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

OJ Simpsom

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I remember copping Street's Disciple day one and popping it into the cd deck in my whip thinking I was bout to hear a great double album :snoop: :unimpressed: I wanted to return that shyt same day. Don't think I ever played it again.
 

Paper Boi

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i watched the illmatic doc from the 20th anniversary yesterday


it didn't really answer my questions for this thread, but highly recommended :ehh:
 

up in here

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: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?
MC Search didn't have anything to do with the production. Him and Faith Newman didn't do shyt except act as the go between for Colombia and Nas while he album was being made. They acted as a buffer which allowed Nas to work without interference from the label. Bt that's all they did.

As far as Nas ear, he has picked some incredible beats and some bad beats, just like any legendary MC. The narrative only started because he picked cinematic mafioso beats for IWW instead of boom bap and a subsection of fans didn't like that direction. Then over his career he didn't really use trendy danceable beats so the narrative continued even though it wasn't originally about that.

The worst part about the narrative really is that Salam Remi makes bad beats, but his track record with Nas is actually stellar, and he beats people don't like are most often made by other producers, not Nas
 

JustCKing

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1) Large Professor had a huge hand in how Illmatic sounded beyond just the production he provided. Don't know why people give Serch so much credit, even though he had a hand in the album. Faith Newman had a hand in the album too, but people never mention her at least not to the level of Serch. Nas and Large Professor is how we ended up with Tip, Premo, and Pete Rock on the same album. L.E.S was Nas's homie from QB so he hooked him up too.

2) Nas doesn't necessarily "pick" beats. Not saying he never selected beats off of a beat cd, but for the most part, Nas is in the studio with the producer actually creating the songs.

3) Beat selection isn't what's plagued Nas albums. A lot of songs that were better than what actually made the album were cut for whatever reason. Lost Tapes is actually proof of that.

4) A&R's are more responsible for picking beats than anything else. They bring music to Nas, but its ultimately on Nas for choosing what he what he raps over.
 

Pop123

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People love narratives bro, it’s disgusting, lol. Nas has picked many wack beats. So has Jigga…so has Eminem…so has anybody else you’d put in the same sentence with a Nas…they don’t get shhit about it tho because with Nas it’s become a narrative
 

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People love narratives bro, it’s disgusting, lol. Nas has picked many wack beats. So has Jigga…so has Eminem…so has anybody else you’d put in the same sentence with a Nas…they don’t get shhit about it tho because with Nas it’s become a narrative all Nas albums production except his first

Excluding illmatic every nas album production was criticized. So no, Em and Jay dont fit your narrative.
 

ThirdAct

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Excluding illmatic every nas album production was criticized. So no, Em and Jay dont fit your narrative.

Completely wrong on Em. Every post-Eminem Show album has gotten criticism plus it's common knowledge Em himself is a shytty producer.

True that Jay hasn't gotten the same criticism but he should have because a lot of his albums had bad beats. The only ones that are really consistent beat wise are RD, Blueprint, Black Album and maybe AG.
 

Pop123

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Excluding illmatic every nas album production was criticized. So no, Em and Jay dont fit your narrative.
No they weren't. It started with I AM and it wasn't even loud...I personally thought a lot of those beats were ass, lol, it wasn't the regular talk tho. The magazines started mentioning weak production on Nastradamus. Etc... Vlad and others made it a narrative..

Eminem and Jayz haven't had bad beats? Of course they have. That's my point, they don't get criticized for it and Nas does because it's become a narrative with Nas. Eminem beats are ASS most of the time champ, lol, I don't really see it mentioned ever except on this forum. Let Vlad tell it, most of Nas album are just all bad beats...that's just not true, it's a narrative.
 

Cladyclad

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Completely wrong on Em. Every post-Eminem Show album has gotten criticism plus it's common knowledge Em himself is a shytty producer.

True that Jay hasn't gotten the same criticism but he should have because a lot of his albums had bad beats. The only ones that are really consistent beat wise are RD, Blueprint, Black Album and maybe AG.
Nobody care about Em outside his first 3 except cacs

Yall nas stans always try to group other people in his pathetic beat selection. Rappers have rhymed over more jay z picked beats than any other rapper. So stop it

Its a reason why Nas has not had a hit in 22 years his beats are mid 60% of his albums
 

Cladyclad

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No they weren't. It started with I AM and it wasn't even loud...I personally thought a lot of those beats were ass, lol, it wasn't the regular talk tho. The magazines started mentioning weak production on Nastradamus. Etc... Vlad and others made it a narrative..

Eminem and Jayz haven't had bad beats? Of course they have. That's my point, they don't get criticized for it and Nas does because it's become a narrative with Nas. Eminem beats are ASS most of the time champ, lol, I don't really see it mentioned ever except on this forum. Let Vlad tell it, most of Nas album are just all bad beats...that's just not true, it's a narrative.
Vlad only going by what everyone else is saying. He not no damn influential like that

IWW was criticized for production and its been like that ever since for nas. To this day his stans talk about his beats more than his bars. 1000% facts
 
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