“…money hungry bitches infested/Giving the jealous aggins sickness…”
It occurred to me last week, while discussing B.I.G., what an impact Illmatic had on the industry. Then, as I thought about it – not just Illmatic, but Nas as an artist as well has a lot to do with what we hear and see today.
Over the years, there’s a few artists I’ve watched grow, mature and undergo changes, growing alongside them – Common, Dre 3000…and Nasty Nas.
So, the bright idea has come upon me that we should do a Nas week. From artistic changes, ups & downs, battles and beefs, Brother Jones has had a pretty stellar career. He’s always been on top & critically respected, but not always understood and accepted by the masses.
The most impressive thing about Nas, to a listener, is his ability to be descriptive and lay out a scene in front of you with his words. So to begin the ball rolling, I picked out one song, “On The Real,” that I don’t recall making an album, at least not with Nas appearing on the track (I think the track did make it to a Screwball album somewhere along the line; correct me if I’m wrong.) The rest appeared on albums and display this particular strength.
Nas Tells A Story…
Key line – “…we in the Trump Plaza/suite 3010/Don’t make no noise cause we dirty/Tell the hoes hurry in/We got the room lit up with perfume and mad boom/and there’s videotapin blowin asses on the zoom in lense…”
Key line – “Jake just hit the corner people swarming/Three in the morning I jumped out my cab like ‘Fuck,/…niggaz is buck,’ mega bloodshed, the tapes red/I heard some bird whisper, “Yo he should have ducked”…”
Key line – “Film all the bitches, on the benches with ill extensions/We block the streets off, only crew cars can enter/Music was loud and it was crowded/Barbecued wings, we fed the fiends (gamble in the back) Killa shouted…”
The whole second verse is a purely accurate description of a summer block party where events go against the plans.
“K-I-SS-I-N-G” and “Undying Love” from I Am
Both easily too descriptive to quote bars from…
Any songs missed (because I’m sure there were some)?
C.S.A.D.
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those are excellent choices. i would add “Rewind” from Stillmatic. i think he outdid himself with that one…tellin the whole story in reverse. dude is an amazing MC.
Squeek, I was thinking the same thing. Song is ill.
definately rewind.
and while streets disciple was lackluster, ‘live now’ and ‘sekou story’ are definately noteworthy for their storytelling.
theres 2 or 3 on streets deciple … sekous story was one
“Live Now” is one of my favorite tracks purely b/c it’s shows Nas’ move into becoming older & wiser, thinking of his legacy as a man. I think I did a whole post on it a long time ago.
I’ve been listening to Rewind alot in the past two weeks. Not sure how I forgot it.
Gotty, I’m glad you did a post with an intro quote from Suspect’s 2nd verse. It Was Written is an album i relate to a lot at I like Take It In blood, but Suspect is my favorite song, particularly the end of the first verse (we roll with no regrets, destinies…) and the whole 2nd verse, is MY quote. i just relate to the theme alot. (“I keep a low-pro… me no worry”). and yeah, I agree KISSING is a good song, with detail, even though many probably knock it for being “commercial” I like how they used the Kelly sample too.
As far as descriptiveness, one other song from IWW i think really is detailed, as far as one more example off the top of my head. “Watch Dem Niggas” (the 2nd verse) I relate to this one too.
Key line “Now how can I perfect this? Living wreckless/ die for my necklace, crime-infected, drivin’ a Lexus with a deathwish…/CD crankin’, doin’ 90 on the Franklin/ D. Roosevelt, no seatbelt, drinkin’ and thinkin’…” ( I like the detail and how he made a reference to the highway he was on by it’s name, another one of his lines that might go over some people’s heads if you don’t know specifically what he’s referring to.)
“I keep a low-pro… me no worry”
=========================
“…my pants hang, while I’m dancin sippin on bubbly”
;)
Trust me when I say I know almost every single word to Suspect & Shootouts. I think @ one pt and time, I tried to mimic everything he said in Suspect, as far as description goes – Armani frames, dancin in the club sloppy, the whole 9 lol.
KISSING wasn’t commercial to me really. At the time, that R. album just had some beats on it that were beggin for rappers to bless’em. I think I’ve posted Ja’s version of and I know plenty have done their takes on “Suicide.” Several have jumped on that “Fed Up…” beat.
Get…Get…Get…Down
2nd T.C.’s suggestion
Man, the first verse on “shootouts” always had me bugged.
“I hear she brag about the way he eat her
An Irish man
short, slim with a tan
they say he laced her cheeba
She do be looking weaker now
teeth are foul
speakin loud
peep her style
in and outta every reefer cloud
Fat azz dissolving
like cotton candy
in a mouth that’s starvin…”
That’s storytelling, man. I always argue IWW was his best, but most cats don’t feel me.
“i gave you power i made you buck wild”
i gave you power, blaze a 50, the rise & fall, gettin married and fetus…. i can go on for days
One of my favorites “Project Window” from NaStradamus.
it was written was full of them, but this line always stuck with me.
“a thug changes, and love changes
and best friends become strangers, word up”
“rollin on u nondescript niggas,
u marked 4 death like Columbians with bad coke that jip niggas”
Really, IWW would make an ill ass movie, from beginning to end…just think of how the 2nd verse of Shootouts or The Set Up would look on film.
One of his best stories, and it’s amazing to me cuz he speaks on shit that actually happened, is Last Real N**** Alive. When he said
“Baby moms thought I was too quiet, couldn’t stand it
She hit the streets, later on she hittin the sheets
With a rapper who wanted me on his songs, thinking he strong
I taught her how to watch for cars that might follow
Taught her street shit that I know
Her weakness was shine yo
But that’s her, I ain’t mad baby, it made me stronger
Now I get my paper longer”
That’s ETHEROUS
What about “Your The Man?”
“But wait a sec’, give me time to explain, women and fast cars
And diamond rings can poison a rap star
It’s suicidal, how I smoke in so much la’
I saw a dead bird flyin through a broken sky”
Ridic!
Nas got what a rare amount of rappers from his era do, staying power to the fullest. That’s one of my favorite pics of him, Vibe was never a strong rap publication to me but they had great visuals and a good read here & there
I gave you power and small world
“If heaven was a mile away” , “street dreams” and “if i ruled the world” thats just on top on the shit already mentioned
“If Heaven…” is a personal fav. Lovin it!
^yeah, Heaven is one of the best songs from Nas. how could we forget about his early stuff, like One Love
“I sat back like the mack, my army suit was black/…Then I rose, wiping the blunts ash from my clothes
then froze only to blow the herb smoke through my nose”
The Message!
and chasing cars patrol cars chasing
o0b7b756gtxk4at
I think Nas is on his way. When he gets more control from his label we will really see what he can do.
I think artist that really want control of there music should use sites like RadioPlaytoday.com to get a following then get a record deal that puts them more in control..
I have been looking all about for all of this content. The good news is I seen this at Google.