West Coast Connection Forum
DUBCC - Tha Connection => Outbound Connection => Topic started by: Meho on February 21, 2007, 10:08:02 AM
-
NaS
Death Becomes You
By Adhimu Stewart
photographs by matthew salacuse
Pound: I heard you say that all music is dead. If hip-hop, rock and rhythm and blues are all dead, then we must be “Black Zombies.”
Nas: [Laughs]
But you’re the God’s Son. So aren’t you the one to take us to the Promised Land? Isn’t it within us to resurrect the art form?
Nah, I think I’m more of a messenger, or a troublemaker, that gets people going. That’s what I’m doing.
So what is your writing process, your creativeprocess? Does it take a long time for you to come up with “The World is Yours” or “Nas is Like?”
Earlier projects for me, I took my time because I didn’t really know the value, or I didn’t really realize what the studio costs were or I didn’t care, ‘cause after I did my demos and got my deal, it was all their money. And I didn’t understand the recoup thing at the age of 19. So I just figured, “Yo, it’s Columbia Records, you got more than enough money to work on a rookie’s album without worrying about getting your money back. I’m sure you’re going to make it back a zillion times over.” So I spent all the time I wanted in the earlier sessions. [Now,] I do know that I do like to work. I don’t like to spend too much time on one record. If it’s taking too long, I move to the next idea. I walk around with a lot of ideas and when I get to the studio, I start writing them.
Is there a lot of unreleased stuff? Are there a lot of albums there?
There’s a lot of stuff. I don’t really know if there’s a lot, a lot of stuff, but there’s a good
quantity of different things I haven’t listened to in a while.
So when was the last time that hip-hop felt alive for you?
The last time it really felt alive was when 50 Cent’s first album came out, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. I will admit that it did feel right. The double Outkast album, the Speakerboxxx/Love Below, it felt alive then, other than that, it was of course, the “Ether-Takeover” battle, it was also the Nas-Jay-Z union. With the union, it’s starting to feel like like something’s happening, like it’s the start of something. And just recently with The Game’s new album, and Jay-Z’s new album, you know?
Do you feel any responsibility for hip-hop’s death?
Yeah. [But] with this album, I pushed it. I think that with this album, and the other albums that recently came out, I think everybody’s going to be motivated, including myself, for next year.
“Black Republican” is hip-hop history. Did it take long for it to happen?
Um, well, I had a session, Jay came by, and I had the beat. He heard it, he liked it, he rhymed it. We started saying rhymes to each other, he rhymed on it, I rhymed on it. It wasn’t no big deal, it was just a song. What I mean is we didn’t plan it, we didn’t think of titles, we didn’t do anything… we weren’t necessarily even going to put anything down that day, it just so happened to happen.
What if you signed to Def Jam in 1992? Do you think things would have been a lot different? Like if MC Serch brought your demo there?
I think I would have sold double the records I sold. It’s either I would have sold double the records I sold, or I would have gotten lost in the shuffle of Def Jam. I mean, one never knows, because me being the only rap artist with a rap career on Columbia Records, in Columbia Records history, it’s probably by mistake. With Def Jam, it’s possible I could have sold double the amount of records because it’s a hip-hop record company that caters more to mom and pop stores and the communities that it really belongs in. So maybe I could have sold double the records, or got lost, who knows. But I know one thing for sure, I plan to bring Def Jam back to the days of glory.
You once rapped, “I could show them my fortune, but can’t force them to think rich.” So how could we teach the ghetto how to think like millionaires? Where’s a place we could start educating people on?
Well, first of all, it’s a tricky thing, because when you start educating people, where do you start? I mean, when you’re talking about our people: where do you start, you know what I’m saying? And it comes off like, it’s devastating to know what’s been held back from you, what’s been done to you, and what you don’t know about what’s really happening in today’s world. We got a lot of catching up, so it’s like we have to do it in a speedy process where we have to give people selfawareness, we have to give them American history, political science, political history, we have to first and foremost give us knowledge of self so that we know the greatness that…yeah, we’re from the hood. But if you really want to know where we’re from, it ain’t no hood. It’s way, way greater than the hood. We don’t gotta feel like “I ain’t shit cause I came from here.” Nah, we don’t come from this block. We got brought to this block. We come from greatness. Once you can wrap your mind around that, and realize who you really are, you realize you’re more than the guy that’s a three-time predicate felon, you’re more than just the guy, the perp, you’re more than just the rapper, the ball player. You’re more than all of
these things. [Then] you can start reshaping your family household. Once people start realizing what chemical warfare and genocide is all about, [that] we are literally being erased and wiped off this planet. That’s a lot to cram into our brains in an instant. But at some point, we have to figure out a structure that places all these things into perspective so you can learn them all in chronological order so to speak, so that we have knowledge of self, so that we know the world and how business works in the white man’s world, and how we can exist in it—you know what I’m saying—how we can do for us, and can create our black world.
