and one good album and that translates into him being the GOAT? LMAO. Yall on crack. That just shows how fucking desperate yall losers were and now you of-the-moment-dickriders are overestimating this ONE CD.
And the same masses made MJ and the Beatles the GOAT’s. Well, take it as this, Nas can’t even convince more than a crowd of 150k to go out to buy his shit, 150k who are part of the same mass that crowned Jay.
LAAAAAAAWL. Nas stans be jerking off to Gnozeer’s laughable, low sales EVERYWHERE, EXCEPT when he is compared to Jay or Eminem.
But tell that shit to your fellow deluded, retarded stans, a GOAT with 150k (far outsold by a fat ex-cop that is hated all over the internet), that’s what? About 000000,1% of rap’s fans? NOBODY, besides you fucked up, lonely, 150k bastards think Nas is even close to GOAT status. Tell somebody in NY in real life you put Nas over Jay and you will be an unintentional comedian in an instant. Enjoy your dreams ’til Jay comes through with his next plat album and crushes the buildings again.
Jay’s verses on “No Church In The Wild” and “Shiny Suit Theory” shit all over the lyrics on LIG, but you dumb fucks wouldn’t be able to comprehend them in a thousand years, the reason yall think Jay is not on Nas’ level, which is a fucking joke in itself. Look a few comments below this and you will see the SAME Nas stans who jerk off to his decade old numbers saying Reks and Elzhi don’t deserve to be mentioned alongside him, because they don’t sell as much. WHAT??!! Yall be pissing over yourselves. There’s not one Nas verse than can fuck with Jay schooling Lupe Fiasco (who is also superior to Nas) on “Pressure”, but hey, Nas doesn’t have as much success (despite trying for his whole career) so he HAS to better, right?
Nas groupies (stan would be an understatement) and their fucked up perception, still riding the coattails of Illmatic (where he was crowned the best lyricist without famous features, only to collaborate with Trackmasters, Dr. Dre and Lauryin Hill on IWW), you’ll never see a Jay fan solely bigging him up through Reasonable Doubt, because we don’t need to rely on a 16 year old debut, other than Nas, Jay has been able to top his first album several times. LMAO.
funny how jay’s worst album sold the most
Nas went platinum before Jay just saying.
Illmatic 1xplat
It Was Written 2xplat
I Am 2xplat
Nastradamus 1xplat
Stillmatic 2xplat
God’s Son 1xplat
Street Disciples 1xplat
And that is with less marketing dollars too so……..
Well, Nas doesn’t care one bit about his dickriders. He won’t work with Premo, he won’t give AZ a place on his album, he gave Raekwon an old verse, he proudly works with all the artists that Nas core fan base hates. He ethered himself by putting out a compilation that is superior to 90% of his albums.
But, he’s insecure and cares about all his haters, hence him falling for the trap of critique, resulting into him being confused as fuck, he’s rotating personas for every trend, he contradicts himself with every album, because all the criticism got under his skin.
Finally, Jay is responsible for his second best album (Stillmatic).
Stillmatic is Nas’s 5’th best album…don’t believe the hype – listen for yourself
nah, b. don’t try to discredit the influence jay had on his career.
What influence? Jay signed him to Def Jam and Nas put out the two worst albums of his career…Stillmatic is his 5th best album…Nas was a hip hop legend, 3 classic albums deep, when Jay went at him
You’re not funny. Nas has one classic in Illmatic and the producers were responsible for that.
YOU’RE not funny. Nas had already released Illmatic (classic), It Was Written (Classic? Very good?), and I Am (underrated masterpiece) when Jay popped off…he then dropped Stillmatic, which is nowhere near as good as those three albums. So I ask again, HOW did JAY influence NAS?
Jay-Z = uncontrollable hustler’s ambition, networth of 450 million, 14 Grammys, 11 number 1 albums, beautiful wife and family, countless historical verses and performances, huge influence.
Nas = horrible flow, uneven discography, several failed sellout-attempts, wifed two whores, broke, pays child support for a daughter whose embarrassing him on twitter, works with Young Money after accusing them of destroying Hip Hop, stops working with his weedcarriers because he’s in fear of getting destroyed on a track, goes from the africa-loving social empowerer to the violent, drug-dealing, crime-glorifying don, signed to his arch enemy to be left 4 commerical dead…
Good joke.
All i saw is FACTS, so were is the supposed joke in this commment? You have some wild defensive mechanism going for Nas where you deem facts that are against him as jokes.
Rap is all about lyrics.
Go listen to pop…
Jay-z will never write a song like one mic. He doesnt have the skills for. What he does have the skill for is making music for the general population of youngsters that dont know anything about this damn culture, thus making more money than nas…
Is KRS-ONE rich? Was Big L rich?
“Thinkin record sales make them the dopest”
-KRS ONE
Again, niggas comparing opinions to facts. Did anything of that imply that Nas is not lyrical? Fearing fuckboys. Fucking inferior complex-ridden fuckboys. Nas will never write a song like Lyrical Exercise or come up with something like Grammy Family Freestyle. He doesn’t have the skill for. Fuckboys. See how that works? Fuckboys. And NO, rap is NOT ALL about lyrics, you’re fan of a MUSIC genre if you haven’t noticed. Fuckboys. A guy that rides the beat (rapping) while being lyrical >>>>>> a guy who’s only lyrical. Now read some poetry to get a grip of what real lyrics are. Fuckboys.
Retard.
Someone who keeps saying ”fuckboys” is indeed a retard lol.
