Papoose: Nas Greatness gets downplayed because....

[Awesome Wells]

You have to be on top to ever fall off so if I say you’re not making good music anymore to my ears it’s not even disrespect. You can’t be on top forever. You’re right about Redman. Muddy Waters one of my favorite albums of all-time but I’d be lying big time if I told you I’m excited to hear Muddy Waters 2

Yeah, when I copped Malpractice, I knew it was over. LOL!!

He had a dope run though.

 

[Heavy_Handz]

Yeah, when I copped Malpractice, I knew it was over. LOL!!

He had a dope run though.

Blackout! 2 was dope tho!

 

[Awesome Wells]

Blackout! 2 was dope tho!

Word. Both Blackout joints were dope.

I still play those. But the later solo albums were weak. Hurts my heart to even listen to them.

 

[Heavy_Handz]

Word. Both Blackout joints were dope.

I still play those. But the later solo albums were weak. Hurts my heart to even listen to them.

That Reggie album was so bad man I was like oh he’s done done

 

[Primetime21]

I see the usual Nas haters were in this one early

 

[spliz]

The album got Plat for shipping 1M copies.

As of its last available sales track in 2014, 10 years after its release the dual disc album had only moved 740,000 copies.
Nas' Album Sales: From "Illmatic" To "Life Is Good"

Son thats Hip Hop DX. Aint shyt official about them. Untitled went gold before that article and they didn’t even have his official numbers for that. This shyt is what matters right here.
Gold & Platinum - RIAA

 

[Cladyclad]

Nas=Carmelo Anthony

HOFer but not in that tier above him
With Hov, Big, Pac

 

[Ziggiy]

Son thats Hip Hop DX. Aint shyt official about them. Untitled went gold before that article and they didn’t even have his official numbers for that. This shyt is what matters right here.
Gold & Platinum - RIAA

You must be talking to somebody I got on ignore. Breh leave these nikkas alone. Its posts up and down this thread with actual FACTS and you got posters either lying or being willfully ignorant just to push a narrative that was never true to begin with


It was LITERALLY a poster in this thread or another one that claimed It Was Written sold poorly and took years to go platinum


Then you got people regurgitating false info about Streets Disciple even though I posted links and facts proving that he went platinum without the “counting twice” stimulus.


Then it was, even though the man had number 1 debuting albums after 2002 that mainstream left him behind because his singles didn’t hit the club


Just incredibly stupid arguments. Its ridiculous at this point. I had better more informed debates with the first generation of Hov stans on these boards than whoever they got picking up the pieces nowadays

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Singles matter that’s what gives an album legs and that’s what ppl mostly consume.

What hit albums did he produce in that timeframe?

Hits Baby! However you wanna slice it...If it isn’t dominating the pop charts who cares? Hip Hop crosses over when it crosses over but that’s no big deal. If your shyt comes on in the club are nikkax hyped? Know it word for word? When the songs I linked were new they were poppin in the culture.

Then people wonder why Kool G Rap is “underrated” compared to other nikkax in his era...Basically no songs the average nikkax would remember

Nas spent almost 20 years making a bullshyt that nobody fukked with as singles.





The funniest thing about this? Joey Badazz was doing pretty good numbers and selling out shows yet he was crying about not having radio support and nikkax not supporting him



Once again..hit records keep your name strong with the status quo
Hit records also give a leg up to classic albums against other classics that may not have one

 

[ISO]

Son thats Hip Hop DX. Aint shyt official about them. Untitled went gold before that article and they didn’t even have his official numbers for that. This shyt is what matters right here.
Gold & Platinum - RIAA

It went Platinum off what it shipped not sold.

Source has no reason to lie.

It was a forgettable album I wouldn’t be surprised if it stuck at 750,000 units sold.

Even today nobody is streaming that album.

I think we all agree Nas is polarizing. He has a perception. But when reasons are stated Nas fans don’t want to hear it.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Ain’t no point in debating someone who cannot back up grandiose claims with any proof whatsoever. Any and EVERYTHING I say regarding Nas certifications, chart placements, and relative relevance within mainstream hip hop can be backed up. If @Awesome Wells wants to claim he worked on SD and it was a sales disappointment he can certainly type whatever he wants. But without proof it means nothing.


The FACTS are that Nas put out SD and its been certified as a Platinum. Not based upon “double counting” but on its own merit. Nas himself seemed proud of what the album accomplished because he bragged about it on his VERY NEXT album Hip Hop Is Dead.

