Nas - King's Disease III (Discussion Thread)

[NoHalfWay]

Now that’s a real answer

Yeah let’s be real. Nas still drops heat, KD2 & Magic are crazy 30 years in the game

But lots of these threads be littered with hyperbole. Nas don’t got no damn IWW flow no more, at least not consistently

He’s pretty much 50 years old, he don’t have that breath control anymore, and he doesn’t even pen down his lyrics half the time now. Expecting those classic era Nas joints is just setting yourself up for disappointment

 

[T.H.E.GOD]

Yeah let’s be real. Nas still drops heat, KD2 & Magic are crazy 30 years in the game

But lots of these threads be littered with hyperbole. Nas don’t got no damn IWW flow no more, at least not consistently

He’s pretty much 50 years old, he don’t have that breath control anymore, and he doesn’t even pen down his lyrics half the time now. Expecting those classic era Nas joints is just setting yourself up for disappointment

I disagree. He did it on loco-motive showing his lyrical skills. Look what he did with stillmatic when people thought he couldn’t anymore. Son can do it whenever he wants. That’s why he the goat. We just never know with what “HE” decided to do when he drops.

 

[NoHalfWay]

I disagree. He did it on loco-motive showing his lyrical skills. Look what he did with stillmatic when people thought he couldn’t anymore. Son can do it whenever he wants. That’s why he the goat. We just never know with what “HE” decided to do when he drops.

It started after 2012. Life Is Good was basically still prime era Nas rapping-wise

He can still do it, but it comes in spurts

 

[kes929]

I don’t think that really applies to Nas fans tho .. he doesn’t share the NBA Youngboy adhd target audience

If you haven’t noticed, nas is trying different sounds and catering more to a broader audience within albums than he has in the past. In the past he stuck to more of a core base, but now he has opened it up. You can even see that with how the younger audience review him on YouTube. They are hype that he can cater to his fans and cater to them too. Most older artist can’t do both from his era.

 

[Left.A1]

If you haven’t noticed, nas is trying different sounds and catering more to a broader audience within albums than he has in the past. In the past he stuck to more of a core base, but now he has opened it up. You can even see that with how the younger audience review him on YouTube. They are hype that he can cater to his fans and cater to them too. Most older artist can’t do both from his era.

He’s been doing that since IWW

 

[Mike the Executioner]

It started after 2012. Life Is Good was basically still prime era Nas rapping-wise

He can still do it, but it comes in spurts

It might be intentional. Nas said that working with Hit Boy taught him to overthink less and have more confidence in what he's saying. If it sounds like a bar, say that. The mic's right there, say that. We're having a conversation, say that.

After Life is Good, Nas put out "Nas Album Done." And "Echo." And "Godfather 4." As much as people want to forget Nasir existed, he had some great moments on there ("Adam and Eve," "Everything"). And the more modern stuff on Lost Tapes 2 showed that he could still give us that bar-heavy style ("Lost Freestyle," "Tanasia," "Adult Film," "Highly Favored").

 

[NoHalfWay]

It might be intentional. Nas said that working with Hit Boy taught him to overthink less and have more confidence in what he's saying. If it sounds like a bar, say that. The mic's right there, say that. We're having a conversation, say that.

After Life is Good, Nas put out "Nas Album Done." And "Echo." And "Godfather 4." As much as people want to forget Nasir existed, he had some great moments on there ("Adam and Eve," "Everything"). And the more modern stuff on Lost Tapes 2 showed that he could still give us that bar-heavy style ("Lost Freestyle," "Tanasia," "Adult Film," "Highly Favored").

Yeah he has some newer era stuff where he’s flowing fine, but if the new approach is intentional he shouldn’t sacrifice his already perfect flow for some choppy sounding rhymes.

Sometimes it sounds like Hit boy and the engineers is punching in his shyt a lot. Like you said it might be intentional, but on average the flow isn’t quite as effortless as it used to be

Like the examples you listed, Godfather IV is classic Nas. One of my features from him ever actually & that was only a few years ago

 

[Asicz]

I enjoyed Make The World Go Around but I think it works better as a bouns track right after Black President. It just flows better together well that way, like a celebration after having the first Black President because We Make The World Go Around

The coli wants every Nas single to sound like a Alchemist Boldy James song.

 

[Asicz]

50 loves Nas. They all do Foreal

50 playing nice now cause Nas has a legit multimedia company and connections. 50 knows what it is in the TV space.

 

[Asicz]

The thing is 'smash' hits have to have a component of being easy and/or enjoyable to rap along or sing along to. Hero wasn't really that, Nas is rapping on it and the production obviously has commercial value but its not the most mass appealing, no one is going to sing along to that hook. Make the World Go Round had the same issue, corny singing on the hook. Made You Look on the other hand, more mass appealing and easier to digest from the beat to the hook. I don't think he's necessarily going for hits, just saying why some of these records weren't bigger.

You guys got to stop penalizing rappers for not being Drake and Wayne.
Get in reality instead

 

[kes929]

He’s been doing that since IWW

You must be intentionally missing the point.

 

[Alexander Wiggin]

I don’t think Nas has the capacity to write songs like that anymore

Don’t even think his brain works like that anymore. Back then he was a young guy still transitioning from ghetto living and the pros & cons of fame

Today’s Nas been richer longer than he been broke in the projects. He even said that 10 years ago on Life Is Good

Last concept records from Nas that I can even think of came from the Untitled era sessions, like Project Roach and Queens Wolf

It might be intentional. Nas said that working with Hit Boy taught him to overthink less and have more confidence in what he's saying. If it sounds like a bar, say that. The mic's right there, say that. We're having a conversation, say that.

After Life is Good, Nas put out "Nas Album Done." And "Echo." And "Godfather 4." As much as people want to forget Nasir existed, he had some great moments on there ("Adam and Eve," "Everything"). And the more modern stuff on Lost Tapes 2 showed that he could still give us that bar-heavy style ("Lost Freestyle," "Tanasia," "Adult Film," "Highly Favored").

Agree with both of y'all. The way Nas' write changed a lot this past decade. You can see it during the masterclass. he's not writing on a a note pad no more and he "freestyle" a bunch of his lines. He's more concern about the musicality of his flow rather than writing complex rhyme patterns like he used to. and he adapted with the streaming thing with the 2 verses only and straight to the point. Not sayin he dumb down to double his dollar but that's a simplier verson of Nas but still dope

 

[HHID]

Hmm, at this point i don't even think Nas needs to have a traditional single to promote the album. But whatever he does, it shouldn't sound forced, like it often happens with him. shyt, take a look at the new Busta single, it's fukking marvelous and most importantly, it sounds and looks genuine. 3 generations of rappers having fun on an 80s Marley Marl breakbeat.. And already 1M views in 2 days!

 

[Nabs]

Hmm, at this point i don't even think Nas needs to have a traditional single to promote the album. But whatever he does, it shouldn't sound forced, like it often happens with him. shyt, take a look at the new Busta single, it's fukking marvelous and most importantly, it sounds and looks genuine. 3 generations of rappers having fun on an 80s Marley Marl breakbeat.. And already 1M views in 2 days!

Yeah. Organic is good.

 

[JustCKing]

Hmm, at this point i don't even think Nas needs to have a traditional single to promote the album. But whatever he does, it shouldn't sound forced, like it often happens with him. shyt, take a look at the new Busta single, it's fukking marvelous and most importantly, it sounds and looks genuine. 3 generations of rappers having fun on an 80s Marley Marl breakbeat.. And already 1M views in 2 days!

Which Nas singles has been forced?