If it wasnt for Rakim, MCs would still rap like MC hammer!
Long live Rakim
JAY Z IS DA GOAT
LOOK AT HIS TRACK RECORD… WHO HAS IMPROVED WITH TIME? WHO ALWAYS TAKE A BIG FAT DUMP ON EVERY SINGLE TRACK HE IS ON?
WHO HAS NEVER BEEN OUTDONE ON A TRACK?
renegade anyone? fools don’t know shit about shit
renegade was jay stepping next to em in his prime, but he was fairly outdone by an all time great performance while nas spared us all the embarrasement of getting completely murdered by eminem. one of the very rare moments where nas cauhgt lightning in a bottle and decided wisely. you what em would do when you were conistently outshined by a guy with a speech impedement.
Jay Z- Net worth over 500 milli
Nas- Net worth in debt -6 milli with the IRS
Don’t get it twisted nothing Nas has done, affected Jay Z, you can ask Nas Himself that. If anything thats the only thing that keeps Nas relevant, “Ether & illmatic” LMFAO you cant count up how many Jay Classics he has.
Dear Stan
Net worth and debt are two different financial terms but sinc u busy chewn on Jays D** ima xplain to yall in layman’s terms
Man United the biggest sports franchise in the world is 500mill in debt. According to Forbes its the richest club in the world bout 2Billion Net worth.
U can owe yo neighbour $1000 and not have the cash to pay it back immediately.
THAT don mean yo net worth is minus a 1000.yo house is prob worth more
Nas is not broke, IRS never said Nas couldnt pay they jus said he owed
On the matter off classics
Illmatic – 5Mics /XXL
Stillmatic – XXL
Lost Tapes – XXL
Life is Good – 5Mics /XXL
Plus
God’s Son
It was written
Untitled
Distant Relatives
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010. He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving FOURTEEN Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all-time.
Jay-Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the line Rocawear. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with eleven. Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
What does Nas have?
Internet groupies begging him up in threads and 6 MILLION in debts.
LMAO!!!
I see you know a lot about hip hop. What defines a MC is his money. Go back to your YMCMB fan club.
Nah, but comments and reality having some kind of relation, you know? And who was talking about YMCMB? Fuckboy.
MC Hammer sold more units than schooly d
suppose you bigging up Hammer for all those record sales too.
I gave it a 4 but if I could I would give it a 4.5 rating. What is with the Jay-z talk,huh. Jay-z is a great rapper just like Nas but when is the last time Jay-z made an album of this caliber…. Black Album in 2003??? I don’t care about sales most Americans are stupid anyways, who cares what girls,kids, and corny white boys in thier daddys Ford Focus want to bump. Watch the Throne was solid but more because of Kanye’s beats and production more than anything and still falls a little short of this album. SO just STOP it already
cosign
You forgot American Gangster.
everyone forgot American Gangster…it’s a forgettable album
Nah, people just don’t iclude it intentionally to support their point.
Distant Relatives was solid but more because of Damian’s beats and production more than anything and is still stronger than this. SO just STOP it already.
They also don’t listen to it because it’s not a good album.
classic!!!!
I remember getting Illmatic on cassette when it came out and that albums shits on this one, but whatever time changes and Nas grew up. But all this album of the year shit? Come on, OC & Apollo Brown, Oddissee and tons of other stuff is mad better
you can add reks to this list and also slaughterhouse and elzhi when they drop their albums later this year. but going by all these nas stans, he has 10 albums in his top 3 and 50 songs in his top 10.
5/5!
life is good..no question!!
Life is good is a classic lp no question. best work for a long time, the album of the year so far. when i 1st listened to it, i thought it was very different, but i could hear the potential. so i listened to it again and again and it got better and better. Every track is awesome. Trophies was lp of the year so far, but Nas delivered solidly making listeners really think. The beats on the lp is awesome. producers went in on this lp. Loco motive, Roses, bACK WHEN, BLACK bond, Reach out, accidental murderers, where is the love, you wouldnt understand are some of the soild classic cuts.
nah, you got it all wrong. you must’ve listened to throphies while you had had the tracklist of life is good in front of you.
not at all!! i listened to trophies!!!
Totally agree with this top 5 ranking:
http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/Top50Emcees_10.htm
Without G Rap or Scarface being in Top 5, this list is absolutely worthless and embodies pure garbage.
