Nas wrote Men in Black and Miami?

[MouseTeeth]

no one said its wack

being commercial isn't necessarily always an insult, usually the best overall songs are actually commercial with more focus on putting together a good final product song-wise


with that said If I Ruled the World is definitely commercial, red hot Lauryn Hill feature comin off of Killing Me Softly with Trackmasters on the beat

True...I just hate the way the term "commercial" gets thrown around it doesn't mean shyt

 

[spliz]

He could of liked 3LW or it could of been for a check but regardless he did it. Also Dumbing it down is basically selling out. They are both pretty much the same thing. You are changing your lyrical style to appeal to the masses. The Backstreet boys analogy was simply to say just being on a track with them is dumbing it down to the streets cause it is.

Your telling me NaS would of done a Backstreet Boys Callabo and he wouldn't of gotten called out? There are 2 different debates going on. Some are saying NaS has dumb down his albums. I never said that, though he does have some "Sellout/Dumb Down" tracks on his albums. My point is that NaS has lowered his lyrical skills on commercial tracks to appeal to the mainstream. Wither it worked or not is a different debate but the fact is he did it. Yes he's done it far less than Jay has but he's done it.

If he done a backstreet boys track he wouldve got called out for "selling out"...no matter what he spit...not for "dumbing it down"..if the nikka spit his most lyrical verse on the Backstreet Boys track..he indeed would be a rapper who hopped on a Backstreet Boys track without dumbing down...whether he would be considered a sell out or not is a different subject...he could be considered "dumbing it down" on a gritty NY boom bap track if he aint come wit it on the rhyme side of things...what I do agree with u on is pdople have different opinons on what "dumbing down" is...some people think when he's not doin conscious tracks he's dumbing down.....I honestly think dumbing down is when purposely dont rap to ur potential...its a dumb argument all around imo...

 

[Shadow King]

at IWW being dumbed down

 

[Danie84]

And, this is why among many other reasons, Nas is the GOAT. Never, once did he brag about writing Will's

biggest hits. But, any other rapper (you know who!) would have mentioned that a million times. Also, Nas

writing for Will is another sign he wasn't broke during that time a certain rapper made it seem, when they were trying to takeover and degrade the GAWD.

 

[ManBearPig]

Classic case of dumbing down for an audience to double his dollars.

That's how u do it. Lend your pen to someone else.

Dont dumb down your own music.

Nas wrote The Watcher which had 3 of the illest verses in 2001

 

[mobbinfms]

Now I gotta stand up for naS here... he did not dumb down his lyrics... his lyrics started EXTREMELY dumb, then did a complete overhaul on IWW and actually made coherent good songs. Going more commercial doesnt automatically mean dumbing down lyrics.

If he went from "2nd Childhood" to "NY State of Mind" I'd say he dumbed down his lyrics, but he didnt do that

I gotta give you credit for always staying on message.