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

[L. Deezy]

First listen and I like it. Does it touch the previous work of this duo? No but I didn't expect 15 NYSOM level tracks given their age and current forms. Nas lyrical is still good but I do feel like there has been a decline in the sharp descriptive visual lyricism he used to showcase. He can still rhyme for the sake of rhyming but the vivid storytelling was what set him apart from his contemporaries. I think this is just the comfort of his new tax bracket and being an old man now...can't be around the bs like when you're young and pen it down.

Preme...the beats are definitely throwbacks but get a lil too monotonous. 2nd half of the album is a lot stronger. Album definitely takes off after Pause Tapes (which I didn't mind). Standout tracks to me are Writers, It's Time (love a good Fly Like an Eagle flip), Nasty Esco Nasir, & My Life is Real. No surprise the track where Nas shines the most are the ones where he gets deep into a concept or gets to reminisce. Also to go from Black Girl Lost to that pandering nonsense that's Bouquet . These "for the female" tracks from Nas lately don't matchup with his age and modern day chicks. Stay is an example of Nas in that type of bag perfectly.

Overall, a solid effort even if a bit disappointing considering how long we've waited for this collab and I doubt when I want to listen to a Nas/Preme joint, I'll play anything on this first.

Coli rage..always hating women. Bouquet is the shyt

 

[MikeStamina]

Ok so it’s not just me? That’s wild to me especially considering his recent contributions on the Mobb album

You can't spot Sarcasm?
Dude that quoted you was not agreeing with you.

Guess who else Nas forgot to shout out?
Blue Ivy Carter

This muhfukka said not shouting out Santana Fox was egregious. You can't fukking be serious. What has she done? lol n smh

 

[Pack2]

You can't spot Sarcasm?
Dude that quoted you was not agreeing with you.

Guess who else Nas forgot to shout out?
Blue Ivy Carter

This muhfukka said not shouting out Santana Fox was egregious. You can't fukking be serious. What has she done? lol n smh

I hope I’m spotting sarcasm now bc holy shyt

 

[Nero Christ]

Coli rage..always hating women. Bouquet is the shyt

I don't hate women...track just isn't as good as his prior efforts in this lane.

I didn't say he had to make Oochie Wally pt 2

Like I said, Cherry Wine and Stay are recent efforts (in terms of his whole career) that are more natural efforts than Bouquet

 

[Chip Skylark]

Nas rapping is 5/5!!!!

Premo beats 3.

Album is 4 mics to me. I love it!

 

[New Jeruzalem Journalist]

Truth.

I like what you said about the BDP thing because I told my boy that "Pause Tapes" reminds me A LOT of "Poetry" from Criminal Minded. That sound that we used to go crazy for back in the day, as kids. That's what they said they wanted this project to be. And they came through on that.

A few months ago, when they played us the unfinished demos for the album, and the beats were basically bare bones, I remember I was telling you I was like "WTF is this sh*t? Where's the rest of the beat? Nah, this is weak". HAHA! That's when they told us the concept and said to just chill and wait for the finished versions. They had to add more sh*t and refine the sound. So by the second listen, we were all like..

I shyt you not that's the first song I thought about when I first played the album and heard the song. It reminded me of Poetry and Straight Out The Jungle by Jungle Brothers.

But again, I'm not shyting on anybody's hip-hop card if they disagree about this album.

I'm just shytting on your ears, lol. Album is dope, man. Y'all really missing out not sitting with this album for a few spins. Time of day might matter too. Different vibe listening to this shyt at night versus day time, though I enjoy both vibes.

 

[Cladyclad]

Tell that chip tooth b*stard to make a love letter to the Escobar era

 

[MikeStamina]

Nas ain’t doing that chatty patty shyt and i’m sure Joe knew that. He could go on Breakfast Club if he wanted to be inundated with any of that stuff.

Plus half that stuff we could use context clues to how he’d respond

Nicki- They had their time together and now she’s a married woman with a child. Nicki herself has said Nas treated her with respect and he carries himself like a King.

