How does Nas have a reputation of a bad ear for beats, but also got Illmatic under his belt?

Reptile

Reptile For Mortal Kombat 1
Supporter
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
21,325
Reputation
2,796
Daps
42,444
Reppin
Outworld
what they really saying is Nas don’t pick beats for parties and clubs

His ear for actual hip hop songs is dope

Take it in Blood
Nas is Like
The Message
Get Down
Book of Rhymes
Nas is Good
Store Run
Shootouts
Made You Look
You’re Da Man
Stillmatic Intro
Etc

Shut the fukk up fakkit
 

987654321

Superstar
Joined
Jun 15, 2018
Messages
7,625
Reputation
3,782
Daps
27,662
yeah i'm not saying he didn't make any bad beat choices in his career, i'm just confused how illmatic worked out impeccably in my opinion then shyt stopped working out for him. i also think once he got that rep people started shytting on some of his beat choices unfairly.

like was it someone else making the choices for that album

I think it was the moving on to work with different people and looking for new inspiration/challenges. Yeah, we weren’t always happy with everything, but it worked out in his favor. His legacy will always be as the greatest and he’s happy. He just seems like a really restless artist, always interested in something new.
 

Mike Wins

Superstar
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
3,117
Reputation
1,171
Daps
12,855
yeah i'm not saying he didn't make any bad beat choices in his career, i'm just confused how illmatic worked out impeccably in my opinion then shyt stopped working out for him. i also think once he got that rep people started shytting on some of his beat choices unfairly.

like was it someone else making the choices for that album

That's a major part. IWW has excellent production that fits the content and perspective. Sound is glossy and expensive but also dark. And it hold up incredibly well. But a lot of his early fans was mad he didn't shoot for Illmatic 2 and been bitter ever since.
 

Mike the Executioner

What went on up there? Poppers and weird sex!
Joined
Sep 10, 2015
Messages
10,140
Reputation
3,585
Daps
40,283
Reppin
Brooklyn, New York
As someone who doesn't believe in the "Nas picks bad beats" narrative, let me play devil's advocate.

Illmatic was Nas' first album and he was working with an all-star team of producers, all of them in their prime. It was a combination that was unheard of at the time, but it also meant that unless something horrible went down during recording, the album would have amazing beats. Premier, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and L.E.S. all working on the same album in 1994 with the greatest MC of all-time? There's no way it could fail. That kind of album had been done before (Down with the King by Run-D.M.C.) but Nas was different. There was no way he would get average production from any of these guys. Premier also sequenced the album along with working on it.

As time went on, Nas had more control over his music and the beat wasn't a concern as much as the overall song. It wasn't about the hottest beat, it was about which beat would fit the narrative he was going for. He would also work with a lot more producers, and depending on how much time he spent with them, he wouldn't have a chance to get more than decent work from them.
 
Joined
May 2, 2012
Messages
64,710
Reputation
27,716
Daps
384,843
Reppin
Ft. Stewart, Ga
The executive producer gets that credit. According to my Googies its MC Search
Nas picked all of the beats for Illmatic. He sat with Premo, Pete Rock and Q-Tip for hours picking beats. He already knew what he wanted LES to sample for Life's A bytch (Originally Mtume's Juicy Fruit but LES didn't have the record so brought Nas Yearning For Your Love) and It Ain't Hard To Tell was already in use from Nas's demo (back when it was called Nas Will Prevail)

MC Serch made sure all the samples were cleared and the producers got paid. He also made sure Nas publishing was straight. But the Executive Producing for Illmatic was a group effort between Serch, Nas and you could say Premo who helped sequence the album. Nas originally asked Large Pro to EP the album but Large was dealing with label issues and the breakup of Main Source so he told Nas he would have to do it himself.
 

Reptile

Reptile For Mortal Kombat 1
Supporter
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
21,325
Reputation
2,796
Daps
42,444
Reppin
Outworld
Nas picked all of the beats for Illmatic. He sat with Premo, Pete Rock and Q-Tip for hours picking beats. He already knew what he wanted LES to sample for Life's A bytch (Originally Mtume's Juicy Fruit but LES didn't have the record so brought Nas Yearning For Your Love) and It Ain't Hard To Tell was already in use from Nas's demo (back when it was called Nas Will Prevail)

MC Serch made sure all the samples were cleared and the producers got paid. He also made sure Nas publishing was straight. But the Executive Producing for Illmatic was a group effort between Serch, Nas and you could say Premo who helped sequence the album. Nas originally asked Large Pro to EP the album but Large was dealing with label issues and the breakup of Main Source so he told Nas he would have to do it himself.

So Nas was the executive producer. He gets credit for how good the album sounded. But still everything you said Nas did is what I said an EP does.
 
Joined
May 1, 2012
Messages
18,495
Reputation
1,966
Daps
55,288
Reppin
Toledo, OH
yall Nas Stan’s are the only people who talk about this shyt. If y’all stop maybe that narrative would end

yall either stuck in the 90s
talk about the beef wit Jay
or talk about his beat selection or producer he works with

yall have to be the worst promoter of a artist y’all like
Facts. These losers talk about this same shyt 😂 it’s WILD. This thread is probably gonna reach 7-8 pages 💀. His stans deserve ALL the criticism.
 

Elim Garak

Veteran
Joined
Mar 8, 2015
Messages
39,112
Reputation
6,670
Daps
187,962
Nas has already made a very clear statement on why he picks the beats he picks. I'm not sure why this is still a discussion.
 

WIA20XX

Superstar
Joined
May 24, 2022
Messages
6,162
Reputation
2,919
Daps
19,504
does MC Serch get all the credit as the executive producer?

MC-Serch.webp
 

get these nets

Veteran
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
53,202
Reputation
14,339
Daps
200,473
Reppin
Above the fray.
:patrice:

one of the legendary criticisms of Nas has been that he picks bad beats, but who the fukk picked the beats for Illmatic then? was everything just an undeniable classic that he could do no wrong at that point or it the legend that Nas has a bad ear incorrect?

does MC Serch get all the credit as the executive producer?
Fewer producers at the time. Executive producer put together a great lineup and they brought their A game.

No pressure, no expectations for sales or chart position, just straight heat.
 
Top