Noreaga: Nas wasn't on CNN War Report cause he doesn't like Tragedy
- Thread starter FreshAIG
- Start date
but see, I wouldnt argue with a nikka that had that view...when you consider Cee-Lo's contributions to hip hop, there is no doubt he is a regional legend. Tragedy just never got the notoriety for the influence and originality he introduced. the issue with him is when he reached his artistic peak he had label issues. I can name you a bunch of nikkas like that. nikkas that couldve been bigger yet still left a mark on the game. for every John Legend there is an Anthony Hamilton, for every Scarface there is a Devin the Dude. there is no way you can comprehend their impact by digging through the archives. you remember your pops playing Aint No Half Steppin when u was like 5 or 6....but were not old enough to know at the time that Kane and the Juice Crew had ushered in a NEW style of lyrics...and took the crown from LL who right before them was recognized as the GOAT lyricist to date. its no diss to you youngin, but dudes your age prob think Critical Beatdown was wack too.
up in here
Superstar
Look, it's nice that some of y'all is fans of Trag, I mean he def had skill but some of y'all just not realistic about it. Whether it was label setbacks or prison or what, He never really reached his full potential and at the end of the day his appeal is limited. You can't be mad someone prefers Nore. Especially since Trag played the back for the greater part of the 90s.
And some of y'all sort of sayin Nas jacked his style and rapped about his life is just buggin. Of course there is similarities, they both smart street dudes from the same hood, but y'all making it into some "nas copied him" type shyt is buggin. Nas had said the juice crew influenced him. Not just Trag but also Shan and G Rap. Add rakim, run dmc and cool j. You can hear all of them in nas style. It ain't one single artist who nas sounds completely like.
And some of y'all sort of sayin Nas jacked his style and rapped about his life is just buggin. Of course there is similarities, they both smart street dudes from the same hood, but y'all making it into some "nas copied him" type shyt is buggin. Nas had said the juice crew influenced him. Not just Trag but also Shan and G Rap. Add rakim, run dmc and cool j. You can hear all of them in nas style. It ain't one single artist who nas sounds completely like.
The Dust King
A Childrens Story
goodie mob first album IS a classic tho
That's my point
It's my favorite album out of old Atlanta and Cee-Lo is a better MC than Trag imo and yet I still wouldn't call him an all-time great
The Dust King
A Childrens Story
nah its not.
what is nice tho is how kids wanna create revisionist history.
is trag a hip-hop legend? yes he is.
did trag have the crown of child prodigy of QB before nas? yes he did.
i like nas, think hes better etc but this disregard for history is ridiculous. give the nikka his props, admit you aint up on his material like that and k.i.m.
The Dust King
A Childrens Story
That's my point
thas you tho.
some people think an all time great is the person who makes the classic. if someone said cee-lo is an all time great id be like
better MC than trag tho?
thas you tho.
some people think an all time great is the person who makes the classic. if someone said cee-lo is an all time great id be like
better MC than trag tho?
Cee-Lo is in another stratosphere than Trag as a rapper.
The Dust King
A Childrens Story
and that is because cee-los verses are bound by atmospheres on the planet.
tragedy is interstellar.
cee-lo hasnt been hungry in years when tragedy has albums this year where hes spittin top tier verses. i know goodie mob dropped a new album recently, show me a ceelo track/verse and itll be destroyed.
filial_piety
Banned
To be honest...I think the only reason Nas blew as opposed to anyone else in QB was due to the fact that Nas was able to go mainstream on his second album due to connections.
If Trag would have linked up with the right people and if he would have had the mindset to get rich and go mainstream, he might have blown just the same.
In 1991-1994 if anyone remembers Nas from back then, he was not a household name by anymeans. Even after his first album his wasn't really popular like that...not atleast compared to people who came out around that time like Biggie, Wu Tang etc.
Once Nas made "If I ruled the World" it was a wrap because the Fugees were blowin up along with Lauryn Hill and it made his name travel. If Trag had of done exactly the same...it's hard to deny that he would have been pretty big.
he never reached his full potential, true, but he made his mark, first in the Juice Crew, then with CNN. no different than Canibus never reaching his full artistic potential (if you are considering fame and record sales). yet Tragedy was much more influential on his subsequent era than Canibus was.
I didnt say Nas copied him, I agree with you on that when you say Nas took pieces from everyone but Trag was definitely a big influence whether he acknowledges it or not. same as nikkas dont know Mega was on wax before Nas was and Mega was the next big thing outta QB before he did that bid. I am certainly not mad that nikkas like Nore more than Trag, some nikkas got that appeal. they both have extensive catalogs and while Nore's may be more entertaining and ear-catching, Trag's surely has more introspective depth.
filial_piety
Banned
I don't know how anyone can deny that Tragedy is probably the "God Father" of QB rap..I believe he is personally responsible for putting together Mobb Deep and CNN, plus his style is definitely influenced Nas.
Mega is another one...just about anyone from QB (including Nas) will admit that he was a lyrical legend in QB and probably the nicest even Marley Marl will back that.
If I recall...Mega said that back in 1992 he went to jail for a shooting, but prior to that he had a record deal with marley Marl. At that time, Marley Marl had a deal with Lords of the Underground and a deal for Mega...however when Mega got locked up, it ended his career.
There's no telling where he would have been if that never happened.
Mega is another one...just about anyone from QB (including Nas) will admit that he was a lyrical legend in QB and probably the nicest even Marley Marl will back that.
If I recall...Mega said that back in 1992 he went to jail for a shooting, but prior to that he had a record deal with marley Marl. At that time, Marley Marl had a deal with Lords of the Underground and a deal for Mega...however when Mega got locked up, it ended his career.
There's no telling where he would have been if that never happened.
A lot of nikkas will think you are crazy for saying that...or what I am about to say. Nas grabbed attention with the "snuffin Jesus" line. from that moment, he was crowned Rakim's heir. but, he was still destined for underground status but had mainstream potential. I mentioned this before, when it was rumored his first album cover would picture him holding Jesus in a headlock. His image was basically re-invented after Illmatic. Enter Escobar. He couldnt stay with Large Professor forever. He couldnt "sneak the uzi on the island" forever. He even fixed the chipped tooth. Nas is a GOAT but his path was guided by the right hands. So you spit some real shyt my nikka. Sometimes it takes the right guidance, connections, and some degree of "luck" if you will.
filial_piety
Banned
Exactly. I mean, from my recollection, his image was rebuilt after Illmatic...ill lyricism or his being "better" wasn't really the reason for his blowing up while Trag stood at a standstill.
Nas was a "chipped tooth" "army jacket lining" guy...but the next album he was some wavy haired, Avirex leather jacket wearin, Lexus pushin, with a large diamond crusted medallion "golden child." I think a lot of that simply had to do with marketing...or the right industry people he surrounded himself with.
Had he stayed "Nasty Nas" ...he probably wouldn't have been any bigger than Tragedy is. Maybe even less so.