The Needle Drop reviews: Nas - Life Is Good

Big Mel

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Point is, the firm, I am and Nadtradamus all came out in a row....after the split decision that was IWW.

Let's not act like Gods Son wasn't also half a dud that got an enormous lift from a red hot, upstart 9th Wonder remixing it too.
 

prophecypro

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God Son got some pretty good acclaim. Some even said that was his true comeback album.

I think if anything the 9th Wonder remix helped in creating the conversation about his beat selection, prior to that it wasnt that much of a central criticsm compared to imagery and concept choices on his records.
 

Hannibal Fox

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You can argue Ghost has the most consistently dope discography of any rapper ever, but he's never been a better emcee than Nas. Lol@Big Doe Rehab being in LIG's league.

:beli:

When all else fails the so and so is not a better MC than so and so statement comes into play.

It's incredibly dismissive and hugely disrespectful, all you have to say is that you don't like GFK like that, no need to shyt on him when GFK is one of the legit ill MC's.

I guess Nas is a better MC than Pharohe Monch and Redman while we are at it.
 

Big Mel

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God Son got some pretty good acclaim. Some even said that was his true comeback album.

I think if anything the 9th Wonder remix helped in creating the conversation about his beat selection, prior to that it wasnt that much of a central criticsm compared to imagery and concept choices on his records.


Gods Son had some legit, excellent Nas songs. Get Down, Made You Look, Last Real nikka Alive...then it also had the solid Alchemist productions. So yeah, coming off Stillmatic, another album with legit great songs on it, it was nice to have him at least sounding comfortable again.


The 9th Wonder shyt just really highlighted how tailor made his voice is for sampled music.
 

prophecypro

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Gods Son had some legit, excellent Nas songs. Get Down, Made You Look, Last Real nikka Alive...then it also had the solid Alchemist productions. So yeah, coming off Stillmatic, another album with legit great songs on it, it was nice to have him at least sounding comfortable again.


The 9th Wonder shyt just really highlighted how tailor made his voice is for sampled music.

I actually prefered the original to 9th's version, some of the beats he picked I didnt know if they really fitted the concept. Although his version of Warrior's Song was fantastic.

Overall I thought his Black Album remix album had some of his better beats.
 

Peruvian Connect

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It's called opinion...and not a fringe one by any means. Someone who is universally considered one of the greatest rappers of all time and has a career spanning two decades has the best rap discography ever. Gee what an outlandish statement! You still haven't even said whose is better beside Ghosts despite being asked twice for this supposedly lengthy list of rappers with better discographies.

What is your point of all of this and the source of your obvious animus? You've posted 48 times in this thread talking about how wack and overrated Nas is. I don't get it. If I don't like someone's music and I think they're overrated, I'll either keep it to myself or just be like " So-and-so sucks and they're overrated" and leave it at that. You sounding like Cormega in the summer of 2001 :laugh:

actually it's 3 decades...........
 

Art Barr

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Art Barr, now with this I don't mean any disrespect, but with your constant rambling on how you're blackballled (awaits the "you're contradicting yourself" comments), how you're so heralded by those in power, how you have links within the industry and how *gulp* we wouldn't have the internet without you ... why are you even bombaring hip-hop boards, rather than using powers for good and attacking the powers that be?

If anyone can do it, you, Art, can :ohmy:

preciate it,....handshake!!

you can not do a whole lot of good, in this devil capitalistic land of babylon.

when you lost a fortune.

that was not replaced from failing to close.

while, in a suit of litigation to higher powers.

that is why i always try to make others recognize.

how powerful people in power are and can be.

plus, it is not a game,...if you tango with people with more resources and capital than you.

if you are not educated and armed with resources to cause them mortal damage.

you will have to cause them mortal capitalistic pain, wounds and death, too.

which is exactly what they have done to the mortally wound the culture of hiphop.
which is why i am truthfully candid about the music industry.
plus the harmful destruction of the culture of hiphop
plus knowledge,..that krs one shyt is real,..

