Nas's latest "God's Son"

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

Yup for the secodn year in a row Nas produces the best rap album(and one of the best overall) of the year. His newest "God's Son" is a melancholy of sounds, smooth beats and excellent rhymes featuring a few very heart-felt songs which will stay with you.

 

Althoguh not as good as Stillmatic(best album of 2001) "God's son" features 14 tracks with 13 of them being good-great-magnificent. One weak track "Zoned Out" seems out of place and doesn't fit in with the rest of the albums quietly tragic sound. While "Zoned Out" is the worst many tracks compete for the best on the album.

 

"Thugz Mansion" is yet another version of the 2 Pac original on his "Better Dayz" CD but, for my money, this is the best one. The nice acoustic guitar riffs and Nas's smoother voice(than 2 Pac's) really does bring out the soft sound of the song better. And the last verse of that song by Nas is absolute magic. Then we have "Last Real Nigger Alive" in which Nas settles with Raekwon, Puffy & Biggie and ofcourse gets in the obligatory shots at Jay Z(a nice comparison to the movie Scarface as well). "I Can" is a very upbeat song(a welcome change from the tragedy on most of the songs) and helps send a message to our youth. Then there is "Dance" in which Nas sings passionately and with heartfelt emotion about his mother who passed away this year and you can feel his hurt when he asks for "one last dance". Other tracks are all good as well with "The Cross" standing out among the rest. It's a powerful biblical song which was produced by(surprisingly) Eminen of all people. Overall only one weak song out of 14 is a great ratio.

 

"God's Son" is a must buy and the best Rap album of the year. Plus it proves without a shadow of a doubt that Nasir Jones is the best rapper currently out there.

[Guest ant_7000]

I also have Nas album and it was good, wasn't as good as Stillmatic but it was close. Standout tracks for me was "Book of Rhymes," "The Cross," "I Can," and "Dance." I thought "Thugz Mansion" was better on the 2Pac album than Nasir's because Pac 1st verse was hot on Pac's version and didn't use it on Nasir's. Overall I would give it 4 mics but I think it should be consider to be rap album of the year, but I think Scarface's "The Fix" is the rap album of the year.

[Guest Ripper]

2 things, The Fix is the best album of the year hands down and Eminem is the most consistantly great rapper out there today.

 

I will also say that if Jay-z had cut all those bullshit party songs and made Blueprint 2 just one album, that shit would have been amazing. But he didn't.

[Guest Y2BigJ]

Ripper have you even heard God's Son yet?

[Guest shlidgn90]

i have the God Son Album and i agree that it is very good. but this isn't the best nas album released this year. that would go to my pick for the best overall album released which is lost tapes.

[Guest Banky]

The Roots 'Phrenology' is the best hip hop album of the year. No doubt, they are the greatest group in the rap game and will be until they decide differently.

 

I have yet to hear the new album, but I have trouble calling his latest albums great considering Illmatic was one of the best EVER. He just can't measure up to that albums greatness.

[Guest Espalda]

A few points.

 

1) I agree with shlidgn90 that the "Lost Tapes" was the top record Nas released this calendar year. Of course, technically speaking, it was a compilation album of material cut from previous Nas efforts as opposed to a series of brand new recordings. Many of the cuts on the "Lost Tapes" have appeared on major mixtapes and bootlegged versions of earlier Nas releases, but it was still nice to have them all together in one nice package.

 

2) Furthermore, I have to second Banky Edwards. Nas will never be able to release an album that equals "Illmatic." "Illmatic" is not only the best debut album in the genre, but arguably the greatest single release in the history of hip-hop. With that said, I do truly appreciate that Nas has been able to resurrect his career and return to top form. The "Stillmatic"-"Lost Tapes"-"God's Son" run almost erases the memory of The Firm/Escobar/Nastradamus debacle that plagued "It Was Written," "I Am...," and "Nastradamus."

 

3) Even at his most cartoonish, though, Nas still has the best technique since Rakim. In today's landscape, no one can match the verbal skills of Mr. Nasir Jones-- not Eminem, not Jay-Z, not Scarface, not Common, not Talib Kweli, and not Black Thought.

 

4) Nas will always have a special place in my heart. If you weren't a huge hip-hop fan in the early 90's, it's hard to appreciate the hype surrounding Nas. In 1994, emcees like Jeru, Nas, and Biggie all had huge expectations to live up to when they dropped their debut albums. Nasty Nas had killed on Main Source's "Live At the Barbeque" and MC Serch's "Back To The Grill," as well as on his "Halftime" single from the "Zebrahead" soundtrack. Jeru had ripped things up on Gang Starr's "I'm The Man" and his debut solo single, "Come Clean." And Biggie had the "Unsigned Hype" article in the Source, verses on the remix for Supercat's "Dolly My Baby," Heavy D's "A Buncha Niggas," and Mary J. Blige's "What's The 411? (RMX)," plus "Party And Bullshit" from the "Who's The Man?" soundtrack and his lead single "Juicy b/w Unbelievable."

