Official Nas Thread

[spliz]

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.

The whole Slaughterhouse felt that way.

 

[spliz]

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.

Who are ur fav rappers? Like rappers that matter that's dead nice. I can almost bet most of them prefer IWW. Let's get this straight. ALL of them love Illmatic. But ALOT prefer IWW. I think Roc Marci prefers IWW as well.

 

[Pop123]

I had Illmatic on cassette on release and NYSOM Part 2 I can't even choose between part one especially the beat.

I distinctly remember you saying 2 was better on here…don’t start backsliding my nig, lol. Nah, if it wasn’t you my apologies, I could’ve swore it was tho. 2 is amazing…1 is one of the greatest songs ever. This song vs song battle is a microcosm of Illmatic vs IWW lowkey, 🫨

 

[spliz]

I distinctly remember you saying 2 was better on here…don’t start backsliding my nig, lol. Nah, if it wasn’t you my apologies, I could’ve swore it was tho. 2 is amazing…1 is one of the greatest songs ever. This song vs song battle is a microcosm of Illmatic vs IWW lowkey, 🫨

I never said part 2 was better. I said I know plenty people in real life who prefer part 2 tho. I feel like it don't get enough love. Yo matter fact it's funny one day I was bumpin part 2 and a young nikka who don't really listen to Nas like that popped outta nowhere spittin that shyt word for word. shyt was wild af to me. Lol

 

[H.S.]

Who are ur fav rappers? Like rappers that matter that's dead nice. I can almost bet most of them prefer IWW. Let's get this straight. ALL of them love Illmatic. But ALOT prefer IWW. I think Roc Marci prefers IWW as well.

Yeah, Roc Marciano does prefer IWW. I think he spoke on it in a Complex article talking about his favorite albums.

 

[Ukbrotha]

Illmatic can be better than IWW or vice versa. But lyrically iww was more diverse than illmatic.

 

[T.H.E.GOD]

We can debate all we want, same way some prefer kings disease over and some prefer magic. It’s preference but those know who they are quick to clown those stuck in the 90’s even though we holding son down throughout his whole career. So let’s see the real reason behind some of ya Stans. How many of ya became a Stan after ether? Who preferred jay until ether? lets see who’s truthful. Bet ya don’t.

 

[Piff Perkins]

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.

First off I wanna point out you yourself just said the worst song on Illmatic is a 5/5 song. The worst song on IWW is NOT a 5/5 lol. Nas Is Coming and Black Girl Lost are worse than every song on Illmatic. I rest my case.



I say Illmatic is more diverse lyrically because it is far more poetic and evocative. Thematically both albums are about street life, sure. But in my opinion Illmatic is much more personal, descriptive, and honest. The similes are more vivid. There's nothing on IWW, or virtually any rap album, more jarring and impressive than "drink moet with Medusa, give her shotguns in hell from the spliff that I lift and inhale." In a genre surrounded by rappers getting off variations of "I'm so cold I give chills," this man said I'm so cold I can look Medusa in the eyes and not get frozen. Come on. Then there's shyt like the last verse on One Love. Speaking of which, I think that narrative device is more impressive than I Gave You Power because no one had done it before, on any level. No I'm not going to say Nas bit Stray Bullet because he didn't. But it's an inanimate object given life, nonetheless. Nas gave his object actual personality and emotion, which is the biggest difference to me.

Just pulling up the track list of IWW shows you how focused it is on mafioso raps. It's less personable because it's more about a character/persona. And while the character is interesting and the rapping is great and there are multiple classic tracks...I can't call it better than Illmatic when it's not even the best mafioso rap album. Cuban Linx is better and more imaginative IMO.


just my opinion

 

[mson]

 

[spliz]

First off I wanna point out you yourself just said the worst song on Illmatic is a 5/5 song. The worst song on IWW is NOT a 5/5 lol. Nas Is Coming and Black Girl Lost are worse than every song on Illmatic. I rest my case.



I say Illmatic is more diverse lyrically because it is far more poetic and evocative. Thematically both albums are about street life, sure. But in my opinion Illmatic is much more personal, descriptive, and honest. The similes are more vivid. There's nothing on IWW, or virtually any rap album, more jarring and impressive than "drink moet with Medusa, give her shotguns in hell from the spliff that I lift and inhale." In a genre surrounded by rappers getting off variations of "I'm so cold I give chills," this man said I'm so cold I can look Medusa in the eyes and not get frozen. Come on. Then there's shyt like the last verse on One Love. Speaking of which, I think that narrative device is more impressive than I Gave You Power because no one had done it before, on any level. No I'm not going to say Nas bit Stray Bullet because he didn't. But it's an inanimate object given life, nonetheless. Nas gave his object actual personality and emotion, which is the biggest difference to me.

Just pulling up the track list of IWW shows you how focused it is on mafioso raps. It's less personable because it's more about a character/persona. And while the character is interesting and the rapping is great and there are multiple classic tracks...I can't call it better than Illmatic when it's not even the best mafioso rap album. Cuban Linx is better and more imaginative IMO.


just my opinion

Cuban Linx is a drug dealer album rather than Mafioso. And I put IWW right there with it. Illmatic has 9 joints. The Message, Street Dreams, I Gave You Power, Take It In Blood, Affirmative Action, The Set Up, Shootouts, Silent Murder, Suspect and If I Ruled The World are all 5/5 to me. And like u said. U like Illmatic lyrically from an emotional aspect. Not the diversity of the subject matter or lyrics. nikka speaking on the hood. Nas speaking on gun violence and how we treat guns and how it effects our community. He's speaking on promiscuous women who don't know their own worth. He's speaking on the govt and how what they do effects the hood. He's speaking street shyt. And he gets creative with it in ways he doesn't on Illmatic. nikka was damn near rapping movie scenes on IWW. Illmatic is extremely poetic and dense. So don't get me wrong here.

"Hey, me no worry, hashish keep my eyes Chinese
Rollin' two Phillies together make blunts Siamese
I meant it, I represent it, descendant made of
Early natives that were captured and taught to think backwards
Trapped us in a cracker's psychiatric, it's massive
A Million Man March, alert the masses.."

^^^^ he doesn't spit shyt like that on Illmatic.

 

[ArchStanton]

I know that's from the bonus disc of God's Son, but it really sounds like a Streets Disciple song to me.

 

[spliz]

We can debate all we want, same way some prefer kings disease over and some prefer magic. It’s preference but those know who they are quick to clown those stuck in the 90’s even though we holding son down throughout his whole career. So let’s see the real reason behind some of ya Stans. How many of ya became a Stan after ether? Who preferred jay until ether? lets see who’s truthful. Bet ya don’t.

I been a Nas fan since Illmatic literally had it on cassette.

 

[spliz]

I know that's from the bonus disc of God's Son, but it really sounds like a Streets Disciple song.

Wow it does now that I think about it.

 

[Prolific_1011]

Cool seeing Rae's nephew telling Nas he's his favorite rapper. Nas must hear that so many times on a daily basis. Lol

 

[RickyGQ]

Is Joe right, was Nas shooting at Jim on the Big L record?