Nas Is Already ‘Halfway Through’ His Next Album With Hit-Boy

[ThirdAct]

There was that one Nas/Madlib track that leaked but it was over a beat Gibbs used and obviously was from a beat tape that floated around. That's not the same as the them being in the studio but people were using that to say Nas and Otis wouldn't work

A B+ is too high for Hit Boy. That's saying he's only a step away from the greats.

So Legit, Speechless, Store Run, The Pressure, The Cure, 27 Summers, 27 Summers, The Truth, Thun, First Time, Nas Is Good, King's Disease, Office Hours, Composure, Nobody etc....none of these are over a B to you? I dunno these are all great beats to me.

And beyond his work with Nas, how about Sicko Mode or this banger?



I just don't get the hate. I'm not saying he's the second coming of Rza in the 90's or anything like that...but he's dope! And without him we wouldn't have gotten a bunch of great Nas albums in the 2020's.

 

[Iverson_64]

Hit boy needs to disappear for a few years


His beats aren’t all that, Game was right using different producers on his last album

That was Game's worst album though.

Would've been way better if he scrapped 10 songs off and made the Em diss a bonus track.

 

[JustCKing]

Is that not how it is for most people??? Y'all seem to think that people are complaining about Hit-Boy solely because he's not Alchemist/Premo/LP etc and not because they have problems with his production. Nas has never worked with Madlib for example, but I imagine the majority of users here would be amped if we found out he was getting a beat from him because they trust his abilities. The reason why people are throwing in these other names is because they think they'd do a better job than Hit-Boy if given the opportunity. And if Hit-Boy leveld up his production to a level they were happy with they'd be fine with him. It's really that simple.

I myself, while still thinking Hit-Boy is a B+ producer, have been pleasantly surprised by his production because I didn't think much of him before the KD trilogy and Magic. But for other folks, that's not enough. And whule I'm not as hard on him as others, I'd still rather hear a Nas album with a mix of guys like Alchemist, Madlib, Metro, Black Milk, Jake One, 9th Wonder, Q-Tip etc. And while Premo's not what he used to be, he still has his fastball so I'd still much rather hear what he could with Nas today on a real track and not just a breakbeat for a novelty project.

Yeah, but do you not see the issue with saying "doing a better job" vs "I would like to see him work with". Doing a better job implies Nas picked the wrong producer to guide his projects. Its Nas's albums, he can do whatever he chooses. We don't have to like it, but to say this producer would be a better fit goes beyond being a fan. Its being an armchair A&R or arm chair executive producer, which is why it warrants the gate keeping.

All Nas fans have at one point or another had a wishlist of producers and even artists we've wanted Nas to work with. Nothing wrong with that. It becomes something else to say "his music would be better with this producer".

 

[JustCKing]

Swizz Beats is a C and Scott Scorch was a B in his prime. Scott Storch was good for hits at that specific time but his sound, came across dated pretty quick and I couldn’t imagine a whole rap album with Scott Storch beats, he was better for singles.

Swizz Beatz >>>>> Storch. Fully agree with Storch only being good for singles. I can't think of one rapper that ever had him helm an album. The closest was 50 Cent's Massacre and the worst songs were Storch produced.

 

[Supa]

If hit a B what is Swizz Beats or Scott Storch?

Swizz is a D-

He's a hack.

 

[Da King]

That was Game's worst album though.

If that’s his worst album you must think his catalogue is

 

[Supa]

So Legit, Speechless, Store Run, The Pressure, The Cure, 27 Summers, 27 Summers, The Truth, Thun, First Time, Nas Is Good, King's Disease, Office Hours, Composure, Nobody etc....none of these are over a B to you? I dunno these are all great beats to me.

And beyond his work with Nas, how about Sicko Mode or this banger?



I just don't get the hate. I'm not saying he's the second coming of Rza in the 90's or anything like that...but he's dope! And without him we wouldn't have gotten a bunch of great Nas albums in the 2020's.

First stop saying criticism is hate.

My point is guys like RZA, Dilla, Primo, Madlib, Q Tip, Pete, Alchemist, Timbaland, etc are on the highest level in terms of ability, technique, and/or innovation. They're masters of their craft. So if they're A or A+ I can't say Hit Boy is a B+. He's not innovating or mastering a style that's unique to him. He's mimicking styles. He's not close to their level.