On “I Can” you say, “we were kings and queens, never porch monkeys” and on “Represent” off llmatic, “I don’t believe in none of that shit, your facts are backwards.” It made me wonder, where do you get your education?
There’s a book called What They Didn’t Teach You In History Class, and there’s a lot of scholars, like J.A. Rogers, there’s tons of scholars that have dedicated their lives to our history here and abroad, and been to Africa and studied in Africa, and studied here, studied in England, studied in Asia, and put together all of these references for us to go and find out what’s really going on. And that was the biggest thing that interested me, from the beginning. ‘Cause I wanted to learn. Being black in America, there’s no home to go to, unless you’re going back to the South, and in the South, you’re going to where your ancestors were dropped off here in America. So, we don’t really have nothing. My Italian friends go home to Italy. My Irish friends go home to Ireland. You know, we don’t have a place to go home to, [Africa’s] not really our home, outside of America. So, to learn it is fascinating. So that’s what got me going from the beginning.
On another subject, the platinum recording days seem to be over, pretty much. Killed by Internet downloading and leaks, do you feel optimistic about hip-hop in the next two or three years still?
You know what? I feel like, things change. And to survive, you have to change with it. And it’s nothing. You just have to change. It’s hurtful, but all things die and all things change. Change is good. And online, you can still go digital download platinum. Like Kelis has sold over a million ringtones, a million downloads. This is just on one song. You can still go digital platinum, and then have a physical record that’s platinum or double platinum. We just have to structure our deals differently, and I think that the musicians will always be here. It’s forcing us to go back to being all about the music again. Now you might not have enough for the fans to see you on MTV Cribs and all that bullshit. Now we might have to say “Yo, we make our money differently, so we live differently.” We can still get those things, but we have to start all over and figure out our deals so our deals benefit us through the Internet now.
So I want to talk about some conflicts you have been through. You technically haven’t responded to “Piggy Bank,” except for “MC Burial.” Would you make peace with 50 Cent and Mobb Deep like you made peace with Jay-Z, at one point?
I think me and Jay-Z is the peace with everyone else, you know what I’m saying? I think that was to show everyone else. Now, they can go out and start thinking about do they want to make peace with whoever. Do they want to do this? Do they want to do that? Because, I don’t have any beef with no rapper. If a rapper has a beef with me, then I respond. But I don’t have any beef with them—they have beef with me. So I think the me and Jay thing was a way for them to see, this is where I’m at. You guys can do that amongst yourself, ‘cause I don’t even want to be included in anymore of the nonsense with the rap, ‘cause it embarrasses us as a people. I just think these guys made enough noise saying wild shit about everybody and they need just to do some soul searching and figure it out.
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
-
Nas is a loser
-
Like Nas said, if you're mad he's saying, you're probably part of the reason why it's dead,
chill
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
-
I like Nas music but he's just a moron... once he said " this real hip hop, not that fake 50 shit" now he said this.. :-X
-
Nas is a loser
you MAD? doggie.
-
I like Nas music but he's just a moron... once he said " this real hip hop, not that fake 50 shit" now he said this.. :-X
Real Talk
-
did that grodt thing get your weiner hard?
-
its truth, hiphop was on some steam back then when grodt dropped....i remember back then niggaz was selling but nobody was dropping big big numbers apart from the whiteboy....then 50 dropped and everyone was like, dayum....there is still hope.......now u see every record tryna for a new record coming out on the club tip....but back then when it dropped, aint nobody can deny it put some major steam back i hiphop at the time...
oh and its truth, right now hiphop is dead.....when a jigga/nas reunion aint doing shit, a snoop album gets passed by....a game album gets checked for a lil while through reasons we all know and then gets passed.....and still we feel like nuttin aint happened....right now hiphop is dead........they are all big names we talking about , infact huge names, game included......but nuttin really happened.......infact i dont think even one of these niggaz is at double plat......music in general is leaking right now not just hiphop......but its truth hiphop is dead right now.........we need cats like 50 now to drop some real heated shit....damn even though i cannot stand dude eminem no mo, even he needs to release some shit....but not know encore or massacre because that will make the situation worse....they need to release some grodt standard shit for 50 and some MMLP standard shit for em.....and dre better bring his A game....not some imagine bullshit
peace
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
LOL. Yeah. Have you even read the interview you just posted?
-
Nas is a loser
hes better then any rapper in your sig tho
-
Nas is a loser
hes better then any rapper in your sig tho
that's the truth
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
LOL. Yeah. Have you even read the interview you just posted?
Nas is bipolar. One interview hes tlaking about hip hop is dead, enxt interview hip hop is alive. One interview hes dissing the south, next interview giving props to the south.
