"The artist who truly suffers, his stuff is the best, cause his heart bleed on his sleeve" - Nas

[The Ruler 09]

Real shyt all throughout..As an artist i can surely relate

Also on postin this track..i don't recall ever hearing it before

Artists in particular will relate to this thread. Feel free to share your own personal shyt on the topic man, like how you as an artist use that suffering musically.

 

[DMX]

SEE, TO LIVE IS TO SUFFER

BUT TO SURVIVE.. WELL.. THATS TO FIND MEANING IN THE SUFFERING

 

[Yoda]

Gotta add kanye in that.
His mother passed + break ups + whole world hating your very existence
constantly in the news , most negative
shyt gotta be skressfull
and how he turns all that into timeless music is something to appreciate.

 

[The Ruler 09]

Z-Ro 1 of the artists who you can hear put his heart and soul into his music...

 

[neko_804]

 

[Foxmulder]

It's kind of common knowledge that Artist's who go through turmoil channel it into their art and it usually makes it better.

Nas probably knows better than anyone, three of his albums which are strongly considered classics all came from personal turmoil.

Illmatic- Watched his best friend and little brother shot. Held Ill Will in his arms as he bled out. Saw countless friends be locked up, watched crack desimate his community, didn't even think he'd live to see 25.

Stillmatic- Mother dying of Cancer, his greatest adversary sleeping with the mother of his child, endured slander and the attempt to rewrite history and say his catalogue was "garbage".

Life Is Good- Public divorce. Child Support. Ailimony. A newborn Son he couldn't even see. The tax issues. His daughter growing up before him and becoming a woman.

The GOAT

 

[KravenMorehead™]

Agreed.

 

[Super Future Luther King Jr.]

Crazy how many people haven't heard this track

CLASSIC

S/O the resident Coli DMX on that quote too a few posts up

Real shyt

 

[blazn101]

One of my favorite tracks on the album.
So much truth in this song.
We can connect with an Artist when they are suffering.
It helps us relate to them more, because we all
have ups and downs. And when you have talent
that pain makes it easier to share your art.

 

[L. Deezy]

Nas statement is good in theory.. but Lauryn Hill failed miserably.

 

[TXTrill1]

Artists in particular will relate to this thread. Feel free to share your own personal shyt on the topic man, like how you as an artist use that suffering musically.

Been through hell and music kept me sane through it all. I lost my mom when i was 12 to cancer. Whenever i get writers block or feel like giving up on a project I just think about here and i get that extra push..Where would we be without music brehs

 

[Animal House]

He's right. Watching an artist's life play out makes the music more compelling. The music is like the script to the visual.

We watched Nas make some of his best art after he got spit on by critics/peers, after him mother passed away, after he went through a divorce, etc.

Exactly another artist who to this day may not be the best lyrically but their pain just makes the music feel like is DMX.

 

[mr.africa]

i have always said this -
back-against-the wall/on-his-king-shyt nas is the most focused nas -the greatest ever imo!!!
my favourite mc!!

 

[spliz]

where is this track from, very dope, why nas is the best, this an example of being a lyricist and not that rappity rap shyt

bonus track on Life Is Good.. produced by Boi 1da...

 

[KiD WavE]

i post this shyt all the time but I cant let a nas quote thread go without it

you dont stop and you dont quit

Word to Will, buried in his Fila suit and heavy chain
I wanna be iced-up nikka, bury me the same




theres just something about that line

It helps that the rest of the verse/song is classic on top of that