CNN: A case for Nas, hip-hop's finest MC (Back to The Forum)

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/05/showbiz/rapper-nas-turns-40/?hpt=hp_c1

The arguments in this are annoying. Personally I agree with the conclusion, I know it’s personal taste however. It contains arguments like Pac and Big’s careers weren’t long enough so it’s not fair to compare seems dumb; I wasn’t aware longevity measured skill.

They start the article by talking about lyricism, and that they are talking purely from that point of view but then include such statements as “While commercial success is important to the equation — and the sole reason the brilliant Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch aren’t included in the debate — it’s only one variable.” Commercial success doesn’t affect lyricism, does it?

They even misquoted Jay-Z as saying Ether was a four figure leg lock, the article they link to has the quote as “Not many people come back after ["Takeover”]. That was like a figure-four leg-lock — I mean, you can’t get out of that."

Is this as poorly argued, and researched, as I think? I mean it actually partly convinced me Nas wasn’t the greatest lyricist (which as I said before is something I do think..). An article that helps to convince you that it’s wrong can’t be a good one surely…

Opinions?

After illmatic, all Nas albums have never been 6/10 or lower.

BBDS, I wouldn’t say < 6/10, I really liked It Was Written, and Life is Good, and they honestly deserve more than a 6/10

“OK, no lists then; just a strong case for Nas being the best rhymesmith ever"
Lmao if they are saying this is the reason Nas is the best lyricist, then Nas doesn’t even scuff top 10. Foh what is this? At least get a category where he would be the best lyricist in. Like STORYTELLING.

Anyways, the article was good. It was really good. You can tell it wasn’t really that biased.

Although I disagree with the article, I don’t care much about my disagreement since they argued pretty well.

2BBDS-Foh It Was Written and Stillmatic are classics. Nas has one of the best discographys. Lmao he only has 2 albums that are assl.

omg nas is as old as my dad… so much cooler

About the longevity thing and how its wrong, if Nas died after his first 2 albums he would vbe known as one of the best musicians of any genre ever to live. But besides that, I do agree with a lot of their points. All in all good article

@BBDS None of Nas' albums after Illmatic were above 8/10, IMHO.

@TheReturn: The article wasn’t meant to crticize Nas. Hell the article was mostly a recount of what Nas said to them.

squiggles: No longevity is right. There’s alot of people Nas’s age, that are irrelevant and they’re alive.

Without reading the article I have to say that Stillmatic is just about as good lyrically and conceptually then any other album in rap history. I could easily give it a 8/10. If I removed a few unnessary tracks I could give it a 10 straight. The songs that were good were perfect.

Ayo, the brother is “Stillmatic"
I crawled up out of that grave, wiping the dirt, cleaning my shirt
They thought I’ll make another "Illmatic"
But it’s always forward I’m moving
Never backwards stupid here’s another classic
C-Notes is falling from the sky
By now the credits roll starring Nas executive poet, produced, directed by
The Kid slash Escobar
Narration describes the lives of lost tribes in the ghetto trying to survive
The feature opens with this young black child
Finger scratch, cigarette burns on the sofa, turning the TV dial
Mary Jane Girls, 45’s playing, soft in the background
food from C-Town’s, mornings was hash browns
Stepped over dope fiends, walking out the door, all of us poor
I learned the difference between the snitches, the real ones, and who’s soft
And the murderous, hungriest crews
People jumping from roofs, shotguns pumping, made it through my youth
Walking very thin lines, ages seven and nine
That’s the age I was on my album cover, this is the rebirth
I know the streets thirst, water like Moses
Walking through the hot desert searching to be free
This is my end and my new beginning, NAStalgia
Alpha and Omega places, it’s like a glitch in the matrix
I seen it at all, did it all, most of y'all hot for a second
Spit a sentence and the game’ll get rid of y'all
Y'all got there but, y'all didn’t get it all, I want my style back
Hate to cease y'all plan it’s the rap repoman
To them double up hustlers, bidders, niggas who real
Professionile, stick up kids dreaming of mill's
Let my words guide you, get inside you
From Crips to Pirus, this is survival

I would like to see a better verse than this for an MC who has been up to that point rapping for, up to that point, 7 years.

So nobody fucked with the Untitled album?

When I started reading the article, I was reading really fast coz I had to go somewhere, so at first I read that it said he was the gayest lyricist of all time! My heart skipped a beat