Nas & DJ Premier - Define My Name (new single out now, album releasing later this year)

[Metal Face]

You listening to Nas for beats?

Yes

dude came out the gate with ONE of the goat produced rap albums

 

[Newark88]

Kinda what I had expected it to be. Primo is my favorite producer ever but we all know he's way past his prime. So the critique doesn't come from a hate standpoint. Every producer has a formula/standard sound, so that's not the problem. The problem is that Primo's formulaic sound hasn't been updated to modern times and it's stuck in 99. Nas lyrics is sharp as it always is, so that's never a problem. I'll hold off judgement until we get the full album (if or when that happens).

 

[beenz]

this is the collaboration album I've wanted since I was a teenager. better 30 years later than never tho

 

[Neuromancer]

Yes

dude came out the gate with ONE of the goat produced rap albums

Then I think that's on you. Rappers rap. They don't mumble over beats.

 

[Neuromancer]

beats and lyrics. I don't care how great your lyrics are, if your beats are trash, I'm not gonna like it. And you Nas fans (that nikka t i informant), don't start this bullshyt. I was buying Nas albums or shyt she was featured on when most of you were still learning to conjugate verbs. I been down since bbq. shyt, I've bought Illmatic and different forms of it such as 10th anniversary, 20th anniversary at least 6 or 7 times in tape, cd, and vinyl format. I have versions of Nas albums and vinyl you don't even know existed So don't come at me with this bullshyt today. fuk off

Take your tampon out. My parents were friends with Nas' pops.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

@TheDarceKnight man the ownerz is a personal classic to me too. I still play that a lot.

And @Blessed Koala i had kinda slept on that record I’m glad you posted it. I’ll give it another shot.

But for me this is the last Primo beat that made me say WOW. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.



This was like 14 years ago.

I'm a resident Ev stan but I like the stuff that he and Preem do together

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Have to disagree with Preem not making beat battle type beats. shyt like Boom and Half and Half is fading 99.9% of cats. I agree that he does purposely tailor his beats for vocals to standout though.

I mean I didn't mean to paint with that broad of a brush. He definitely has beat battle beats too, but I just mean like his first concern is always the rapper and making sure they have enough space to work in. Most of the greats are like that. Dre's beats have lots of spaces. Etc.

I get why this beat is underwhelming to some cats, and it's not their best song or anything, but it's not wack at all.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

I dig it

 

[dubsmith_nz]

Song was cool, Nas in his pocket having fun and spitting. I expected Preme to come harder but the beat is still fine, it sounds good in the whip.

It's not a classic but the fact it announces the album is

 

[beenz]

Well I liked "Beat Breaks". I hope it's an "Illmatic" 30th Anniversary EP or track.

I've NEVER heard this song, and it's

 

[Awesome Wells]

Beat is weak but wasn't expecting much as premo fell off at least a decade ago. I will say though. The beat itself bangs way harder than any of those hitboy beats and nas's lyrics just come through way cleaner.

That's another issue I have with hitboys beats. The mixing. They always sound so flat and the levels are all over the place. This premo beat is very mid but at least nas's voice and lyrics are popping through. Nas just feels more at home on this style of production. It's just the facts



But overall this is the reason I wasn't necessarily too hyped about them coming together. Cause premo's sample game just isn't the same anymore. They have no character. Just way too monotonous and repetitive. He shoulda gave Nas the beat he gave snoop. This shyt is WAY better.

This right here.

Same thing I've been saying about Preem's beats for the past few years. They definitely don’t have character anymore. They used to come to life and kill everything else that was around back in the day. Nowadays, it's more about just being happy to see dude still working. Even the Snoop joint was kinda dry to me. But that beat was better than the Nas beat too, but still not that dope.

 

[Supa]

Because Nas rhymed over the beat. It's the beat primo presented to him and he chose it. Primo said he mostly makes beats for artists and not have them choose from a variety of them (as most producers do). Edo G detailed the "sayin something" track he did with Primo. He said Primo made ONE BEAT for him and he didn't like the first one and then he made another one that he picked. Similar to Dilla and Common with the beats he gave him for Electric Circus. Dilla said those are the tracks that Common wanted and the direction he wanted to go. If Nas didn't like that track, he could have had Primo make him another one. It's the one he chose for this song.

No one is forced to rap over a beat.

Premier made the Devil's Pie beat for Canibus. He didn't like it so Premier gave him his money back. He ran into D'Angelo, told him the story about the beat, D asked to hear it, and bought it for himself.

Alchemist said Nas was supposed to use the We Gonna Make It beat but he never recorded to it and tried to pass it to Nashawn. Al then played it for Jay and he passed on it too.

Havoc was about to erase the Shook Ones beat because he didn't like it. If P hadn't walked in the room and stopped him we'd never get that song.

Rappers hear a great beat and don't use it but then rap over a beat people don't like. You can't blame the producer when the artist has the final say.

 

[T.he I.nformant]

shut yo fakkit ass up dik sucking nikka

You ain’t got to catch feelings and get emotional. Just be more coherent in what you’re trying to say.

 

[Axum Ezana]

dj premier has good beats still. it depends on what the artist choose.

beat not bad. its just basic boombap.

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

No one is forced to rap over a beat.

Premier made the Devil's Pie beat for Canibus. He didn't like it so Premier gave him his money back. He ran into D'Angelo, told him the story about the beat, D asked to hear it, and bought it for himself.

Alchemist said Nas was supposed to use the We Gonna Make It beat but he never recorded to it and tried to pass it to Nashawn. Al then played it for Jay and he passed on it too.

Havoc was about to erase the Shook Ones beat because he didn't like it. If P hadn't walked in the room and stopped him we'd never get that song.

Rappers hear a great beat and don't use it but then rap over a beat people don't like. You can't blame the producer when the artist has the final say.

that's the point I was making. Primo didn't have a gun to his head. He made the beat and Nas took it with no problem