NEWS
EVENTS
Back on Track: Nas
Tuesday 29th November 2011 | Osh
The Rise:
Name a rapper that he ain’t influenced. No, seriously, name one “legit” rapper of this day and age who would not say Nas is on their list of the greatest rappers of all time. Nasir Jones, Nasty Nas, Escobar... Name him as you wish but there is no denying the dude is a certified hip hop legend. He was on a couple of guest features here and there before marking his spot in the Hip Hop game with one of the most critically acclaimed rap albums of all time called the Illmatic (1994).
“I had the Illmatic on bootleg. The sh*t was so ahead. Thought we was all dead” - A Star Is Born, Jay-Z
The Fall:
Nas continued to expand his territory when his Sophimore album “It Was Written” dropped but by the time he released his third album his fire started to disappear. His releases were receiving lukewarm reviews while critics and fans alike began to wonder what the hell happened to their new found hero?? This attracted rivalry against the once lyrically feared and respected rapper since he was holding a spot that many were desperate for; “The King of New York”. Some say constant jabs from the then rapper of the moment Jay-Z poked the sleeping giant and helped Nas create his most solid album in years; “Stillmatic”. But then it seemed he hadn’t finished sleeping. Every solo release that came after still could not meet most people’s expectations.
The Rise... Again:
It is very easy to believe Nas’ latest track ‘Nasty’ was the 11th track accidentally left out of Illmatic. Sounding razor-sharp with an insanely focused flow it seems like it is finally safe to say the kid is back! And the proof is not on one track only. Nooo! From Tower Heist with Rick Ross to Common’s Ghetto Dreams Nas is back to ripping songs to shreds. He is currently gearing up to release a new album Life Is Good. A message from the hip hop community: welcome back, Nas.
Name a rapper that he ain’t influenced. No, seriously, name one “legit” rapper of this day and age who would not say Nas is on their list of the greatest rappers of all time. Nasir Jones, Nasty Nas, Escobar... Name him as you wish but there is no denying the dude is a certified hip hop legend. He was on a couple of guest features here and there before marking his spot in the Hip Hop game with one of the most critically acclaimed rap albums of all time called the Illmatic (1994).
“I had the Illmatic on bootleg. The sh*t was so ahead. Thought we was all dead” - A Star Is Born, Jay-Z
The Fall:
Nas continued to expand his territory when his Sophimore album “It Was Written” dropped but by the time he released his third album his fire started to disappear. His releases were receiving lukewarm reviews while critics and fans alike began to wonder what the hell happened to their new found hero?? This attracted rivalry against the once lyrically feared and respected rapper since he was holding a spot that many were desperate for; “The King of New York”. Some say constant jabs from the then rapper of the moment Jay-Z poked the sleeping giant and helped Nas create his most solid album in years; “Stillmatic”. But then it seemed he hadn’t finished sleeping. Every solo release that came after still could not meet most people’s expectations.
The Rise... Again:
It is very easy to believe Nas’ latest track ‘Nasty’ was the 11th track accidentally left out of Illmatic. Sounding razor-sharp with an insanely focused flow it seems like it is finally safe to say the kid is back! And the proof is not on one track only. Nooo! From Tower Heist with Rick Ross to Common’s Ghetto Dreams Nas is back to ripping songs to shreds. He is currently gearing up to release a new album Life Is Good. A message from the hip hop community: welcome back, Nas.
