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

[Knucklehead]

Let’s be reality here.
The idea that this site somehow hates on Nas is laughable on every level. This is more than anything a Nas fan site.
What it’s not is a safe space for where any criticism of Nas is somehow an insult. He will never read any of these posts and even if he did everyone is entitled to their own tastes and opinions.
This is an album that people have been waiting decades for. Staked their entire online persona on. Hated on every producer he worked with because this is what they wanted.
Reasonable minds can differ on the overall quality of this album but I would wager that exceedingly few fans would have it as even close to a top 10 Nas album. People were complaining about the year end lists coming out too early but i doubt almost anyone thinks this album would be on any of them.
It doesn’t mean it’s a bad album it just means people are disappointed. It’s not an attack on Nas or Nas fandom it’s just how people feel.
We’re on a message board in 2025. There are no “casuals” here. They’re long gone. Just be happy Nas and Preem are alive healthy and making music.

 

[Ziggiy]

@Ziggiy @spliz

My guys, I'm probably in the middle of y'all. Like I love this album ..but I'm not ready to rank it over any of the Hit albums. And that includes Magic II

Slow it Down, Pistols -->

What Nas & Hit-Boy accomplished was nothing short of phenomenal.

I’m still digesting everything from Light Years to properly rank it amongst his discography but from my level of enjoyability and Nas just simply rapping like a superhuman I can say with certainty this album will rank above KD1 and Magic 2

 

[spliz]

Especially compared to the outpouring of love for the De La and Mobb albums? Come on, it's obvious. We've had multiple veterans release albums this year that had everyone (fans, producers, rappers, etc) talking, starting with the Clipse. And I'm seeing none of that type of reaction right now.

Even accounting for the fact they could never give people what they wanted (IE 1999-2003 era shyt)...nah. Hell no.

Exactly. I like the album and still feel it's a failure based on the divisiveness alone.

 

[MikeStamina]

That ladies track is cheesy. He was dissing most of them like a year ago

This is the internet fool. Back up what you're saying or stfup.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Let’s be reality here.
The idea that this site somehow hates on Nas is laughable on every level. This is more than anything a Nas fan site.
What it’s not is a safe space for where any criticism of Nas is somehow an insult. He will never read any of these posts and even if he did everyone is entitled to their own tastes and opinions.
This is an album that people have been waiting decades for. Staked their entire online persona on. Hated on every producer he worked with because this is what they wanted.
Reasonable minds can differ on the overall quality of this album but I would wager that exceedingly few fans would have it as even close to a top 10 Nas album. People were complaining about the year end lists

This. It's always been a forum dominated by Nas fans/stans. We even got someone from Nas' team who comes in every few months to threaten anyone who dares have criticisms lol. On some "well clearly Nas isn't appreciated so maybe he's never gonna rap again" shyt like we're children. Is it art or not? Because if it's art we can discuss/praise/critique/etc it.

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Say what you want but people hating on pause tapes is crazy to me

I agree, to the point that I'm wondering if anybody who hates on that even loves HipHop lol.

Pause Tape and Writers are just so pure, every line and sound on these joints is the core of this genre.

 

[scorpino]

Diamonds jumping like Bobby with a Gumby cut

 

[TEH]

This is for the old school boom bap heads... we are few but we're outchea

 

[Zero]

GiT Ready = github

 

[NormanConnors]

Truth.

Preem definitely showed up. He brings out the best in Nas. There is no other producer who gets Nas rapping out of his mind, like this. They actually sat down and came up with the concepts together and built the structure for these joints together. So Nas directed Preem on what he needed production-wise and they came up with every detail. Which is why I think Nas sounds so fired up!

One of the OG's just said on IG that Nas ain't rap like this consistently, since the 90's. And he's right!

That's exactly what I hear on this, I had a feeling Nas may have directed Preem on what he needed, he just sounded totally different on this to me. Another reason for the difference I believe is that Preem has a tendency to coach cats on how to say/deliver certain things. I remember him saying he does that with any emcee no matter the pedigree/caliber of who he's dealing with.

That's why im a bit surprised by the stance of some of the cats in here that I know get busy with the beats and the rhymes, they should know emcees like what they like/can get inspiration from different avenues.

Also if you notice, the real 'banger' type joints he usually (with a few exceptions) gives to the emcees that are not necessarily lyrical and the let em breathe (not as complicated) joints he gives to the lyricist, we've seen with stuff he's given to Nas, Ra and etc, beats be dope as fukk but not complicated at all.

 

[Slim Charles]

As common said “if I ain’t like it I ain’t like it don’t mean that im hating”

I agree there’s some clear Nas haters in here. But let’s not act like it’s the usual suspects that are “hating”. There’s a few of us here who basically Nas stans who loved the Hit stuff and also loved Nas’ older stuff. But just haven’t enjoyed this as much as we hoped. It’s just the way it is. Doesn’t mean we have an agenda. I think the albums solid but I just don’t have this need to spin it back over and over like I had with Nas’ first 4 with Hit. If being honest I wasn’t big on Magic 2 or Magic 3 (latter half of Magic 3 is fire). I’ve not made that many posts in here as there’s no point adding negativity but let’s be clear, a lot that don’t like it aren’t the types that hate whatever Nas does. They’re just not feeling it and they wished they did love it . It’s not deeper than that

 

[NormanConnors]

Wrath of the Math was right there with TSRITE. Production-wise.

He worked on that at the same time he did Livin' Proof. That was Primo in his prime. During that stretch, I don’t think bro made one weak beat. I have those three albums tied. That's how dope they were, to me. He couldn't lose back then.

Have a short on story for Wrath of the Math

Back in high-school my locker was next to this cat name Rufus, it was the morning after Wrath dropped and we got to choppin it up on some random shyt eventually navigating towards music, I didn't even know dude was a hiphop head until he randomly blurted out "you heard that new Jeru" on some testing me type of shyt lol. Anyhow we both were on how killed the Fugees with one bar and Preem's beats on the project.

I ended up running into dude almost 20 something years later at the grocery store and picked that conversation up again

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Nah fam ....... we know what premo is capable of without even lookin at his past work with Nas....

Outside of the OC joint, people would be complaining about, "That's the same ol boring stuff", if Nas rapped over those same beats today

 

[Rekkapryde]

I disagree. I been listening to gangstarr since I was like 13 and have loved the production primo has done from then til now. and while he's had plenty of misses in the modern era, dude still got it. a lot of the shyt he's been producing the last couple years been hitting in my opinion, and this album sounds fresh as hell. hit-boy is dope, but he is not premier level. even in 2025.

100% how I feel and I like the Hit Boy joints. Funny I like Magic 2 more than most.

 

[Rekkapryde]

man I first heard nas back in early 1994 when I was 16. this was after live at the bbq and what not.

and ever since songs like ny state of mind and represent, I have wanted to hear this EXACT album. decades after being teased, to see this actually come to fruition is .

and it's not like they phoned it in. they both did their thing. I don't care what anyone says. outside of guru (and perhaps jeru), there is no other rapper that primo has this level of chemistry with.