What Makes Nas such a Great artist?

[Sekhem Heru]

discuss

[HANDSOMEHUSTLER44]

what? thats like askin what makes Michael jordan such a great ball player.....or what makes picasso such a great painter.....some people are just born with that "it" factor......something extra that makes them stand out from the millions of other people.....but nah...i couldnt even explain it if i tried......the nigga is just nice


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJezoTrXwo[/youtube]

[SOUTH SIDE SWERV]

HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT "IT" FACTOR NOW...

I HATE TO ADMIT THIS, BUT NAS'S CAREER IS DONEZO!

[murksiderock]

The bottom line is from a stance of "pure" lyricism, Nas isnt really second to anyone, be it Big, Busta, Kiss, whoever. He's on par with all the sharp lyricists...

However niggas seem to forget that lyricism, by itself, does NOT make you a great rapper. If it did a nigga would never write a corny song or drop a bum ass album. It just makes you a great, naturally talented lyricist. To his credit, Nas always has above average storytelling and freestyle abilities too, bordering on excellent. But he's got plenty of songs where he follows an awesome verse up with a subpar one. Songwriting isnt his strong point really, although he's got sum bangers. And to be real, he only has one real classic. The rest of his albums went from very good to very ass and everywhere in between. Yea, some of that blame falls on the production and the label. But the player cant always pull a Dwight Howard and blame the coach or organization for his missed shots. Some of an artists' responsibility is to pick the right beats to match his flow, or work with the people that best cater to your creativity. And Nas went thru that period where he got over-creative and did that commercial shit. That aint his game. Like Jigga saiad "nigga you was gettin fucked"...

Overall he is a legend and he is a very good rapper. But I always said he was overated when muhfuckas started screamin that "top 5" shit. He's definitely not in the top 5. But I dont think the top 10 is a strech tho, but he is slightly overated...

[crook_county]

if NAS ain't top 5 then idk who else is..he's your favorite rappers favorite rapper..

yea he kinda fell off musically, not lyrically thou

but it ain't many MC's from the 90's thats doin it big anyway..jay-z has a few garbage albums himself, but he has good business sense and is able to adapt with the times,not to mention kanye is on his team..

NAS is the definition of hiphop..idgaf what nobody says..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfj1ikYhsqs[/youtube]

who said NAS fell off?

[Sekhem Heru]

^ i never heard that song

[murksiderock]

I do recant my previous statement. He's borderline top 5, he probably is. Illmatic one of my favorite CDs ever, and when he's in storytelling mode he's one of my favorites. But his hindrance is the fact that he couldnt flow with the times. Nah, he never fell off lyrically, but thats just one component of music, and he did fall off musically. Even then tho, I honestly cant name 5 better rappers. I'm thinkin Jigga, Em, Wayne, Big. Thats about all I could think of, overall, and then Nas so I take back my earlier statement bout him not bein top 5...

Yea Jay has a few sorry albums, but he's always been more consistent, while Nas went from up to down to up and back down again. Thats how he beats Nas, they're about equal on every other level. Plus you gotta also consider, Jay was and is more popular. That doesnt hold alota weight, but b4 yall jump on my ass, you gotta think that none of the all-time great athletes were not largely popular. It is a factor. Kanye's ability to be great himself is seperate from Jay. Jay-Z is the greatest rapper of all time....

[JerseyCity201]

I do recant my previous statement. He's borderline top 5, he probably is. Illmatic one of my favorite CDs ever, and when he's in storytelling mode he's one of my favorites. But his hindrance is the fact that he couldnt flow with the times. Nah, he never fell off lyrically, but thats just one component of music, and he did fall off musically. Even then tho, I honestly cant name 5 better rappers. I'm thinkin Jigga, Em, Wayne, Big. Thats about all I could think of, overall, and then Nas so I take back my earlier statement bout him not bein top 5...

Yea Jay has a few sorry albums, but he's always been more consistent, while Nas went from up to down to up and back down again. Thats how he beats Nas, they're about equal on every other level. Plus you gotta also consider, Jay was and is more popular. That doesnt hold alota weight, but b4 yall jump on my ass, you gotta think that none of the all-time great athletes were not largely popular. It is a factor. Kanye's ability to be great himself is seperate from Jay. Jay-Z is the greatest rapper of all time....

SO IT WAS WRITTEN WASNT A CLASSIC TO U? IM GETTIN DA FEELIN U INFLUENCED BY ALOT OF WHAT JAY SAID WHEN THEY BEEFED...