STOP COMPARING JAY TO NAS WHAT JAY PROFITS DOESNT PAY ANY OF HIS FANS BILLS HIS FANS PAY HIS BILLS THEN HE SHITS ON THEM BY BRAGGING ABOUT WHAT HE HAS AND THEY STILL LOVE HIM JUST ANOTHER DAY OF THE TYPICAL BRAIN DEAD ASSHOLE. IM TALKING RHYMES BEATS LYRICS FLOW CONCEPT YOU KNOW MUSIC CAUSE THATS ALL WERE EVER GONNA GET FROM ANY OF THESE RAPPERS AND WHEN IT COMES TO THAT NAS GOT ANYBODY YOU WANNA NAME EXCLUDING PAC HES LIGHT YEARS BEYOND OLD HOV DO YOU FOOLS LISTEN TO MUSIC OR DO YOU JUST SKIM THREW IT AND THATS A JAY LINE YALL COLWN ASS 85ERS GOT HIP HOP FUCKED UP STOP BEING BIOS STOP DICK RIDING AND GO LISTEN TO OTHER ARTIST I LISTEN TO THEM ALL AND FROM WHAT I HEAR NAS IS THE GOAT HE CANT BE MATCHED (MUSICALLY) CAUSE THAT IS WHY WERE HERE RIGHT! WELL OK THEN. PEACE
^^^^ Right on man its nice to see some people with sense on this site. Jay stans stay counting Jay’s money whenever they try to degrade other MCs, particularly Nas, but conveniently FORGOT TO COUNT THEIR OWN MONEY. Too busy dickriding to worry about themselves though
Funny how you Jay faggots claim Nas fans are constantly bringing him into the discussion when you are panning Nas on a LIG message board. Acting like you wouldn’t defend Jay if the situation was reversed… fuck off
What is so pathetic is that you can’t even count yourself as a true Jay fan if you don’t like Nas. Everyone knows Jay loves his shit, has sampled him on multiple occasions, puts him in the Top 5, counts him as one of the greatest lyricists ever… and so on. In fact, the only widely known blemish on Jay’s whole career resulted because HE CHALLENGED Nas… the rest is history, and I mean actual history not the revisionist bullshit you guys come up with
You can’t pretend Nas isn’t a serious contender for GOAT status. Dudes are acting like Illmatic is his only classic, and that the producers deserve full credit for it. If that is true, why even call it a classic? You feel obligated to do so because literally EVERYONE regards it as such… and you could very well argue that it is the best hip hop CD ever… You guys seriously couldn’t be more biased
You need to maintain some objectivity about Jay’s catalogue… just because it sells doesn’t mean shit… Vol. 3, BP2, BP3, Kingdom Come are weed plates at worst and mediocre at best… AG and WTT are extremely average CDs btw
Jay has Blueprint, Black Album, RD as classics… you have to give credit where its due… Nas has Illmatic, IWW, Stillmatic, Lost Tapes… own up and just recognize Nas is a fucking legend… and LIG is pretty much a modern day classic fuckboys
As a serious Hov fan up until Kingdom Come you can’t ignore how far he has fallen… everything post Black Album is worse than the fucking Dynasty album I swear… that verse on 3 Kings? That shit is worse than BP3 and Kingdom Come and I didn’t think that was possible frankly
Nas has weak CDs too of course… but his discography is every bit as good as Jays and he is nowhere near being washed up [same can’t be said for Jay]
Btw I LOVE how people think Nas has never rapped alongside another great MC… Kool G, Scarface, KRS, Rakim, Jay, Common, anyone in Wu, Ye, AZ, Pun… bubble gum guests right? His verse on verbal intercourse is the best on Cuban Linx, which is an undisputed classic album, but yeah Nas always gets dominated right?
AND TO THE FAGGOT WHO KEEPS BRINGING UP THE GRAMMY FAMILY FREESTYLE; STOP… ‘so far ahead I’m about to pass you twice’… JUST CREATIVE BRAGGING LIKE 90% OF JAYS CATALOGUE… hey Jay let’s see you make a concept track… couldn’t do it to save his fucking life
ONE
Im a Hiphop fan and i cant get why pple still need to bring the Nas/Jay issue when to them its dead and buried.
I recognise both artists as greats and admit bothhave classic.
Critical acclaim, Peers acclaim is wat puts Nas ahead on GOAT terms …yes i said it and its a Fact
To each his own….
– Don’t know what your saying with this one. Nas is trash, I never brought Jay into any of my arguments
-Who cares if Jay loves Nas? Jay loves Coldplay, does that mean I have to listen to them? And you should thank Jay for challenging Nas, if not Nas swould have fell into obscurity. Look at his album sales before Stillmatic.
-Lets be honest, ALL of Nas’s albums have upper tier rhymes, but only ONE has the dope beats to back them up. You really just can’t argue that albums like Stillmatic have wack beats.
-Well this is your oppinion. Most of Jay’s albums are critticaly aclaimed, so you can’t bring that into the argument. Just biased personal oppinion.
-Again this is personal oppinion. I could tottaly trash all of Nas’s albms using the same basis of critisim you used. It’s not that hard.
-Nas IS washed up. Why else name your album Hip Hop Is Dead or Untitled? To gain attention. Both of those albums are weak, by the way.
-HA! Funiset thing I heard all day. Nas verse on VI best on Cuban Linx? It was barely the best on that song! And IDK why you would even bring this up. Just because Nas works with great MCs doesn’t make him one.
-Concept track? What the fuck are you talking about? Lets see Nas make a decent political song… OH WAIT YOU CAN’T DO IT TO SAVE YOUR FUCKING LIFE!!!!!
Your arguments are flawed sir.
It’s clear this guy is a biased Jay Z stan/Nas hater. Nothing you said is true. It’s nothing but biased, flawed opinions.
^^ It’s clear this guy is a biased Nas stan/Jay hater. Nothing you said is true. It’s nothing but biased, flawed opinions.
The same ass dickrider rhetoric over and over, come up with something new. You’re not more credible than a white dude saying Em is the GOAT, nigga, you’re LAME!!!
This album is classic. Why are people trying to say that one is so much greater than the other? Couldn’t we just say they are both are some front runners for goat status. I mean nas had arguably best hip hop albums of all time (illmatic). Jay-z had one of the greatest rap songs of all time (dead presidents 1 or 2) both had stumbles and both had great rebirths. Anyway not taking shots but the blueprint was classic, but jay didn’t even have the best verse on his album (don’t call me a em Stan, Jay admitted em out trapped him on renegades). The reason Nas isn’t as well known outside the music community as jay-z, because jay’s game evolved with the rap game. Nas tried and succeed to use story tellin and deep verses while rappers today just boast one liners that has nothing to do with the last line.
out *rapped
5 Stars!
“While clever wordplay and social commentary are strong suits, they tend to take a front seat to a complete composition” I see what you did there, writer of this article.