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
Well, considering the fact that the quality of hiphop music nowdays have been declining for some time now...i think its dying...it's not dead, but its getting there...if this continues..
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
hip hop is middle aged. most acts are stagnant and real heads are waiting for the dope shit to float to the top. just like rock has been since the late 70's. nothing happens that hasn't happened before. Corporations milk phenomonons till they get stagnant and the stagnation just happened. Don't even trip.All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
of course getting your name anywhere is a 'promo stunt' doesn't mean he doesn't speak on some shit. why was this thread titled with the 50 reference and not the Outkast one? he said the same thing about both albums....
I like Nas music but he's just a moron... once he said " this real hip hop, not that fake 50 shit" now he said this.. :-X
he meant the fake shit 50 did post GRODT.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
Well, considering the fact that the quality of hiphop music nowdays have been declining for some time now...i think its dying...it's not dead, but its getting there...if this continues..
there's always good and bad music. period. just cause more and more subpar shit is popular doesn't mean all the output from artists is whack.
-T
-
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
-
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
cause Nas is better than him.
-T
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
-
^^^dayum!!!
SeeeeeeeeeeeeEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen TwEeeeeeeeeeEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen
-
^^^dayum!!!
SeeeeeeeeeeeeEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen TwEeeeeeeeeeEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen
a) what does that mean?
b) why do you dislike eminem so much?
-T
-
^^^dope question playboy, i aint got much time right now, but imma give you an answer later! keep postin my dawg!
pz
-
Can Nas please shut the fuck up & work on another album for us to enjoy.
-
That was the definitely the highlight of this interview. Well chosen topic title.
-
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
the fuck u talkin bout, sayin its not dead seems to be the fad now a days, not the other way around
-
Like Nas said, if you're mad he's saying, you're probably part of the reason why it's dead,
chill
real spit
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
Oh please. And you know that Nas put all his heart into it how exactly ? What are you a part of his close friends or what ? Theyve caught Nas so many times in the past few months flip flopping about wheter hip hop is alive or dead, once sucking Souths dick and once not. He knew all the "fuck-commercial-rappers-im-proud-to-listen-to-backpackers" fans would bite right into it. And they did.
Stop acting like you got all the inside info on whos real and whos not. Fact is Nas changed his mind so many times in the past few months that its getting funny.
-
Totally agree. You can't deny the buzz around GRODT. Hip-Hop was exciting and, more importantly, alive then. The album is also undoubtedly one of the last real classics of the genre. It's been a minute since anything's come close to having the impact that record had and it managed to live up to all the hype.
At the same time, though, I agree with Timbo's stance on Nas' "Hip-Hop Is Dead" outburst. Whenever he's asked to develop on the whole "Hip-Hop Is Dead" theme he just provides some vague, surreal response. Check his recent interview with XXL for example. Publicity stunt or not, it was a great way of convincing people that, by buying Nas' album, they were supporting real Hip-Hop music. Let's not forget the Escobar persona, shall we?
-
Nas is a loser
hes better then any rapper in your sig tho
Word
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
Oh please. And you know that Nas put all his heart into it how exactly ? What are you a part of his close friends or what ? Theyve caught Nas so many times in the past few months flip flopping about wheter hip hop is alive or dead, once sucking Souths dick and once not. He knew all the "fuck-commercial-rappers-im-proud-to-listen-to-backpackers" fans would bite right into it. And they did.
Stop acting like you got all the inside info on whos real and whos not. Fact is Nas changed his mind so many times in the past few months that its getting funny.
...If only you had some common sense. What's so hard to understand about the fact that Nas isn't looking for any beef, but he's just trying to make a statement about the state of Hip-Hop?
Saying Hip-Hop is dead is simply an overstatement. He's right about hip-hop being in a state of emergency though, wouldn't you agree?
Now, what Nas is saying, is that there's a whole bunch of people responsible to this. Jrome already pointed this out pretty well: 50 did his thing and he did something great with GRODT. And that's when things went downhill, with people creatively getting stuck.
Now you tell me, where has Nas been flip flopping around? He's saying he's responsible for the 'death' of hiphop himself; he's saying everybody who has been on some bullshit lately is guilty. That's the south, that's 50 Cent after GRODT, all of them. And he's saying he does believe in the resurrection of hiphop through it's creativity.
So, you tell me. What's the problem with Nas making a statement, which could validly be argued for?
-
I have no problem about Nas not looking for beef. I like that. Beef shit is getitng played out.
I was talking about Nas flip floping before. Just check his interviews from September ahead. One interview hes saying hip hop is alive, next interview hip hop is dead. One interview he say South is responsible for "death", next interview he gives props.
Nas is known for his bipolar charcter.
Dont get me wrong "Hip Hop Is Dead" was my fav album of 06.
