Is nas versatile enough to really be a GOAT rapper?

[keon]

I had Nas number 3 after 2pac and Ice cube, but when you think about it, he's not really that versatile. He's about as versatile as waka flocka when it comes to making different kind of music.

People like Pac, Ice Cube, Jay and even Em and 50 cent can make hard ass club music,party music, then switch it up and make a deep song and all of them will be HITS.

Example:

Pac made Shed So Many Tears and Dear Mama which are both classics, but at the same time made I Get Around which is one of my favorite feel good party songs. Then he also turned around n made some hard ass shyt like Hit Em Up. And it doesnt stop there, he also made one of the GOAT love songs in I Rather Be Ya nikka, then a harder street love song in Bonnie n clyde.
I can go on for days.

Ice Cube: Make them hard ass CLASSICS like straight outta compton, to a goat story telling track in My Summer Vacation, then the goat laid back songs in You Know How We Do It and Today Was A Good Day.
Even we be clubbin wasnt that bad

Jay Z: Hard Knocc Life to Can I Live, to Big Pimpin

Nas- Just makes songs like One Love and Memory Lanes, although shootoutts is one of my favorite songs ever.

this thread right here lets you know who's the most versatile

http://www.the-coli.com/booth/58912-who-most-balanced-m-c-all-time.html

 

[DaveyDave]

But they're not hit songs, or even good songs. They're average at best.

The rappers I listed can rap about ANYTHING and make them classics. Nas cant.

Nas has plenty of classic songs in every category you could think of except maybe club hits.

straight spittin: It Ain't Hard To Tell, Nas Is Like
chilled out: Still Dreaming, Purple
storytelling: Undying Love, One Love, Seikou Story
concepts: I Gave You Power, Rewind
hype/hard songs: Stillmatic Intro, Hate Me Now
beef/battle: Ether
introspective/about life: Dance, Last Real nikka Alive
collabos/features: Verbal Intercourse, Life's A bytch
classic intro to the Hip Hop world with Live At The BBQ
has worked with some of the GOAT producers like Premo, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q Tip, Dr Dre, Havoc, RZA, and made CLLLAASSSIIIICCCSSSSS
not to mention he's been in the game for 20+ years now as a professional, actually relasing songs & albums so longevity is there as well.

the ONLY thing you could say is he doesn't have his share of club hits but i'm sure if you walk into most Hip Hop clubs in the world they could play a number of Nas songs throughout the night & cats would still love it.

 

[Thegospel]

Nas has plenty of classic songs in every category you could think of except maybe club hits.

straight spittin: It Ain't Hard To Tell, Nas Is Like
chilled out: Still Dreaming, Purple
storytelling: Undying Love, One Love, Seikou Story
concepts: I Gave You Power, Rewind
hype/hard songs: Stillmatic Intro, Hate Me Now
beef/battle: Ether
introspective/about life: Dance, Last Real nikka Alive
collabos/features: Verbal Intercourse, Life's A bytch
classic intro to the Hip Hop world with Live At The BBQ
has worked with some of the GOAT producers like Premo, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q Tip, Dr Dre, Havoc, RZA, and made CLLLAASSSIIIICCCSSSSS
not to mention he's been in the game for 20+ years now as a professional, actually relasing songs & albums so longevity is there as well.

the ONLY thing you could say is he doesn't have his share of club hits but i'm sure if you walk into most Hip Hop clubs in the world they could play a number of Nas songs throughout the night & cats would still love it.

White boy how would you know what's playing in black clubs? Lol at that dude having a number of songs to play in the club. East coast dikkriders make me laugh.

 

[Billy Ocean]

Nas is as versatile as any of the other dudes mentioned in this thread.

 

[I.AM.PIFF]

If a song isn't a hit in clubs, its trash for thse guys, I can see why hip hop is so lame now

Clubs are judge for classic music now ?

 

[DaveyDave]

White boy how would you know what's playing in black clubs? Lol at that dude having a number of songs to play in the club. East coast dikkriders make me laugh.

i said hip hop clubs around the world not the broke ass club in your hood where they play nothing but Waka Flocka, Rick Ross and Future. you do know there is a world outside of your town right? i didn't say they would play Rewind or UBR in the club, but you must be too young to remember what Hate Me Now was like when it dropped

 

[Shadow King]

Nas explored the party/commercial lane...in his own way...he got backlash from hardco heads for it...so he shyed from it, when Hate Me Now and You Owe Me were good for their lane (the former is a classic). If him expanding would've been accepted he would've continued to improve in that lane.

EDIT: If Nas is irrelevant I don't wanna see niqqas bigging up they favorite new cat for selling 300-400k

 

[up in here]

That's not a hit, for one. A classic maybe, but even still thats just one song. On top of that it doesnt really give a totally different vibe than most Nas songs.

Hit Em Up, I rather Be ya nikka and Dear Mama had legit different vibes to them.

How is If I Ruled The World not a hit but I'd Rather Be Your nikka a hit?

This dude trolling

 

[Shadow King]

This is where he gets prevented from being the actual GOAT. That he never had the mass appeal of a Jay, Eminem, Pac

At the same time this is the most arguable point you could make about his career. He had songs that were memorable and even crossed over for a time there. He's had hit albums and singles at some point in his career. But I've also felt like he's released records that should have bigger.