 

But "Illmatic" was truly the pinnacle of the 92-94 rebirth of innovative East Coast hip-hop. Not since the golden age of 1987-1989 had so many great artists released so many excellent records during such a short span of time ("Mecca And The Soul Brother," "Runaway Slave," "Stunts, Blunts, And Hip Hop," "Daily Operation," "Whut? Thee Album," "Midnight Marauders," "Enta Da Stage," "Return Of The Boom Bap," "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," "Ready To Die," "The Sun Rises In The East," "Word...Life," "Beatnuts," "Stress: The Extinction Agenda," etc.).

 

I still keep the Washington Post review of "Illmatic" in my bedroom.

 

Wednesday, May 4, 1994: "What's one major difference between rap's commercial mainstream and its crucial underground tributaries? For the former, the most anticipated rap debut in recent years was Snoop Doggy Dogg's 'Doggy Style.' For the latter, it is Nas's 'Illmatic.' And years from now, it's the Nas album that's likely to be remembered as a signal event in the continuing evolution of rap."

[Guest TheArchiteck]

In today's landscape, no one can match the verbal skills of Mr. Nasir Jones-- not Talib Kweli, and not Black Thought.

[Guest Espalda]

In today's landscape, no one can match the verbal skills of Mr. Nasir Jones-- not Talib Kweli, and not Black Thought.

I'm not sure what to make of your response.

 

Are you unfamiliar with the two emcees I mentioned or do you dispute my claim that Nas has the better verbal technique?

[Guest Banky]

Thats downright laughable. NAS' flow definatly turns on and off as most of his albums drop off. Black Thought on the other hand, always brings the smooth rhymes with intelligent subject matter and comical irony. No one is a better altogether MC than Black Thought.

 

And I love NAS and all, but there are sooo many better MCs out there.

[Guest Espalda]

Thats downright laughable. NAS' flow definatly turns on and off as most of his albums drop off. Black Thought on the other hand, always brings the smooth rhymes with intelligent subject matter and comical irony. No one is a better altogether MC than Black Thought.

 

And I love NAS and all, but there are sooo many better MCs out there.

I respectfully disagree with your opinion. And to be honest, I find it fairly outrageous that you would refer to my statements as "downright laughable." Furthermore, I would like to hear your apparently lengthy list of emcees you consider to be more talented than Nas.

 

As I mentioned in my earlier post, Nas struggled on the three albums that followed "Illmatic," however, over the last two years Nas has released three LPs that have recaptured some of the magic of his initial offering. I stand by my claim that Nas has the best technique since Rakim.

 

With regard to your claim that Black Thought is the number one vocalist in hip-hop, I simply cannot support your point of view. While The Roots may be the primier live act, they are by no means the "greatest group in the rap game."

 

Do I enjoy and respect The Roots? Of course, but their studio releases often fall short of expectations. The Roots are better in theory than in practice. And it isn't as if they invented the concept of a rap act with live instrumentation.

 

And while they have improved with each studio release, Black Thought and company have yet to produce an album as groundbreaking and influential as "Illmatic." As a teenager Nas created a record of street poetry whose greatness has yet to be duplicated by any artist in the genre. And now that Nas has found his voice again, there is no reason that he should not be considered the top vocalist.

 

Black Thought is an excellent emcee, but his voice doesn't stand out from the crowd and he lacks the ability to tell a story and paint a picture as well as Nas does.

[Guest TheArchiteck]

I'm very much familiar with the two.

It's just that I don't agree from a personal standpoint. Nas is a good artist. I won't take that away. But his album doesn't have the same effect as The Roots or Kweli. What the rhyme and how they rhyme and the beats are just a perfect blend on the type of hip-hop I like. Nas have some bangers but nothing really grab me of his. Besides I feel Black and Kweli are more consistant.

[Guest Banky]

Better MCs than NAS?

 

Del

Aceyalone

Black Thought

Talib Kweli

Eminem

Mos Def

King Adrock

Gift of Gab

 

NAS can be on point, but as far as substance goes, Black Thought blows him out of the water. NAS rhymes about the sreets, this and that - Black Thought touches on many issues today. He is almost prophetic.

 

One cannot discredit the Roots because they've never made an 'Illmatic" type record. Its a record one dreams about. But, has NAS had the consistancy of the Roots? No. Has NAS broke down any stereotypical boundaries as a rapper in the mainstream? No. He rides with Murder Inc. - the biggest bunch of hacks in the game. The Roots, aside from the live instruments aspect, go against the norm. Their videos are tongue in cheek, as they take a very unconventional approach. They have maintained a massive following without resorting to selling out. Selling out is cliched, but they do what they do without trying to pimp themselves to the 15 year old consumer. Not that I am taking anything away from NAS by doing this, I am just stating why I respect the Roots so much more. And to close out I just want to mention that the Roots never did a remix with a dead icon who hated their fucking guts just to sell records. (ie. NAS cashing in on 2Pac).

