that is fucking dope
― the-dream's car of the summer (tpp), Friday, 10 June 2011 08:14 (twelve years ago) link
it was written is p great & 60-70% of tracks on 'i am' are dope too.
― lebroner (D-40), Thursday, June 9, 2011 9:21 PM Bookmark
yup
― The Reverend, Friday, 10 June 2011 08:18 (twelve years ago) link
hey guys you used k-i-s-s-i-n-g as an example as why i was wrong
― WHO THE FUCK READS THE (a hoy hoy), Friday, 10 June 2011 10:20 (twelve years ago) link
this video has seriously made my day thanks
― the-dream's car of the summer (tpp), Friday, 10 June 2011 14:58 (twelve years ago) link
"you owe me" which is probably his best attempt at a straight up pop single
― The Brainwasher, Friday, June 10, 2011 12:41 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark
that i can't think of a strong counter argument to this is proof that nas is horrible at pop singles
― some dude, Friday, 10 June 2011 15:22 (twelve years ago) link
on joints like this nas comes across like wisest dude ever, it's almost effortless.
funny how nas can flip between sounding like this, the all knowing, almost parental, figure who has seen so much of life + would be a great person to seek advice from and then at other times a batshit pseudo-intellectual conspiracy theorist.
― the-dream's car of the summer (tpp), Friday, 10 June 2011 15:28 (twelve years ago) link
"If I Ruled the World" is his best pop single.
― The Reverend, Friday, 10 June 2011 18:54 (twelve years ago) link
That song sucks
― lebroner (D-40), Friday, 10 June 2011 19:12 (twelve years ago) link
its still his best pop single
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 10 June 2011 20:57 (twelve years ago) link
First rap song I ever memorized.
― The Reverend, Friday, 10 June 2011 21:15 (twelve years ago) link
Love it to this day
― The Reverend, Friday, 10 June 2011 21:16 (twelve years ago) link
Sometimes I sit back with a Buddha sackMind's in another world thinking how can we exist through the factsWritten in school text books, bibles, et ceteraFuck a school lecture, the lies get me vexed-erSo I be ghost from my projectsI take my pen and pad for the weekAnd hitting L's while I'm sleepingA two day stay, you may say I need the time aloneTo relax my dome, no phone, left the 9 at homeYou see the streets have me stressed somethin terribleFucking with the corners have a nigga up in BellevilleOr h.d.m., hit with numbers from 8 to 10A future in a maximum state pen is grimSo I comes back home, nobody's helping shorty doo-wopRollin two Phillies together in the Bridge we called 'em oowopsHe said, "Nas, niggas could be bustin' off the roofSo I wear a bullet proof and pack a black tres-deuce"He inhaled so deep, shut his eyes like he was sleepStarted coughing when I peeked to watch me speakI sat back like the mack, my army suit was blackWe was chillin' on these benches where he pumped his loose cracksI took an l when he passed it, this little bastardKeeps me blasted he starts talking mad shitI had to school him, told him don't let niggas fool him'cos when the pistol blows the one that's murdered will be the cool oneTough luck when niggas are struck, families fucked upCould've caught your man, but didn't look when you bucked upMistakes happen, so take heed never bust upAt the crowd catch him solo, make the right man bleedShorty's laugh was cold blooded as he spoke so foulOnly twelve trying to tell me that he liked my styleThen I rose, wiping the blunts ash from my clothesThen froze only to blow the herb smoke through my noseAnd told my little man that I'm a go cyproseThere's some jewels in the skull that he can sell if he choseWords of wisdom from Nas try to rise up aboveKeep an eye out for Jake shorty whatOne love
---
Seriously if you can't get down with that I don't think rap music --or life-- is for you.