-
i just cant get into hiphop is dead. i try and i try, but i still dont like it.
-
all i know is 50 aint fit to clean nas shoes thats how big the difference in class between the two niggaz is....
nas is the best rapper alive when his on game and is an all time great.....50 aint touching that
nuff said
-
I was talking about Nas flip floping before. Just check his interviews from September ahead. One interview hes saying hip hop is alive, next interview hip hop is dead. One interview he say South is responsible for "death", next interview he gives props.
Nas is known for his bipolar charcter.
I'm not convinced yet. Looking at it from Nas' "Hip Hop Is Dead" perspective:
- The south is making money. That's real, and Nas respects that.
- At the same time, the south is creatively killing Hip-Hop.
- Hip-Hop is dead (sick, in a state of emergency, any way you might want to put it)
- Hip-Hop can easily be resurrected. In fact, it isn't even dead yet. It just needs someone to push the movement, and I don't mean dipset.
So I don't see what's so contradictory about all this, because it all makes perfect sense to me.
-
That might be it. Fact is none of us know the real story behind it. To say that Nas called an album 2Hip Hop is Dead" simply because he wanted to "reach the hearts of the fans and make hip hop a wonderful place" is naive. He knew the title would cause a lot of controvery and buzz for his album. And that was my whole point. All this talk started when 2 of us said this was a promotional stunt and it was. Its also ttrue that he wanted to let people know that the state of hip hop atm aint good. And I give him props for that.
-
the album title is genius mang....which ever point of view your coming with....y'all make valid points.......
fact is hiphopis dead title....its gon get people talking....so its promotion....but at the same time nigga rasing some real deep and truth issues right now that be affecting rap....as at the moment the state of hiphop is terrible......"aint good" just dont cut it....but u see when people speak of hiphop dying.....then they may raise nas in the coversation because he named his album that....so its both raising issues and word of mouf promotion for a nigga.....either way u put it....nas is a genius
nuff said
peace
-
I was talking about Nas flip floping before. Just check his interviews from September ahead. One interview hes saying hip hop is alive, next interview hip hop is dead. One interview he say South is responsible for "death", next interview he gives props.
Nas is known for his bipolar charcter.
I'm not convinced yet. Looking at it from Nas' "Hip Hop Is Dead" perspective:
- The south is making money. That's real, and Nas respects that.
- At the same time, the south is creatively killing Hip-Hop.
- Hip-Hop is dead (sick, in a state of emergency, any way you might want to put it)
- Hip-Hop can easily be resurrected. In fact, it isn't even dead yet. It just needs someone to push the movement, and I don't mean dipset.
So I don't see what's so contradictory about all this, because it all makes perfect sense to me.
bangin post.....
one question i would ask you is however, do you agree with the south being the ones who are killing hiphop?..........
-
the album title is genius mang....which ever point of view your coming with....y'all make valid points.......
fact is hiphopis dead title....its gon get people talking....so its promotion....but at the same time nigga rasing some real deep and truth issues right now that be affecting rap....as at the moment the state of hiphop is terrible......"aint good" just dont cut it....but u see when people speak of hiphop dying.....then they may raise nas in the coversation because he named his album that....so its both raising issues and word of mouf promotion for a nigga.....either way u put it....nas is a genius
nuff said
peace
Yep, that was my whole point. Nas is a genius for creating so much hype for his cd and everybodys still talking about it.
-
I was talking about Nas flip floping before. Just check his interviews from September ahead. One interview hes saying hip hop is alive, next interview hip hop is dead. One interview he say South is responsible for "death", next interview he gives props.
Nas is known for his bipolar charcter.
I'm not convinced yet. Looking at it from Nas' "Hip Hop Is Dead" perspective:
- The south is making money. That's real, and Nas respects that.
- At the same time, the south is creatively killing Hip-Hop.
- Hip-Hop is dead (sick, in a state of emergency, any way you might want to put it)
- Hip-Hop can easily be resurrected. In fact, it isn't even dead yet. It just needs someone to push the movement, and I don't mean dipset.
So I don't see what's so contradictory about all this, because it all makes perfect sense to me.
bangin post.....
one question i would ask you is however, do you agree with the south being the ones who are killing hiphop?..........
I can't even personally reflect on that one, because I never liked southern hiphop at all. The only music from the south I like is OutKast. That's just a matter of taste though.
But is the south killing it? I don't think so. All these developments seem logical to me; it has been obvious for an extremely long time (I'm talking decades) that music would become more generic and bassy. We could have seen this coming from a long distance. The question is, what's really the problem... I believe the problem actually lies with those who make borderline hiphop. R&B stars like Ciara and Kelis, watering the music down and still labelling it as hiphop. They influence the original hiphop artists, and there you have it. The blueprint for bullshit rap music. And there's no denying the south is right up front when it comes to selling hiphop out, but everybody's doing it these days. I don't even want to know what 50 Cent's next album might sound like.