I like this album, its a bit different from his otherss
4/5
“Name a nigga under the same sky, that Nas under.. who gets money, remain fly, yeah i wonder”
Russell Simmons as Nas actually works for him…
6 million in debt.
Laughing my ass off reading some comments of ya’ll Jay-stans crying cause some people think Nas is better, hahaha made my day. Oh and at the same time I can get a good laugh off the Nas-stans crying bout his status and all that. People should make a fucking comedyshow about Nas vs. Jay, it’s like people can’t let it go. Nas is awesome, and I think he might be the GOAT cause there’s not a single artist still rapping on this level at this stage in his career. Now saying this doesn’t mean Jay isn’t in the top 5, RD is a fucking classic and it definitely comes close to Nas 5 classic albums. Jay has showed SEVERAL TIMES that he earned his spot in the top 5. Jay is one hell of a lyricist, and even though I like Nas more, I gotta admit I like this nigga a lot. Jay deserves the credit, Nas deserves the credit. So now stop trying to say one of em sucks cause they both are the best. Jay sold out, definitely, doesn’t mean once in a while he won’t drop a legendary verse…. He’s just a smart businessman, and you gotta respect that. Nas keeps his lyrics on top, and you gotta respect that too. Both are great, and like I have read somewhere below: They should replace Kanye West by Nas on WTT, cause both Nas and Jay deserve to be on the throne, now let Kanye produce that shit, let Jay bring the more commercial sound while Nas keeps it lyrical like we know him and we’ll have a fucking classic.
On topic: I personally heard a lot of hunger on this album, and he showed that even when he was practically done after a few decent albums, the phoenix still rises from the ashes. Great to have you back again Nas, the game needs you. 5/5
Rising Phoenix would’ve been a dope ass title for this album.
Nas has secured his spot as the king of rap. And I’m talking about actual rapping, not beat-picking. Lyrically, he has never wavered since Illmatic. The man has given his entire life to hip hop and continues to breathe life into it day in and day out. Shocked that he collaborated with the likes of Weezy and Rick Ross, but as long as he keeps his lyrics real, which he has, there’s very little to complain about.
most of these rappers aint real niggas. Word, Nas bankrupt never was a drug runner, Lil Wayne aint no blood, Jeezy aint no BMF, 50 a snitch, Game a stripper, 2pac a ballerina. None of these niggas real you guys. If they was all real they all be dead now. Like it or not Ross is the new biggie.
BAWSE!!!!!
most of these rappers aint real niggas
Like the guy you chose to name yourself after?
Get a job, holler at Perdue
Why do Nas stans create more comments about Jay-Z and post more about Jay-Z than his own fans?
Niggas are so insecure about favoring Nas over Jay that they have to talk about Jay and listen to Jay all day just to write books about Jay to put him in contrast to Nas.
Jay makes different types of music, he’s already impressed the “lyrical folks”, he’s also impressed the hipsters, the real street niggas, the grammys, the Australians, he’s got albums that was created to perform in front of 20k in countries all over the world. It’s obvious that Jay doesn’t give 2 shits about the “real hiphop” geeks and has not been doing so since his first album. What’s he doing next? I don’t want to hear him sound like RD, I’ve already heard that. I don’t want to hear the flow from BP I’ve already heard that.
How does Jay Z dick taste? Besides the opposite is true.
Your defensive agenda is already cursed.
Idiot.
You mad?
I’m not, but you are.
That is why you mad.
I know you’re mad, but I’m not.
dope album
nas a true mc
He is a tru Don in this rap game. Nobody is better then Nas. Over 20 years in the game and still moving nummers…..shit this will never end. I bet Nas can still sell records in 1000 years from now. He`s crasy.
BEST FLOW BET THE WHOLE U.S KNOW ONLY RAPPER THAT CAN GO SONG FOR SONG( EXCLUDING COMMERCIAL TRACKS) With nas is pac Jay is more quanity than quality party bullshit hustle keys brag same formula it tells u alot about the people who swears he is the greatest bunch of wanna b’s
Nas = quality Jay = quanity
Quality and quantity applies to both, as they have more than 20 albums combined. Both have garbage records and classics in their respective discographies and both will go down as legends while you look dumb as fuck taking sides when Jay and Nas are making money and laughing together at the Life Is Good release party.
1. Illmatic
2. It Was Written
3. Stillmatic
4. Life Is Good
Damn, Nas did it again. GREAT album, hope we’ll get another one of this caliber.
nice soul on ice reference. THAT is a slept on album
man nas is unstoppable
“But I grew up around Impala’s and drug lords
Welcome to Los Angeles, palm trees and drug stores
All we know is rocks and presidents like Mount Rushmore
Fuck the police, they hop out and bust doors
I ain’t goin’ back to jail, nigga that’s what I flush for
My money or my glock, who do I trust more?
I don’t know, it’s probably the one that I touch more”
Even Game shits all over Nas.
Game name drops like crazy. Can he rhyme without naming someone?
And on the real listen to Illmatic to Stillmatic.
Are u kidding me?? That was crazy wack!! Nas destroys Gmae’s whole catalog with one verse..
“Game’s”
Game a real dude, Nas is fake.
