Nas - Magic (Discussion Thread)

[IllmaticDelta]

Wow, who would have thought that the qualities that people pay for become a criticism. only hip hop.

There's a docu where Questlove says he didn't like Dre's "The Chronic" sonically speaking, beacause it was too crisp/clean and well mixed

 

[ArchStanton]

There's a docu where Questlove says he didn't like Dre's "The Chronic" sonically speaking, beacause it was too crisp/clean and well mixed

I mean, you wouldn't want say 36 Chambers to be too clean. But G-funk, yes. Hell, Roots records are generally clean as fukk as far as mixing so what is he on about?

 

[FunkDoc1112]

Doesn’t have a lot of grit. Very clean and well mixed.

For me it's not even the mix - The Infamous is extremely crisp and well mixed but I wouldn't call it polished. With this I mean the overall composition and thebsound choices. The drums are soft, the rhythm is very much perfect 1s and 2s without that swing - peep Hit Boys version of Life is Like a Dice Game vs. the original Easy Mo Bee version

A more extreme example is like that Smooth Jazz that was popular in the 90s vs vintage 70s jazz.

 

[doggy]

There's a docu where Questlove says he didn't like Dre's "The Chronic" sonically speaking, beacause it was too crisp/clean and well mixed

hes trippin if he really said that lol

 

[IllmaticDelta]

hes trippin if he really said that lol

@42:10



he basically said he preferred "dusty" hiphop

 

[Piff Perkins]

There's a docu where Questlove says he didn't like Dre's "The Chronic" sonically speaking, beacause it was too crisp/clean and well mixed

I can feel that opinion but moreso about the Dre stuff that came later. That super clean, sanitized sound where everything is perfect and there's no "swing" or soul. That's why most of 50's shyt has aged poorly, as has Eminem's early records.

If I had a criticism of some Hit Boy stuff it's that it's not layered enough, which means some of it doesn't translate well live. Stuff like Ultra Black sounds super thin and flat to me, and you're left wondering how much doper it would sound if he brought in a bass player and keys. Flip side he has stuff like Store Run that knocks live.

 

[spliz]

For me it's not even the mix - The Infamous is extremely crisp and well mixed but I wouldn't call it polished. With this I mean the overall composition and thebsound choices. The drums are soft, the rhythm is very much perfect 1s and 2s without that swing - peep Hit Boys version of Life is Like a Dice Game vs. the original Easy Mo Bee version

A more extreme example is like that Smooth Jazz that was popular in the 90s vs vintage 70s jazz.

Life Is Like A Dice Game was a CLEAR difference I said it when it dropped. I think he’s gotten better with it tho. Lol. Swing is EXTREMELY important to Boom Bap.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

I mean, you wouldn't want say 36 Chambers to be too clean. But G-funk, yes. Hell, Roots records are generally clean as fukk as far as mixing so what is he on about?

exactly

 

[Piff Perkins]

I mean, you wouldn't want say 36 Chambers to be too clean. But G-funk, yes. Hell, Roots records are generally clean as fukk as far as mixing so what is he on about?

Roots albums have dirty drums that swing though. What I mean:


Dre's shyt is 100% metronome "this key goes here, no matter what," underneath perfectly crisp sounding keys. At its best it can sound dope, don't get me wrong. I just feel like it has reached parody level ever since 2001.

 

[Sccit]

hes trippin if he really said that lol

SOME CAT ON THE DUB SAID THE SAME THING BOUT COMPTON THE OTHER DAY

 

[Sccit]

Roots albums have dirty drums that swing though. What I mean:


Dre's shyt is 100% metronome "this key goes here, no matter what," underneath perfectly crisp sounding keys. At its best it can sound dope, don't get me wrong. I just feel like it has reached parody level ever since 2001.

ROOTS PRODUCTION IS NOWHERE NEAR DRE SONICALLY

 

[King A.D 7]

Listening to Ugly now, & I’ve been trying to put my finger on what it reminds me of… & it struck me that shyt would sound right at home on Madvillainy. I can imagine DOOM & Nasir together on that track.

 

[Ziggiy]

Listening to Ugly now, & I’ve been trying to put my finger on what it reminds me of… & it struck me that shyt would sound right at home on Madvillainy. I can imagine DOOM & Nasir together on that track.

It reminded me instantly of Nujabes

 

[InstantKlassik]

We can't complain about bad beats now. We've moved on to "Polish"

This is a new low

 

[Piff Perkins]

ROOTS PRODUCTION IS NOWHERE NEAR DRE SONICALLY

...that's the point.


They're near opposite ends of the spectrum. I can't remember the last time I heard a dope Dre beat and it's largely because he's more obsessed over the hi hats being perfectly sequenced to actually give a shyt whether the beat is dope or not.