I had no Damon Dash as my partner, Just maniacs, wish I had a Damon - Nas

[IllmaticDelta]

I feel that too and what I’m saying is by the time Jay had Dame, Nas had Stoute. (In ‘96)

It’s easy to say no one taught you the business but you gotta be a man and learn your own business especially when you have the privilege of being around business minded people.

Let’s be honest, Nas is a HEAVY weed smoker and we all know weed smokers ain’t always on top of their shyt.

Jay wasn’t a weed smoker at that time and was smart enough to learn the business then make his own moves.

the business/mogul side of hiphop was an after thought for the most part by most rappers pre-1996.

 

[spliz]

I feel that too and what I’m saying is by the time Jay had Dame, Nas had Stoute. (In ‘96)

It’s easy to say no one taught you the business but you gotta be a man and learn your own business especially when you have the privilege of being around business minded people.

Let’s be honest, Nas is a HEAVY weed smoker and we all know weed smokers ain’t always on top of their shyt.

Jay wasn’t a weed smoker at that time and was smart enough to learn the business then make his own moves.

Jay said he barely smoked and Jay had Dame since WAY before 96 fam. Lol.

 

[MikeStamina]

I feel that too and what I’m saying is by the time Jay had Dame, Nas had Stoute. (In ‘96)

It’s easy to say no one taught you the business but you gotta be a man and learn your own business especially when you have the privilege of being around business minded people.

Let’s be honest, Nas is a HEAVY weed smoker and we all know weed smokers ain’t always on top of their shyt.

Jay wasn’t a weed smoker at that time and was smart enough to learn the business then make his own moves.

Bro what's up with you? You make some sense then completely go off the deep end. This whole post is stupid.

 

[Piff Perkins]

No. Nas wouldve went Gold if it wasnt bootlegged so heavy. Most people had the album before it was even out. It got bootlegged so bad that he HAD to release it. There was supposed to be more songs on the album. Faith Newman said this out her own mouth. Yall talkin like yall know more than the people that was actually there. For instance. This SAME thing happened with I Am. But with him having Stoute. He was able to bounce back from it and still went triple plat. Cause Stoute had the BUSINESS mind to navigate what Nas’ should do in that situation. And what u talkin bout glossy? fukk was so glossy about IWW? Nas had Premo, Stretch from Live Squad, and Havoc on production as well on IWW. Which sounded LESS glossy than Ready To Die which came out 2 years earlier, which sounded LESS glossy than the album Jay dropped the year after. And LESS glossy than Jay’s main single for Reasonable Doubt. nikkas was more made at the damn production credits than the actual production. Dame damn sure wouldnt have had IWW sounding any more street than it already did. IWW was street as fukk and THAT’s the REAL reason nikkas was mad.

Hold on. When I first asked you how Dame would prevent the bootlegging, you said everyone at Columbia was getting bootlegged which is true. Now you're back to saying Nas would've gone gold without the bootlegging...which we have already established would happen no matter who was in his corner.

Now you bring up I Am and claim Stoute's business mind helped Nas avoid poor sales. But...I Am had two huge singles. Nas Is Like got heavy play on the rap charts, as did Hate Me Now which also got play outside of rap radio plus had a huge video. OF COURSE the album sold despite the leaks...it reached the mainstream and had hits. Illmatic didn't reach the mainstream and had no hits. They aren't comparable examples breh.

You say IWW wasn't glossy as if hip hop purists weren't mad about Nas rapping over disco samples. I'm not saying I agree with the extreme views of those people...but it's a fact that the Trackmasters sound was more clean and less boom bap than what certain types of people wanted. Q-Tip told Steve Stoute that he was ruining Nas' career when he first heard the album. Rap purists/nerds hated the Trackmasters dude. I don't think it was about the streets either. The streets fukked with IWW...but a lot of purists fukked with street. Go listen to a random Stretch & Bobbito episode...60% of the shyt they played was street shyt lol. Prob more than 60%...

 

[kes929]

Nas is the goat. Just leave it at that. The song is fire too.