“illmatic on the top shelf chronic on left/ wana cop both but only got 20 left/ fuk it stole both went and bought a dub sack/ rip the package off illmatic and bumpd that/ for my niggas is was to complex wen nas rhymed/ was the only cali nigga wit a NY state of mind”- The Game, HHID nuff said real niggas know why they rapping like they are nowadays and it damn sure aint cuz of jay-z
“Hip Hop has thank God for Jay-Z” – Nas.
The Don never left real hip-hop lives
It Was Written
Illmatic
Stillmatic
Life Is Good
God’s Son
five stars
Second best rapper ever after 2pac
it was written
illmatic
stillmatic
Life is Good
Lost tapes(this was a album to me)
I Am
God’s Son
Hip Hop is dead
Nostradomus(this album is so slept on to me it was fire)
Untitled
Street Deciple(only album that wasn’t hot to me)
Those are my albums order.
Nas stans hate on Jay-Z for the same reason that Kobe stans hate on MJ, insecurity. Nas fanboys know that regardless of how many good albums Nas ends up with, he’ll never be better than Jay and that hurts these boys soul. That’s the reason for these comments. I say keep crying, its music to my ears.
riight…..i got one thing to say “im out for dead fukin presidents to repesent me” “somehow the rap game reminds me of the crack game” all sampled by who? ur favorite rapper jay-z fucking born in the 90’s 2000’s ass niggas
Nigga, Nas is already better than Jay. Retarded Jay Z stans can’t keep Nas’ name outta their mouths.
“I say keep crying, its music to my ears”.
Do you fools read comments or do you just skim through them?
Reading this thread, all I hear is “I feel like a black republican, money keep comin in….” You’re all stupid for playing comparison games. Because neither of them give a shit. And this album isn’t classic. It’s good, but classic is pushing it
they owe nas a fucking X cmon man you cant give this and ross bullshit the same rating thats MAD disrespectful to niggas who know betta smh
CLASSIC!!!!
classick! album of the decade, no doubt.
OMG…
This is such a joke this is not a classic not even close….
The beats on this album are just awful…..
Nas will only have one true classic to date that has been reviewed by critics fans etc that is ILLMATIC…
It was written goes hard…
After that all his material is just average decent good….
Clean the shit outta your ears and dig in the crates this is not a Nas classic posers.
Exactly. GSTN shits all over this and it ain’t even classic.
Both of you are dumb. This is undoubtedly a classic. His best album since Untitled.
His best album since Untitled? Oh, wow. Hahahaha. I like that you didn’t mention Distant Relatives, acting like we forgot how Damian murdered his ass for the duration of a full-length record.
Are you shitting me? Distant Relatives was a classic. Nas did his thing.
One other thing…
The word classic when making reference to a hiphop album…
A true gem calssic album has not been made since the 90’s..
Get over hiphop is more or less garbage now..
Except your gay cause this ain’t classic
idiot
you’re an idiot
Nas the king being consistent as always great album!
Perfect Return
even after all these years, Nas is still relevant in the game
DIS IS SOME GOOD SHIT
NV80 thats you opinion hater get lost. This Album is a classic in my opinion cause i like every song on here. Summer on smash grew on a nigga. I don’t skip no songs on this Album and i personally love the beats.
This Album is a classic IN MY OPINION cause I like every song on here. Summer on smash grew on A nigga. I don’t skip no songs on this Album and I PERSONALLY love the beats.
NEVER seen a comment that struggled so badly to make a point.
Nas gathers fucktards around him.
And this Jayz and Nas shit has gotta stop they been stop beefing. To much dick sucking amongst some niggas online
Weezy been killin the game since his cash money days. Look how much he’s done for hip hop and all yall do is hate. He’s given us classics, and I agree his recent stuff doesn’t top Carter 1 and 2, but you can’t deny he’s top 5 right now(top 3 actually).
So many other wack rappers and yall choose to hate on Weezy. Carter 2 still the best rap album of 2000 era. Fuck anyone who says any different(and Carter III is shitting on the majority of whats coming out today, including yall lame ass opinions)
ok
Dickride with originality next time, bitch.
the Don is back! best Nas since Stillmatic
Good album hotter them the alot of the garbage niggas put out this year but Nas just did whats whats was expected of him as a fire spitter to say the Album is a classic that’s over exaggerating
GETLOSTHATER….
LOL it is a classic cause you don’t skip a song lol you said…
It is classic cause you like every song lol.
Wow those are some strong reference points by one man to rate this as a classic album.
One word whack like clock radio speakers that is the era I am from if you know anything about classic albums.
Don’t think about it too hard jag off.
NV80 if you don’t like the Album thats your opinion. Its seems like any cornball with an computer all of a sudden has a voice and think their opinion matters. Like i said get lost hater. Most people love the album hater. 4.58 ratings from the fans nigga. I wonder what you consider a classic. Probably consider that Carter 4 a class. Fuck outta here like i said get lost.
Nigga tried to discredit an opinion, only to follow it with baseless cocksucking and tiring dickriding rhetoric.
Nas haters making up excuses everytime they get ethered.
And your last post made absolutely no point what so ever. You a hater i hate online cornball niggas like you. If i don’t like something i don’t go on the website trying to convince niggas shit is wack. I simply go to something im interested in. But like a hater you going to try to convince niggas this shit was wack. Whatever nigga have fun with your TAKE CARE album. This album will go down as a classic. Don’t hate just go to a Drizzy blog and comment how you like that sweet shit.
Damn. Pathetic. Nas stans are one embarrassing group of people.
Nas haters like you are the worst.
