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WatercoolerComedian t1_j9y7wke wrote

I don't listen to a lot of Hip Hop but I've not listened to a Nas album I didn't like. Kings Disease III was a great release last year

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nyamenehene1 t1_j9y879b wrote

Nas is one of the best, and trust me his recent King's Disease III album is just something else, i just live the album, I'm even listening as we speak now. Real rap.

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mikeldmv t1_j9y8o4o wrote

Black Thought still pretty nice too

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isstatingtheobvious t1_j9y9eld wrote

If you watch the interview he says that in the nicest way possible though.

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tigerCELL t1_j9y9xes wrote

I was just thinking the same when I tried listening to a new popular rapper with millions of views on yt. The flows are just not appealing to me, and even after the mumble rap trend died down, I still can't understand what these cats are saying. And don't even get me started on the wack beats. Can't even dance, not that that's the point. I chalked it up to being old.

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YJeezy t1_j9ydnzp wrote

Hip Pop ain't the same

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WabashRiverNugs t1_j9yerkd wrote

Yeah, he has a point. When’s the last time an older rapper released anything decent or inspiring? All the older rappers have just faded out and stopped putting their heart into it like he said. Meanwhile younger rappers have more energy, excitement and motivation to try something new and different which brings inspiration.

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ironroad18 t1_j9yoyyw wrote

Replying to bodamfuonua1 (#1,992,873)

Different generational tastes and different appeal. The "bling-bling" era was a blessing and curse to hip-hop IMHO. That era showed hip-hop's true universal talent and appeal beyond NYC and LA; however, it also turned the genre into a meme of itself. The "social media" era, was the death nail.

I grew up listening to Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, and the like. I grew up during the Golden-era of hip-hop and am thankful these emcees are still touring (been lucky enough to see Rakim, Kane, and Krs One in concert). These gentlemen are in middle to almost senior age, and they are still oozing with raw talent and charisma. I don't think social media and mumble rappers of today will ever experience that same type of longevity because the talent simply isn't there.

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newbike07 t1_j9yv6iz wrote

Replying to WabashRiverNugs (#1,993,703)

Pusha T has been consistently putting out good albums and EPs over the past 5-7 years.

Alchemist & Roc put out an awesome album last year.

Danger Mouse & Black Thought's collab last year was really good.

Lots of rappers in their 40s and 50s are putting out really quality stuff right now.

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braundiggity t1_j9yyk16 wrote

Replying to bodamfuonua1 (#1,992,873)

Plenty of younger artists are making really interesting rap, but the more interesting stuff isn’t as big - little simz, noname, earthgang, saba, I love stuff like that. But Tyler the creator, Kendrick, gambino - there’s huge name younger artists that are excellent as well.

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STA_Alexfree t1_j9z02gg wrote

Him and his peers aren’t really relevant these days musically speaking. Made some absolute classics though that continue to inspire new generations

−2

uSeeSizeThatChicken t1_j9z1j3k wrote

Replying to bodamfuonua1 (#1,992,873)

It had to be quality back then. Studio time was cost prohibitive to not have good quality. These days everything is digital and considerably cheaper. So lots of garbage gets made across all genres of music. Any hack can record and release something for very little cost. There is definitely lots of good new stuff but it gets buried under mountains of half-baked garbage by wannabe artists.

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Dyslexic_Devil t1_j9ziynd wrote

All rap sounds the same at this point.

"Cars...hoes...money...I kill you" pretty much sums up most rap music. Might have been original in the 90s, it's now tedium.

−15

Mortifer t1_j9zppp6 wrote

>It's like the game ain't the same.

>Got younger [racial epithet] pullin' the triggers,

>Bringin' fame to their name.

  • Nas, "N.Y. State of Mind", 1994
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Heizu t1_j9zsx94 wrote

Replying to tigerCELL (#1,992,667)

Check out Harry Mack. Genuinely one of the best rappers to have ever existed and literally everything he does is freestyle. Check out any of his Omegle Bars or Guerilla Bars series to have your mind completely blown by someone who has completely steeped himself in hip hop culture for the majority of his life.

−1

Dyslexic_Devil t1_j9ztudl wrote

Replying to NandoFlynn (#2,001,936)

"Hundreds" worldwide isnt many!!

...there are websites that track the use of language in rap and hip hop.

Guess the words that make the most used words in the genre.

The facts are there. I'm not taking away for Nas or his abilities.