 

[spliz]

Hold on. When I first asked you how Dame would prevent the bootlegging, you said everyone at Columbia was getting bootlegged which is true. Now you're back to saying Nas wouldn't gone gold without the bootlegging...which we have already established would happen no matter who was in his corner.

Now you bring up I Am and claim Stoute's business mind helped Nas avoid poor sales. But...I Am had two huge singles. Nas Is Like got heavy play on the rap charts, as did Hate Me Now which also got play outside of rap radio plus had a huge video. OF COURSE the album sold despite the leaks...it reached the mainstream and had hits. Illmatic didn't reach the mainstream and had no hits. They aren't comparable examples breh.

You say IWW wasn't glossy as if hip hop purists weren't mad about Nas rapping over disco samples. I'm not saying I agree with the extreme views of those people...but it's a fact that the Trackmasters sound was more clean and less boom bap than what certain types of people wanted. Q-Tip told Steve Stoute that he was ruining Nas' career when he first heard the album. Rap purists/nerds hated the Trackmasters dude. I don't think it was about the streets either. The streets fukked with IWW...but a lot of purists fukked with street. Go listen to a random Stretch & Bobbito episode...60% of the shyt they played was street shyt lol. Prob more than 60%...

Son u really gotta work on ur reading. I said Nas WOULDVE gone Gold without the bootlegging. And u mentioning Nas Is Like and Hate Me Now? 2 songs that were NOT on the original I Am how it was intended? Like I said. Stoute knew how to Navigate thru the fukked up situation and hace Nas come out on top. They bootlegged his shyt. He turned around and released to BANGERS that weren't on the bootleg. Hate Me Now for the industry. And Nas Is Like for the streets. nikka IWW was not glossy. It was POLISHED. But it was street as fukk. Trackmasters did a GREAT job not going over the top and keeping the shyt street for Nas. And what Disco beat did Nas rap over on IWW?

 

[tuckgod]

Jay said he barely smoked and Jay had Dame since WAY before 96 fam. Lol.

Breh, you’re arguing small points when we’re mostly agreeing.

On Reasonable Doubt, Jay said “forget the weed, it keeps you broke”

He also has said quite a few times (back then) that he doesn’t smoke because he likes it too much and it keeps him off point.

Doesn’t mean that he NEVER smokes, he just wasn’t a weed head.

I’m trying to give Nas props when the consensus on here is usually he’s a terrible businessman.

If I started talking from that perspective, then nikkas would call me a hater.

In ‘96, Nas got with Trackmasters and had Stoute going to bat for him.

Jay’s debut album came out in ‘96 and that’s when Dame started throwing his weight around.

The label wasn’t even founded until ‘95 so I don’t know where you’re getting this “Jay been had Dame” talk from.

Before that, Dame was with COC and Original Flavor, and Jay had Jaz, Big Daddy Kane, and Clark Kent holding him down.

 

[spliz]

Breh, you’re arguing small points when we’re mostly agreeing.

I’m trying to give Nas props when the consensus on here is usually he’s a terrible businessman.

If I started talking from that perspective, then nikkas would call me a hater.

In ‘96, Nas got with Trackmasters and had Stoute going to bat for him.

Jay’s debut album came out in ‘96 and that’s when Dame started throwing his weight around.

The label wasn’t even founded until ‘95 so I don’t know where you’re getting this “Jay been had Dame” talk from.

Before that, Dame was with COC and Original Flavor, and Jay had Jaz, Big Daddy Kane, and Clark Kent holding him down.

But ur making this more about Jay than it should be. It’s not about Jay. It’s about Nas wishing he had someone like Dame at the start of his career. He prolly feels he wouldve had more of focus on his future than he did. And better insight on how to navigate during a tough time in his career.

 

[tuckgod]

Bro what's up with you? You make some sense then completely go off the deep end. This whole post is stupid.

Nothing wrong with what I said at all.

nikkas that’s known for being weed heads are usually the nikkas that don’t have their affairs in order.