except for the people who have a little knowledge and acquisition of money and power at their apex.

of which nas, selling out gave them a direct pathway to destroy.

i am only a type in this world.

a small dwindling number of the that real type in the real underground.

an underground that was decimated and poisoned by nas selling out.

which has searched but may never find another type powerful enough.

to take it back, through just music and knowledge.

when you have sellouts like the one we trusted to protect us in power.

i would like to think this culture wants and needs a real new culturally enriched champion.

yet, it is difficult to become a champion of nas's true now false distinction.

when you are sullened by non-believers.

who have no idea of whom and where i come from. someone really not in this culture has no idea that i am daigu.

the cub with the lone wolf.

they have no idea of the real fear. me and ju have put in the fear of these dudes. whether it be street and definately the microphone.

currently, the naysayers of this community acts as a virtual wgci.

a deragatory condescending land of mockery at times to me.

just as wgci acts to real talent. yet, i have seen ju conquer wgci's condescending tones. i, have swayed the chocolate jocks myself in concert years ago. to not be under their ruse and act.

the same way i have done,..this community of naysayers. one post, one verb, one noun in my own way.

or my own personalized non text book unorthodox mistakes.

or what is known as a style, followed by my own virtual e-tag known as:

art barr


i totally appreciate anyone looking into this culture for real to see what it really is.

then understand the REAL TRUTHS I SPEAK OF CULTURALLY.

it is not a lie to you,...mostly all of your favorites.

are all poisoned by evil, of the creation called capital from your gateway into this culture.

i hope you understand i come with the truth,..not a lie to mislead you.

i come with the truth of, being a real man.

a black disenfranchised man of every layer of life in america is.

to illustrate the life and issues.

a real spiritual cultural warrior is in hiphop in this world.

hiphop is the minds and skills of the bboy/bgirls' pillars.

which are only as strong as every pillars strength.

it is all precepts of god, of all religions. plus faith the right things can happen socially as long as you have real faith in god.

not a fake religion, to control you population wise. the way they have poisoned rap.

hiphop is a culture where if you understand the culture.

you can be the brightest you. surrounded by other stars like you.

do not look into the light,..look into the light created by the next cultural real star shining next to you.

how many of you really want to be a real star.

not some illuminated phoney death star.

filled with phoney ass stans, floating in the nebullus like others have constructed whom have sold out.

with actual capital and resources stolen from you in the empire.

they have stolen your ability to shine,...hiphop, real hiphop is the only way you can take it back.

i know it,..they know it,..but do you know it?

will you own the real culture to be come that shining star, sun!!

i believe any real bboy,...if he studies and perfects his mind and his pillar can.

yet hiphop lacks enouh pillars to build the fortress.

let's really build the fortress,..and eradicate these toys for real.

it was almost done two times in our history.

the last time, it almost occurred was in 92, till 96.

when nas sold out.

changing this land, mindstate and economy of our most powerful economic pillar's business of rap.

it is time to take it from them for real.

before they poison so many minds,..we will be locked in sheer conflict.

distracted by a battle of poisoned minds. which will forever cripple our efforts.

taking away the most precious item we have to win, which is time.


art barr

additionally, i have only posted in this community meaning sohh and the-coli since 98.
so any other art barr.

other than the reviews i have done on rotten tomatoes.
my myspace, i exclusively used to thank an older elder bboy of the highest esteem named silverfox.
which got a nice unintended following via an un-intentional whim.
or my past log in at hiphopcatel.net.

any other art barr you see, or read is not me.

i have impersonators and new ones spring up on boards.

i don't know or care about to post on all the time. as i find new google links to boards and fake imposter posted content. posing as me, saying who knows what. i am not responsible for doing. i even speak on imposters and impersonators of me in this thread to nagra.

i am not on boxden, ohhla la, yeezy's board, okplayer, or the nas board.

i am not on twitter.

or anywhere else that is not the-coli.com.

so i am not on any board but this one.

