Nas - Magic 2 (Discussion thread)

[pez]

Nas is my Goat but saying he recently dropped 2 classics is bugging. None of these 5 albums can stand along side certified classics like Illmatic, It Was Written or Stillmatic. These are solid probably 4.0 Mic projects and Esco definitely is aging gracefully and his flow is still there but let's not get carried away. Honestly I wish he would lock in with another producer. The Hit Boy cat is cool but I always feel something is missing with these projects.

KD3 is that album. Whenever I go back and listen to it, it's classic quality. But what it lacks is IMPACT. It didn't shift the world the way Illmatic, IWW, Stillmatic did. KD3 is up there in quality and maybe will be looked back in retrospect as a worthy album to deem as classic. But Nas and the album don't permeate the mainstream. Nas isn't really for the kids though. His demo is older guys (like me).

 

[Slim Charles]

Off the subject a bit, but is "I Am" not considered great by the average Nas fan? I understand what it could have been with a double disc, no leak, etc, but the actual album released I have always considered excellent and surprised to see it not regularly ranked amongst his best in fans' lists.
NY SOM II, Hate me Now, Small World, Favor for a Favor, and We will Survive is a hell of way to kick start an album.

I can only comment as someone who didn’t hear I Am in real time bar Hate Me Now as a kid. Problem for I Am as someone who grew up in my teens in the 2000s is production aged awfully (same goes for Vol 2 and 3 by Jay and most production from that era).

As I noticed lot of people who were around then fukked with the album. As an example Joe Budden loves I Am. But I think for lot who worked backwards on Nas’ catalogue the production in that era a real struggle (obviously sone will disagree who similar age to me)

 

[Prolific_1011]

Off the subject a bit, but is "I Am" not considered great by the average Nas fan? I understand what it could have been with a double disc, no leak, etc, but the actual album released I have always considered excellent and surprised to see it not regularly ranked amongst his best in fans' lists.
NY SOM II, Hate me Now, Small World, Favor for a Favor, and We will Survive is a hell of way to kick start an album.

It's a personal classic for me. I think the source had it right when they gave it 4.5 mics.

 

[Izanami]

My only gripe is that it’s not as good as KD3. The highs aren’t as high. But that not fair. It’s sort of the Illmatic effect. Nothing else can live up to it.

Magic 2 is dope. But my bar was set really high. Nas is as good as ever and carried the album. I actually felt Hit’s production wasn’t as good as KD3 or as good as Nas’ flows. It was still excellent. We’ve been spoiled.

Feel like this flows better than KD3 in terms of being cohesive. Still think KD3 is three tracks too long to match MAGIC

 

[prophecypro]

KD3 is that album. Whenever I go back and listen to it, it's classic quality. But what it lacks is IMPACT. It didn't shift the world the way Illmatic, IWW, Stillmatic did. KD3 is up there in quality and maybe will be looked back in retrospect as a worthy album to deem as classic. But Nas and the album don't permeate the mainstream. Nas isn't really for the kids though. His demo is older guys (like me).

Theres like a whole generation of hip hop artists old and new thats come out in the 2020s and late 2010s that didnt have cultural impact that we'll see how its remembered in like 10-15 years

Im talking not just Nas/Hit Boy's run but
-Black Thought's run
-The Game's Documentary 2 and 1992
-Royce with Premier and on his own
-Freddie Gibbs and all the producers he worked with
-Griselda
-Lupe Fiasco's post major label run
-Joey Badass
-Boldy James
-JPEGMAFIA
-Roc Marciano
-Ka
-Stove Gods/Romez Streetz etc etc

Tons more Im forgetting

None of these impacted mainstream popular culture of hip hop but I think were some of the best albums and I like to think at least 3 of the 5 Nas/Hit Boy albums being in conversatns and acclaim will be remembed. Especially so much of the narrative was look at what an older rapper can do creating a new prime

Thats all you can ask for not songs out and about and Platinum albums

 

[kes929]

KD3 is that album. Whenever I go back and listen to it, it's classic quality. But what it lacks is IMPACT. It didn't shift the world the way Illmatic, IWW, Stillmatic did. KD3 is up there in quality and maybe will be looked back in retrospect as a worthy album to deem as classic. But Nas and the album don't permeate the mainstream. Nas isn't really for the kids though. His demo is older guys (like me).

That is more so due to the time we are living in. That type of hip hop is not fully appreciated the way it used to be and it also isn’t marketed to the for front. It has nothing to do with quality KD3 is 5/5 quality wise.