The nikkas in hip hop that don’t smoke (or didn’t on their come up) are usually the nikkas running shyt ie. Puff, Jay, 50, etc.

Even Dame didn’t start getting off point until he started smoking heavy after Aaliyah passed.

I know nikkas that still smoke heavily don’t want to hear it.

I get it, I used to be a weed head too.

I’ve actually given a lot of thought to this topic, and there’s a lot of truth to it.

Granted, there’s exceptions to everything (ie. Curren$y), but it’s hard to be about your business consistently when your head is in the clouds, your emotions are sporadic, and your priorities are fukked up.

 

[tuckgod]

But ur making this more about Jay than it should be. It’s not about Jay. It’s about Nas wishing he had someone like Dame at the start of his career. He prolly feels he wouldve had more of focus on his future than he did. And better insight on how to navigate during a tough time in his career.

And like I said, I feel that.

I’m also saying Nas had those type of nikkas around him too but maybe didn’t take advantage of his situation like Jay did.

nikkas ain’t just going to give you game, because nobody just gave it to them.

When you’re given something with little effort to get it on your part, it won’t mean as much.

You gotta be on point enough to soak it in for yourself, ask pertinent questions, and when you show initiative to learn, then nikkas might start hitting you off with more jewels.

A lot of rappers wake up from their haze after being in the game like 10 years, and the money starts slowing up, then they start pointing fingers and placing blame.

I’m only using Jay because Nas used Dame as his example.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Son u really gotta work on ur reading. I said Nas WOULDVE gone Gold without the bootlegging. And u mentioning Nas Is Like and Hate Me Now? 2 songs that were NOT on the original I Am how it was intended? Like I said. Stoute knew how to Navigate thru the fukked up situation and hace Nas come out on top. They bootlegged his shyt. He turned around and released to BANGERS that weren't on the bootleg. Hate Me Now for the industry. And Nas Is Like for the streets. nikka IWW was not glossy. It was POLISHED. But it was street as fukk. Trackmasters did a GREAT job not going over the top and keeping the shyt street for Nas. And what Disco beat did Nas rap over on IWW?

I edited the post, meant to say "would've."

Since Illmatic is already full of bangers, I'm assuming you're saying Dame would have gotten Nas to do some type of industry/mainstream track to be added to the album and thus get him gold right? Sorry...I'm not buying that argument. The album was rushed out to combat the leak anyway. Fate was sealed. I Am's situation was more dire because it was online/mp3s, so everyone in the damn world had it right away. I'd argue I Am was gonna sell well regardless due to the budget and promotion, but yea adding two hit singles was major. And let's not forget it should have been three hit singles...they didn't make You Won't See Me Tonight a proper single (with a video!) for some reason smh. Timbo was confused as fukk by that.

The Linda Clifford sample on Street Dreams is a disco record. I'm not criticizing the album, I fukk with IWW. But denying that there was a large group of hardcore rap dudes who didn't like the production is rewriting history. You say polished...I say clean. Basically the same thing. I have no issue with the Trackmasters beats on the album.

 

[You Win Perfect]

I used to defend Nas alot but he just as weird as Jigga is when it comes to each other these nikkas are 40+ still on some frenemy shyt

Is it Webster Hall duets or is it subliminals and dropping projects on each others release dates

ya'll wierdo fakkits. get off Jayonce's dikk. Dame is a proven real one.

 

[tuckgod]

the business/mogul side of hiphop was an after thought for the most part by most rappers pre-1996.

I agree and said something to this effect somewhere in this thread.

 

[Cuban Pete]

ya'll wierdo fakkits. get off Jayonce's dikk. Dame is a proven real one.

Who the fukk was hating on dame bro

Reading comprehension low as fukk

 

[up in here]

In 96 nas was a 22 year old still running with wolves. Yeah stoute was managing him but stoute wasnt running with him. Stoute wasnt his right hand.

In 96 jay was a 28 year old man with the most business minded cats as his right hand man who had been with him for a couple of years already. Dame was with jay everywhere.