Great album! I loved it even if Rick Ross is on it. Y’all niggaz sould stop listening to Weezy’s talk shit. This nigga is only talkin bout bitches money and weed. Nas is real!
But Nas’ main subject is the same. 🙁
No, its not.
This Album Is NOT A Classic, Illmatic Is A Classic, And It Was Written And Stillmatic Were Also Close As Well. This Album Is Average At Best, Tracks Like “Loco Motive” “Daughters” “The Don” “The Black Bond” and “Trust” Are Some Of The Best On This Album. The Beats Aren’t Great But That One Part On “The Don” When The Beat Changes Sounded Really Good I Must Say i Wish He Would Of Made A Track With That Instrumental. Also, If You Haven’t Heard Nas’ Verse On The Track “Hip Hop” Off Of Dj Khaled’s Album Do Yourself A favor And Listen to It NOW.
I lost respect for Nas’ rap game ever since he signed to def jam. How can u make a diss like ‘ether’ then turn around and shake hands with the same dude who you adamantly referred to as a homosexual. And nobody, including Nas or Jay themselves, can convince me that the beef was nothing more than just a casual hiphop feud where 2 rappers were merely sizing eachother up for the sake of hiphop. Dude said he had sex with his wife and left condoms in his kid’s baby seat. Both of them got on some real personal shit. But it wasn’t even like they both compromised on equal terms by squashing beef. Jay was def jam’s CEO at the time. Jay signed Nas. Nas got shelved. Its like I’m the only one who sees the bigger picture
what you said has absolutely nothing to do with the album. not even one song mentioned. take your pouting elsewhere.
Very disappointing for a Nas album. Definitely down there with Nastradamus and Street’s Disciple. Nasty is one of the best tracks he’s released in years, but everything else falls flat.
Waiting for this album has been like being promised a sports car, then when you get it, it turns out to be a Hot Wheels toy.
Agreed. This is one of his worst efforts by far. Just when you thought he couldn’t come close to the horrible lows of Nastradamus and SD, he comes out with this garbage. I knew that I couldn’t trust the hype about Nasty, Nas is like that, he comes out with a great, gritty single to get the attention of real Hip Hop fans, only to release a shitty pop attempt.
Both of you are fucking retards. Life is Good is a classic.
Nasty Nas
This album has actual content. His delivery and flow has always been on point. Like he said, ‘Never on schedule, but always on time.’ Name an ALBUM that came out in the past 3 years that is just as good as “Life is Good.” Just when hip-hop becomes saturated with beats that help rappers/artists make “hits”, Nas reminds us of why rap music was invented in the first place.
Fire Kaad
good one but expected more
classic from the g.o.a.t.
Best album this year thus far
Never knew hip hop could have so many critics this is album is real rap nun of the BS we’ve hearing in the 4 years wayne ect….
Great Album
i was hating..it grew on me…best rap album of the year!
DOPE!
The last line of Nas Illmatic still rings true 18 years later. The Queensbridge lyricist never fell. He never ceased to be celebrated as one of the most revered wordsmiths in the game, butthough hes continued to cement his legendary status with solid efforts album after albumhe hasnt come close to matching his best works in quite some time. The tide, though, has changed with Nas 10th LP, Life Is Good.
As its historically been the case, Nas is at his best when facing adversity. His last two superior releases2001s Stillmatic and 2002s Gods Sonwere inspired by his heated rivalry with Jay-Z and the death of his mother, respectively.
This time around, a divorce with R&B singer Kelis and reports of outstanding tax liens are at the center of his topical palette, which still ranges from fly shit to revolutionary ideals, as evidenced on the opening number, No Introduction. Hood forever, I just act like Im civilized/Really whats in my mind is organizing a billion Black muthafuckas/To take over JP and Morgan Goldman and Sachs/And teach the world facts and give Saudi they oil back, he rhymes. He comes closest to addressing his alleged financial troubles on the No I.D.-produced, Loco-Motive. I started out broke, got rich, lost paper then made it back/Like Trump bein up down up, play with cash, he spits.
Creatively, Nas continues to reinvent the wheel. He takes reckless shooters to task on Accident Murderers featuring Rick Rossthe LPs only rap guest appearanceand retraces his fatherly missteps on Daughters. On the Amy Winehouse-assisted, Cherry Winea song that sounds like a lost cut from the British singers Frank sessionsNas fantasizes about his dream girl, before coming to terms with his failed marriage on Bye Baby. Over Salaam Remis sampling of Guys Goodbye Love, Nas finds closure with a heartfelt letter to Kelis. Wanted you as my shorty since before I saw you screamin, Hate you so much right now/Shouldve saw the man in angry Black women/Actions of a demonIm leaving, he offers.
Nass beat selection has long been called into question, but not this time. Salaam Remi and No I.D. split the bulk of the production for a cohesive sound bed filled with soul and jazz overtones. Though the Swizz Beatz-produced, Summer on Smash has potential to garner radio play, it feels out of place and is the discs only substandard moment.
Still, Life Is Good is arguably Nas best LP since Stillmatic. In a climate where substance is scarce, the album is necessary. Its potent from the excellent cover art to Nass sharp bars. Its balanced. The Queens MC is open, but not emo. Hard, but also thought-provoking.
