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

[Discipline]

Dudes down so bad they hoping for dusty youtubers with 3k subs get back together

Only in a Nas thread

My nikka, quote me. I'm not these other dudes falling for your corny and obvious troll tactics and nonsensical takes. I don't give a fukk about your opinion about anything. Mine was about a podcaster duo who spoke about hiphop that I thought were better than when they broke up. No more no less.

 

[Newark88]

So after sitting with this album for a few days (listening to it on my phone, playing it in the car, listening to it while shoveling the snow earlier), it’s just cool to me. Nas delivers as always but I do have to go with the general consensus that Primo’s beats on this range from ok to mid. And as others noted, part of it can be do to the mixing/engineering of the album that can tamper with the sound of the music. For example, a song like It’s Time or Get Ready both have the elements of a great Premier beat but you can tell something is slightly off. It doesn’t have that warmth or grit on the bottom end (pause). Now I do like the first song, Sons (probably my favorite song off the album), Madman, the song with AZ, Writers, 3rd Childhood, Junkie is cool. NYSOM 3 is a disappointment, Pause Tapes (tho I appreciate the concept), the beat doesn’t do it for me, Welcome To The Underground is a boring listen to me. I’ll give album a 3.5 mics. I’ve been a Nas fan since Live At The BBQ and a Premier fan since hearing Red Alert play Manifest on Kiss FM for the first time. Actually Preem is my favorite Hip Hop producer ever. But I don’t think I want a whole produced album from him in 2026.

 

[prophecypro]

I’m hindsight we should have known Kanye was too crazy to land the plane. I wouldn’t have foreseen we’d get a Premo album with nothing that matches his best beats over the last couple years.

Was too early in Ye’s behavior to predict and he did do Daytona. Obviously Nasiir was a project that was a result of how it was put together or not in its case

As for Light Years, whether it matches Preems best work past couple of years or not I do feel there’s more good beats than bad. I know people wanted a groundbreaking instant classic but it’s more in line in how he always produces now and there hasn’t been a Preemo that has stopped the world in recent times but still seem dope . People are accustomed to him for an EP or a couple of songs on an album and I feel like there’s 8 or 9 beats here that are good which if that’s all was on the project or one of a couple of beats for another people would be less tough.

Maybe, who knows . Still feels like people believed he had a stash saved for Nas and sometimes that’s not how it comes always

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Do people forget about that Kanye and nas album?


Such a weird time

Nas said he never even heard it before it was put out


He had no idea what was going on


People should have looked at Kanye with a side eye back then


Kanye didn’t get 1/10th of what premo geting right now behind that album

Kanye didn’t get as much heat because no one ever expected Nas and Kanye to deliver in the way they expected Nas and Primo to

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Nasir would like to have a word lol

Maybe his most polarizing, seeing as now theres a general conensus on other albums and this one might take some time to figure out.

The Nasir project was never highly anticipated for multiple decades. Primo and Nas project was the east coast Detox that we actually finally received.

 

[Playaz Eyez]

After a couple more listens, I do like this album, but there’s no way in hell people in here are saying this is better than ANY of the Hit-Boy albums lmao. All 6 Hit-Boy albums are better than this. Also what this album lets me know is Pete Rock >>>>> Premo.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

So after sitting with this album for a few days (listening to it on my phone, playing it in the car, listening to it while shoveling the snow earlier), it’s just cool to me. Nas delivers as always but I do have to go with the general consensus that Primo’s beats on this range from ok to mid. And as others noted, part of it can be do to the mixing/engineering of the album that can tamper with the sound of the music. For example, a song like It’s Time or Get Ready both have the elements of a great Premier beat but you can tell something is slightly off. It doesn’t have that warmth or grit on the bottom end (pause). Now I do like the first song, Sons (probably my favorite song off the album), Madman, the song with AZ, Writers, 3rd Childhood, Junkie is cool. NYSOM 3 is a disappointment, Pause Tapes (tho I appreciate the concept), the beat doesn’t do it for me, Welcome To The Underground is a boring listen to me. I’ll give album a 3.5 mics. I’ve been a Nas fan since Live At The BBQ and a Premier fan since hearing Red Alert play Manifest on Kiss FM for the first time. Actually Preem is my favorite Hip Hop producer ever. But I don’t think I want a whole produced album from him in 2026.

It’s a 3.5 to me too. I gave Nas a 4.5 and I gave Primo a 2.5. That may end up feeling harsh but there’s no world where I think I can give Primo more than a 3 here.

I actually think more than a couple beats on here don’t even use samples at all, which feels insane to consider.

Most Primo beats had so many lush sounds in the sample choices, and so many eccentric and odd ball little sound effects and weird noises. Where is any of that? Where is one beat that makes you truly screwface? It’s not on here. Out of 15 tries. Unbelievable.

I’m listening to the Ransom and Roc Marci projects Primo produced (and the De La ones) and the beats are so much doper and more flavorful.

Not a single beat on Light Years makes my top 10 or even top 20 beats of 2025 which is a travesty.

 

[Cladyclad]

My nikka, quote me. I'm not these other dudes falling for your corny and obvious troll tactics and nonsensical takes. I don't give a fukk about your opinion about anything. Mine was about a podcaster duo who spoke about hiphop that I thought were better than when they broke up. No more no less.

Read the room buddy

You fell for it dork

 

[ROBEEZYKILLA]

I can’t stop laughing how wack these beats are lmaooo

 

[ItWasWritten]

I think I found Ziggzby, dude in top right



Review is this thread in vid form

 

[BiggWebb79]

 

[PIFF101]

The hype and build up wasn’t going to correlate to the actual product presented and make everyone happy fr. Nas was on bars and delivery on every track. DJ Premier curated a boom bap sonic album for Nas and here we are. These are my thoughts after multiple listens.

My Life is Real: Different from P. Sounds stock. Nas tho
GiT Ready Nas talkin big biz. I’m not feelin the chorus.
NYSTM beat flip on Billy ain’t do it. Barz tho
Welcome to the Underground: It got to grow on me. It aint hit right away
Madman This is chipped tooth Nas
Pause Tapes
Writers:
It’s Time:
My Story, Your Story AZ
Bouquet:
Junkie:
Shine Together: “Rugged pistol holder government blower, repugnant information; the public should get to know us”
3rd Childhood: Got bars tho but 2nd Childhood is

 

[prophecypro]

The Nasir project was never highly anticipated for multiple decades. Primo and Nas project was the east coast Detox that we actually finally received.

I’m guess I’m looking at it from a realistic expectation too. Like Preem ain’t produced like he did in the 90s. He’s still good but has a formula (a good one ) and this album production reflects that. It knocks in a lot of places but sure if you’re expecting a standout Nas is like, Memory Lane type joint it’s not there, didn’t think he would. He gave them standard preem beats that are still very good and he’s rapping. This album is sort of how I expected it to sound even in the mid to late 00s

 

[perfectblack999]

The

• WTF
• Ok
• WTF
• Zzzzzz

Sequence of the first 4 songs REALLY take the wind out of the album. It’s like Maximus getting stabbed by commodus before the final fight. If you chopped those 4 songs off, it would arguably add a whole mic to the album.

 

[prophecypro]

Sequencing is definetly a thing if you want to look at it.

One thing Hit Boy was great at was knowing how to set a flow of a Nas album.
Madman probably should have been the opener with Git Ready after.
Its all perspective. I like My Life is Real later on but it does start as the calm and clean joint you dont expect.