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

[ThirdAct]

Difference is Playa Hater is funny while Dr. Knockboot is awkward. You dont get points for the attempt.

"Nas has written some of the greatest hip hop songs ever" has zilch to do with this conversation. Like I said, Nas has strengths so high that the weaknesses arent a big deal...but he DOES have weaknesses, that being one of them. Its okay.

Playa Hater is definitely awkward too lol

 

[spliz]

You saw what that guy was saying earlier? I gave him examples of great Nas songs and his reply was "great songwriting appeals to the masses." What kind of insane mindset is that? When did a hip hop song need to appeal to middle-aged suburban moms to be considered great?

Then he quoted lyrics from "Heaven" forgetting that Nas had two hits from the same album he quoted.

I'm done. There's no saving these idiots.

Drake must be the greatest songwriter in Hip Hop history going by their mindset. But the goalpost will get moved.

 

[spliz]

Playa Hater is definitely awkward too lol

shyt. Dr Knockboot is a better written song if u wanna be technical. Playa Hater is just a flip on existing lyrics. It’s just funny af. His singing is funny especially at the end.

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

You saw what that guy was saying earlier? I gave him examples of great Nas songs and his reply was "great songwriting appeals to the masses." What kind of insane mindset is that? When did a hip hop song need to appeal to middle-aged suburban moms to be considered great?

Then he quoted lyrics from "Heaven" forgetting that Nas had two hits from the same album he quoted.

I'm done. There's no saving these idiots.

the same shyt Hammer got ran out of hip hop for is the same shyt these kids today are telling us that makes someone great. Appealing to white folks and mainstream media.

 

[spliz]

the same shyt Hammer got ran out of hip hop for is the same shyt these kids today are telling us that makes someone great. Appealing to white folks and mainstream media.

Exactly.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Songwriting ain’t a nikka weakness when he has songs in the fukking Smithsonian. U nikkas gotta be kidding. Songwriting ain’t only about “hit records”. And actually. Alotta nikkas on the streets thought Dr Knockboot was funny. U not even old to enough to remember. U just see a narrative getting regurgitated over and over and now u repeating it. Nas has weaknesses. Songwriting ain’t one of em. That’s like saying Kendrick has a songwriting weakness cause Drake has a million more hits than the nikka.

Tap dancing CHRIST nikka, it's like all of yall are talking AT me and not actually listening to a word I said..


How many times have I had to clarify that I'm NOT criticizing Nas as a writer overall and simply pointing out *one* of his weaknesses. I did NOT say that Nas is a bad songwriter. I said

I'm not regurgitating narratives. I have a fukking brain. I dont like Dr. Lockwood. I think its dumb and corny on my own volition. I could not care less what any street. Igga or message board nikka has to say about, I can only go off of what *I* hear as a listener and asses from there; stop shoving your own narratives and words in nikkas mouths - believe it or not, not everybody is coming in with an agenda, we're just being objective about what we hear. Nas is probably the GOAT for me, but that doesn't not preclude me from seeing areas where he could be better at that other people have on him

I'm sorry if I'm being aggressive but goddamn some of yall are frustrating to have these conversations with cuz yall are bringing too much baggage into it and projecting it onto everybody with a different viewpoint

 

[spliz]

Tap dancing CHRIST nikka, it's like all of yall are talking AT me and not actually listening to a word I said..


How many times have I had to clarify that I'm NOT criticizing Nas as a writer overall and simply pointing out *one* of his weaknesses. I did NOT say that Nas is a bad songwriter. I said

I'm not regurgitating narratives. I have a fukking brain. I dont like Dr. Lockwood. I think its dumb and corny on my own volition. I could not care less what any street. Igga or message board nikka has to say about, I can only go off of what *I* hear as a listener and asses from there; stop shoving your own narratives and words in nikkas mouths - believe it or not, not everybody is coming in with an agenda, we're just being objective about what we hear. Nas is probably the GOAT for me, but that doesn't not preclude me from seeing areas where he could be better at that other people have on him

I'm sorry if I'm being aggressive but goddamn some of yall are frustrating to have these conversations with cuz ysll sre bringing too much baggage j to it and projecting it onto everybody with a different viewpoint

nikka and IM telling u that it AINT one of his weaknesses. What u not getting? It’s one of this STRENGTHS nikka.