― WHO THE FUCK READS THE (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 12 June 2011 20:28 (twelve years ago) link
sayin
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 13 June 2011 01:51 (twelve years ago) link
Interesting that Eric Weisbard claimed to prefer "It Was Written" to "Illmatic" in SPIN back in '96. It was part of the larger theme of his column that pleasure in rap was considered suspect:
http://books.google.com/books?id=I6ZfZSHzFXIC&lpg=PA139&dq=nas%20it%20was%20written%20spin&pg=PA139#v=onepage&q&f=false
― o. nate, Thursday, 16 June 2011 15:33 (twelve years ago) link
Rollin two Phillies together in the Bridge we called 'em oowops
^^love this line
― the beta banned (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 16 June 2011 20:21 (twelve years ago) link
if i ruled the world rules
Seeing things like I was controlling, click rollingTricking six digits on kicks and still holdingTrips to Paris, I civilized every savageGimme one shot I turn trife life to lavishPolitical prisoner set free, stress freeNo work release purple M3's and jet skis
― the beta banned (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 16 June 2011 20:23 (twelve years ago) link
my local shop had this for $11 yesterday, so i snagged it, filling a hole in my vinyl collection.
in a world of $20+ single LPs this seemed like a steal. but for all i know there was a deluxe/remastered/180-gram'd/bonus-track'd/whatever'd reissue like 6 months ago that devalued what i bought.
was there? or did i get a sweet deal?
― alpine static, Sunday, 25 November 2012 23:25 (eleven years ago) link
Doesn't look like there was a reissue: http://www.discogs.com/Nas-Illmatic/master/20148
― Chewshabadoo, Sunday, 25 November 2012 23:29 (eleven years ago) link
― alpine static, Sunday, 25 November 2012 19:25 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
very sad post
― absurdly pro-D (schlump), Monday, 26 November 2012 05:59 (eleven years ago) link
so sad
― alpine static, Monday, 26 November 2012 06:05 (eleven years ago) link
i come up with really good, complicated reasons why it was okay for me to spend $19 on a record sometimes, you need to hone your reflexes to just believe that you got a bargain & not interrogate the evidence too coolly. otherwise you will not acquire the records.
― absurdly pro-D (schlump), Monday, 26 November 2012 06:10 (eleven years ago) link
bro, i acquire the records, at a pace that i can't really afford. there is no problem there. i hear what you're saying, but your concern is misplaced in this case. i can come up with all kinds of reasons - good and bad - why it's ok for me to spend $x on a record.
that said, i lol'd when i saw the $48 price tag on the 2xLP, 45 RPM reish of Nirvana's Inscesticide the other day. and I am a mega-fan of said band. but that is beyond ridiculous, even for the vinyl-gouging game.
happy w/ my Nas purchase regardless, don't worry.
― alpine static, Monday, 26 November 2012 08:42 (eleven years ago) link
i'm just trying to get my head around the idea that an Illmatic on vinyl that was possibly pressed in 1994 would be devalued by a more recent reissue
― The Doc Morbama (some dude), Monday, 26 November 2012 12:49 (eleven years ago) link
So many gems in this thread
Speaking of which, if Nas did a whole album like "I Can" but maybe over all different sorts of classical music then i'd love it.
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, January 29, 2004 12:11 AM (8 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Binders Full of Mittens (President Keyes), Monday, 26 November 2012 14:48 (eleven years ago) link
lmbo
― these bitches is my sons and i make dad jokes (The Reverend), Monday, 26 November 2012 21:36 (eleven years ago) link
Nas does have one of the best non-album catalogues ever.
