I do love Illmatic.. it's a great album no doubt.. just a little tiring to hear it praised constantly as the best rap album ever. Illmatic is basically the pinnacle of classic B-boy stance rap.. which is cool in itself, it easily does this better than anything else.. but Reasonable Doubt is more than just complex rhymes.. it has more of an atmosphere to it. It's crime oriented yet the production tends to be dark, soft, soulfull, bleak.. puts aside the usual savage hardcore macho posturing seen in most new york rap at the time.. takes more of a mafia boss or drug lord, sitting from behind their safe glass window observing the world of crime rather than some common street thug. And though it's always comedic when rappers try to front a bigger sense of civility then they actually have.. the comedic ridiculousness of his claims on this album actually work well with the atmosphere set.
And Takeover, Hola Hovito, The Ruler's Back, Izzo and Jigga that Nigga weren't good to you?Takeover was the only good part of the first half of the album.. more for the production than the rapping.. Jay-Z's disses to Nas and Mobb Deep were pretty played out when it comes to the logic he used.. dissed Mobb for not having street cred. Does that matter really? It's music.. they're artists.. they met in art school for christ's sake, easily the biggest studio gangstas ever but who cares? The Infamous > Jay-Z. Not to mention that he threw in album sales.. the ultimate bitchmove. Then disses Nas for not being 'consistant' like him and dropping an album every 2 years.. what a c*nt.
The second half was filled with decent to good tracks, but the album overall isn't anything to compete with It Was Written. I mean The Set Up, Street Dreams, Nas Is Coming, I Gave You Power, The Message... I don't get why It Was Written is so overlooked, it's a certified classic in my mind.
And ppl really need to hear Volume 1 if you haven't. Same lyricism as Reasonable Doubt to weaker production [/B]I'll look into it but that's not too promising.. lyrics mean very little to me on their own.. they are only valuable as a factor to add to the music.. to add to the greater good. If the whole package doesn't work well together then it's wack.
Originally posted by B dot Robdid i say they were bad? i dont recall.
Except for production and just overall entertainment value 😛And Takeover, Hola Hovito, The Ruler's Back, Izzo and Jigga that Nigga weren't good to you?
And ppl really need to hear Volume 1 if you haven't. Same lyricism as Reasonable Doubt to weaker production
easily the biggest studio gangstas ever but who cares?
Well nobody really cares, it just makes it funny when you hear P (in a serious voice) say something like I'm going to snatch such and suches chain because he said such and such. It's like yeah okay 😂
I'll look into it but that's not too promising.. lyrics mean very little to me on their own.. they are only valuable as a factor to add to the music.. to add to the greater good. If the whole package doesn't work well together then it's wack.
Oh the production is good (has Jay-Z ever slacked on the beats?), it just isn't Reasonable Doubt level production.
Oh and I think It Was Written gets over looked because it's the album after Illmatic. If Nas were to have dropped It Was Written in 2004 instead of Street's Disciples with updated production it'd probably be a classic. That and I think it's because it didn't have that gritty feel like the first album with the lead off being If I Ruled the World (I mean even the World is Yours had a gritty sound to it).
Besides if any Nas album is overlooked it's I Am. 😛
Originally posted by B dot RobIt is funny, but I'm ok with it being funny.. in fact I like the comedic relief. "The Infamous Prelude" is a hilarious track.. Prodigy's macho thug posturing at it's best.
Well nobody really cares, it just makes it funny when you hear P (in a serious voice) say something like I'm going to snatch such and suches chain because he said such and such. It's like yeah okay 😂
I find Jay-Z's claims of being a druglord funny too. I find the fact that Nas's ideal world consists of anarchy, drugs and "designer clothes." I find black revolutionary Ice Cube coming from the suburbs to be pretty funny, also.
Oh and I think It Was Written gets over looked because it's the album after Illmatic. If Nas were to have dropped It Was Written in 2004 instead of Street's Disciples with updated production it'd probably be a classic. That and I think it's because it didn't have that gritty feel like the first album with the lead off being If I Ruled the World (I mean even the World is Yours had a gritty sound to it).To me it seems like Nas tried to get more gritty with It Was Written.. If I Ruled The World is an exception, but in general the album is more "street oriented" than Illmatic. The Set Up is easily grittier than anything on Illmatic.
Besides if any Nas album is overlooked it's I Am. 😛I've downloaded that one but yet to listen to it.. if Hate Me Now is any indicative of how the album is then it's not too impressive.
Originally posted by -hh-nice track, does Crooked I have an album out, i saw him on the Wake Up Show freestyling with Chino also, and he killed it. I like Chino's verse on that track, was he dissing Paul Wall in there? i couldnt tell, i know I heard his name though.
shockshock
Chino XL & Crooked I- Tap Dancing
http://www.sendspace.com/file/4et3jg
BRAND NEW SONG
Originally posted by Dr. StrangeloveSpeaking of which... P&C Cribs 😄
I finally bought Craftsmen from Peanuts and Corn. Awesome, awesome Cd.
Originally posted by Afro CheeseI've downloaded that one but yet to listen to it.. if Hate Me Now is any indicative of how the album is then it's not too impressive.
NYSOM II
Nas is Like
Ghetto Prisoners
Life is What You Make It
Money Is My *****
KISSING
Favor for a Favor (one of the most underrated tracks ever Nas and Scarface need to make an album together every song they collab on is a classic)
Big Things
Small World
We Will Survive
Dr. Knockboot (yeah this'll get me shitted on but **** it this track has entertainment value)
Are all at least 9/10 songs. Half of those songs you could make an argument for being top 5 Nas songs (especially Nas is Like, NYSOM II and Favor for a Favor) ever.
And you can say what you want about the rapping on Hate Me Now, but that's one of the most underrated Diddy beats EVER (the bassline is BANANAS)
And that new Jay-Z sucks because he flipped the Charlies Angles beat *shakes head*
Originally posted by Broke Beat
Speaking of which... P&C Cribs 😄
no benz, no lexus, no 50 story mansion, they all live pretty humbly
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=195FE282297E9900