Official Nas Thread

Piff Perkins

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I view it in simple terms but one album is perfect and the other album isn’t perfect. Illmatic is better. And I’m not sure I see the argument for IWW being better lyrically. It’s significantly less diverse lyrically to me. Mafioso with a mixture of drunken monk/prophet/wise man Nas raps mixed in. But to me the lyrical approach to street life on Illmatic is more authentic and personal, whereas IWW feels like a big budget movie for good and bad.
 

T.H.E.GOD

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I view it in simple terms but one album is perfect and the other album isn’t perfect. Illmatic is better. And I’m not sure I see the argument for IWW being better lyrically. It’s significantly less diverse lyrically to me. Mafioso with a mixture of drunken monk/prophet/wise man Nas raps mixed in. But to me the lyrical approach to street life on Illmatic is more authentic and personal, whereas IWW feels like a big budget movie for good and bad.

I feel the same way but again, I won’t argue about it. It was written was crazy but some of these dudes think New York State of mind part 2 is better than part 1 and then be the same ones that clown cuz we rocked with Nas since illmatic and they became Stan’s after ether.
 

spliz

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NY all day..Da Stead & BK..
They're all mid to me champion. You know it's no hate or bs with me, Nas my damn role model, lol...just being honest. Not mid...that's cap...Nas is Coming and LNR is kinda mid tho to me, tbh. Every song that I didn't mention tho is damn near a 5/5 imo tho, that's why that shh!t is still like a B+ to me.

Affirmative Action was a single right? I know it was a "street" single, like it was on the radio and shh!t, but was it released as an official single? I just say that to say, of course nigs know the verses, it was on the radio regularly, Nas was on fire. Top 5 on IWW?? Salute, lol, I strongly disagree brudda.
This is some wild shyt. Lol.
 

spliz

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I feel the same way but again, I won’t argue about it. It was written was crazy but some of these dudes think New York State of mind part 2 is better than part 1 and then be the same ones that clown cuz we rocked with Nas since illmatic and they became Stan’s after ether.
I had Illmatic on cassette on release and NYSOM Part 2 I can't even choose between part one especially the beat.
 

spliz

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NY all day..Da Stead & BK..
I view it in simple terms but one album is perfect and the other album isn’t perfect. Illmatic is better. And I’m not sure I see the argument for IWW being better lyrically. It’s significantly less diverse lyrically to me. Mafioso with a mixture of drunken monk/prophet/wise man Nas raps mixed in. But to me the lyrical approach to street life on Illmatic is more authentic and personal, whereas IWW feels like a big budget movie for good and bad.
How is Illmatic more diverse lyrically than IWW? Explain that to me? Nas spoke on the hood in Illmatic. That's it. Lol. Nas used literary devices on IWW that he didn't even use on Illmatic. Subject matter that he didn't even speak on Illmatic on IWW. U nikkas praised everything Nas did leading up to IWW and then IWW comes and nikkas act funny. Lol. He was more mafioso leading up to IWW than on IWW itself. Where do u nikkas get this big budget movie shyt from? Not everybody has to like Illmatic better. And a lotta people feel like they are both equal but for different reasons. One Time For Ya Mind is a 5/5 song but it ain't as good as none of the other songs on Illmatic but I don't see nikkas knock Illmatic for that.
 
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Pop123

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I view it in simple terms but one album is perfect and the other album isn’t perfect. Illmatic is better. And I’m not sure I see the argument for IWW being better lyrically. It’s significantly less diverse lyrically to me. Mafioso with a mixture of drunken monk/prophet/wise man Nas raps mixed in. But to me the lyrical approach to street life on Illmatic is more authentic and personal, whereas IWW feels like a big budget movie for good and bad.
Good viewpoint on the albums, 🫡

A lot of the rappers/people saying they prefer IWW are the fly, flashy-type of rappers outside of Buddens but he loves that type shh.. I think they just like the mafia/gangsta fly talk style…as opposed to Illmatic which is straight gutter/grimy introspective Project vibes aesthetically over beautiful flawless production. I’m sure all these guys prefer LAD or RTD as well…I do too lol, but it’s only because LAD is unbelievable musically..a lot of cats just like the clean fly money mixed with gangster energy
 

spliz

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Good viewpoint on the albums, 🫡

A lot of the rappers/people saying they prefer IWW are the fly, flashy-type of rappers outside of Buddens but he loves that type shh.. I think they just like the mafia/gangsta fly talk style…as opposed to Illmatic which is straight gutter/grimy introspective Project vibes aesthetically over beautiful flawless production. I’m sure all these guys prefer LAD or RTD as well…I do too lol, but it’s only because LAD is unbelievable musically..a lot of cats just like the clean fly money mixed with gangster energy
Is Lupe a fly flashy type rapper? He prefers IWW. Is Crooked I a flashy type rapper? How bout Royce? Some people just prefer to listen to IWW. I have both those albums as 1a and 1b to me. I don't really put one over the other. Illmatic isn't in my top 3 most listened to Nas albums tho. That would be IWW, Lost Tapes. and Stillmatic.
 