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
Oh please. And you know that Nas put all his heart into it how exactly ? What are you a part of his close friends or what ? Theyve caught Nas so many times in the past few months flip flopping about wheter hip hop is alive or dead, once sucking Souths dick and once not. He knew all the "fuck-commercial-rappers-im-proud-to-listen-to-backpackers" fans would bite right into it. And they did.
Stop acting like you got all the inside info on whos real and whos not. Fact is Nas changed his mind so many times in the past few months that its getting funny.
Please provide some specific interview quotes of Nas flip flopping. IF you can find some, I guarantee it's within the context that he and the interviewer are discussing and not on some "Oh I completely disagree with what I said a month ago, Hip Hop is really alive. I misspoke. Hip Hop is better than it ever has been". I know you want it to be that way, but it's not. So dig me up some examples and prove me wrong.
Do I know Nas? Nope. But if you've been paying attention to him for the last 6 years, you'd completely understand why I believe he's actually being genuine with his Hip Hop is Dead statement. When Stillmatic dropped Nas fuckin rose from the dead. I Am was a big disappointment overall, and Nastradamus was even fucking worse.
Do you remember Owe Me Back? Oochie Wally? (my bad, you prolly thought those were Nas' best joints) Nas was on some REAL bullshit. EVERYBODY thought he was finished. He's was uninspired, superficial / materialistic, just comin real soft. Then Stillmatic dropped and he began atoning for his mistakes. Then God's Son, then Streets Disciple, and now HHID. Did you listen to Streets Disciple or just breeze through it once you realized that it was devoid of Scott Storch and Timbaland? Nas had been stating his feelings on the rap game for a long time now. But it mostly went over everybodies head. So now he's like kickin down the door and laying claim to some shit. And now he finally got motherfuckers attention.
-
nas just talks shit when asked to explain what he meant by hip hop is dead, his album didn't help too much
people have been saying hip hop is dead for years
when gangsta rap took over
when puffy held the game down
when nelly went multi-plat
it's not a new theory, nas just used it as a selling tool
-
I think when considering the lyrics to the first 3 songs on HHID, Unforgettable and Hope it is ridiculous to say the title was just or even mostly a marketing tool. was it a marketing tool? yeah, but the art completely supports and validates it.
-T
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
Oh please. And you know that Nas put all his heart into it how exactly ? What are you a part of his close friends or what ? Theyve caught Nas so many times in the past few months flip flopping about wheter hip hop is alive or dead, once sucking Souths dick and once not. He knew all the "fuck-commercial-rappers-im-proud-to-listen-to-backpackers" fans would bite right into it. And they did.
Stop acting like you got all the inside info on whos real and whos not. Fact is Nas changed his mind so many times in the past few months that its getting funny.
Please provide some specific interview quotes of Nas flip flopping. IF you can find some, I guarantee it's within the context that he and the interviewer are discussing and not on some "Oh I completely disagree with what I said a month ago, Hip Hop is really alive. I misspoke. Hip Hop is better than it ever has been". I know you want it to be that way, but it's not. So dig me up some examples and prove me wrong.
Do I know Nas? Nope. But if you've been paying attention to him for the last 6 years, you'd completely understand why I believe he's actually being genuine with his Hip Hop is Dead statement. When Stillmatic dropped Nas fuckin rose from the dead. I Am was a big disappointment overall, and Nastradamus was even fucking worse.
Do you remember Owe Me Back? Oochie Wally? (my bad, you prolly thought those were Nas' best joints) Nas was on some REAL bullshit. EVERYBODY thought he was finished. He's was uninspired, superficial / materialistic, just comin real soft. Then Stillmatic dropped and he began atoning for his mistakes. Then God's Son, then Streets Disciple, and now HHID. Did you listen to Streets Disciple or just breeze through it once you realized that it was devoid of Scott Storch and Timbaland? Nas had been stating his feelings on the rap game for a long time now. But it mostly went over everybodies head. So now he's like kickin down the door and laying claim to some shit. And now he finally got motherfuckers attention.
Nas had 100 interviews in the past 6 months. I posted most of them here and you can seacrh sites like allhiphop, forumula...
And I am a fan of Nas. "I Am" is my fav Nas cd, with Nas Is Like being my fav Nas joint, one of the best from hip hop. Didnt like Streetd Desciple that much, too many filler tracks. Hip Hop Is Dead >> Stret Desciple
-
Nas been hangin around with Game too much.
GRODT was a great album in my oppinion, but not the most recent. Sound of Revenge is a great one that came out not too long ago.
-
Nas been hangin around with Game too much.
