Is it fair to say that Nas is a better writer than Jay-z but Jay-z is a better rapper than Nas?

[Budda]

Can’t have it both ways. When jay drops a magna carta or bp3, while Nas drops Life is Good, we rightfully give Nas credit for being WAY more personal and introspective.

So now we gotta do the same. Nas dropped 4 albums with no theme or rhyme or reason, and jay dropped 4:44 an album specifically about growth, wealth, family, marriage. So give jay his credit the same way. These hit boy albums ain’t got shyt for 4:44 from a depth point of view

Nas already done that with Life Is Good...

He can't have every album be the same, but the KD series has plenty depth.

We give credit because its a better album, not because its more personal, American Gangster isn't all too personal in terms of what you talk about and its one of Jays best albums.

 

[Budda]

Don't forget songs like Daughters, Poppa was a Playa, Dance, Bye Baby ect.. he has albums decades old GS, LIG that are extremely personal. Dudes just be saying anything

Seriously its a horrible point to make, Nas has a storytelling nostalgia based style, he lets you into stories of his life in songs he doesn't even need to.




For example. As a listener its almost like you know the whole of QB because of this.

 

[alpo]

Nas is better rapper and artist but Jay is the better marketer. Like Kendrick and Cole are better than Drake when it comes to rapping and the artistry of their music but Drake knows how to package that shyt and make you love it. The marketing is built into their music making it easier to digest and move to

Don’t bring them no bars nikkas in here

 

[JayBaldacci]

The hell are you taking about ‘preference’. This is all art. It’s ALL “preference”

I mean I'm waiting for somebody to explain what "elite level songwriting" is, give an example of it in Jay's catalog, then explain how it's not apart of NaS's skill set.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

“Is it fair to say that Nas is a better”​

Yes

 

[Controversy]

You’re leaving out content.

Jay’s super power, and the area he has an edge on Nas, is his story is more interesting and he taps into his ACTUAL life better than Nas. His stories are more consistently personal. And if you’ve followed him it’s like one big connected story

Perfect example is his feature on Love All. That’s not about lyricism or writing it’s about making you feel it bc you know it’s real.

nikkas wanted to kill me and y'all still with 'em
nikka, y'all chill with 'em, and y'all wonder why we not friends?
Best thing I can do is not build with you
When I could destroy you, that takes some fukkin' discipline

Gives me fukin chills. Any rapper could say a line like that, but it’s different with Jay bc you know it’s FACTUAL, 100% real, you know who it’s aimed at, you know that yes he could destroy him, etc…it makes it and him different

I hung with E-Money too, the fukking truth
fukking with Stretch from Live Squad
I could’ve died the same night that Stretch died
I just got out of his ride
He dropped me off and drove to Springfield
November 30th, another Queens king killed

 

[jerzboy]

It’s not vitriolic tho unlike most of those, just a comparison between the two greatest..

In my opinion, hit song that catch the masses, that aren’t Sesame Street lol

 

[spliz]

Nas can get personal, of course. But you don’t get it as consistently. And not recently. Ie Nas has 4 albums in 3 years and perhaps not 1 truly personal track. He just rappin

And I love all 4 of em but not one is as deep as 4:44. Also an area where Jay edges him is his features. That’s often where he really goes in his personal bag. Drug dealers anonymous, seen it all, written testimony …

Jay said it best ‘I could make 4 more albums off memory’.

Son I can name a million personal Nas songs. shyt alot of his style is Nostalgia based. Even on his last 4 albums. Nas has been getting personal in his music for longer than Jay has.

 

[Braman]

I hung with E-Money too, the fukking truth
fukking with Stretch from Live Squad
I could’ve died the same night that Stretch died
I just got out of his ride
He dropped me off and drove to Springfield
November 30th, another Queens king killed

Dope line Jay’s is better

Jay is speaking about what he felt. His emotions, his internal struggle. Nas, in this case, is just telling us what happened. There’s nothing intricate about it

See the problem with this discussion is there’s not enough completely objective fans of both Nas AND jay. Too many of y’all love Nas and act like jay is trash. I can’t take that type of fan seriously at ALL. They have no credibility

So don’t just post any ol Nas line like that make him better. Sometimes Nas will have better lines than jay, but jay will have some lines better than Nas.

