Nas

From Larcx13 12/20/2022 12:46

In terms of records people seem to dismiss Nas' work too quickly becuase it doesnt live up to Illmatic. But 2000s Nas has some appeal. I dont need to say much about Illmatic. Anyone with half a brain or more knows it's a legendary record.

Nas's 2nd greatest album is not It Was Written. FOR ME it's: The Lost Tapes. Check it out for yourself if you don't believe me. Yes, it's highly debatable. But I just prefer it. The track Purple is one of Nas' top tracks of all time. Also, it's a lot more personal than It Was Written, in which Nas went towards a more Gangsta sound and ethos because he lost album of the year to Ready to Die and decided to emulate instead of sticking to his guns (that was a mistake if you ask me, but the again, It Was Written still holds its weight).

The gangser rappers should get into Stillmatic... unless youre a Jay-Z fan... to which I say Ether won by a longshot lol.

God's Son gets a bit softer but in my opinion, better than Stillmatic and worth a shot.

For some reason that 2004 double album gets some lvoe from some critics so it must be worth something. Im not its biggest fan but I was able to find a fair amount of good tracks regardless.

Hip Hop Is Dead is a record I actually played relatively often once upon a time. A time where I thought this was 2nd or 3rd to Illmatic, competing with It Was Written. That has since changed. But the appeal is definitely there. This may be his best 2000s record.

Nas's self-titled 2008 record may have some pop appeal which is why it may be under-appreciated here as a rap record, but it's actually a fairly good album with a decent critical response. It's not the greatest but as I said, UNDER-APPRECIATED. Try it out. Keep Illmatic out of your head... or Pink Floyd... it's not what you're going to hear.

The 2010s Nas has some highs and lows. The highest in my opinion is Life Is Good (a reference to Life's a Bitch). Check out Cherry Wine or Stay. But the record itself is worth a few listens.

Skip the god awful NASIR. Kanye ruins almost everything he touches with the exception of Common.

2020s Nas = hitting his prime. Nothing will ever live up to Illmatic but the King's Disease series + Magic is the greatest artistic boom Nas has ever had.

Nas is a thug poet, his words are extremely deep and well put together. Illmatic might be the first album I have listened from front to back and till this day it is still one of my favourite album of all time. This guy has to be in your top 5 hip hop artists of all time.

One of the best lyricist but his beat selection is just horrible (with the exception of Illmatic)

nonetheless, his discography isn't the best, but Illmatic is one of the greatest albums, ever.

Most of the people that say that illmatic is the only good album of nas i'm pretty sure that you haven't listened to the rest of his albums, it was written is almost as good as illmatic, soul ultimate, stillmatic and i am are really good, and he dosnt even have one bad album in my opinion...
Any other rapper had ever done an album like illmatic, just with that he deserves at least a 9/10

From Strangel 11/21/2016 04:03

As a rule, I'm not greatly moved by rap music, but I've always respected the integrity of the grittier roots of the sub-cultural poetry used as a language against oppression. Every now and then I'd come across a song that made me nod in respect but rarely was I inspired to purchase a full album.

This site directed me to Illmatic as I wanted to listen to some of the higher rated rap albums in their entirety. So far this album has impressed me the most of any I have listened to as it feels 'real' (if that makes any sense). So much of what you hear in rap music sounds fabricated but Nas had a 'real' need to express himself in Illmatic, and I think that there is a 'real' street poetry that provides this cathartic release.

From Tamthebam 10/23/2015 11:13

Brilliant debut and not bad follow up but then it all goes downhill It's a shame and annoying that he started so well and then gave up!

From Socipluco 08/12/2015 10:42

Illmatic will always be a masterpiece of such importance for music itself that it can't be overrated, so many good beats and lyrics... It was written is also a pretty solid album from start to end but the rest... Man saying that it is disappointing it's putting it mildly.

From junodog4 02/18/2015 03:22

Sorry that you find it rubbish. Your loss - Illmatic is brilliant hip-hop that influenced so many others.

From makerofbuckets 02/12/2015 04:21

At least he has 1 album in the top 2000

From MCOTho 03/25/2013 07:32

Illmatic is probably the best Hip-Hop album ever. Crazy good lyricist.