[Uptown Boy]

[Uptown Boy]

is u serious? i can go on and on... son is great, period!

[murksiderock]

@ Chilltown, I really dont kno how I feel about It Was Written. I think "Take It In Blood" and "Street Dreams" are my favorite joints. Its a great album, I'm on the fence with classic, cause niggas throw that shit around, kno what I mean? And you probly right, I think I was moreso influenced by Jigga, but I've always liked both of them...

[EL JUEGO]

discuss

EVER SINCE THA MODERN DAY ALEXANDER OF RAP EXPOSED HIM AND THEN SHOOK HIS NEW YORK DORK GAY ASS...........HE HASN'T BEEN THA SAME............HIS WHOLE RAP CAREER HAS BEEN BASED ON LIES.............HE FIRST LIE ABOUT HOW HE AND HIS IDOL,THA SAME MAN WHO HE WAS SCARE OF AND THEN PERPETRATES BY FABRICATING A MADE UP,MAKE BELIEVE STORY ABOUT HOW HE AND THA MODERN DAY ALEXANDER OF RAP MADE PEACE WITH HIM,DURING THA WHOLE WESTCOAST AND EASTCOAST WAR AND SHIT AND THEN HE CLAIMS HOW HE BECAME BEST FRIENDS WITH HIM AFTER A ONE TIME MEETING THEY HAD IN THA CITY OF COWARDS...... GAY ASS NEW YORK DURING THA MTV MUSIC AWARDS AND THEN WE COME TO FIND OUT THAT BEFORE THA MODERN DAY ALEXANDER OF RAP PASSED AWAY...........HE MADE A WHOLE BUNCH OF UNRELEASED DISS SONGS ABOUT HIM AND YET HE ACTS,THINKS,PRETENDS AND EVEN IMPERSONATES THA GREATEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME..........AND IT AINT THAT FAT DEAD BITCH OF BIGGIE WHOM I'M TALKIN ABOUT................AND IF THAT'S NOT ENUFF.............HE AND GAY-Z STAGE A FAKE FEUD AMONG EACH OTHER..........WHICH I ALREADY KNEW IT WAS FABRICATED BY BOTH OF THA 2 BIGGEST COWARDS FROM GAY ASS NEW YORK WHOM THA MODERN DAY ALEXANDER OF RAP HAD EXPOSED THEM BEFORE AND IF THAT'S NOT ALL...........THEY BOTH PART OF THA SAME LUCIFERIAN ORGANIZATION,THEY BOTH WORSHIP LUCIFER AND THEIR BOTH PART OF THA SAME SATANIC CHURCH,WHICH BOTH HAVE FAME AND FORTUNE DUE TO SELLIN THEIR OWN SOULS TO THA WICKED ONE,THA FALLEN ANGEL AND THAT'S HOW THEY HAVE THEIR POWER AND THEY GAINED THEIR POWER FROM IN THA MUSIC INDUSTRY AND IF THAT'S NOT IT............HE IS JEALOUS AND ENVY OF THA MODERN DAY NAPOLEON OF RAP............WHOM HE COMES FROM THA SAME CITY AS HE DOES.............BUT REFUSED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HIM AND HAS FUN EXPOSING HIM AND MAKES FUN OF HIM FROM THA MANY DISS SONGS THAT HE MADE OF HIM FROM THA MASSACRE ALBUM AND YET HE STILL MAKES TONS OF MILLIONS TO THIS DAY FROM HIS MANY HIT SONGS THAT HE HAS FROM HIS FIRST TO HIS CURRENT ALBUM AND YET GAY ASS NAS ONLY MADE ONE GOOD ALBUM AND TO BE HONEST................... I DON'T EVEN LIKE IT...........SO THEREFORE HE SUCKS LIKE EVERY OTHER RAPPER THAT COMES,BORN OR EVEN RESIDES IN THA CITY OF COWARDS AND THAT'S GAY ASS NEW YORK...........CAUSE IS STILL FUCK NEW YORK............AND FUCK GAY ASS NAS............CAUSE IS STILL CHI.........AND STILL ALKN!!!

[Uptown Boy]

I think we can all agree that Tupac was a lot more full of shit than Nas. Yea Pac was more successful, but he garnered it off a big lie that there was a big east coast rap conspiracy out to get him, when in reality he just got robbed by some hungry niggas and decided to use that incident to start claiming cali and boost record sales.

