Winning Grammys helps his legacy. Being inducted into the Billboard Hall Of Fame helps his legacy. Selling out Madison Square Garden helps his legacy. Being one of only two rappers with 16 top ten charting albums helps his legacy. None of these are possible without the Hit Boy produced albums. Furthermore, not only does it enhance his legacy and add to his legend status, it also keeps him in the conversation in the here and now. The Rap Life podcast HAD to talk about Magic 3 and they HAD to speak to its quality. Rolling Stone HAD to call Nas the greatest rapper because the quality of the music is undeniable. All of these blogs, sites, and reviewers who felt they could sweep Nas under the rug HAVE to talk about him, and not just about what he did in the past, but about what he’s accomplishing in real time. All of Mass Appeal’s success, the movies, documentaries, concerts, etc. are built on the foundation of PRESENT DAY Nas.
Now perhaps your group of conglomerates don’t listen to present day Nas, but to say the Hit Boy produced albums have “split his fanbase” is categorically false. I was at a sold out Nas/Wu-Tang show in Atlanta last year and failed to see any kind of split amongst the fanbase. Was there a “split”’amongst the fanbase at his sold out KINGS DISEASE Madison Square Garden concert? Did the crowd at Hip Hop Is 50 decide to leave when Lauryn Hill came out to Nobody? I’m confused about where this massive “split” has taken place
Talking Hip Hop as far as the music is concerned. Not awards. Not sales.
The average person on the street who loves Hip Hop, is not going to say "Nas is a legend because he sold mad tickets at The Garden". I'm speaking about the
music and what it's done for the people and his career standing. The things that actually matter. You're speaking about the kinda sh*t that the fake fans pay attention to. Actual Hip Hop fans do not care about which spot your album landed on Billboard or magazine write-ups. They care about the music. And how the music made them feel and which moments in time that music created for them for mad years. You're talking about stuff Nas's manager (whom I friends with) should be concerned with. None of that makes the music more classic, bro.
It has to be said, Hit-Boy's BIGGEST record of his career, is a Jay-Z track. Which is a classic. Those don't come around often. He does not have a record with Nas, ANYWHERE on any of these albums that has reached that level. That's what we're talking about. Not what Rolling Stone said. One minute everyone is saying "Rolling Stone doesn't know sh*t about Hip Hop", but now we're quoting them when they speak on Nas? When
Paid in Full originally dropped, they said it was wack. Let's not quote Rolling Stone, lol. This is about the music. Where are the songs on these albums that have shifted anything in Hip Hop and became undeniable classic tracks like the ones we've seen in the culture over the past almost 30+ years? Nas himself said, "Everyone doesn't have to like what I'm doing with Hit, but we have something good going on". He's acknowledged mad times that everyone doesn't like Hit-Boy. So how is saying the fans are divided "categorically false"? Just look at the threads on here, since so much time is spent on here. People on here are saying the same. This isn't new. Hit ain't universally loved and respected.
We have to stop throwing the word "classic" around like it doesn't mean what it should. You can like mad sh*t, just like we all do. But just because we like something, doesn't mean it's
classic. Like I said, if we're referencing Hit-Boy, "N*ggas in Paris" is a classic. That song had a
moment. Globally!! I'm not talking about what the album sold or what Jay and them did on tour with it. I'm talking about the ACTUAL SONG. That's what a classic looks like. We all know that. All of these albums he did with Hit, where are the classic songs on that level or even close to? That's the question everyone is asking.
