Rory ask Mal and Mecca what are the bad beats Nas picks and they couldn’t name one

hex

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I'm surprised that people don't know where this narrative comes from.

Nas seems to be one of them rappers that would write rhymes without hearing beats first.

So while the rhymes were ill they could sound out of place over certain beats. And since you couldn't criticize the rhymes you were left with criticizing the beat to explain why something sounded off

That's how like....half of rappers function though. Or at least used to.

Everyone from Cube to MF DOOM had a rap notebook.

Fred.
 

Tribal Outkast

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Why are we talking about this in 2025? People talk about this more than rappers that pick good beats. I don’t get it.

I’m listening to the clip and they’re talking about shyt Nas got killed for. shyt younger people I know actually like You Owe Me and Oochie Wally. People talk about this shyt so much that they don’t know what they want from Nas lol
 

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That's how like....half of rappers function though. Or at least used to.

Everyone from Cube to MF DOOM had a rap notebook.

Fred.



Hes not saying writing,he says Nas writes without hearing the beat. This is very possible considering i havent seen or heard evidence that Nas is a prolific writer in terms of speed.
 

hex

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Hes not saying writing,he says Nas writes without hearing the beat. This is very possible considering i havent seen or heard evidence that Nas is a prolific writer in terms of speed.

I know that but people back in the day would show up to the studio with a book full of raps. They'd write pretty much nonstop.

Del said Cube in particular had several note pads full of raps. Obviously occasionally he'd write in the studio but rappers from Nas era more often than not had dozens of raps ready before they heard a single beat.

This is a long ass way of saying, I don't think that's the issue with Nas and beats.

Fred.
 

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I know that but people back in the day would show up to the studio with a book full of raps. They'd write pretty much nonstop.

Del said Cube in particular had several note pads full of raps. Obviously occasionally he'd write in the studio but rappers from Nas era more often than not had dozens of raps ready before they heard a single beat.

This is a long ass way of saying, I don't think that's the issue with Nas and beats.

Fred.



Good point. That would mean the issue is Nas inability to switch up his flow,unlike his GOAT peers:respect:
 
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I think the Nas/beat thing is overblown but I think he considers beats a distant 2nd to raps. At least that's how it seems sometimes.

Fred.


Nas has literally said this.

This whole “Nas picks bad beats” bullshyt has been discussed and dissected a million times and after his work with Hit-Boy has been pretty much thoroughly debunked.
 
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