[Guest Espalda]

Better MCs than NAS?

 

Del

Aceyalone

Black Thought

Talib Kweli

Eminem

Mos Def

King Adrock

Gift of Gab

 

NAS can be on point, but as far as substance goes, Black Thought blows him out of the water. NAS rhymes about the sreets, this and that - Black Thought touches on many issues today. He is almost prophetic.

 

One cannot discredit the Roots because they've never made an 'Illmatic" type record. Its a record one dreams about. But, has NAS had the consistancy of the Roots? No. Has NAS broke down any stereotypical boundaries as a rapper in the mainstream? No. He rides with Murder Inc. - the biggest bunch of hacks in the game. The Roots, aside from the live instruments aspect, go against the norm. Their videos are tongue in cheek, as they take a very unconventional approach. They have maintained a massive following without resorting to selling out. Selling out is cliched, but they do what they do without trying to pimp themselves to the 15 year old consumer. Not that I am taking anything away from NAS by doing this, I am just stating why I respect the Roots so much more. And to close out I just want to mention that the Roots never did a remix with a dead icon who hated their fucking guts just to sell records. (ie. NAS cashing in on 2Pac).

Del:

I love Del and the whole Hieroglyphics crew, but aside from his work on a number of interesting side projects (Deltron 3030, Gorillaz, Handsome Boy Modeling School), he's only produced one great album ("No Need For Alarm") and it was in 1994. "Both Sides Of The Brain" was a major disappointment and incredibly uneven. Del has a great vocal texture and a way with metaphors, but neither his most recent release, nor his body of work measure up to the "Stillmatic"/"The Lost Tapes"/"God's Son" run or the "Live At The Barbeque"/"Illmatic" era of Nas.

 

Aceyalone:

I find it very interesting that you complain that Nas hasn't done anything recently and then roll out names of emcees who haven't produced great work since the early- to mid-90s. Again, I love Acey, but he was most productive in the Freestyle Fellowship days ("To Whom It May Concern" and "Inner City Griots" ) and his early solo career ("All Balls Don't Bounce" and "A Book Of Human Language"). He latest work (e.g. "Who Framed The A- Team?" and "Accepted Eclectic") pales in comparison. Like Del, I give credit to Aceyalone for creating innovative conscious hip-hop in an era when the left coast was dominated by gangsta funk, but, honestly, Acey hasn't been a particularly important hip-hop artist since 1998. Again, like Nas, he put out great early work, but unlike Mr. Jones, he hasn't released a quality LP in the new millennium.

 

Black Thought:

I already touched on him in my last post, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to address some of the other points from later in your post. First off, I appreciate Black Thought's lyrical subject matter, but to dismiss Nas as a one trick pony who only rhymes about the streets is incorrect. On "God's Son," Nas touches everything from spirituality and his mother's death to uplifting the children and the evolution of the mid-90s New York hip-hop scene. Has Nas had consistency over his career? No, I'll be the first to admit that. He made three sub-par records after "Illmatic," but between "Nastradamus" and "Stillmatic" Nas refocused and is again producing outstanding material. "Has Nas broke down any stereotypical boundaries as a rapper in the mainstream?" Yes, in fact. When "Illmatic" was released Nas made many music critics realize that hip-hop was more than just Snoop and Dre discussing "bitches, hoes, and gats." He made hip-hop into legitimate artistic street poetry. No album in the last ten years has furthered hip-hop more than "Illmatic." As far as Murder Inc. goes, yes, they are hacks, but does "God's Son" have one cut produced by Irv Gotti or any appearances by Ja Rule or Ashanti? No.

 

As far as The Roots going against the grain, I have a few thoughts. Yes, The Roots are great, but Stetsasonic was using a live band in the 1980s. Not to mention that go-go has been popular in Washington, DC (about a two hour drive from Philly), for nearly thirty years as a live form of urban music. And the most creative video The Roots ever made ("What They Do") was the same concept De La Soul used on 1993's "Ego Trippin' Pt. 2."

 

And while The Roots may not pimp themselves to 15 year olds, they certainly pimp themselves to indie rockers too scared to attend a Wu-Tang show. Plus, they backed super-pimp Jay-Z at MTV Unplugged.

 

I give credit to The Roots for being an outstanding live band and leading the conscious hip-hop/neo-soul movement based primarily out of Philly, but they are not nearly as groundbreaking as you seem to believe. Black Thought's "almost prophetic" approach was done better and with more gusto, in my opinion, by emcees like Jeru The Damaja.

