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

[Metal Face]

Nas will never move units again unless he does major promo, releases multiple singles and has in-demand features

he hasn't done any of that shyt since Life is Good

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

I love Billy Joel too but that chorus man, it just completely kills the momentum each time it hits, because I love the beat that Nas is rapping to.

 

[prophecypro]

Nas will never move units again unless he does major promo, releases multiple singles and has in-demand features

he hasn't done any of that shyt since Life is Good

Even then there’s no guarantee which is why I don’t think he bothers. They kinda even tested pressing some physical copies day of but the merch and other vinyl dropped after the release and won’t be counted until it’s shipped. Only big labels do the big budget bundle week of release thing. That shyt cost a lot to pull off I imagine

I see the album is doing okay overseas. Mass Appeal posted its number 2 for the week on streaming charts in the UK. He’ll do okay on independent charts and overseas overall charts like per usual even Magic 3 did that.

 

[criminology]

this thread made me realize dudes really don’t like hiphop…or nas

they just like illmatic

They don’t even really like that either. Most were told to like it and are too weak to form their own opinions.

 

[Artfull Dodger]

To me the KDs and Magics blend in a little bit due to the one producer sound but also how they were released...

Would recognize straight away any song off Street's and Hip hop is dead, but would struggle with the HBs

Thats why i find them very difficult to rank in the overall discography

They are more consistent than I Am... for example but other than Magic probably wouldnt put anything else above it

GOAT got a STRONG discography and if we are discussing quantity and unreleased material not sure how many are close...

i disagree, Hitboy ddidnt give out a one producer sound. Maybe u can give exambles

 

[Mandarin Duck]

That's what grok is saying now (I guess it changed)

And I'd sooner believe it does 100k than 5k. More than likely it falls somewhere in the middle.

If somebody asked you if Nas does 100k or 5k in 2025, you really think it would be 100k?

C'mon now breh

This generation's artists ain't even doing 100k like that.

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

Nas will never move units again unless he does major promo, releases multiple singles and has in-demand features

he hasn't done any of that shyt since Life is Good

Nas owns his label. He doesn't need to move units. He's not under some 360 deal. Release an album and tour from it.

 

[Artfull Dodger]

NY State of Mind Pt 3 and 3rd Childhood are the weakest tracks on this album.

my only gripe with 3rd Childhood is premo recycling the chorus from 2nd childhood

 

[Ziggiy]

Nas will never move units again unless he does major promo, releases multiple singles and has in-demand features

he hasn't done any of that shyt since Life is Good

Kings Disease 2 had in-demand features and promo and debuted at number 3.


I’m sure this album will sell more than 5K. Mobb Deep did 12k and Nas is a bigger “name” artist than them. He’ll do probably on par with that or a little better, maybe Magic 3 numbers (16k) seeing as he and Mobb are the only artists out of the Legend Has It campaign to have physicals ready to ship on the week of.


Either way its CLEAR Nas doesn’t care. He doesn’t respect streaming numbers and knows they can be easily manipulated/fudged and he’s not playing that game. He sold out of every edition of the day 1 physicals on the mass appeal website and i’d wager that means more to him these days than chart placement.

 

[CrimsonTider]

The hype of them finally making their long awaited album together since the mag cover like 20 years ago...

Only Nas circle jerkers care about this

 

[Piff Perkins]

That 5k number is a rumor and is likely incomplete. We’ll see. I agree Nas doesn’t care. I’m sure Premo and Ian do…

 

[Mike Wins]

This here.

But also, Polo is trying to flex, but the only thing Preem used of his on "Writers", was the bassline, which he chopped. And the keys, which he also chopped, on "My Life Is Real".

The drums on "Writers" are from 45 King. That's the classic "Pete 90" break from back in the day.

A lot of em just manufacturing reasons to complain at this point

Writers sound exactly like early 90s Premier. Who cares if he sampled a Marco Polo instrumental for the bassline instead of giving away 75% of the publishing for the same chords off a 70s record?

 

[head shots101]

Why nikkaz keep talking how much units he sold ?

 

[I'm Blackman]

The sales talk is funny.

Nas and Premo know they aint doing Kendrick numbers in 2025 lol. The same way the other vets do, like Cube last joint they do it for the love, sell merch,.vinyl, and tour. They had their time as "superstars".

At this point hes just being a creative and adding to his legacy.

Im not Nas, Premier, and dont work for mass appeal....therefore i could care less how much it sales. When i was a teenager playing IWW every morning before school, I didnt care then either. Go figure. Im listening to The Cat by Jimmy Smith right now....one of my favorite albums ever...i have no idea what it sold lol.

 

[I'm Blackman]

Why nikkaz keep talking how much units he sold ?

This! See my last post.