So with that said let’s dive into what Nas has prepared for us on his 2012 LP. This is the moment where you say “*** the social stigma” and proceed to kicking the chick in your side seat out of the car in order to cruise around and find a woman that can appreciate your musical taste (fine ladies with alternative lifestyles such as being bisexuals might be an acceptable choice). That’s selective on my part though because I’d probably fall into conformity too and come within seconds of blasting the latest Lil Wayne tune only for my inner conscious to come out at the right moment and say “you’re better than this”. Nas however is an artist of progression and how many of you would actually bump his latest LP while you’ve got friends in the car? The Don isn’t leaving my rotation even if some really nice chick comes by and complains about the loud music. Whether it’s an underground rapper, an incredibly underrated band or a producer experimenting with new sounds in his electronic productions, I can almost guarantee that you might get curb stomped by the mainstream appealing sound of the time. Because dubstep becomes important in the making of a respected listener, those who avoid this staple and listen to their own selective audible pleasures might be stapled and socially labeled as a music “hipster” or “elitist”. Social stigma is one of the most horrible atrocities that can ever be attached to an individual. This is not of course to say that I don’t like dubstep I just can’t stand the recent bandwagon of people that listen to that genre in hopes of impressing their peers. When everyone else is dishing out music faster than the latest dubstep remix of the latest radio hit it often becomes easier to see where the genuine gold is in the music industry because it comes off as that much more listenable. Then again, it could just be that some of the topics in rap music have become so generic and shallow that it actually makes artists such as Nas come off as that much more versatile with their sandbox of topics. While Nas has always had an intellectual collection of topics to attack in his raps, his last couple of albums have shown him evolve into a conscious rap artist more along the lines of Mos Def or Lupe Fiasco. Nas originally started out as an aggressive Queens native with a bombastic flow that could scare even some of the most dedicated and respected emcees (remember Ether?). It’s not so much to say that he’s preaching to you over some excellent production in his rhymes, but many have felt the powerful impact of his words throughout the many albums he has put out. Historically, Nas has always been superb at delivering an excellent flow, but he’s always had this conversational style to his raps.
Nasir Jones is a name in Hip Hop music that certainly should be cemented in solid plated gold (Life Is Good is another reminder of why this needs to be done at some point).
He’s certainly made attempts at radio appeal, but never throughout his career has he really ever gotten the respect that should go along with an artist of his talents. While some Hip Hop purists may want to deny this, there’s evidence to suggest that Nas never truly sold out. Album titles such as God’s Son, Illmatic, and Stillmatic might come to mind. There are not many artists out there with a collection as raw and impactful as Nas. Review Summary: Despite the many trials and difficulties that we must overcome on a daily basis, the rap veteran urges us to remember that “Life Is Good”.
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