−2

goboxey t1_j9ztvtm wrote

Nas is one of the best rappers. Period.

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KongRahbek t1_j9zwin3 wrote

Replying to WabashRiverNugs (#1,993,703)

Ghostface is still dropping fire, Deck is making awesome underground albums with Czarface and Method Man'a guest verses can still body any rapper on their own song.

In essence Wu-Tang is still alive and kicking.

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gratusin t1_j9zwmj0 wrote

I saw him open up for the Chili Peppers this summer in Italy. I was excited and then realized when he was performing I didn’t know any of his songs. It’s probably me, but I guess the hype was what I recognized. I should probably do a deep dive.

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KongRahbek t1_j9zxpm5 wrote

Replying to STA_Alexfree (#1,997,799)

From what I've read, King's Disease i one of the best hip-hop albums of 2022, if not outright the best.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/25-best-hip-hop-albums-of-2022-1234646996/nas-kings-disease-3-1234647050/

https://hiphopgoldenage.com/list/the-best-hip-hop-albums-of-2022/

https://www.billboard.com/lists/2022-best-hip-hop-albums/jid-the-forever-story/

https://www.vibe.com/lists/best-hip-hop-albums-of-2022/kings-disease-iii-nas/

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BassilG t1_j9zy24d wrote

Save the music, y’all.

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midnightking t1_ja03poz wrote

Replying to gypsy-ghost (#1,997,627)

I agree. I feel like a lot of criticism Em gets is more due to hype backlash than anything he objectively does wrong.

Of course, I think he has misses like Revival, Recovery and Encore. But most tracks he puts out have been enjoyable to me.

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[deleted] t1_ja07kho wrote

Replying to WabashRiverNugs (#1,993,703)

>When’s the last time an older rapper released anything decent or inspiring?

I mean, when was the last time a younger rapper did?

Sorry, trying to convert me to be a face-tatt'd xanax addict isnt really inspiring.

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[deleted] t1_ja08hit wrote

Replying to ironroad18 (#1,995,778)

>I don't think social media and mumble rappers of today will ever experience that same type of longevity because the talent simply isn't there.

100%.

​

Also, those rappers came to prominence before labels realized they could just manufacture a super-star over night. Talent or ability does not factor into the equation, simply look and marketability

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DustFunk t1_ja09atk wrote

Well what are they gonna do now that MF Doom is dead?

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lordbub t1_ja0dcxq wrote

Replying to piepants2001 (#2,006,244)

well of course it's debatable, music is all subjective. my point is that no great artists now are being held back by the inaccessability of making music, which is definitely a positive. while a producer might help an artist, they might also alter that artist's vision for the worse. I'll take more bad music if it means there's also more good music.

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piepants2001 t1_ja0f05r wrote

Replying to lordbub (#2,006,286)

>my point is that no great artists now are being held back by the inaccessability of making music

I'm going to assume you mean recording music and having it widely available to the general public, because nothing was holding anyone back from making music.

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lordbub t1_ja0g6hc wrote

Replying to piepants2001 (#2,006,539)

well, a bit of both. you could record music yourself back in the day, but without the proper (very expensive) equipment, it was probably gonna sound pretty terrible. modern technology has made it so that you can make professional sounding songs for incredibly cheap or even free with equipment you probably already own, like a laptop. and then obviously distributing it and marketing has become much more available as well.

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cyankitten t1_ja0i4si wrote

This might sound a random thing to mention but I love how he said “I’m hooking up my jumper cables to him”

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piepants2001 t1_ja0kdp4 wrote

Replying to lordbub (#2,006,759)

Right, but you're making it sound like you need to record music to make it, when tons of artists honed their craft by playing music live for years before they recorded anything.

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piepants2001 t1_ja0mssa wrote

Replying to lordbub (#2,007,572)

Okay, but honing your craft by playing it in front of an audience or having a second opinion of a producer are both invaluable things that many self-produced artists don't have nowadays, which can and do produce mediocre results. You said that there is more good music nowadays, and I don't really agree with that statement. There is more music, but I wouldn't say that there is more "good" music, if anything I would say there is about the same amount of "good" music, with a LOT more mediocre stuff to wade through to find the "good" stuff.