[murksiderock]

For one, Pac moved to Cali when he was 16, so he was already claimin Cali. I do think he helped fabricate the E/W shit, but the media and Suge are the ones that really fed that shit. As far as full of shit, Pac and Nas are no more full of shit than most rappers. Neither Pac or Nas were legit street niggas, just regular sideline hood niggas whi were goof at relaying what they saw into rap. Both are legends. Hollywood sayin Pac the best tho, Iont kno about that...

[Uptown Boy]

he was 17. he spent his first founding 17 years of his life as an east coast nigga and 8 of his last as an "la nigga" that actually never really lived in LA cause he lived in the bay but was lyin for record sales and e/w beef boost.

nas always claimed queens bridge and really is from there and reps it for life even tho he prolly been livin in a big house in atl for the past 8 years he aint gonna rep the south/atl get a southern accent and say fuck the north.

[murksiderock]

Yea, he was 17. East Coast niggas have always acted salty over the fact he didnt rep the east, but the fact is he came of age in Cali, got his breaks in Cali, and the personality he developed formed during his time out there, and from the first time anybody knew who he was, he always repped Oakland or LA. And he did have an apartment in South Central while filming Poetic Justice. This was all in the same time that he recorded half of Strictly 4 My Niggaz in LA while he was filming Poetic Justice. And to people who listened to him, this was when his style started becoming more "gangsta", and he was going to shooting ranges in LA and started carrying guns. Just clarifying that he did reside in LA. I aint "from" the East Coast to be technical, but I love thid muhfucka. Niggas always acted mad that Pac considered himself a Cali nigga. He could rep what he wants lol...

And you're right, Nas always repped QB. But he didnt move around like Pac did in his childhood. Nas spent the majority of his early life in QB. Pac and his family moved around so much that he couldnt have just one hood to claim. An he fell in love with Marin City Jungles. But they are both alike in that Nas spit alota kill kill dopeboy shit for a time too, when that wasnt who he was at all. Yea he's really from QB, and at some point he probly tried hustlin, butNas was never known in his pre-rap career as a street nigga the way niggas like 50 or TI or some other niggas was. Aint got shit to do wit his talent, cause bein a g dont make you a good rapper obviously. But both these niggas took advantage of exaggeration and storytelling in their rhymes...

[lilrockakaglockcity]

nas is the greatest mc ever lyrical wize and to the nigga that put wayne in yo top u t have down syndrome illmatic is classic shit itwas written is the best album ever and nas never sold out like these ohter cats em jay 50 etc

[murksiderock]

Nah you the one trippin lol. Where you from in the Rock?

I'll concede that It Was Written is a classic. Not the best album ever tho, not when Illmatic was better, so you reachin there. But on that Wayne thing....

Muhfuckas are still denying Wayne's greatness in 2012. I do not believe that he's THE greatest, but this is for niggas like you...Wayne has a resume that can stack up to any rapper that ever spit, and while he's had some flops and he may lose to some, he overwhelmingly beats most rappers. On top of that, he's had a rum at the top of rap that only very few rappers have ever seen. People worldwide flock by the millions to see him in concert, and if you've never saw him LIVE, you need to. Nigga has some of the best live shows of this generation...

On top of that, every rapper goes thru peaks and valleys. But when Wayne was TRULY in his prime, bar for bar, track for track, he holds his weight with ANY rapper, and that excludes nobody. There isnt a single person who has a better string of mixtapes, he's easily the best mixtape rapper ever. From a creativity standpoint, very few rappers have as versatile a flow as he has. I can keep on, but you really dont wanna go there. Any person in 2012 who doesnt at least put Wayne in the Top 10 AT LEAST is either a hater or hasnt listened to him thoroughly. And I personally believe he's closer to 3, 4, or 5 than he is to 10. End of story...

[freddiefourfingers]

i definitely see the can-o-worms potential in this topic! lol

but i personally, don't think most the cats i hear and see is worthy of carrying nas's luggage in a fuckin airport!

[lilrockakaglockcity]

fuck wayne that nigga garabge nigga spit that lil kid rap. im form south west off baseline boe

[murksiderock]

I love this dog, I am a true student of hip-hop, so I'll do this debate easily. That doesnt mean I've listened to everyone--but I have listened to every rapper mentioned in this thread, and the ones I dont or havent listened to, I am very aware of their stock....

Again I do admit Nas is in the Top 5. He's like that. All GREAT rappers are different in some ways, niggas make that as an excuse not to compare niggas. And regardless, you take Nas in his prime and pair him against Wayne, there is no blowout. And a nigga dont need to take my word for it, the stats and songs are out there for everybody to listen to...