Like to me Hate Me Now and Made You Look are anthems. And he's had commercial records which I thought could have bigger for him.

Sometimes I think its less of his ability as a writer and more as his perception as an MC . A lot of radio DJs still look at Nas as the hip-hop street guy and might not embrace when he does a collabo with say Game and Chris Brown. At the same time, hes ghostwritten records that were regular on urban radio (I Need a Girl apparently) and big crossover hits (Getting Jiggy with it). It makes me wonder if he still ghostwrites or has been tempted too.

But one thing that's happened as time has gone by and more people get into Hip Hop, his case to remain in the top 10 of all time has been soldified by the fact he's still a good lyrcist which while only one part of what makes a great rapper is also something thats easy to erode with some rappers and he's maintained it. Plus his body of work is getting more shaped up.

I do gotta call BS on the whole relevancy thing and who bumps what where. I still see and hear people who bump Nas overseas within hip hop circles and amongst East Coast fans or fans of lyrical rap. Yes the mainstream to casual fans dont but then you can get into a debate about how much Hip Hop they listen to regularly or if it matters. One thing is for sure he's been able to stay relevant by carving out a niche and he's been able to tour.

Like I mentioned, its weird: He doesnt have a platinum or gold record or a hit and yet this is the first time he's doing arena tours overseas. How does that happen? Its weird that 2Chainz who is bigger than him and is all over the radio is considered the warm up act for Nas at a 20,000 seat arena in London (a big music market and a well known arena).

Stuff like that and pop and hip hop culture being more fragmented in an internet era probably helps his case a little (plus I guess it doesnt hurt when CNN crowns you and makes a case)


But again, Im not saying Nas is the GOAT or can be because of the very restrictions others have argued. But I think you can compelling argument about why he belongs in a top 5-10 with people bigger than him or with more Mass appeal cause he's still that good enough. And in a 35 year old genre to still be top 10 in a 20 year career is kinda amazing.

The bolded is 150% correct.

 

[BrothaZay]

How is If I Ruled The World not a hit but I'd Rather Be Your nikka a hit?

This dude trolling

HS kids still bump I Rather Be Ya nikka in 2013.

Can you say the same for If I ruled The World?

 

[up in here]

HS kids still bump I Rather Be Ya nikka in 2013.

Can you say the same for If I ruled The World?

2pac is the GOAT but HS kids don't even really listen to 2pac period. They will tell you dead serious Lil Wayne is better than Pac

 

[daze23]

HS kids?

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

Nas has plenty of classic songs in every category you could think of except maybe club hits.

straight spittin: It Ain't Hard To Tell, Nas Is Like
chilled out: Still Dreaming, Purple
storytelling: Undying Love, One Love, Seikou Story
concepts: I Gave You Power, Rewind
hype/hard songs: Stillmatic Intro, Hate Me Now
beef/battle: Ether
introspective/about life: Dance, Last Real nikka Alive
collabos/features: Verbal Intercourse, Life's A bytch
classic intro to the Hip Hop world with Live At The BBQ
has worked with some of the GOAT producers like Premo, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q Tip, Dr Dre, Havoc, RZA, and made CLLLAASSSIIIICCCSSSSS
not to mention he's been in the game for 20+ years now as a professional, actually relasing songs & albums so longevity is there as well.

the ONLY thing you could say is he doesn't have his share of club hits but i'm sure if you walk into most Hip Hop clubs in the world they could play a number of Nas songs throughout the night & cats would still love it.

+1

and add to this that he's one of he rare cats to be able to make a song with litteraly ANYONE

I mean he made songs with litteraly the whole spectrum of rnb girl


Mary J, Alicia, TLC, Brandy, 3LW, Ashanti, Jlo, Keyshia Cole, Chrisette Michelle, Nneka, Ms Dynamite, Kelly Price, Jully Black, Marsha Ambrosius, Joss Stone, Res, Dawn Robinson, Lauryn Hill, Aaliyah, Keri Hilson, Amy Winehouse, Amerie, Mariah Carey, Allure, Kelis, Estelle, Monica...
and R. Kelly, Maxwell, Kci & Frank Ocean for the mens, aside from this it did songs with newcomers like Ross, Wayne, Minaj, Drake, Young Jeezy, but he did songs with undergrounds or unrelated cats like Kenna, Korn, Kenna, LP (never realeased), I wouldn't be shocked to nas with Keith richards on the guitar and then see him with Scarface the next day then with Beyonce, he adapt everytime

Why people can compare him Sade, an artist that not averflow the media but you still in the talks because his music travels time. Nas succes in 2013 his still impressive, he's got to be the only mc's from the 90's who's invited to perform on letterman or jimmy fallon.

 

[BrothaZay]

2pac is the GOAT but HS kids don't even really listen to 2pac period. They will tell you dead serious Lil Wayne is better than Pac

nikka im not talkin bout white kids.

blacc kids stay bumpin 2pac, even in present era
I should know I graduated just recently in May

 

[Balan]

Nas makes garbage 'feel good' party type tracks. It sounds forced.