nas

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stelfox

Beast of Burden
nas has disappointed way too many times for me to even care any more. i hope it's good, but right now i'd rather listen to al green
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
stelfox said:
nas has disappointed way too many times for me to even care any more. i hope it's good. right now i'd rather listen to al green
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Ha, that album has got some really good stuff on it - maybe nas can get ?uestlove in as exec producer.

I agree, pretty much. He generally trails the album with a really good single and then delivers an end product flat as fuck. God's Son is the only one since Youknowhatic that comes close to passing muster.
 
Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I'd have been interested if he'd done that album with Premier.

My theory about Nas is that the beats are too slow for him nowadays- he used to ride uptempo rhythms like Rakim and his flow was perfectly suited to that. Over a slow beat he sounds sluggish... plus obviously his lyrics aren't as good anymore.

I have such little interest in hip-hop nowadays, unfortunately...
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
Corpsey said:
I'd have been interested if he'd done that album with Premier.

My theory about Nas is that the beats are too slow for him nowadays- he used to ride uptempo rhythms like Rakim and his flow was perfectly suited to that. Over a slow beat he sounds sluggish... plus obviously his lyrics aren't as good anymore.

I have such little interest in hip-hop nowadays, unfortunately...
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I think his lyrics are still ace, actually. Maybe they carry less weight because it's hard to take his conscience of hip hop shtick seriously when you know how much shit he's put out. Dunno about an album with Premier - when was the last time he wsa good?
 
Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I don't keep up with hip-hop anymore really, the last stuff I heard from Premier was on 'The Ownerz'- there were a few good beats on that ('Zonin' 'Riot Akt' 'Playtawin'), at least. And the last beat he did for Nas (to my knowledge) was '2nd Childhood' on 'Stillmatic' which was a nice beat IMO. I think he'd raise his game for Nas and vica versa.

My problem with the last few Nas albums that I've heard hasn't really been with Nas, it's been with the beats he chooses.
 
slackk

slackk

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I was until I heard "Hero" and "Be A Nigger Too," both of which are completely shit. The "Fried Chicken" one with Busta and Mark Ronson production is a little better.

I'll download the tape, see if that changes my mind.

Hip-hop does just seem pointless to me these days though, and I don't think I'll ever get back to the point where it actually seemed vital to me.

That said, I'm glad Nas is trying to say something, however misguided or mistakenly he does deliver it.
 
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gumdrops

Well-known member
yeah im glad nas is trying to say something too, even if it seems like hes just shock-rapping and his message is a mess. hes still a great rapper when he wants to be, but that new song hero is just awful. am yet to hear the mixtape.
 
slackk

slackk

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I'll say this categorically, this album is the best thing I've heard from him in years.
It's not instant and it took me maybe 4 or 5 listens to even like it in all honesty. However, this is a really solid album.
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
slackk said:
I'll say this categorically, this album is the best thing I've heard from him in years.
It's not instant and it took me maybe 4 or 5 listens to even like it in all honesty. However, this is a really solid album.
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A few people saying that, but I can't see it. Same ol' problem for me - great lyrics, shit beats.
 
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Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
slackk said:
Hip-hop does just seem pointless to me these days though, and I don't think I'll ever get back to the point where it actually seemed vital to me.
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Poisonous Dart has shown me (for the most part) that I've been looking in the wrong places. Certain parts of the indie scene right now, particularly the instrumental indie scene coming out of California and Michigan, is, in my opinion, some of the best music being made in the world right now.

Producers like: Flying Lotus, Ras G, Dabrye, Samiyam, Gaslamp Killer, and Brainfeeder (who I believe is a combination of Lotus, Ras G, and Samiyam) are killing it.

Also rappers like Blu (this guy is fucked differently, and I am usually the first to hate on backpacker shit), his group C.R.A.C. Knuckles, and Shawn Jackson.

No wonder Kode 9 has ditched dubstep for this shit.

PS: Thanks Dart.
 
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Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
crackerjack said:
Ah, that CRAC album was dope. Who's Shawn Jackson?
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He's not as good as Blu in my opinion (who is ridiculously good and levels above Jackson), and he's a bit of a throwbacker who bigs up like Big Daddy Kane too much, but his album is actually pretty good. It's got that sort of concious, J-Dilla, backpacker vibe except he's not totally boring.

When I checked him out I was listening to a lot of Slum Village who had great beats, great lyrics, but were just profoundly boring and unenthusiastic to me. Jackson has presence, and is on somewhat the same vibe.

I had to listen to his whole album "First Of All..." first though until I got down with him - particularly because the last hip hop I listened to this year was Webbie's "Savage Life 2". :)

I'd check out those producers first and foremost though - sheezus! What they are doing is more than a lot. It's not even about rappers.
 
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Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
He also appeared on that tune on the C.R.A.C. album "Bullet Through Me", which was released on 12".
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
Sick Boy said:
I'd check out those producers first and foremost though - sheezus! What they are doing is more than a lot. It's not even about rappers.
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Lotus and Dabrye I know, and both are great.

GK is a name I keep hearing, so its about time I did my own research.
 
slackk

slackk

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I know what you mean but I'm not interested in most of that stuff. I'd rather listen to Giggs than any of those MCs to be honest.

That said, Killer Mike is hard as fuck and his new one is getting a lot of play. A lot.
 
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