I think it's a combo of what y'all both are saying..especially with today's way of albums getting mastered, various ways verses can be sent over and what you said younger age(lighter voice) and his years of smoking- not saying his voice changed is different.. that comes from us listening to him for years so we pickup on those things easily..
Official Nas Thread
- Thread starter Ronald
- Start date
2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat
Superstar
I heard some bird whisper “yo he shoulda ducked” 
prophecypro
Hollywood North
Like others said, Nas probably needed something to show Def Jam and get a single. But by that time he should have seen Def Jam was just lazy and DJs werent gonna promote a single they didnt expect from an artist
Mike the Executioner
What went on up there? Poppers and weird sex!
The only real change I would make to Untitled is have "Proclamation" at the beginning. That's what sets the whole thing off. Not to say "Queens Get the Money" is a bad intro because I love that song, but Nas tells you exactly what you're getting into on "Proclamation" and then you let the album start.
"Who Are You" could have been on there. The original version of "America" is better, but I get why it wasn't on there. I really like "Make the World Go Round," but it's obviously there to be a single. Wouldn't have had a problem with Nas and Game keeping their songs. Does anyone think "Like Me" could have been on the album? I've never seen anybody talk about it.
"Who Are You" could have been on there. The original version of "America" is better, but I get why it wasn't on there. I really like "Make the World Go Round," but it's obviously there to be a single. Wouldn't have had a problem with Nas and Game keeping their songs. Does anyone think "Like Me" could have been on the album? I've never seen anybody talk about it.
Figaro
Superstar
I hate the beat on Hero, Pollow Da Don was just a generic commercial producer to me at the time.
But the way Nas was spitting on it made the joint listenable, it does get a skip occasionally when I play the album because it just sounds out of place sonically on the album, same with the Game/CB record.
I’m pretty confident a lot of songs from the ****** mixtape were originally for the album but Def Jam intervened imo.
But the way Nas was spitting on it made the joint listenable, it does get a skip occasionally when I play the album because it just sounds out of place sonically on the album, same with the Game/CB record.
I’m pretty confident a lot of songs from the ****** mixtape were originally for the album but Def Jam intervened imo.
not sure if you remember but people at first were happy he was getting a PDD prodcued lead single and big budget first video , because the feeling had been HHID and SD had none of that and it was leading him to be forgotten more
yeah, I hated that song.
Nas was giving away singles though. So its not like he needed to show them anything. "I'm On" was Nas's song and Khaled was like "if it isn't a single for your album, then I'm keeping it." I don't know if "My Legacy" ended up being "Hero", but Polow talked about how that song was radio friendly.
While I think "Letter To The King" fits Untitled better, there's still the matter of it having two Game verses and if this was originally Nas's song, then its another unreleased song with 1 or more additional verses from Nas.
Like Me is a bonus on the iTunes version of the album and it doesn’t fit in my opinion. The album ends perfectly with Black President.
Real question…is there any non-hip hoppy/boom bap/classic hip hop feel type shhit that nigs praised from Nas? Lol, think about it. Any producer Nas tries to link with…any song he tries to make…if it ain’t got some sort of semblance of “the essence” and that real hip hop in it, most will pan it or ignore it. I could be wrong, didn’t think too deep, just speaking generally tho.
None of his contemporaries get this treatment, they can do anything they want and it’s accepted (if it’s good)…even when Nas makes good records that ain’t that traditional/‘real’ feel nigs auto-hate (or maybe just genuinely don’t like it)….because it’s Nas. That’s fukked up, bro got unreal standards placed on him
That “Hotboys” shh might be the only time it really really worked…and that’s not even his.
None of his contemporaries get this treatment, they can do anything they want and it’s accepted (if it’s good)…even when Nas makes good records that ain’t that traditional/‘real’ feel nigs auto-hate (or maybe just genuinely don’t like it)….because it’s Nas. That’s fukked up, bro got unreal standards placed on him
That “Hotboys” shh might be the only time it really really worked…and that’s not even his.
correct, you had to be there
You Owe Me for sure... thats my shyt
You mean just singles?
I can go on just about any Nas album and pick out non traditional boom bap records I love
I think he doesnt embrace it enough. Like Hardcore off the Firm Album. Him and Fox should have made the vid. Most hate that shyt. Dope to me
Piff Perkins
Veteran
My issue with Hero is that, just like the CB single, it doesn't sound like it was for Nas. Hero sounds like a single you shop to struggling or young artists hoping to get them some radio spins. Like it could have been a Lupe or BoB single when their label was giving them shyt. But whereas I can imagine those artists making a borderline successful single with that beat, it virtually got zero radio play for Nas.
Those Def Jam albums were really weird to me. I'd love to hear Nas talk about them today, just to get a sense of what his headspace was back then. Because to me they both feel kind of lazy. Like there's a concept but both are the product of him either ignoring advice/support (HHID) or wanting to get off the label (Untitled). Like....you're on DEF JAM and we didn't get a noteworthy single, no bangers added to the tour catalog, and only a handful of dope beats.
EDIT: I forgot Life Is Good was on Def Jam. Great album with dope beats and added to the tour catalog (The Don especially).
Those Def Jam albums were really weird to me. I'd love to hear Nas talk about them today, just to get a sense of what his headspace was back then. Because to me they both feel kind of lazy. Like there's a concept but both are the product of him either ignoring advice/support (HHID) or wanting to get off the label (Untitled). Like....you're on DEF JAM and we didn't get a noteworthy single, no bangers added to the tour catalog, and only a handful of dope beats.
EDIT: I forgot Life Is Good was on Def Jam. Great album with dope beats and added to the tour catalog (The Don especially).
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yeah.. they arent bad albums, but def my least played. I def enjoy the Hit Boy run over the 3 Def Jam albums