On Reach Out, Nas rhymes, And you become better than legends you thought were the greatest. Again, the Nasty MCs words ring true. At this juncture21 years and 10 solo albums inno other MC has ever rhymed at such a high level this deep into their career. Not Rakim. Not Kool G Rap. Not Slick Rick. Not Big Daddy Kane. Not LL Cool J. No One
In a way, its a compliment to say that a rappers fallen off. To have fallen, you must have once been at the top, and very few people can legitimately claim to have been the best in their profession, even if only for a moment. It also means that the world has high expectations for you, expectations you must have set via some previous work (or works) of genius. For example, it wouldnt really be accurate to say that.lets go with Jibbsfell off. Like so many, he simply appeared, and then disappeared.
But Nas? Nasir Jones? Nasty Nas? Gods Son? Escobar? Yes, you could say that Nas had fallen off, or at least tripped. While his talent has remained a constant over the nearly two decades since he dropped his classic debut album Illmatic, his focus has sometimes strayed. I dont think theres any question that while his last two albums, Hip-Hop is Dead and Untitled, have been nothing to take lightly, both featured moments where he appeared to be coasting on talent alone, when we knew we werent getting Nas at his best. As Nas said in a Complex interview, I toned it [his lyricism] down at timesI wanted to be relatable. And that was part of my mistake, because I toned it down a lot.
There were nights when Michael Jordan knew that even at 90% he was better than everyone else on the court, and he was content to coast on that 90% and walk away with the win. But then there were nights when he was fully locked in, nights when he truly gave the game everything he had and to see what Jordans 100% really looked like was awe-inspiring.
On his new album, Life Is Good, were hearing the most locked-in Nas has been in years, and the results are awe-inspiring. To return to that Complex interview, With this album Im saying what Ive got to say, and thats what it is. I dont know if it took a painful divorce or he has simply hit the point in his life when hes thinking about his legacy, but goddamn then Nas, keep saying what youve got to say.
I rarely move through an album chronologically, but the first five tracks of Life is Good are so dope, so perfectly sequenced that I really feel like I have no choice. Perhaps Nas titled the album opener No Introduction because its far more than an introduction. Instead, its more of a manifesto, a warning shot, an announcement that Gods Son is back and hes bringing his cinematic storytelling skills with him. Loco-Motive follows a similar powerful narrative arc, giving way to the gripping A Queens Story (sweet baby jesus the last minute of that song is incredible), shifting seamlessly into Accident Murderers (shame about that off-concept Ross verse though) and closing with the eminently personal Daughters. Straight up, Ill put that five song stretch against any 30 straight minutes from any album sincewellever.
Of course that doesnt mean that its downhill from Daughters. I should acknowledge Summer on Smash, which isnt so much a fail as it is a weak link, but Smash is only a small speedbump on the road compared to even the albums other brighter offerings, the Mary J. Blige assisted Reach Out, the deeply 90s R&B influenced Bye Baby and the now historic collaboration with Amy Winehouse, Cherry Wine. And those are really only breathers in between the solid walls of dopeness that are cuts like Back When and the supremely soulful Worlds An Addiction. To bring back the comparison thats been made for over a decade now, Jay-Z never let us this close to his real life, never showed us all his weaknesses alongside his strengths, his mistakes alongside his victories. In that sense Nas is at the very least one of the bravest rappers alive. Hes come a long way from, PS 111, free lunch / embarrassed but managed to get a plate / we was kids hungry, moms was workin I was famished, she getting home late.
For a moment forget about buzz, album sales, cultural impact and every other factor we consider during whos the best rapper alive? debates. Instead, lets say every emcee alive took part in a March Madness rap tournament, illest verse advances to the next round. Before Life Is Good, I dont know if I would have put my money on Nas to win it all, now hed be by number one pick. Everyone eventually falls, but only the truly great ones get back up.
In my oppinion, maybe the best album in a 2010-2012 period
This is a good album, an as for the Jay Z comments yet again, well they both dont give a fuck, and people who say Nas stans are insecure because he will never be better than Jay z is just an invalid comment because it is just opinions.
Still ….LIG
i cant even pick a fav track off this album it keeps changi everyday….
CO FUCKIN SIGN HOMIE
Younger generation, they want to mimic and mock us
Laughing, separating themselves like they not us, like
“Cops’ll look at you like they look at me? That’s preposterous”
Ain’t it gangsta how your man made it? I’m humble…..
Nasty
Best Album of 2012 so far who’s up next?
Saigon’s GSNT Part 2 will destroy this front to back.
Thats to bad you don’t a appreciate one of hip hops greatest artist of all time,for Saigon’s album it’s ok but don’t come close.
5 MIC CLASSIC…ALL LIL KIDS WHO ARE FANS OF LIL WAYNE OR LILB DIDNT GE IT 5 STAR…NAS IS THE BEST DEAD OR ALIVE
album of the year HANDS DOWN
Nas shits on faggot Jay-Z ALL DAY LONG
TRUTH
5 mics worth….replay value is Jame Bond status
nasty
bump Nas he old he needs to retire and go some where else, reason why nas is wack is for siding with Jay- z who is filthy rich knowin damn well that thats the only thing he was really known for is killin jay’z and illimatic now he aint known for shit. Jeezy is the king of south not T.I. T.I is garbage wayne can freestyle but he to cocky he garbage. Jeezy is right nas has no street cred and if you ask me this whole hiphop is dead shit is only partly true. I like that newyork shit better than that down south shit but only because the south is taking over dont mean hip hop is dead the rap game dont need nas. Now im not a big G-unit fan trust me ill rather go with The Game but the best chance of New york to get back on top is 50 cent mean think about the he has sold more the jigga counting the Beg For mercy album and he only came out wit what 3 albums countin beg for mercy and he has THE MOST TALENTED MUSIC MAN IN HIP HOP RIGHT NOW DR. DRE you can be completely garbage and dre will make your shit hot his producing skills are crazy. and i not going to lie i used to be a g-unit hater but i mean why hate on him he making money and he a g im mean i know if i made 5o million dollars a year and there were dudes in my home town want to kill me shoot me again i wouldn’t go back. bump that .half these rappers dont go back any way they just say they do .like jadakiss he a good rapper in all but i mean he broke he an’t got nothin on fif nobody do . The Game is ill but i mean he my dude and all dat but he doing the same thing fif did. he has his own shoe . hurricane , his own game comin out, his own movie, and a clothing line,only difference is fif got a contract wit reebok and he’s actually making money off this stuff. dont get me wrong but real man says ANY MAN WHO SAYS MONEY DOESN’T CHANGE HIM DIDN’T MAKE ENOUGH. but hip hop is not dead THE INSPIRATION PROVES IT. main thing is fif and Jeezy are raps Mvp s not wayne not jigga not nas JEEZY AND 50 CENT. its a new day in town so New york step your game up.