GRODT was a great album in my oppinion, but not the most recent. Sound of Revenge is a great one that came out not too long ago.
just my opinion based on the little chamill i've heard, he's talented but needs more time in the oven if you know what I mean. I'm more impressed with his imitations of other mcs on mixtapes then I am with his style and someone as talented as him should have a better personal distinctive style. but i've only heard about 5 tracks of his...but i've developed that thought opinion with each of the tracks I've heard.
-T
-
^which tracks have you heard?
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
that is not a list you should base your oppinion on. Peep his latest 2 drops, Sound of Revenge(album) and Mixtape MESSIAH Part 2(Mixtape).
his flow is one of the best, switch up fast and slow. lyrics are gain for improvment, but its far ahead than most of these new South Acts.
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
that is not a list you should base your oppinion on. Peep his latest 2 drops, Sound of Revenge(album) and Mixtape MESSIAH Part 2(Mixtape).
his flow is one of the best, switch up fast and slow. lyrics are gain for improvment, but its far ahead than most of these new South Acts.
well i did claim before that it's only based on what I've heard and the fact that those 5 tracks didn't make me wanna go cop more/listen to more should be testament to the fact that his style needs work. i've heard him go fast and slow and like I said I can tell he's talented but talented does not always equal entertaining/engaging/addictive. what happened to those dre tracks he wa supposed to have? LOL
-T
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
that is not a list you should base your oppinion on. Peep his latest 2 drops, Sound of Revenge(album) and Mixtape MESSIAH Part 2(Mixtape).
his flow is one of the best, switch up fast and slow. lyrics are gain for improvment, but its far ahead than most of these new South Acts.
well i did claim before that it's only based on what I've heard and the fact that those 5 tracks didn't make me wanna go cop more/listen to more should be testament to the fact that his style needs work. i've heard him go fast and slow and like I said I can tell he's talented but talented does not always equal entertaining/engaging/addictive. what happened to those dre tracks he wa supposed to have? LOL
-T
its pretty funny how you bring Dre in the conversation. so:
okay, i know that Game is one of your favorite artists. what does Game do in songs that Cham hasnt in his?
cause imo, Cham > Game.
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
that is not a list you should base your oppinion on. Peep his latest 2 drops, Sound of Revenge(album) and Mixtape MESSIAH Part 2(Mixtape).
his flow is one of the best, switch up fast and slow. lyrics are gain for improvment, but its far ahead than most of these new South Acts.
well i did claim before that it's only based on what I've heard and the fact that those 5 tracks didn't make me wanna go cop more/listen to more should be testament to the fact that his style needs work. i've heard him go fast and slow and like I said I can tell he's talented but talented does not always equal entertaining/engaging/addictive. what happened to those dre tracks he wa supposed to have? LOL
-T
its pretty funny how you bring Dre in the conversation. so:
okay, i know that Game is one of your favorite artists. what does Game do in songs that Cham hasnt in his?
cause imo, Cham > Game.
I brought dre into the convo cause I bet a producer like dre would bring out the best stylistically in Cham. Dre is like rap steroids. and that's from The D.O.C.
anyway, Cham is NO DOUBT deeeefinitely a more naturally talented rapper than Game BUT I feel the records that game put's together more. So while Cham is a better talent, I feel for example, Too much is a better crafted song than ridin' dirty. Game's strength is not in his talent but in the effort he puts towards giving the fans what they want.
-T
-
Dude, are you kdding me ? Ridint Dirty is like 10x better Too Much is. Its not even comperable. Cham + Krayzie >> Game any day
-
Nas is on point. This "Hip-Hop Is Dead" thing is bigger than people actually imagine. People had been saying it for a while, I used to use it as my screen name; and now Nas is the perfect rapper to spearhead this "Hip-Hop Is Dead" philosophy.
Nas is on point in saying that the last time Hip-Hop showed some signs of life was when GRODT came out. He also mentioned the "Ether/Takeover" event being a time when hip-hop felt alive, again; he's right; because Stillmatic era was just after 9-11 and rappers had a brief era of consciousness and creativity.
Props to Nas. I got my tickets on the "Hip-Hop Is Dead" bandwagon, I'm going down with it! This is one of the most important idea's of my generation.
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
props
-
i just cant get into hiphop is dead. i try and i try, but i still dont like it.
ya I only like a few tracks
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
that is not a list you should base your oppinion on. Peep his latest 2 drops, Sound of Revenge(album) and Mixtape MESSIAH Part 2(Mixtape).
his flow is one of the best, switch up fast and slow. lyrics are gain for improvment, but its far ahead than most of these new South Acts.
well i did claim before that it's only based on what I've heard and the fact that those 5 tracks didn't make me wanna go cop more/listen to more should be testament to the fact that his style needs work. i've heard him go fast and slow and like I said I can tell he's talented but talented does not always equal entertaining/engaging/addictive. what happened to those dre tracks he wa supposed to have? LOL
-T
its pretty funny how you bring Dre in the conversation. so:
okay, i know that Game is one of your favorite artists. what does Game do in songs that Cham hasnt in his?
cause imo, Cham > Game.