 

[Slim Charles]

my thoughts currently on the album

Abracadabra- great intro. Perhaps a step down on the previous 4 but great into nevertheless.

Office Hours- i fukk with this song. Love Nas’ aggressive delivery. Both verses are great. 50 cent of course not great but just having 50 on it and the ad libs dope

Black Magic- love the production. Nas 2nd verse nice. Don’t care as much for the 1st

Motion- banger. 2nd verse Nas elevated

Woodbine- great track. Nas hook game on this and rest of album great

Magic Johnson- beat I feel is a bit weak but I think it suits the vibe. Probably my least favourite track

What this all really means- great song. Chorus kinda feels like a chorus we’ve already heard before. But yeh nice song.

Slow it Down- probably song of the album along with Motion.

Pistols- great outro. Perhaps not The Cure, Dedicated, Nas is Good level but still a great final song

One mic one gun- it’s a solid song. Fits well with the album. But most listens I’ve just ended album with previous track

Personally album is strong Front to back. Outside of Motion and Slow it Down it perhaps doesn’t hit as many highs as the last 4 did but lyrically Nas kept it at level of magic and KD3 (I feel although great albums Nas wasn’t as lyrically as strong from start to finish on first two KDs). Also in terms of different flows and Rapping styles this might be up there as Nas’ most diverse album

 

[Slim Charles]

I don’t try and be a hip hop snob. But cultural impact can be in two places. Will this KD run impact the mainstream culturally? No. Will it be admired and loved by most hip hop heads who into more lyrical rap and impact that space? Yeh.

It’s similar to me as movies. There’s your Spielberg/ Nolan type things that mainstream and of course great cinema (but also in mainstream some garbage) but there’s also cinema that’s for your more hardcore movie buff types (again some good and bad cinema in that space too)

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

It wouldnt count for us either we outside of the US

My ass didn't even consider that lmao.

Plays SLOW IT DOWN for the gazillionth time.

 

[prophecypro]

Off the subject a bit, but is "I Am" not considered great by the average Nas fan? I understand what it could have been with a double disc, no leak, etc, but the actual album released I have always considered excellent and surprised to see it not regularly ranked amongst his best in fans' lists.
NY SOM II, Hate me Now, Small World, Favor for a Favor, and We will Survive is a hell of way to kick start an album.

Always been divided. Similar to the polarization of It was written with Backpackers and hard cores dissapointed but I know a lot of street dudes who rocked with a lot of it. It just didnt have the re-evaluation of IWW as I think IWW had genuine more street cuts that were appreciated more

I think because of that the feelings carried over and it hasnt quite had the IWW re-evaluation cause it aint like theres a suspects, live nikka rap, shootouts, affirmative action etc where you could see it was undeniable

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Off the subject a bit, but is "I Am" not considered great by the average Nas fan? I understand what it could have been with a double disc, no leak, etc, but the actual album released I have always considered excellent and surprised to see it not regularly ranked amongst his best in fans' lists.
NY SOM II, Hate me Now, Small World, Favor for a Favor, and We will Survive is a hell of way to kick start an album.

Sure...but Dr. Knockboots, Big Things, KISSING (I dig the beat though) also exist.

I Am has some high highs for Nas but also some of his lowest lows.

 

[prophecypro]

My ass didn't even consider that lmao.

Plays SLOW IT DOWN for the gazillionth time.

Unless you dedicated to using a VPN and changing to like spotify US account option and all that nonsense but fukk all that you'd need an american credit card and then change your account to a US one

 

[Soymuscle Mike]

Unless you dedicated to using a VPN and changing to like spotify US account option and all that nonsense but fukk all that you'd need an american credit card and then change your account to a US one

Fuuuuck that.

 

[CrimsonTider]

I don’t try and be a hip hop snob. But cultural impact can be in two places. Will this KD run impact the mainstream culturally? No. Will it be admired and loved by most hip hop heads who into more lyrical rap and impact that space? Yeh.

It’s similar to me as movies. There’s your Spielberg/ Nolan type things that mainstream and of course great cinema (but also in mainstream some garbage) but there’s also cinema that’s for your more hardcore movie buff types (again some good and bad cinema in that space too)

You can be into lyrical rap and not listen to nas

KD impacted Nas Stan’s and that should be enough for y’all. The classic talk is beyond silly

 

[yesiambowling]

Oh so now reviews from mainstream publications matter

When did I say they didn't?

I understand what you're saying; there does need to be a waiting period (for these, I would personally wait 5 years before making that claim), but the acclaim isn't coming from "delusional stans" if publications are giving those kind of scores out.