 

[((ReFleXioN)) EteRNaL]

Real question

What type of beats you wanted nas to rap over?

Real question

Put the instrumentals from other songs you THINK nas should have rapped over


I’m super curious because this is a great album maybe 3 are off kilter but what’s the problem??

Put it here

In all honesty he should just link with TDE/PG Lang. There's obviously mutual respect there. Him and Kendrick got the same manager. And Nas got the money. Sounwave is prolly the best producer in the game right now. He would be able that give Nas anything he needs. And the beats would actually be catered to his style, be mixed well, and actually bang. Their in house producers and musicians are second to none. Nas needs to make an album with real musicians. Stop with these guys who have generic ass "boom bap" stock sounds in all of their beats. Boom bap has progressed way beyond the 90's.


You telling me you wouldn't wanna hear Nas over beats this sonically and musically superb?

 

[Izanami]

Real question

What type of beats you wanted nas to rap over?

Real question

Put the instrumentals from other songs you THINK nas should have rapped over


I’m super curious because this is a great album maybe 3 are off kilter but what’s the problem??

Put it here

I think the first 4 beats are just okay and none are standouts. Beats like “Madman”, “Writers” Nasty Esco Nasir” should’ve been on the first half. I think asking Premo to make a 15 track LP in 2025 was asking too much imo

 

[Overpss]

nikka said Nas was a good songwriter

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

My top 3 so far:

It's Time - this track isn't talked about enough imo.
Writers
Madman...or Junkie

 

[FunkDoc1112]

nikka and IM telling u that it AINT one of his weaknesses. What u not getting? It’s one of this STRENGTHS nikka.

nikka, I didnt say SONGWRITING is his weakness. I said making commercial songs is his weakness. That's simply one component of songwriting, not the entire thing, and I do think it's a flaw because hes made plenty of songs that were attempting to be hits but stumbled for some reason or other; and like I said, I think being able to take a complex idea and make it resonate with a broad audience without dumbing it down is a strength cuz at the end of the day music is simple, and a feeling. Popularity isn't everything but a reason why the Stevies and Michael's of the world are considered GOATs is because of the power their music had to reach everyone while also being crafted at the highest level. It'd be one thing if Nas just stayed in a underground lane but even in Untitled he had a couple of commercial grabs that fell flat be cause they were just weak.

All I'm saying is there are certain other rappers that if tasked with making hits, Summer On Smash and We Make The World Go Round wouldn't be the common results. Does it make Nas a worse overall MC than Kendrick and kill his GOAT case. NO!!! But it is an issue he has and an argument I'd be willing to entertain from somebody who does think Kendrick's better. All this shyt is opinion at the end of the day and there's no ranking that's been inscribed to federal law. It ain't like Kendrick is Drake or somebody doi g some shallow bullshyt; if some folks have him over Nas for some reason or other than so be it, all these dramatics are silly and out of touch.

 

[New Jeruzalem Journalist]

I might be the only that fukks with Welcome To The Underground

No, you're not. I been knocking that song like crazy. Nas spazzed the fukk out, beat knocks, and the Ice Cube sample is the icing on the cake.

 

[FunkDoc1112]

In all honesty he should just link with TDE/PG Lang. There's obviously mutual respect there. Him and Kendrick got the same manager. And Nas got the money. Sounwave is prolly the best producer in the game right now. He would be able that give Nas anything he needs. And the beats would actually be catered to his style, be mixed well, and actually bang. Their in house producers and musicians are second to none. Nas needs to make an album with real musicians. Stop with these guys who have generic ass "boom bap" stock sounds in all of their beats. Boom bap has progressed way beyond the 90's.


You telling me you wouldn't wanna hear Nas over beats this sonically and musically superb?

The problems with this album are simply a matter of execution, not style. I would like to hear Nas with some of TDEs guys but any problems this album has is an indictment of Premo at this stage of his career, not this type of boom bap, a lot of these songs have easy fixes that would make the debates moot.

People keep bigging up Hit Boy but it's not like his beats were the Smithsonian, hell a lot of them do have similar hollowness in different ways, a lot of "Type beats"

 

[HNIC973]

I comeback to this thread to see Nas isn't an elite songwriter? nikka been around since 91 double digit plaques 6 #1 albums/ How the fukk he move units based off his lyrics alone?. Yeah some of you nikkaz need to exit this thread