See THATS why I have no problems whatsoever when Jay-Z bigs himself up and calls himself the greatest. You keep saying something over a period of time and people are going to believe you. Jay made it his MISSION in life to name check every goddamn thing he ever achieved, hell he even has semi-successfully revamped history and made people believe that Reasonable Doubt was this all time classic when it dropped.
Nas is my estimation is the best ever. He’s also lowkey. He DOES push himself and self mythologize as all GOATS do, but he’s never too in your face about it. But see being that way also gives haters and nikkas with agendas ammo to talk slick, sideways, and outright LIE about shyt.
Fact is that Nas in 1996, had his second album debut at number 1 and spend FOUR CONSECUTIVE WEEKS at the top slot. If thats not a rapper that was “running shyt” I don’t know what is. Nas accomplished this in the year of 2pac, The Fugees, Outkast and other top rappers, not to mention Pop and Rock acts. Nas charted higher and sold A LOT more than Jay-Z in 96. Nas’s first week of I am also outsold Jay-Z’s first week of Vol 3 in 99.
But Nas very rarely brags about his album sales or how dominant he actually was AMONGST his peers during his peak. He definitely lets it be known that lyrically he’s one of the greatest, but sometimes I wish he’d hit these nikkas over the head with just how much he’s accomplished outside of Illmatic. 2Pac was a FAN of Nas. Jay-Z was/is a FAN of Nas. Biggie loved Nas. It wasn’t just because he was their lyrical contemporary. Its because he was just as successful as they were during their primes. Say what you want about Nastradamus, but how many rappers have had the juice to release TWO platinum albums in the SAME year? DMX, Nas, Pac, Future. And thats it. Not Jay, Em, 50, Drake, Kendrick, Sean, or anybody else.
True. But I think the criteria a lot of people use, including them on this video, is who was the hottest...who was running shyt for the longest, etc...Most people don't consider Nas a top top dog like that. In 96 he was, imo. Musically/career wise tho ur an idiot if Nas isnt at least in your top 10