Poll: What Was Nas' Best Year?

What Was Nas Best Year?

  • 1994

  • 1996

  • 1997

  • 1999

  • 2001

  • 2002

  • 2003

  • Other


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JustCKing

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I think people are slighting Nas lyrically in 2002 also. If you add Stillmatic into the equation, Nas was in top form during that period:

2nd Childhood
You're Da Man
Stillmatic Intro
One Mic
What Goes Around
Every Ghetto
No Idea's Original (this is from the Stillmatic sessions)
Doo Rags (from the Stillmatic sessions)
Purple (from the Stillmatic sessions)
Nothing Lasts Forever (recorded in 2002)
My Way (recorded in 2002)
Black Zombies
Book of Rhymes
Get Down
Heaven
Thug's Mansion (Acoustic)


That verse on Face's "In Between Us" :whew:
 

Black White Sox Hat

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No. Nas was far from a superstar in '94. If Nas was a superstar in '94, he would've never needed Steve Stoute. There would've been no need for IWW to be helmed by The Trackmasters.
He was a superstar to me as soon as illmatic released. :yeshrug:

I guess he sold more records but It was written wasn't an improvement musically on illmatic by any means.

I don't think '96 shot him to any kind of different category from where he was already at.
 

JustCKing

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He was a superstar to me as soon as illmatic released. :yeshrug:

I guess he sold more records but It was written wasn't an improvement musically on illmatic by any means.

I don't think '96 shot him to any kind of different category from where he was already at.

Yes he did. Nas was worldwide after IWW. He wasn't selling over 3 million copies globally after Illmatic. He wasn't writing for Will Smith after Illmatic either. There's also the formation of The Firm and his appearance on Dre's Aftermath compilation.

IWW was an improvement musically over Illmatic. IWW is more accessible and Nas blossomed into more of a songwriter. "I Gave You Power" is proof of that.
 

Black White Sox Hat

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IWW was an improvement musically over Illmatic. IWW is more accessible and Nas blossomed into more of a songwriter. "I Gave You Power" is proof of that.
Yeah that's the go to track.Too bad the whole album isn't full of bangers like that.
 

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No. Nas was far from a superstar in '94. If Nas was a superstar in '94, he would've never needed Steve Stoute.
Explain how hiring a manager to help direct and stabilize your career means that you're not a superstar.
:gucci:
 

JustCKing

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Explain how hiring a manager to help direct and stabilize your career means that you're not a superstar.
:gucci:

"I felt like I could take the responsibility and make the Nas movement bigger and not keep it confined to the Tri-State area, so to speak. He allowed me to do that. When we were together, we made a lot of noise and I made him an international star."---- Steve Stoute

According to Stoute, Nas was confined to the Tri-State area vs. being an international star. Explain how you're a superstar when you're confined to the Tri-State area.

I'm puzzled as to how people are trying to push this narrative that Nas blew up with Illmatic. It was a critical success, but it was widely slept-on initially. It hardly made Nas a star. That came later. 2002 was the first time in Nas's career where the critical acclaim, the sales, and the streets were on the same page. 1996 was a big year for him, but he received backlash from the critics and even fans. Same with '99, but '02 saw him become "that dude" in terms of the commercial success, critical acclaim, and the streets riding for him.
 
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