I never said he's not good or doesn't have some dope beats. He's just not in that upper echelon. You have producers today using techniques that Pete created decades ago. shyt that no one before him had done and now everyone uses. Dilla changed the game. RZA changed the game.

Hit Boy can be grouped with a ton of guys who do their thing but just don't have enough to be top tier, all time great, Mount Rushmore level.

 

[Billy Ocean]

I fukks with all the hit boy x Nas albums ….. I want to hear him on some other joints now

nikkas was being criticized for saying this in the Magic 2 thread. Ok, he made some good music with HB but it's time to move on.

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Who says I'm worried? If it comes out and I am disappointed, who cares? If it never comes out and I'm disappointed because of that, so what? You trying to convince me all this gate keeping and condescension is for my benefit? Worried I might be "headed for a fall"? What the fukk are you even saying? Bruh, either the album drops or it doesn't, either it's good or it's not. If I blame Nas and never want to hear them together again... why does it matter? My psyche is not so fragile that I need your help tempering my expectations. I'm good. I'm not going to start typing like I got VEINS popping out of my EYEBALLS like some people around here do.

I just used the Cormega joint as an example because Alchemist has been the hot topic since before Magic 2 even dropped. The point is that you guys just keep on coming up with reasons that we should feel wrong for having a different opinion than you. You don't care to hear Nas work with anyone other than Hitboy again? Cool. Good for you. I feel a different way. What does it matter how I feel? You think Nas and Hitboy even know who I am? You think they're going to read my posts and it's going to just fukk up their entire vibe in the studio? I'm a nobody. Let us have our little nobody opinions without the gatekeepy condescending bullshyt. I hope Nas works with some other producers soon. What he's done with Hitboy has been dope, but Hitboy just doesn't have the talent to take him to the potentials I know he can reach, and at this point it's starting to feel like he's holding him back. I don't care if you disagree. Only reason I keep arguing with you bozos is because you guys continue talking spicy at everyone who has any criticism for Hitboy and unfortunately for you, I have nothing to do for like the next 3 days lol. I got time to bullshyt.

I feel like we're starting to go in circles here, and not only does it seem like you just want to argue, but you're having a Maalox moment throughout this post.

First off......."Hit-Boy doesn't have the talent to take Nas to the potential I know he can reach" and "It's starting to feel like he's holding him back." From what? What's Hit-Boy stopping Nas from doing? What potential has Nas not reached at this point? His first two albums are masterpieces. His name is already on the wall, he's a certified legend. There's no more potential for him to live up to. He's said it already, he's did it already. Now, he's here, so what's happening?

I'm not really concerned or worried about what you like or what you want to hear. I understand everything you're saying and it's not like you've made no legitimate points. What I said was a warning because I've seen people talk about what they want when it comes to music millions of times, having these expectations in their head that they probably know the artist will never reach. Then they get it and they're not satisfied. I've been there. People seem to be very confused and bothered by the idea that Nas has made so much music with Hit-Boy. They're asking rhetorical questions at this point, and their confusion/boredom has led to them jumping out the window with ridiculous takes, and they keep on coming.

I said multiple times that I don't care who Nas works with. Because I'm a Nas fan, I'm automatically going to be interested in what he puts out. If his next album has no Hit-Boy beats, I'm not going to cry about it. It really doesn't matter to me because Nas has worked with almost every well-known producer in the last thirty years. I've enjoyed a lot of that work, whether it's DJ Premier or Trackmasters or L.E.S. or Salaam or Alchemist or Dre or Eminem. I have no issue with people wanting to hear Nas over other producers. Five albums in three years with the same producer is something that none of us could have predicted. But I'm also aware that this is going to be a long-lasting partnership. There's going to be more Hit-Boy. We could end up getting King's Disease VII at this rate. As long as the music is quality, that's all that matters.

But since you're not going to take anything I say seriously, here's the short version. This is probably what you think every Nas fan sounds like anyway.

