InstantKlassik
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That’s what Hero was for. He didn’t need 2 radio songs, especially for an album like Untitled.
Hero was fire, why that shyt wasn't a hit is beyond me. That CB shyt was a dud but with CB on it you'd think it'd at least get radio traction, but nope. Nas been trying to climb his way out of the underground since like 96, lol, they won't let him though...I think that's lowkey what it is. They won't allow Nas to win like others in his weight class, he gotta go the underground/super hip hop route to win...problem is he never wanted to be confined to that.
Think about KD1 and 2, there's madd shyt on there that should have been hit records, but nope. Nas gotta hit em with "Made You Look" and "Nas is Like" and "I Can" type joints, that "Real hip hop" sounding shyt, that's his lane and that's what translates best commercially for him, all them jawns stayed on the radio...but he don't wanna be that guy.
I agree he has bangers all over kd1 and kd2. It's either the hip hop media and radio won't push those songs to elite status mainstream wise or his fans aren't helping push them enough in this digital era. Its maybe a little of both. Its absolutely no reason that "rare" and 40 side shouldn't have been blasting on the radio in New York in particular. Rare is crazyyyy
spliz
SplizThaDon
Spicy was kinda hot in the city and nothing happened. Replace Me would’ve been outta here if he replaced Big Sean with Drake. Even with the same lyrics. 27 Summers woulda went crazy if he featured Jay on it. Tracks like Rare or Nobody woulda went crazy in any era but this one.
Too many "would've" and "if". Not saying you're wrong, we just know them jawns didn't really do anything commercially...as fire as they are. I agree with "Nobody" though, why that wasn't the first single I have no idea.
I think Nas has his wheelhouse...he knows it's the underground/hip hop type shyt. but for whatever reason he deviates from that sound. Think back to his last handful of albums, the "hip hop" heavy gritty type joints are the ones that got the most reaction, at least from my POV. Locomotive, Blue Benz, 2nd half of "The Cure", Adam & Eve, etc... That's how people view Nas...he's held in a crazy high hip hop regard...higher than Jay-z and Big and anybody else he's compared to...they never gave him the freedom to make club/worldly type records, they don't want that from him, it doesn't translate commercially.
Absolutely, no one does/should. But when the masses, speaking generally, specifically loves one type of style from you the most, do you continue to keep trying to deviate and get up out of that "Illmatic" shadow...or do you recognize what your bread and butter and what you're best at and hammer that shyt home? Not saying that's the only sound you can ever create...but just on some common sense shyt, if that works best for you then it should probably be the most prevalent sound you shoot for. I'm sure Nas hears and hates all the "Do an album with Premier!!!!!" "Do an album with Large Pro!!!" shyt...but there's a reason he hears it so much. Jay-z and them don't get that.
Piff Perkins
Veteran
I don't think the issue was that he was never given "freedom" to do those commercial records, he just was never good at it. Especially when compared to DMX, Jay, Fat Joe etc. Even Mobb Deep has a better club and ladies track. AZ has a better ladies track to this day. It's just not his bag and it usually doesn't sound authentic. Looking back at those albums...shyt like You Owe Me, Rule, Braveheart Party, Summer On Smash, Dr Knockboot, Make The World Go Round...those are just bad or forgettable attempts.
Ladies track in of themselves aren't hated in rap. Go back and listen to how many ladies tracks are on Pete Rock & CL Smooth albums. There's a space for it. I just think for Nas he's not that type of artist and perhaps even worse, his teams at the labels weren't giving him the ladies tracks that would work for him (or he rejected them). Like if Nas was at Def Jam (late 90s/early 00s) someone would have been passing him What These bytches Want type shyt. Whether he would have taken the tracks is another question.
Figaro
Superstar
If it weren't for the wack as "YKTV" (go on & throw your hate at me
) joint on here....the album damn near flows flawlessly.
) joint on here....the album damn near flows flawlessly.spliz
SplizThaDon
Exactly. It’s not that he wasn’t good at it. It’s that people didn’t accept it from him. That’s the bottom line. Other artists have gotten away with far worse with little to no criticism. I don’t really wanna hear that bullshyt narrative either.