next,...i used to enjoy reviewing records all the time.

except they have degraded the actual quality all around.

with so much heinous cultural disrespect. i have a hard time listening.

let alone reviewig the records. plus, since the culture is damaged in such a way. i am reay disheartened for the next gen. as they don't know the knowledge of krs. or, even the culture of hiphop. which is a worldly travesty. as this culture socially is one of the most powerful, in existence.

when it come to the knowledge i gained or expanded on.

like knowing how the industry operates or the tricks in the puzzle.

i know them because to actually make my product for my company work.
i will also have to utilize them. yet i am a forthcoming personality. who is culturally and morally grounded in this culture.

so i know what and how far to go,..at all times. something others known and now masquerading as cultural figures but disregard. which includes nasir jones, whom hides his hands.


nasir jones = antichrist of our culture

i will smite that boy king!

when i arrive at that point on the road.

you better believe it,..him and all these sellouts.

they are not a swordsman of my distinction, for real.

nikkaz need to look into who the real decapitator is in this culture.

then realize;

i am the sun of the decapitator, for real.



art barr

the cub, daigu with the lone wolf.

i push my own cart on that road now.

i will eventually arrive at all these encounters to battle and win.
 

The_Third_Man

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"Nas impact on the culture boil down to one album, illmatic"
"(after illmatic) Nas changed his style up. Embracing themes like excess. and drugs. and violence"

I stopped listening to the video after that.
 

Art Barr

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Hipster is officially up there with hater as words that people toss at folks whose opinions they don't agree with.

The album was average/good. It's not sacrilegious to think that the majority of Nas' shyt has been forgettable.


in a deragatory sense, the term hipster is the equivalent of an ignorant emo supporter.

that phased out backpacker.

it is what it is,.....including the connotation behind it.

art barr
 

Art Barr

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Honestly, no one cares about Rakim or KRS anymore aside from hip-hop diehards. Trendy review sites dont even acknowledge them at all. You dont get hipster points for sh1tting on them or even remembering them so they dont bother.

hipsters are not bboys.

so the real culture of hiphop.

could care less about phoney toys' wack lack of knowledge about the elder gods.

this statement just shows THEIR ignorance, culturally.

plus why, they are noob toys.

TETRIS v2.0 said:
Raekwon made a fantastic album with CL2 and won his praise fair and square. He was never as controversial and compelling to the media as Nas tho. Most people who know Rae, like Rae. His style is kind of unique and if he stays in his lane, hes cool. Nas is really polarizing and divisive and like others have said, people have different takes on what he is and what he SHOULD be

the people with the polarizing negaive cultural ideals.

are noob gateway fans who are not a part.

yet, would like or want to attach themselves to nas's mythos.

which in turn attaches them to the mythos on the surface of theculture.

which is why nas is given his distinction.

which he has used negatively against his own people and culture.

by consistently partaking in practices and music/melody making which sullen the overall view of the cultural.

plus provide a rubrick and false license to non-culturally accepted acts.

to wrongly fake jacks and use against the culture as well.

nas is the culture's open pandora's box portal and gateway,..

that, imo should be brought to light and sealed shut forever.


art barr
 

prophecypro

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Man I dont even know what the hell is going in this thread anymore but I still think its great that Nas inspires this kind of conversation...
 

Art Barr

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it doesn't make sense to review an album from the standpoint of an artist's entire career being forgettable.. if the artist's career is entirely forgettable nobody would be looking forward to their next release and therefore no need to review the release...

look, michael jackson holds the record for the biggest selling studio album ever and it only sold 25M copies.. that means there were at least 200M people who didn't buy the album.. i'll assume a healthy chunk of them weren't that into mike's music...

first off,..i would never go as far to place mjj against nas.

as nas was never the type of overall profound artist that mj was ever.

no one in the history of music is.

with that said,..nas and any artist should always selectively and expertly be judged against their body of work.

as well as their actual genre based contemporaries who carry the same mythos.