 

[ThirdAct]

You’re leaving out content.

Jay’s super power, and the area he has an edge on Nas, is his story is more interesting and he taps into his ACTUAL life better than Nas. His stories are more consistently personal. And if you’ve followed him it’s like one big connected story

Perfect example is his feature on Love All. That’s not about lyricism or writing it’s about making you feel it bc you know it’s real.

nikkas wanted to kill me and y'all still with 'em
nikka, y'all chill with 'em, and y'all wonder why we not friends?
Best thing I can do is not build with you
When I could destroy you, that takes some fukkin' discipline

Gives me fukin chills. Any rapper could say a line like that, but it’s different with Jay bc you know it’s FACTUAL, 100% real, you know who it’s aimed at, you know that yes he could destroy him, etc…it makes it and him different

Really? One of the biggest reasons I'm a Nas fan is because he taps into his personal life deeply. I mean Life Is Good he talked about his divorce and his relationship with his daughter, God's Son he talked about his mom passing, Beautiful Life he talks about his other brother besides Jungle that he had problems with, Composure he talks about having jaundice as a baby, My Way he talks about seeing Ill Will get shot, Hate Me Now and Rise & Fall are about his career, other songs like Poppa Was a Playa, Fetus, One Love, Nothing Lasts Forever, Gangsta Tears, plus all the songs about growing up in QB. Jay on the other hand finally got a little more personal on 4:44 after just rapping about how much richer he was than everyone else for years.

 

[Mike Wins]

Jay is better at making music that crossover to different demographics because his approach and style palatable to a wider audience. That and slick wordplay, clever punchlines and double meanings are where he win out

Nas style a little more abrasive and harder to digest for listeners that are not heavy into hip hop. Where Nas win out is he more poetic and cinematic with his writing, his subject matter and song concepts are a lot more diverse. He equally adept at getting introspective or stepping outside himself and rapping from other perspectives. Jay don't really step outside his own world that often and when he do it usually ain't his best work

 

[Controversy]

Dope line Jay’s is better

Jay is speaking about what he felt. His emotions, his internal struggle. Nas, in this case, is just telling us what happened. There’s nothing intricate about it

See the problem with this discussion is there’s not enough completely objective fans of both Nas AND jay. Too many of y’all love Nas and act like jay is trash. I can’t take that type of fan seriously at ALL. They have no credibility

So don’t just post any ol Nas line like that make him better. Sometimes Nas will have better lines than jay, but jay will have some lines better than Nas.

You said he taps into his life better than Nas...Nas was with Stretch the day Stretch was killed...this is hip hop history...the same stretch who was with pac when he was shot at the Quad...exactly one yr later, Nas is riding with Stretch and Stretch gets killed later that day

Jay telling you how he feels...Nas telling a story that is actual & factual

 

[Mike Wins]

Really? One of the biggest reasons I'm a Nas fan is because he taps into his personal life deeply. I mean Life Is Good he talked about his divorce and his relationship with his daughter, God's Son he talked about his mom passing, Beautiful Life he talks about his other brother besides Jungle that he had problems with, Composure he talks about having jaundice as a baby, My Way he talks about seeing Ill Will get shot, Hate Me Now and Rise & Fall are about his career, other songs like Poppa Was a Playa, Fetus, One Love, Nothing Lasts Forever, Gangsta Tears, plus all the songs about growing up in QB. Jay on the other hand finally got a little more personal on 4:44 after just rapping about how much richer he was than everyone else for years.

This one of my favorite Nas tracks, that nobody outside diehard fans will ever mention. Because it was completely out of step with what was hot at the time both musically and subject matter. Talking about wanting to do better than your own parents but realizing you heading down the same dysfunctional path. Jay got praised for finally making an album of tracks like this when he was near 50

 

[Stick Up Kid]

Nas made I Gave You Power, 2nd Childhood, Rewind, Black Zombies, Illmatic, Purple, KD2, Stillmatic, It Was Written, Nas is Like, etc and yall questionin if he's a good artist.

 

[Ziggiy]

Jay literally BIT Nas rhymes and style to get on.

Before you used to rap like the Fu-Schnikens/Nas designed your Blueprint who ya kiddin?



Nas is the best