Please kill yourself, retard.
Kill yourself punk
Deserves a five star rating from this site. smh… Comment below me. You fake as fuck.
One of the best releases this year. 5 Stars.
Classic
Life is good my friend.. Nas and Lupe all day
This was deserves 5. Real music and Real development. True hip hop showing how Art imitates Life not the other way around.
no words best album of the year hand down
Album of the year
dope as Fuck
dope as fvck
dope album
This album deserves a 5 star…
all except summer on smash
5 this is still in ratation
LIG third nas XXL
Illmatic
Lost tapes
life is Good
Dx ? u dead wrong
How this gets a 4 and Slaughterhouse gets a 4.5, is beyond me! It should be the other way around
To the person who wrote this article. Stay and You wouldn’t understand(i guess he was right you really didn’t understand) are probably two of the best songs on the Album. How you say those two songs were down moments on the Album. Also i see you rated the Untitled album 4 and a half and this only 4. I guess you like concept Albums but alot of Nas fans been looking for Nas to put an Album where he just goes in. This is almost that ALbum. He still had concepts. But its not one songs(summer on smash is a good party song) that was wack on the Album. Not only that but almost every song i want to replay after it goes off. Album of the year right here. Well this and GKMC
Ok Nas is my favorite rapper…has been since i was like 15 and im 25 now…i started fuckin wit him rite around the stillmatic album..but i have to admitt lately he just aint been impressing me..i think he fell off since streets disciple. and even that album had some bad songs..but i dont think hes had a very good album since then..sometimes i listen to his songs and i just want him to add some passion to his voice..seems like he just be coasting on his albums and then he will kill a rick ross verse..like why couldnt u have had triple beam dreams on ur album..i know it dont go wit da flow of LIFE IS GOOD but damn i want an album with some up to date beats and some KILLA verses on every track..he can do it but he dont and i dont know why…
NAS YOU CAN GIVE US A CLASSIC ALBUM IF U JUST PUT SOME PASSION IN UR SONGS AND GET SOME GOOD BEATS AND ITS NOT FUCKING HARD..
This album is like Godfather 3. Really good, but not as goood as the first 2
5 stars still bumpin it
theshit
the shit
dope album
One of the best albums of the decade. 5 Stars.
Dope album… ReAl HIPHOP
5
un real
Its damn near Feb 2013 and I still have this album on rotation. The music embodies 90’s hip-hop, but nas is 40 not 20. And its just that. You hear the growth of the person, the growth of the music, but the foundation is that of Nasty Nas in the 90’s. Really enjoyed this album. Definitely lets you know that 2 decades later Nas still is giving it his all, and more importantly, still has the ability to touch on topics fans have never heard him speak on
classic point blank
This album is so great. Have it on rotation every day! Should deserved the grammy.
5/5
meh
Nas the goat , fantastic album classic shit . this guy has been blamed for perfection of illmatic this album could be any rappers definin career album.
Reminded me of what great hip-hop use to sound like. Made me remember when I use to listen to cd’s on my stereo reading the booklet of the album. 5/5
it was an ok album tbh, nothing more
Certainly not Nas’s best effort. It was a good solid album but not classic by any means. With that being said, it still dominates over most of the trash you hear today.
life is good
The only song holding me back from giving this album the perfect 5/5 is Summer on Smash otherwise I don’t skip a track. This album is AMAZING. I have the deluxe version with all 18 tracks so it’s pretty damn impressive to enjoy 17 of the 18 tracks. I’d honestly rank this up in the top tier of Nas work with Illmatic, Stillmatic and The Lost Tapes it’s that damn good.
DOPE
Nas keepin it real for hip hop
NAS one of the AllTime Greats…..and One Of my Top 2 Artis that I like… Life Is Good should have won a Grammy…. It’s crazy how time flies…
No im not feeling this.
Nas has 8 quality albums
Illmatic
It Was Written
I Am…..
Stillmatic
The Lost Tapes
God’s Son
Hip Hop is Dead
and the untitled album, that was really named nigg.er but he was forced to take it off.
Album of 2012
adsffyjgfhgd
The only songs that I didn’t like were summer on smash and cherry wine but the rest is better than anything that year
so apparently hip hop aint dead?
Great. One of the more mature hip-hop albums of all time.
Outstanding album. 4/5
Almost a year old and still in heavy rotation. Cherry Wine in steady becoming one of my favorite songs of all time. The story behind it is incredible