that is where nas will always gain scrutiny. from the well versed culturally.

meaning, just like in rock.

i would not compare gwar to sonic youth at all.
even though both are rock or derived from blues. they do not fit into the schemata of what both artists are artistically. or what they signify in their certain aesthetic and artistry.

meaning nas should not be compared to.
nor making music like the random trivial flavor of the month artist.

that is emo or commercial artist either. that is what people do not get in this convo.
as nas will mostly always be judged.

by his own rubrick culturally and skill wise upon which he will be judged.

so, nas and illmatic is that rubrick. his career will always be governed and scrutinized by.

which is why his reviews for every subsequent album and his direction are always highly scrutinized.

as nas held a position culturally as a herald of this culture.

while dually sullening the culture with possession of said title, as a cultural herald.

mc brew said:
with that being said, NaS has never sold anywhere near those numbers, so obviously everyone doesn't like NaS - everyone didn't even like michael jackson.. the point is, be sensible in your criticism (btw, positive criticism is criticism too.. so i say the same thing to those who blindly praise this album as those who blindly hate it)..

just saying anything to shyt on an artist you don't like doesn't make your opinion worth paying attention to... the dude skipped over some very noteworthy NaS records to focus on hate me now and nastradamus... what about nas is like, a single from the same i am album as hate me now? what about project windows, one of NaS' best songs but on what is considered his worst album... what about God's son, street's disciple, etc? and why does every negative review of any NaS album have to mention illlmatic? that was 18 years ago... kids born in that year are preparing to become freshmen in collge now.. that's how long ago that was...



first off hiphop is a skilled enriched culture. that to become a part of. you have to do the work skillwise. which means being an expert in cultural aesthetics, skills, and most importantly the culture's history. or you are not a member of hiphop. you are just a rap fan,...or a hiphop head or a just stan, a rapper, fanboy, hipster or whatever title they make up to feel apart of something.

to be apart of hiphop,..you need to embrace a pillar.

plus, become infinitely skilled in the history of that pillar, the pillars and their skillbases, period.

as the history will keep you from the errors socially and economically.

of the businesses that have arose to provide profitability. for those skilled in the pillars, historically.

when it comes to nas,..anyone who knows the full history of the recordings, like:

nas is like : first run of bait and switch. boombap nas run singles to pr and fool past illmatic nas fans before the mp3 piracy era. which arose to prevent & killed bait and switch ideals of low quality recordings in the industry.
project window : left off, the store bought and available only on the advance. another bait and switch recording. sent to publcations, to gain false similiar pr to the grassroots pr classic and cultural phenom known as illmatic.

anyone that knows the history of those records.

already knows the history of those records and what entails on every side of the spectrum. plus for a review show why they normally are not to be included in a short review segment. you bringing up those records illustrates how little you know of the nas bait and switch practices. which were still in practice on nikka or untitled.

mc brew said:
his review can be summed up pretty neatly by saying "this isn't illmatic, it sucks"... sorry, i don't respect that opinion... let me know when someone shyts on a jay-z album because it's not reasonable doubt...


people always review and rate jay to rd as well.

plus, your lack of knowledge i addressed in your previous quotes.

illustrate this rather plainly,..to anyone well versed in the mythos, pr, artistry, and skill of nas.

you have shown you do not and are flawed in your full knowledge of nas.

as most noob vateway fans of nas are. which is why a guy like fantano is a better reviewer than most.

as, he understands and has consistently shown. an understanding of a past artist or genre's history. then incorporates that into some of the best reviews. in quite some time in any prevalent genre of music.

fantano is a review critic of the highest distinction, and is a respected selfmade grassroots man in music.

to criticize him,..you need more knowledge of even your own fav's amd other genre's. plus an understanding of a number of aspects of music and artistry.

no disrespect, but your long post has shown and exposed.

you are not as adept as fantano.

so till you do assail to his level of critical understanding to review.

you really have no grounds to critically offer a valid opinion based on the actual facts.

art barr
 
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