― dyslectic Christ Brown (longneck), Monday, 26 November 2012 22:13 (eleven years ago) link
otm, it is just fascinating when you see like a fleetwood mac record inexplicably priced at $50, & scan the lil sticker on the shrinkwrap to see how they've justified this
― absurdly pro-D (schlump), Monday, 26 November 2012 22:14 (eleven years ago) link
does he really? obv some great songs here and there but it feels like the overwhelming majority of his best work is actually on his albums, which can't be said for most rappers that have debuted since like 2000 (xpost)
― The Doc Morbama (some dude), Monday, 26 November 2012 22:15 (eleven years ago) link
― absurdly pro-D (schlump), Monday, November 26, 2012 4:14 PM (31 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
you have so much to learn about HOT STAMPERS
― U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 26 November 2012 22:16 (eleven years ago) link
"oh wow 180-gram vinyl, double vinyl" *wallet explodes from pocket, bills flutter checkoutwards*
― absurdly pro-D (schlump), Monday, 26 November 2012 22:19 (eleven years ago) link
xpost:
Yeah. I sometimes zone out to these fan made comps from a few years back. They hold up:
Tracklisting:-------------
Disc 1
01. Nas - Formal Introduction (2:51)02. Nas - Deja Vu (No DJ) (3:53)03. Nas - On The Real (3:26)04. Nas - Street Dreams (Remix) (4:46)05. Nas - The Second Coming (3:34)06. Nas - My Worst Enemy (4:06)07. Nas - The Rise And Fall (3:57)08. Nas - Tales From The Hood (4:00)09. Nas - Escobar 97 (3:31)10. Nas - Good Morning (2:22)11. Nas - Find Ya Wealth (3:40)12. Nas - High (2:30)13. Nas - New York Talk (3:52)14. Nas - Silent Murder (With Bonus Verse) (3:23)15. Nas - Stay Chizzled (Large Professor Remix) (3:29)16. Nas - Star Wars (4:08)17. Nas - Understanding (3:13)18. Nas - Life is Like a Dice Game (Extended Mix) (4:22)19. Nas - Take it in Blood (Alternate Verses) (4:18)20. Nas - You Don't Know Me (3:39)21. Nas - Project Window (Original Version) (5:04)22. Nas - 2Nd Childhood Remix Medley (Bonus Track) (4:33)23. Nas - The World is Yours II Dead Presidents Blend (Bonus Track) (2:55)
Disc 2: Verses From... the Bowels of Hell
01. Nas - Verse From 93 Westwood Show (2:15)02. Nas - Sinful Living (1:46)03. Nas - Firm Clue Freestyle (2:02)04. Nas - Verse From Funk Flex Volume 2 (1:28)05. Nas - The Foulness (Part 1 And 2) (3:14)06. Nas - One Plus One (Minus One) (1:39)07. Nas - Hot 97 Freestyle (True Dialect) (0:46)08. Nas - Verses From Everything is Real (1:19)09. Nas - Bonus Verses From Ain't Hard to Tell (2:31)10. Nas - Bonus Verse From Street Dreams (1:10)11. Nas - Verse From Desperados 2 (1:37)12. Nas - Verse From Affirmative Action Remix (1:27)13. Nas - Verse From Thug Calm Down (1:19)14. Nas - Verse From Last Words (1:54)15. Nas - Eye For An Eye Freestyle (1:30)16. Nas - Verse From to My (1:11)17. Nas - Verses From Soundtrack to The Streets (2:11)18. Nas - Live From The Bridge (Minus Clue on The Bridge) (2:25)19. Nas - Verse From a Few Good Niggas (1:48)20. Nas - Verse From Let My Niggas Live (1:13)21. Nas - Stillmatic Freestyle (2:26)22. Nas - Verse From It's Mine (1:03)23. Nas - Verse From Be Ez (1:21)24. Nas - Verse From Show Discipline (0:42)25. Nas - Verse From Da Bridge 2001 (0:56)26. Nas - Verse From Made U Look Remix (0:58)27. Nas - Verse From Some of Em (1:12)28. Nas - Verse From in Between Us (1:01)29. Nas - Verse From Self Conscience (1:34)30. Nas - Verse From Road to Zion (1:03)31. Nas - Verse From Never Too Late (1:41)32. Nas - Verse From Journey Through Life (1:24)33. Nas - Verse From Good Life (0:43)34. Nas - Verses From Let Em Hang (1:22)35. Nas - Verses From I Want it (1:58)36. Nas - Jonesin' (1:19)37. Nas - Verse From Bravehearted (0:58)38. Nas - Verse from Livin Thug (1:04)39. Nas - 2006 Freestyle (1:51)40. Nas - The Curse (1:01)41. Nas - My Will (1:49)42. Nas - Zone Out Over Just Blaze (Bonus Track) (1:45)