Alexander Wiggin

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Good viewpoint on the albums, 🫡

A lot of the rappers/people saying they prefer IWW are the fly, flashy-type of rappers outside of Buddens but he loves that type shh.. I think they just like the mafia/gangsta fly talk style…as opposed to Illmatic which is straight gutter/grimy introspective Project vibes aesthetically over beautiful flawless production. I’m sure all these guys prefer LAD or RTD as well…I do too lol, but it’s only because LAD is unbelievable musically..a lot of cats just like the clean fly money mixed with gangster energy

It's not just the flashy talk

Listen to G rap in 13:45 he's talking about Nas being better as an mc on iww

 

spliz

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It's not just the flashy talk

Listen to G rap in 13:45 he's talking about Nas being better as an mc on iww


Exactly. This is what nikkas don't get. Some of the most lyrical emcees of all time prefer IWW more and that's not a coincidence. Illmatic is more emotional than IWW. And nikkas identify with what he's saying more on there. nikkas act WAY too much like Illmatic is all Nas has to offer as an emcee. It's annoying and he got annoyed with it too at one point.
 

Pop123

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Is Lupe a fly flashy type rapper? He prefers IWW. Is Crooked I a flashy type rapper? How bout Royce? Some people just prefer to listen to IWW. I have both those albums as 1a and 1b to me. I don't really put one over the other. Illmatic isn't in my top 3 most listened to Nas albums tho. That would be IWW, Lost Tapes. and Stillmatic.


Lupe has said, he prefers the gangsta rap over the “hip hop” type shh, he caught a lot of flack for it too, 🤷🏽‍♂️. Said he wasn’t listening to Tribe or sumn..he was listening to Spice-1, I can’t remember but sumn like that:

Whatever man, idc tbh, any Nas love is fire to me…I’d be lying if I said it’s not a little annoying tho just on some justice shhit, 🤣…like bruh, IWW is not fukking better than Illmatic, at all!! Like not at all. 😁. Whatever tho, who am I to argue preference? That’s a waste of energy, we all prefer what we prefer. They’re both fire, have fun, 😆🤝
 

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Is Lupe a fly flashy type rapper? He prefers IWW. Is Crooked I a flashy type rapper? How bout Royce? Some people just prefer to listen to IWW. I have both those albums as 1a and 1b to me. I don't really put one over the other. Illmatic isn't in my top 3 most listened to Nas albums tho. That would be IWW, Lost Tapes. and Stillmatic.
Jadakiss recently said iww too. I feel like Joe Budden has said it too. There is something about IWW that real MCs understand about that album that some normal people that listen to hip hop don’t catch. I personally have both albums as 5 mic classics. There are no skips on either one for me.
 

Pop123

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It's not just the flashy talk

Listen to G rap in 13:45 he's talking about Nas being better as an mc on iww


G Rap…kind of being the billboard for mafioso style rap, lol…shocking.

Nah tho, I get it, technically the bar work advanced, I can concede that, I said that initially. It’s still nowhere close to being equal…let alone a better album, 🤦🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️. If we want to steer the debate off of which is better and to which is more lyrically technical…then that’s obviously a whole other discussion
 
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Pop123

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Jadakiss recently said iww too. I feel like Joe Budden has said it too. There is something about IWW that real MCs understand about that album that some normal people that listen to hip hop don’t catch. I personally have both albums as 5 mic classics. There are no skips on either one for me.
There are literally like hundreds of real MCs who prefer Illmatic tho and have said on the record it’s the/one of the best rap album(s) ever…compared to the rebellious minority of loud goofys. I’m just kidding, lol.
 

spliz

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G Rap…kind of being the billboard for mafioso style rap, lol…shocking.

Nah tho, I get it, technically the bar work advanced, I can concede that, I said that initially. It’s still nowhere close to being equal…let alone a better album, 🤦🏽‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️. If we want to steer the debate off of which is better and which is more lyrically technical…then that’s obviously a whole other discussion
Nas was literally the best rapper alive during IWW. Like. Noone was better than that nikka at that point. Fab said if he had to pick 3 albums on a desert island. He picked IWW as one of em.
 
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