 

Talib Kweli:

I love Talib, but he's only had one solo release, so I'm hesitant to crown him king yet. And "Quality" doesn't match the greatness of his work with Black Star and Reflection Eternal. I wanted to love every track on "Quality," but I found myself thinking that it was uneven at times. If Talib punches out two more excellent solo LPs that top "Quality," I'll be more than happy to declare him the greatest emcee, but for now, I think it would be premature. Plus, Kweli has a tendency to sometimes rush his words in order to make them fit.

 

Eminem:

You're kidding right? So you can't respect Nas as much as The Roots because you claim he pimps himself to 15 year olds. If anyone pushes himself on the youngsters, it's Mr. Mathers. Em is a talented vocalist, but no where near the greatest. He has a gift for humor and does an excellent job releasing his emotions on wax, but he isn't in the same league as any of the other emcees you mentioned. And his latest was a major letdown after "The Marshall Mathers" LP.

 

Mos Def:

Again, similar to Talib, Mos Def just doesn't have a large enough body of work to qualify him as the current greatest. Plus, he hasn't produced an LP since 1999. In the fast-placed world of hip-hop, three years is forever. Of the three conscious East Coast emcees you mentioned, I consider Mos Def to the best. He has the most insight, the most distinctive voice, and best hold on the poetic aspect of hip-hop, but other than a few cameos and movie roles, he hasn't really kept himself in the limelight recently.

 

King Adrock:

The Beasties are great. They have always had a love and respect for hip-hop culture, but, again, they haven't really been making records recently. Plus, all three Beasties have basically the same M.O. with a few slight differences. Old school tag team rhyme patterns with clever metaphors over excellent beats, but no in-depth storytelling or complex rhyme patterns. And if we're going to look backwards to find great emcees both Rakim and KRS-One are more deserving than Adrock.

 

Gift Of Gab:

Again, I like Blackalicious. The EP was great and I thought "Nia" was excellent, but I was a bit disappointed with "Blazing Arrow." I thought the group tried to reach a little too far this time out in terms of production. Plus, there were too many sung choruses for my liking, "Blazing Arrow," however, was still one of the top records of the year, but I thought Gift Of Gab and Chief Xcel were outdone by Nas, Talib, El-P, Genius/GZA, The Roots, Scarface, Rjd2, Large Professor, and Mr. Lif. As far as Gift Of Gab is concerned, I like how he is able to switch from positive to lighthearted and then still rip rapid-fire, but Gift Of Gab isn't even the most skilled emcee from the Bay Area scene, so I have trouble considering him the best in the genre.

[Guest ant_7000]

Nas is a good emcee but at times he loses focus, I think Black Thought and Kweli are underrated emcees they have skills but aren't as good storytellers like Nas. But like I said before Scarface's "The Fix" is rap album of the year because Face touches about different variety of subject matter (i.e. Streets,Religon,Fame, the industry sellouts, family, and love) so to me its the album of year.

Nas is a close second and Eminem is 3rd, and Kweli is 4th and 5th Jay-z I would move him up higher but blueprint2 was mostly filler songs especially on the Gift side of the album, But the Curse side was way better, and if he just took a couple of good songs of the Gift like Dream, and the Watcher on the Curse side that would be a really good album.

[Guest Banky]

I respect your knowledge if the game, honestly - I am surprised. So I'll take your opinion as it stands.

 

Eminem lies more in the fact of his talent than subject matter. This guy can be the greatest if he quit his attention seeking shenanigans and wrote more songs like Loose Yourself. This guy wastes his immense talent.

 

I agree with your assessment that 'Both Sides of the Brain' wasn't clearly as up to par as previous Del records. But my definition of 'prime' Del is 'At the Helm' off of the Hieroglyphics debut record. I'd put that song up to anything NAS did on Illmatic. When Del is on, No Need For Alarm, he is great. You feel the anger and frustration throughout that whole record. The beats are rougher, his content is edgier - the whole album is very very good. As you mentioned too, the Deltron album was a very good concept album. That said, it wasn't up to 'No Need For Alarm' status.

 

I'd say Aceyalone is still an important artist in the way he harnasses his talent. I saw this guy live last year and he was unreal. He has so much energy in his performances. Granted, he did do many of the his Fellowship stuff, but everyone at it up. His rhymes are lightening quick, sometimes even with a reggae-ish rhythem. His records may not have been on point, but as an MC, I don't know many that can match him.

 

Anyway, your points are yours - as in many ways, you know more about the game than I do. I'll take your word for it. As far as the Ego Trippin' video, I've never seen it so I can't make a comment. But De La Soul are pretty nice too, saw them live 2 months ago - very very very good show.

 

I apologize for calling your opinion laughable as you DO know more about this shit than i do.

[Guest converge241]

i picked this up saturday with a geift certificate based on this thread.. thx i like it

 

i thought one mic would be on it though damnit