I brought dre into the convo cause I bet a producer like dre would bring out the best stylistically in Cham. Dre is like rap steroids. and that's from The D.O.C.
anyway, Cham is NO DOUBT deeeefinitely a more naturally talented rapper than Game BUT I feel the records that game put's together more. So while Cham is a better talent, I feel for example, Too much is a better crafted song than ridin' dirty. Game's strength is not in his talent but in the effort he puts towards giving the fans what they want.
-T
too much was corny as hell, thank scot storch for that. that was a staright generic knock off beat of dre's(and it didnt sound good enough to pass). in ridin dirty, cham flows 10x better than game did in too much as Timbo said. and how is Game more "crafty" if he doesnt even do the hooks on the songs he picks for singles?
but you like your shit, and ill keep mine.
-
riding was probably the biggest smash of the year....huge hit, straight heated....
game dropped his own huge hit in one blood, that was played on streets everywhere, but it did not get the universal street/club luv that riding got....thats a hella difficult feat to achieve
-
^which tracks have you heard?
a mixtape song where he imitates a gang of rappers
a freestyle on 106 and park
ridin dirty
a song my friend was playing
something else I can't remember.
-T
that is not a list you should base your oppinion on. Peep his latest 2 drops, Sound of Revenge(album) and Mixtape MESSIAH Part 2(Mixtape).
his flow is one of the best, switch up fast and slow. lyrics are gain for improvment, but its far ahead than most of these new South Acts.
well i did claim before that it's only based on what I've heard and the fact that those 5 tracks didn't make me wanna go cop more/listen to more should be testament to the fact that his style needs work. i've heard him go fast and slow and like I said I can tell he's talented but talented does not always equal entertaining/engaging/addictive. what happened to those dre tracks he wa supposed to have? LOL
-T
its pretty funny how you bring Dre in the conversation. so:
okay, i know that Game is one of your favorite artists. what does Game do in songs that Cham hasnt in his?
cause imo, Cham > Game.
I brought dre into the convo cause I bet a producer like dre would bring out the best stylistically in Cham. Dre is like rap steroids. and that's from The D.O.C.
anyway, Cham is NO DOUBT deeeefinitely a more naturally talented rapper than Game BUT I feel the records that game put's together more. So while Cham is a better talent, I feel for example, Too much is a better crafted song than ridin' dirty. Game's strength is not in his talent but in the effort he puts towards giving the fans what they want.
-T
too much was corny as hell, thank scot storch for that. that was a staright generic knock off beat of dre's(and it didnt sound good enough to pass). in ridin dirty, cham flows 10x better than game did in too much as Timbo said. and how is Game more "crafty" if he doesnt even do the hooks on the songs he picks for singles?
but you like your shit, and ill keep mine.
Game has done hooks on his singles. Dreams, Put You On The Game, Let's Ride and Wouldn't Get Far.
-
Dude, are you kdding me ? Ridint Dirty is like 10x better Too Much is. Its not even comperable. Cham + Krayzie >> Game any day
-
I guess I just can't take ridin' dirty seriously. I can listen to too much and that is some sonically cool musical shit, the melodies are on point, the sound is on point, the nate dogg is on point....but I guess I just like that funky shit, I'm just insanely funk oriented I guess. Ridin' dirty turned me off with the high pitched drum taps and silliness but that's cool if y'all dig that.
I like Krayzie alot too, that song just didn't do it for me. Just felt like a really dumb song, I could never enjoy it.
and Game is craftier to me regardless of what part he plays in the songs being put together I'm saying if an album has his name on it the shit is a well put together group of well put together songs. like despite whatever lack of natural talent he may have, he makes sure the work is put in that needs to be put in.
i guess the cham thing is just a preference. I can see how he's talented but his sound just doesn't come off as appealing I don't know, I'll give his shit a shot but every time I do I have no desire whatsoever to listen to a song again. Game's shit has that funky and hard west coast rap feel that just soundtracks CA to me I guess. I'm not saying he's the dopest MC, never did..I just really like the way most of his songs come out I guess.
-T
-
Nas had 100 interviews in the past 6 months. I posted most of them here and you can seacrh sites like allhiphop, forumula...
Listen buddy, it's real simple. In this debate, you're the one making a statement about Nas flip flopping around. That means you're the one to prove yourself right, if you want your argument to hold any weight.
-
3,4 other people cosigned me on this one. Its known since day one that Nas has a bipolar character.
Like I said search this forum, the rest hip hop sites. Read it for yourself.