"Alchemist sucks. Nobody wants to hear that drumless shyt from a spoiled, skinny-ass white boy. Nas and Hit-Boy forever. If you have a problem with that, like David Carradine, you can go fukk yourself and just die. BRING ON KING'S DISEASE 4. "

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Also, I want to make this clear so we're all on the same page. This thread is over twenty pages because of something that's not even true. Nas says one line bragging about how much work he puts in with Hit-Boy, and everyone automatically assumed that meant they're working on their next album as we speak.

This thread exists because of an album that's completely hypothetical. A theory, a cartoon.

This is it. This is what it means to be on crack.

 

[ThirdAct]

First stop saying criticism is hate.

My point is guys like RZA, Dilla, Primo, Madlib, Q Tip, Pete, Alchemist, Timbaland, etc are on the highest level in terms of ability, technique, and/or innovation. They're masters of their craft. So if they're A or A+ I can't say Hit Boy is a B+. He's not innovating or mastering a style that's unique to him. He's mimicking styles. He's not close to their level.

I never said he's not good or doesn't have some dope beats. He's just not in that upper echelon. You have producers today using techniques that Pete created decades ago. shyt that no one before him had done and now everyone uses. Dilla changed the game. RZA changed the game.

Hit Boy can be grouped with a ton of guys who do their thing but just don't have enough to be top tier, all time great, Mount Rushmore level.

Does he have to reinvent the wheel to be a B+ producer though? Yes those 90's legends were innovators but I don't see how HB gives Nas some super experimental different production without it alienating Nas fanbase. He gave Nas the type of production he needed and pretty much objectively the most solidly consistent production Nas has had since the first Lost Tapes. I think all the beats I mentioned are masterful.

 

[prophecypro]

it is kind of a miserable way to experience music, I don't disagree with you. But to be fair a lot of the guys in here talking shop like this are producers themselves. And once you've done any sort of production, mixing, engineering, or anything like that...it takes some of the magic out of music. And unfortunately it's difficult to un-hear what you hear. I mixed for a few years and it's like learning how the sausage is made


But yeah. I wish I could hear a song and not hear that it's a bad mix, or that there's no high end, or that the drums sound too compressed, or whatever the criticism is. For the most part I do try and block that stuff out and take the music at face value for whatever it is. But there are still some instances where I can't help that my ear hears what it hears.

Agreed. My only pushback is that with the previous albums you had people who produced saying these were very good albums. Not just the videos I posted of Blueprint and Illogical but you had someone like Young Guru go out of his way to say they were well done.

The reason this run was acclaimed was that the biggest critics liked the sonic structure

Even the people outside of this board for the most part still like the production on the previous albums

This feels like it’s just people think Nas can replicate this and should with producers they prefer because they still have this knock that the nikkas in Paris guy is doing this

 

[ItWasWritten]

I think Hitboy is more comfortable doing modern production

If they do a Magic 3 or Kings Disease 4 I’d like to see him just go to his modern bag for the whole album

 

[prophecypro]

I think Hitboy is more comfortable doing modern production

If they do a Magic 3 or Kings Disease 4 I’d like to see him just go to his modern bag for the whole album

I don’t know. The reason he’s elevated quickly is finding a classic sound. Not just Nas but the Benny/Conway stuff and the Chauncey Hollis tape

 

[Supa]

Does he have to reinvent the wheel to be a B+ producer though? Yes those 90's legends were innovators but I don't see how HB gives Nas some super experimental different production without it alienating Nas fanbase. He gave Nas the type of production he needed and pretty much objectively the most solidly consistent production Nas has had since the first Lost Tapes. I think all the beats I mentioned are masterful.

There's other producers I don't give an A to but they're elite in certain areas.

9th Wonder has flaws but he's a genius at chopping.

Just Blaze's has flaws but his drums are up there with the best.

There isn't anything that Hit Boy is elite at. It's not just innovation it's that some beat makers are more talented than others. Doesn't matter how much you do because they have a way higher ceiling. You can make a million beats and you'll never be as good as J Dilla.

If it was basketball there's a guys every season who can put up 20ppg and make an All Star team or two but they'll never be Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kareem, Shaq, or Kobe. Nothing wrong with being good but everybody can't be great.