Facts are that because Nas owed Columbia another album he negotiated the move to Def Jam and DJ and Columbia split the profits of HHID and Untitled. Now if SD was such a sales disappointment I can’t fathom why Def Jam would bother to give Nas Ten Million dollars for FOUR MORE albums. But again if we’re dealing with FACTS then i’m not here to digress.


FACTS are that Nas was Platinum selling artist when he left Columbia. Any other argument without proof to the contrary is bullshyt.


FACTS are that Nas got at least Ten Million dollars to sign with Def Jam. The first three of which debuted at number 1. All three went Gold. Hip Hop Is Dead’s first week was higher than Stillmatic, Gods Son, and SD. Untitled’s first week was higher than Gods Son. So, barring any PROOF from all the knowing @Awesome Wells that Def Jam was unhappy with three straight number 1 debuting albums that went Gold I BELIEVE that stating Nas pretty “decently” all things considered is pretty factual.


And even if we have to discount that last part, i ask the question again. WHAT RAPPER that debuted in 1994 can still debut within the top 5 when they release an album? What rapper that debuted in 1994 has their album selected as an unofficial soundtrack for the NBA playoffs? Which rapper that debuted in 1994 is getting Grammy nominations?

Because THAT rapper still seems pretty commercially relevant to me

I'm not gonna comment on the SD thing, I don't know either way. But in terms of Def Jam...consider the deal again. 10 mil to Nas. Promo handled by the label, NOT taken from the advance. Two labels involved in profits. 1 platinum album. 2 gold albums. Labels get (at best) around 62% of sales after you take out distribution, samples/publishing, the artist cut, etc. You don't need a finance degree to see that doesn't add up to a profit for Def Jam or Sony.

By 2010, Nas was feuding with Def Jam and upset about only being offered 200k for Lost Tapes 2. If his run was as successful as you say, why was he so upset AFTER releasing multiple albums that sold decent to well? I thought Nas overall did well on Def Jam. The problem (from the label perspective) was that he was given a deal he would have deserved at one point in his career, but a deal that was too generous to the artist at that time, given the type of music he was making.

The thing about labels is that a small handful of artists keep the lights on. Everything else is kind of just...there. Whether you're a modest success or a modest loss, at the end of the day the label will let you ride out your contract as long as they have a Lady Gaga or Beyonce or Drake or Hov to make everything work. Not to mention catalog/legacy sales (Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, etc). Nobody lost their job because of the Nas deal. But you don't give a 10mil deal to someone unless you expect them to sell multi platinum albums and have hits. That's not what happened. And as a label guy who worked in finance, that's all I'm looking at. The other stuff is whatever.

 

[Taadow]

An inconsistent discography and lack of hit records.

Been pretty much a Gold or less artist since 2002.

Yes.

Nas is a boutique artist.
Nobody will say he isn’t a GOAT...but if anything, he gets more passes than others
GOAT-level rappers. Iono what Pap talmbat here...

 

[ISO]

Hits Baby! However you wanna slice it...If it isn’t dominating the pop charts who cares? Hip Hop crosses over when it crosses over but that’s no big deal. If your shyt comes on in the club are nikkax hyped? Know it word for word? When the songs I linked were new they were poppin in the culture.

Then people wonder why Kool G Rap is “underrated” compared to other nikkax in his era...Basically no songs the average nikkax would remember

Nas spent almost 20 years making a bullshyt that nobody fukked with as singles.





The funniest thing about this? Joey Badazz was doing pretty good numbers and selling out shows yet he was crying about not having radio support and nikkax not supporting him



Once again..hit records keep your name strong with the status quo
Hit records also give a leg up to classic albums against other classics that may not have one

Hits don’t necessarily gotta be some club shyt either just songs that resonate in the culture heavy

As for Joey he wanna be on radio but don’t want to sign to a major had Hov and Puff after him when he was a teen and declined

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Hits don’t necessarily gotta be some club shyt either just songs that resonate in the culture heavy

As for Joey he wanna be on radio but don’t want to sign to a major had Hov and Puff after him when he was a teen and declined

Nobody said anything about hits necessarily being club records. Hits are records you put on in the club and nikkax are with you. Ante Up is not a "club record" but it was a hit. Made You Look wasn't a "club record" but it ended up being a hit and doing very well in the club. Joey has no songs that nikkax want to play in group settings...Puff/Jay be damned

 

[Pop123]

Nas is an all-time great because the first half of his career he had some classic/very good work. These last 20 years ever since after Stillmatic I would say mostly misses. Most MC’s second half is noticeably weaker tho so it’s no huge knock on him. I just can’t put him in my top 5 all-time

I can respect it, . If he's not at least in your Top 10 though then you might be whylin, lol.