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lordbub t1_ja0nj4n wrote

Replying to piepants2001 (#2,007,901)

I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying that great music can just as easily come out of not having a producer who might mess with an artist's vision. some of my favorite albums are from artists who never played live beforehand. You can disagree about there being more good music now than before, and thats fine. But what i'm saying is that the availablity of making recorded music has resulted in more music coming out every week that I enjoy, and I'm fine with there being more bad music that comes out too. afterall, I never have to listen to the bad music again, and now I have the opportunity to listen to great music that might not have been able to be created that way 20+ years ago.

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HecatombCometh t1_ja0os04 wrote

Replying to gratusin (#2,003,420)

He's put out four albums in the last three years and they're all considered quite good. His first two albums, released in the mid-90s, are considered two of the best hip-hop albums ever made.

He has a lot of great material in between, but it's less consistent.

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HecatombCometh t1_ja0pbby wrote

Replying to Dyslexic_Devil (#2,001,133)

Simply untrue. Industrial hip-hop peaked within the last few years, drumless production has taken off, indie/undie legends are putting out some of their best material, some of the biggest mainstream artists fall under conscious rap, and Open Mike Eagle exists.

If you've stopped listening to the genre then stop commenting on the state that it's in.

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Coz91 t1_ja0pe3s wrote

I'm still praying we get that Nas & Scarface album they mentioned years ago. Just please make it happen one day.

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lordbub t1_ja0srr3 wrote

Replying to Dyslexic_Devil (#2,008,854)

You've exposed your own lack of knowledge about the genre and expect others not to notice? judging any genre by the top lyrics will make the seem boring and repetitive. the top rock lyrics would be just as generic. a lot of "baby, yeah, no, love, girl, heart, night" etc

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Dyslexic_Devil t1_ja0ti6k wrote

Replying to lordbub (#2,008,967)

"You've exposed your own lack of knowledge", explain the exposè?

I pointed out a fact.

I've heard enough rap music over the years...been to festival witnessed plenty of big acts live.

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jonnyclueless t1_ja0whnq wrote

Nas is a true artist artist. When I worked with him he turned down a project with Sting. Sting! When I asked why he said it would seem like too much of a gimmick. And he was right.

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HecatombCometh t1_ja26t8s wrote

Replying to gratusin (#2,010,444)

I'm throwing this together as I write it but here are some of my favourites throughout his career:

  • The World is Yours (1994). Great lyrics about self-empowerment, but what makes this classic to me is the complex rhyme schemes and freeform verses that were unparalleled at the time. Might not sound revolutionary now, but that's because everybody's style was informed by this.
  • I Gave You Power (1996). A song about inner-city violence as told from a gun's point of view. Nas wasn't the first person to rap from the perspective of a weapon, but I think he did it best. In this era Nas made a mix of conscious rap and (what was then a new form of gangsta rap) Mafioso rap, inspired by flicks like Scarface.
  • Nas is Like (1999). This was the weakest year for Nas. He was supposed to release a double album, but after extensive leaks it was mostly scrapped and two albums featuring some fairly weak material were released in its stead. Still, some great songs were in amongst the filler, including this standout.
  • Rewind (2001). Another concept track, this time a story told backwards. This is off Stillmatic, which was released after he was dissed by Jay-Z and needed a serious comeback album to save face. It's widely agreed that he succeeded.
  • Purple and Doo Rags (2002). The Lost Tapes was a compilation of material that had been scrapped from his 1999 album, and makes it clear that he had been set to release something worthy of his first two albums before it all got nixxed. Pretty much everything off this is strong.
  • Last Real N---- Alive (2002). At this time Nas was still fueding with Jay-Z. He's widely considered to have "won" this beef back on Stillmatic, but in my opinion this is a much stronger response than his first. It's a matter-of-fact retelling of his manoeuvres in the rap game and only actually addresses Jay at the end, but the way he establishes context is so effective.
  • (He finally released a double album in 2004. It was bloated but had some interesting moments.)
  • Fried Chicken featuring Busta Rhymes and Y'all My N----s (2008). This album is officially untitled, but Nas made it clear that it's called N----r and it deals with many topics affecting black people in the US. There are perhaps some misteps in there, but it manages to be profound and entertaining for most of its runtime.
  • The Truth (2021). I'm not as familiar with his late career so I don't have so much to add from his last few albums, but they've all been produced by one person (Hitboy) and have a throwback boom bap styles. There's a lot of reflection about his life and quite a lot of bragadoccio, but he's always had an interesting perspective as a disruptive artist.
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