Albums Nas & DJ Premier - Light-Years (Discussion Thread)

[Wig Twistin Season]

@Crumple

Favorites off the top of my head (mostly in the order that I purchased them).

Strictly Business, EPMD
It Takes A Nation Of Millions, Public Enemy
Low End Theory, ATCQ
Enter the Wu Tang 36 Chambers, Wu Tang Clan
Blow Out Comb, Digable Planets
The Chronic, Dr. Dre
Nas, Illmatic
The Infamous, Mobb Deep
Doggy Style, Snoop
OB4CL, Raekwon
Ready to Die, Biggie
SPICE-1, SPICE-1
Music to Drivebt, CMW
Temples of Boom, Cypress Hill
Bizarre Ride, The Pharcyde
All Eyez On Me, 2Pac
93 Til Infinity, Souls of Mischeif
In A Major Way, E-40
Death Certificate, Ice Cube
Etc., etc…

Does my taste in music give me your approval to have an opinion?

 

[Cladyclad]

Reality.

But people don’t understand, that Nas wanted a certain kind of sound-bed for this project. If he wanted the same kinda joints that Preem was giving everybody else recently, Preem could've cooked those up in no time. Like you said, he still has a lot of hot beats. Nas literally shaped these beats with Primo. And he was able to build a mad dope project with him, and execute perfectly on the ideas he had for it.

Thing is, casuals and fake "fans" don’t really get how these albums are made, or understand what Nas was going for. They just have a weird thing with what THEY want from dude. But they're clearly not who he makes music for. LOL!! It ain't for them.

So Nas picks bad beats is real?

 

[Controversy]

Oaktown 357 was mentioned toward the end. Even JJ Fad was mentioned.

I didn't say they weren't and I knew oaktown was mentioned on the song

I just think it was dope that 5 Philly female MCs got a s/o

 

[L $ C]

The biggest thing that gets overlooked about hit boy when you’re talking ALBUMS not just 1 or 2 beats is that a lot of his beats sound nothing alike. He’s insanely versitle. One of the most versitile we ever seen

 

[Piff Perkins]

We've gone from "Premo understands the magnitude of this project and won't fukk it up" to "well actually these aren't supposed to be bangers, they reckon back to another period where..."

Stop it. We heard Premo beats back then too. He had bangers. Show me the Gangstarr album with Welcome To The Underground on it. And no, I'm not expecting early 90s Premo - or any previous era Premo. That ship has sailed, I get it. But it's clear most people in this thread aren't feeling this and when you subtract the trolls, most of us are not rap noobs. The consensus in this thread for WEEKS was that Premo has made some dope beats in the last couple years so of course he can do that for Nas too. Well...he didn't. And the fact that the De La album just came out makes me feel like I can rest my case.

We spent months talking about Premo competing with Tip and Pete Rock's recent stellar outputs. And if anyone says these beats are in the ballpark of those albums you need your ears checked.

 

[L. Deezy]

Also, never imagined Nas doing the "me and my alter ego" songs and was surpprised how good it was. Canibus still has the best of all time though

Right..

Tracey Lee has a nice alter ego one too.

 

[Mike Wins]

Truth.

When they previewed the album for us, the word was "We're doing this for Hip Hop and taking it back to the essence". People keep mentioning "Nas Is Like", but that sound isn't what they wanted for this project. At all.

They said this is for the "Sidekick with Dapper Dan interior days". Thing is, a lot of the casuals don’t even know what means or they missed that era, so they're not going to understand what Nas is saying. But songs like 'Pause Tapes", "Madman" and others are literally made with that in mind. This one is for the REAL heads. Bro curated this for a very particular listener.

Always said my least favorite part of online hip hop discussion is the rush to judge albums for what they not instead of what they are. Everyone had their fan fiction version of what this was supposed to sound like and it was never gonna be that. Nas entire career since Illmatic he mostly refused to go the expected route. It's why so many of his projects end up polarizing.

But what work for Nas ain't what work for most rappers. The thought of most modern rappers in this lane trying to rap over Shine Together and sound cool is comedy. But Nas was floating on it, song work even if the instrumental ain't a prototypical banger. I don't love every track or think it's an instant classic, but it's a dope project and mostly accomplished what it was aiming for. Lyrically, conceptually, content wise it's on point and most the beats fit the aim of the songs. Whether everyone gonna like it or accept it for what it is, that's another conversation.

 

[Zero]

Bro..nothing bout this beat says it's better than what Nas got. Real talk

I'm sure it doesn't

 

[Icewatermetallik]

I might put KD2 alongside this album or even above it, but otherwise yeah this is better than most of the Hit Boy run - and I still love those albums, even Magic 2

Bruh aint no way this is better than Magic 1 or KD 3

 

[TripleAgent]

aight man there isn't a song on here better than the truth or Speechless from Magic but y'all cook . Music is subjective Nas did his part for the most part Preem on the other hand not good enough. Of course Nas plays a huge role all I'm asking is Preemo to step his shyt up. No reason Big fukking Shug get's classic Preem shyt but Nas can't?

Ran both of those back before replying. I'll take Madman, Nasty Esco Nasir and My Story Your Story over them, and every Nas/Hit-Boy song.

 

[TripleAgent]

Right..

Tracey Lee has a nice alter ego one too.

Word? What's the title?

 

[CHERUB]

Im on my 10th listen of the album. I skip My life is real, Sons and Bouquet consistently.Only cuz I may not be in the mood. Still bump those. Everything else just rides. And I dont give a fukk this a big speaker/whip album. This dude cared enough to make a song shouting out the graffiti guys. I dont care how it sound, to fix your face to hate on it makes you a fakkit. Fukk your opinion to be honest

 

[HNIC973]

Ran both of those back before replying. I'll take Madman, Nasty Esco Nasir and My Story Your Story over them, and every Nas/Hit-Boy song.

to each his own

 

[MikeStamina]

Of course we get Doggie’s two cents.

I can't stand scary negros like this.

Either say it with your full chest or stfup

 

[theflyest]

Nah we good on Hitboy

We needed Preemo for an entire album

This dude said overkill

I can tell you’re probably not from NYC

Hit Boy should have been the executive producer and oversaw this album. I didn’t say produce, but executive produce.

Primo failed the hip hop world with this effort

He can go to hell