Jay- Thats what he’s supposed to say. Nas would say thats how he himself thinks. Plus he actually said on his last breakfast club that Swizz Beatz approached him about doing a Versuz against Jay and he has no interest in doing it whatsoever.

Puff- I’m sure he’d say he never partied with Puff in THAT manner and never saw him do anything nefarious.

Dame- There’s nothing to say about Dame that the world hasn’t already said

Jimmy- See the verse on U Ain’t Got A Chance

Kanye- He spoke on Kanye in the Breakfast Club interview

Kelis- Sensitive subject. Would kind of be disrespectful to even ask him to indulge in any of that. Thats still the mother of his son regardless of any past issues.

So this is you in Nas brain?

Joe should've just interviewed you then huh

Come on doggie. Don't ever do this lame shyt again

 

[thekidfromqueens]

Nas carried it to a championship BECAUSE of the production, not in spite of it. Thats what people are failing to understand.

Both Nas and Preme went into this album with a game plan. To pay homage to the origins of Hip Hop and the four elements (or pillars) of the culture. And to do that, Nas wanted a sonic landscape that SOUNDED like the beginning.

You don’t get Nas rapping the WAY he’s rapping if Premier does anything different.

I agree with Premier bringing out the best in Nas, but it seems like Nas didn't go in with any game plan as to what content he'd write, and he mentioned it a few times on the podcast interview.

I truly love this album (Pause tapes might be my favorite joint, it's crazy to me people hate that beat) but I would love to see an album where Nas just listens to Premier. That interview showed me there was a lot of back and forth (normal and welcome for most collabs) but I found myself excited for the "coaching" Premier was doing and was agreeing with his visions for the album.

 

[perfectblack999]

Album grew on me. If he kept it to

Madman
Pause Tapes
Writers
Sons
It’s Time
Nasty Esco Nasir
My Story Your Story
Bouquet
Junkie
Shine Together

It would have been a 4/5 album. He is spitting on the other songs but the beats are too damn distracting or boring for me to care. Git Ready, the hook is too annoying for me, but it’s a cool’s song.

Either way, Nas was probably officially my GOAT after LiG. Anything past that was a cherry on top. The fact he did the Hitboy series plus this in what like 5 years is crazy. I told my wife Nas released another album and her first response was “AGAIN?!”

His output is amazing at 50+.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Pete might try to sue him after the album comes out. Probably best to stay away from that can of worms.

I'ma go ahead and say I don’t think Nas would agree with that.

But enough from me on that, lol.

 

[Awesome Wells]

I shyt you not that's the first song I thought about when I first played the album and heard the song. It reminded me of Poetry and Straight Out The Jungle by Jungle Brothers.

But again, I'm not shyting on anybody's hip-hop card if they disagree about this album.

I'm just shytting on your ears, lol. Album is dope, man. Y'all really missing out not sitting with this album for a few spins. Time of day might matter too. Different vibe listening to this shyt at night versus day time, though I enjoy both vibes.

YESSIR!

I just feel like for those of us who grew up in that era, we have a different ear when it comes to sh*t like that. I heard "Poetry" damn near right away. Everyone I know that I've talked to about the album, is hearing the same sh*t we're hearing, bro. They all caught the references and concepts and got teleported back to the era.

We all hear so many classics from back in the day when we throw this album on. Nas and Preem's plan worked like a MF.

 

[L. Deezy]

I don't hate women...track just isn't as good as his prior efforts in this lane.

I didn't say he had to make Oochie Wally pt 2

Like I said, Cherry Wine and Stay are recent efforts (in terms of his whole career) that are more natural efforts than Bouquet

Cherry wine and Stay don't go with the theme of Light Years which is basically a love letter to hip hop... come on now

Like how yall can't put the pieces together is crazy.

 

[The Dust King]

But I have a feeling a reunion with Pete is coming.

yeah i have a feeling we gettin another
nas X az X pete rock collab

 

[ThirdAct]

Nas was flowing crazy on every song on here