-
I disagree with you, so how could I find proof of something that I don't agree with? You point it out. Either bring proof into this thread, or admit that you're trying to build a house on sand...
-
proof is dead :-\
-
I think Nas was on point. GRODT was def somethin special. Just a huge album any way you slice it. And you had every motherfucker in the game trying to copy that blueprint to the T. Everybody tried to cash in on those sales. But what really happened is mainstream Hip Hop became EXTREMELY corny, uninspired, formulaic, etc. When 50 dropped GRODT, it was fresh. When everybody else in the game tried to mimic that formula, it was played out. When 50 tried to do it again with The Massacre, it was extremely played out and predictable. The problem is all these stupid motherfuckers don't realize how played out that shit is and keep trying to force it down everybody's throats. If these fuckers would just be themselves instead of copying what the next man is doing, they might actually push some units again.
Nas is a loser
Nas has more classic albums than anybody in your sig has classic songs. People like Cam exist because of people like Nas.
All this bullshit about hip hop being dead is getting on my nerves.It's not dead.People are just saying it is cause they wanna look cool, I don't know.It's like a fad.
In the end its obvious this was a promotional "stunt" from Nas. Hes a smart dude.
In the end it's obvious that you know dick about Hip Hop. Promotional stunts are nothing but hype - there's no meaning behind them, not even necessarily truth. Just some shit to get your name in the paper. Nas' album title absolutely caused controversy, but he truly meant everything he's said. It's too bad that your feeble mind has been conditioned by the current mainstream no talent fucks to think that everything is purely done for promotional reasons rather than speaking from your heart. You take an L again.
50 hates on NAS every chance he gets, why is NAS givin him props?
Because he's not some blind hating bitch like 50. If something's dope, he says so. There's lots of pussies hangin around dubcc that should take notes.
Oh please. And you know that Nas put all his heart into it how exactly ? What are you a part of his close friends or what ? Theyve caught Nas so many times in the past few months flip flopping about wheter hip hop is alive or dead, once sucking Souths dick and once not. He knew all the "fuck-commercial-rappers-im-proud-to-listen-to-backpackers" fans would bite right into it. And they did.
Stop acting like you got all the inside info on whos real and whos not. Fact is Nas changed his mind so many times in the past few months that its getting funny.
Please provide some specific interview quotes of Nas flip flopping. IF you can find some, I guarantee it's within the context that he and the interviewer are discussing and not on some "Oh I completely disagree with what I said a month ago, Hip Hop is really alive. I misspoke. Hip Hop is better than it ever has been". I know you want it to be that way, but it's not. So dig me up some examples and prove me wrong.
Do I know Nas? Nope. But if you've been paying attention to him for the last 6 years, you'd completely understand why I believe he's actually being genuine with his Hip Hop is Dead statement. When Stillmatic dropped Nas fuckin rose from the dead. I Am was a big disappointment overall, and Nastradamus was even fucking worse.
Do you remember Owe Me Back? Oochie Wally? (my bad, you prolly thought those were Nas' best joints) Nas was on some REAL bullshit. EVERYBODY thought he was finished. He's was uninspired, superficial / materialistic, just comin real soft. Then Stillmatic dropped and he began atoning for his mistakes. Then God's Son, then Streets Disciple, and now HHID. Did you listen to Streets Disciple or just breeze through it once you realized that it was devoid of Scott Storch and Timbaland? Nas had been stating his feelings on the rap game for a long time now. But it mostly went over everybodies head. So now he's like kickin down the door and laying claim to some shit. And now he finally got motherfuckers attention.
Nas had 100 interviews in the past 6 months. I posted most of them here and you can seacrh sites like allhiphop, forumula...
And I am a fan of Nas. "I Am" is my fav Nas cd, with Nas Is Like being my fav Nas joint, one of the best from hip hop. Didnt like Streetd Desciple that much, too many filler tracks. Hip Hop Is Dead >> Stret Desciple
I'm not gonna go outta my way to validate your outright bullshit claim that Nas has flip flopped in numerous interviews. That's on you.
I Am is your favorite Nas cd? Homie, please don't attempt to speak on Nas till you've put in work and understand his catalog. If you only knew how assinine you sound trying to speak on something that you really don't understand. What about it makes it your favorite album compared to Illmatic, It Was Written, Nastradamus, God's Son, or Streets Disciple? How would you rank his albums and why?
3,4 other people cosigned me on this one. Its known since day one that Nas has a bipolar character.
Like I said search this forum, the rest hip hop sites. Read it for yourself.
It's known from day 1? Like you've been down since day one? LMAO!!! You never gave a fuck about Nas till you saw the production credits on HHID. Just quit speaking on him when you have no idea what he's about.
-
Nas is a loser
hes better then any rapper in your sig tho