Disc 3: Synergy
01. Nas - Life's a Bitch Featuring AZ (Statik Selektah Mad Sol Remix) (2:39)02. Nas - In Too Deep Featuring Nature (3:41)03. Nas - John Blaze Featuring Big Punisher Jadakiss And Raekwon (3:54)04. Nas - Mo Money Mo Murder Homicide Featuring AZ (5:11)05. Nas - The Foulness (Part 3) Featuring Nature (1:44)06. Nas - Serious Featuring AZ (2:14)07. Nas - Streets of New York (No Singing) Featuring Rakim (1:42)08. Nas - Analyze This Featuring Jay-Z (2:40)09. Nas - Fast Life (Buckwild Remix) Featuring Kool G Rap (4:53)10. Nas - Wake Up Show 94 Anthem Featuring Lauryn Hill, Organized Konfusion, And Ras Kass (2:23)11. Nas - The Foulness (Part 4) Featuring Nature (1:40)12. Nas - Tick Tock Featuring Prodigy (3:47)13. Nas - Queenstyle Featuring Noreaga (4:41)14. Nas - Body in The Trunk Featuring Noreaga (3:45)15. Nas - Time Featuring AZ And Nature (3:44)16. Nas - Everyday Thing Featuring Nature And Dre (4:36)17. Nas - Sometimes I Wonder Featuring Nature (4:51)18. Nas - Thugz Mansion (Cookin Soul Remix) Featuring 2Pac (3:40)19. Nas - Why (Remix) Featuring Jadakiss And Common (3:02)20. Nas - Music For Life Featuring Common (4:57)21. Nas - Eye For An Eye Featuring Mobb Deep And Raekwon (4:48)22. Nas - Verbal Intercourse Featuring Raekwon And Ghostface (3:31)
Rap & Bull bonus disc:
01. Nas - Sincerity Featuring Mary J Blige And DMX (5:07)02. Nas - Ice King (Remix) Featuring Res (3:52)03. Nas - Did You Ever Think (Remix) Featuring R.Kelly (4:19)04. Nas - It Must Be Nice (Remix) Featuring Lyfe (4:20)05. Nas - Streets of New York Featuring Alicia Keys And Rakim (4:37)06. Nas - Make it Last Forever Featuring Mariah Carey And Joe (5:07)07. Nas - Finer Things Featuring Jon B (5:01)08. Nas - Man Up Featuring Amerie (3:33)09. Nas - Love is All We Need Featuring Mary J Blige (4:14)10. Nas - Locked Up (One Love Blend) Featuring Akon (4:57)
― dyslectic Christ Brown (longneck), Monday, 26 November 2012 22:22 (eleven years ago) link
NSO POPS: ILLMATIC WITH NAS, March 28-29, 2014, Kennedy Center Concert Hall, W. DCAmerican rapper Nas and the NSO Pops kicks off One Mic: Hip-Hop Culture Worldwide on March 28, 2014 with a symphonic celebration of the 20th anniversary of Nas’s 1994 debut album and instant classic, Illmatic. These performances by Nas and the NSO capture the spirit of the original album through supporting the verse with new orchestral arrangements. NSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke leads the orchestra.
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 5 March 2013 19:46 (eleven years ago) link
"overblown orchestral arrangements of Illmatic in another city" was the elevator pitch for the Kendrick Lamar album
― man wii u (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 5 March 2013 19:48 (eleven years ago) link
http://funkydl.bandcamp.com/album/jazzmatic-nas-remixes
― quite strangly im attracted to the lass (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 30 March 2013 22:13 (eleven years ago) link
Actually, the only white people who posted in this thread are Sterling Clover, J0hn D., & and what.
