Without Illmatic and Ether, where does Nas rank in your best MCs list?

[Inspect Her Deck]

Nice thought provoking thread OP.


He would be top 35-40. He's in my top 20 as is. But to lose your best album is slightly crippling, given his spotty discography.

 

[93 til]

Top 10 easily

shyt I was bumping It Was Written before I even took a listen to Illmatic

Matter fact, CD is in my car as we speak

You still got Lost Tapes, Stillmatic, Life is Good

Even the albums that weren't that great had gems on em. Then add on his features and it's hard to keep him out the GOAT discussion. It's impossible

 

[A Pimp Named Slickback]

Nas still has It Was Written, The Lost Tapes, Stillmatic, and Life is Good. Not only that but I Am and the Untitled album are massively underrated. You can't undermine Nas' impact on the game like his best album is his only good one. His most popular songs aren't even on Illmatic

 

[ThirdAct]

Then add on his features and it's hard to keep him out the GOAT discussion. It's impossible

Very good point. This is something that isn't talked about a lot when we talk about GOATS, but Nas is easily the greatest guest feature artist of all time and it ain't even close. Live at the BBQ, Verbal Intercourse, Mo Money Mo Murder, Show Discipline, Let My nikkas Live, Eye For An Eye, Triple Beam Dreams, Fast Life, Road To Zion, It's Mine, Ghetto Dreams, In Between Us and like a million other songs

 

[Ziggiy]

You can’t have Stillmatic without Ether. Or are you suggesting an alternative timeline where the battle never took place?


If thats the case then that means IWW is Nas’s debut album...

Which came out the gate selling double platinum and was number 1 for four consecutive weeks.


Without Illmatic It Was Written is basically just a commercially successful illmatic. I could see the Source giving IWW a 4.5 instead of 4. Nas would still be one of the most anticipated MC’s due to guest verses on OBFCL and 4,3,2,1.

Illmatic was bootlegged to hell. Without the similar fear, perhaps Nas and Steve Stoute keep the OG I am.. concept as a double album. Which probably would’ve gotten him his 5 mic rating and erased Nastradamus from the discography (which means no Lost Tapes)

Stillmatic would’ve kept its original concept name (Nastalgia)

So then we have Gods Son (minus Last Real nikka Alive)

Streets Disciple

Hip Hop Is Dead

Untitled

Life Is Good


You still have a top ten MC. Depending on if Nas used some of the classic Kanye beats that he was given prior to the beef, maybe worked with Just Blaze, then you still have a top 5 MC.

So he’d be right where he is now.

 

[MJ Truth]

Nas has the GOAT discography. You can’t take that away from him by getting rid of eleven damn songs.

 

[Juggalo Fred]

i dont think he'd be my GOAT anymore

my top 5 would go from nas, big, ghostface, prodigy, styles p

to

big, ghostface, prodigy, nas, styles

with Violent J at 6











to answer Op question nas is still top 20 and op is a hater

 

[JuvenileHell]

Wouldn't be top 5 but this is a weird argument. Why is Nas punished for just so happening to release one of (if not THE) best rap albums of all time? The rest of his catalog is solid. Some great shyt (IWW, Lost Tapes, Life Is Good), some bad shyt (Nastradamus, SD), and some stuff in between. Without Illmatic you'd still be able to call him one of the most inventive and dope rappers ever. Would he be in my top 5? Nah. But end of the day he released Illmatic and should be applauded for that shyt, FOREVER.

Is Illmatic really the only difference between Nas being top 5 and not? I'm not really sure I could agree. The other albums you mention definitely make him top 5 at least. And Nas' run in the 90s in general was incredible, and he's managed to have longevity as well.

I feel like Nas has done too much outside of Illmatic to not be considered a top 5 MC without that album. Illmatic is what secures Nas spot as the GOAT

 

[JuvenileHell]

Furthermore I'd say that without Illmatic, Nas's music would be appreciated a lot more, because they won't have to live in the shadow of Illmatic. Illmatic was a gift and a curse for Nas

 

[The_Third_Man]

without Illmatic, "It was written" would've got better reviews. Matter of fact, his whole catalogue would've been viewed differently because they wouldn't be compared to Illmatic not only in term of quality, but in term of sound and production credits as well.

 

[Pop123]

Without Illmatic I'd have him top 5 still, probably 3. A lot of people like IWW more than Illmatic, just not on the internet. IWW, Stillmatic, Lost Tapes, Life is Good, you can argue that all of those are 4.5 to 5 mics.

 

[Ohene]

Somewhere between Kool Keith and Snoop Dogg lol

 

[MyMindWarpsandBends]

He'd still be Top 5.

Stillmatic
It Was Written
God Son
The Lost Tapes
I.AM
Street's Disciple
Life is Good
Distant Relatives



songs like
Nas is Like
I Gave You Power
Undying Love
2nd Childhood
We Will Survive
Ghetto Prisoners
Ur Da Man
1 Mic
War
If I Ruled The World
Hate Me Now
Purple
Poppa was a Playa
Nothing Last Forever
Fetus
Stillmatic Intro
Made Ya Look
Book of Rhymes
Sometimes I Wonder

This. Very few artist are as influential to Hip-Hop as a whole as Nasir Jones, dudes creativity, flow, and storytelling ability are better than any rapper not named Christopher Wallace it’s 2018 and we still got rappers that got at least a piece of their style from Nas. His impact and influence over the genre are undeniable to put him in the bottom 200 because of his albums after illmatic is disrespectful to Hip-Hop period. There’s a reason Jiga switched up his flow and Rae and BIG saw him as a peer

 

[Benefited]

My best emcee list is different than best artist list.
He doesn't rank that high as an emcee with Illmatic,not sure why Ether would change the tide?
He doesn't have the dexterity to perform many different styles,or different deliveries authentically.
As an artist he would probably still be top 10 when you add in the entire legacy and extensive catalogue and longevity.
But that would be stupid to not count Illmatic wouldn't it?

 

[reserved_one]

Im one that believes IWW & Lost Tapes>>>Illmatic so he'll still be in my top 5