That said, Jay'Z is my personal favorite, and I think he's the best rapper ever. But I have been listening to Nas for a long time, he's one of my favorites. And honestly, I was late to catch on the Wayne hype, I jus started followin him in '09, went back and I've listened to all the official releases he has...

Shit I remember the summer of '04 when my friend was tryna put me on Tha Carter. We was 15 then, and me an our other friend were pickin on him for listenin to Weezy, I kept callin him Lil Zane cause I didnt kno the difference. I'm from VA dog, and trust me, hardly nobody in VA even knew who he was in 2004 except a Cash Money flunky. Iont lno how my homie got put on him. I moved to NC in '05, an that was the summer he popped, but TI was a bigger rapper back tjen, Jeezy was, thats when Houston had their shine in the industry, but I still wouldnt listen to him. For a long time it was debatable about if he belongs in an elite 'best rapper' class, but not anymore...

[murksiderock]

Ay I got fam near you, right there near 83rd & Geyer Springs. Once you get down by Baseline its mad Surenos out there...

[dueceduece187]

Besides designing hip hop and being able to do every hip hop sound and being the 2nd most lyrical next to big l nothing

[HANDSOMEHUSTLER44]

yea im not a wayne hater at all i think the nigga is dope and he gets hated on for shit that doesnt even have to do with music but that happens with most artist but with that being said wayne isn't a GREAT artist by any means.....i dont think you can put him the same category as other greats in the game His shit isn't powerful enough

[murksiderock]

"Powerful" is subjective. To each its own, I definitly aint sayin Wayne IS better than Nas, but its not outta the question to compare them. Wayne has earned his right to be mentioned with all the greats. How are you measuring his "powerful" ness? There a different ways to measure that, and in terms of worldwide recognition, he's certainly more powerful than Nas ever was. That takes nothing at all away from how hard Nas is on the mic, but you gotta consider that Wayne is STILL at the top of hip hop's A-list. He's rappin a lil harder now, but he's not even in his prime. When Nas slacked off his prime, his overall popularity fell and he fell from the spotlight, so Wayne is more popular there. If you're saying that you could "feel" Nas' lyrics more, that is a very biased statement. What Nas made some people feel, Wayne is able to do for others...

I get it. Nas is poetic, he's a master storyteller, and is lyrically insane. But that poetry/storytelling shit was the shit of his day, and he excelled. Wayne excels at the shit of his day. He's able to switch subjects like water, he's a punchline king, and he himself is lyrically insane. In todays rap, its style over substance, yall kno that. Dont hate the player, its the game. His style has influenced many artists of the last 6-7 yrs, just like Nas influenced many artists from the mid-90s to early 2000s. That alone, the number of rappers that have been influenced by Weezy's style, is enough to compare him to any rapper, living or dead.

Wayne is one of those niggas that hip-hop as a whole will appreciate more when he aint spittin no more. The game is always changing, we kno that, but only a handful of niggas have done the changing. For the mid to late 2000s, Wayne did that. In 10 yrs more nighas will appreciate him...

[nah son, chill]

nas's main problem is that he couldn't pick a dope beat to save his lifee.. for every classic beat he has like 4 that are absolute garbage. on top of that, he's very boring to listen to sometimes. another thing that bothers me is he's kinda pseudo-intellectual, but that's neither here nor there

[MaxxedGunz]

NIGGA WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST STORY TELLERS OF ALL TIME...ALONGSIDE OF BIG AND BIG L

[veteran]

nas's main problem is that he couldn't pick a dope beat to save his lifee.. for every classic beat he has like 4 that are absolute garbage. on top of that, he's very boring to listen to sometimes. another thing that bothers me is he's kinda pseudo-intellectual, but that's neither here nor there

illmatic and it was written was straight but listen to any other nas album and one track will be bout some shoot em up type shit then the next track will be some fake political concious rap shit then the next track will either be filler or some ol slick rick storytellin shit

[NYtillIdie85]

Nas is def a top 5 LYRICIST, but as an overall artist he lacks that "it" factor that sells records. Theres no comparing him to any rapper not from that 90's era. I cant even compare him to Jay cause Jay admits to dumbing down to make hits. Nas was never good at that. I do know one thing, he'll murder those gritty 90s RZA/Primo/Havoc style beats like its 93 again

[murksiderock]

Dog thats like sayin you cant compare Tom Brady to John Elway because he didnt play at the same time. That logic makes no sense at all....