― The Reverend, Sunday, October 21, 2007 10:33 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
is jess not white?
― flopson, Saturday, 30 March 2013 22:48 (eleven years ago) link
warning, horrible:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Ofd0WwJyA&feature=youtu.be
― Fetchboy, Saturday, 30 March 2013 23:27 (eleven years ago) link
― flopson, Saturday, March 30, 2013 3:48 PM Bookmark
...
― cunnilingus ah um (The Reverend), Saturday, 30 March 2013 23:51 (eleven years ago) link
sorry!
― flopson, Monday, 1 April 2013 20:27 (eleven years ago) link
im becoming a member of the NSO so i can get in on the pre-sale of this... feeling i might regret it... hope AZ shows up for his one verse
― phil-two, Sunday, 3 November 2013 10:34 (ten years ago) link
i've listened to this album a lot and loved it over the years but it always struck me how bad a lot of the answers were to sterl's provocations itt
like, yeah obviously there's lots of realistic detail and poetic facility in the lyrics but they're very hard to follow as narratives (not just because of nas's delivery), and you can only sell nas as a storyteller here if you try to get by on attitude instead of on like mid-career ghostface creative writing workshop storycraft
it struck me recently that ralph waldo emerson is conventionally faulted for some things related to things nas is faulted for. his writing is supposedly full of these intense gems that hang together in this entrancing way that has a tendency to seem like a tangle of empty rhetoric and attitude upon reflection, and his thought is supposedly kind of foolishly/blindly optimistic, in neglect of the facts. but the better things people write about emerson notice his continual oscillating between despair and hope, and his effort to find a way of, basically, being believable about the latter in the face of the former. so his writing is really self-conscious and concerned with its quality of consciousness, and unstable because it's trying to keep these seemingly opposed things in a kind of productive tension.
the knock against nas would be his nihilism instead of his optimism, but he has that same sort of all-encompassing ambition to take in all of life and the world at once, to be self-possessed in the face of it. and his lyrics are so complicated because they're pivoting all over the place between attitudes and frames of mind in response to the narrative details and the reminisces (lots of them for a 20-year-old!) and to nas's own attempts to be this idealist transparent-eyeball mc. and like emerson, super preoccupied with thinking/writing representatively so as to articulate something universal out of a local, everyday experience that people are usually dismissive of.
in other words hua hsu = star post itt
― j., Thursday, 24 April 2014 20:33 (ten years ago) link
http://twitchfilm.com/2014/04/tribeca-2014-review-time-is-illmatic-an-illuminating-look-back-at-the-creation-of-a-hip-hop-classic.html#ixzz301ZK548s
Embedded in Nas' dark street tales are notes of optimism and hope, with the ultimate message to his listeners being, "I made it out of this alive, and so can you." A late scene that shows the announcement of a fellowship at Harvard named in his honor promoting hip-hop scholarship emphasizes this. Unlike most of the neighborhood folks whose photos were used for Illmatic's album cover art, Nas was able to escape the fates of death or prison, and Time Is Illmatic ultimately becomes a moving testimonial to how music literally saved Nas' life.
― j., Monday, 28 April 2014 21:32 (ten years ago) link
for me now, production is stone cold classic, but i never did really connect with the lyrics.
no contrarianism i do like some of the more animated delivery of other rappers way over nas' style here. did we ever discuss elzhi and elmatic? i'm not gonna say its better than illmatic, but i def enjoy listening to it more, maybe just because it feels fresher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHBdH8aj5Co
― wat is teh waht (s.clover), Monday, 28 April 2014 22:36 (ten years ago) link
http://emoji.fileformat.info/gemoji/corn.png
― rap steve gadd (D-40), Monday, 28 April 2014 23:05 (ten years ago) link
jfc
― dollar rave club (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 April 2014 23:07 (ten years ago) link
ez rock just died i'm gonna put up with this shit
lol the streets
― How dare you tarnish the reputation of Turturro's yodel (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 28 April 2014 23:19 (ten years ago) link