For Those Keeping Score That’s Still a One Hot Album Every 10 Year Average
I believe the direct quote was “Fuck the LA Times.” According to this other Times piece, Nas says my review “disrespected him.” Which is probably true, but then again, I never wrote a rap bragging about being in a Lex watching Kathy Lee and Regis. To say nothing about that unforgettable time when Halle Berry blew Nas a kiss at the Barbra Streisand concert. I assume that meant that Nasir is a big Funny Girl fan?
But hey, if my misanthropy somehow helped convince him to do an entire album produced by DJ Premier, my work here is done.
Download:
MP3: Nas-”Take It In Blood” (Which by all accounts remains a great song)
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:57 am
The LA Times has, for obvious reasons a real bad reputation among rappers and rap fans right now–Chuck Phillips?– and the LA Times has a real bad habit of baiting controversy, by doing stuff like mentioning that Nas said fuck their paper…
Also, does Mr. Smith give West Coast credit for the n-word in rap? I don’t even understand that claim.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:18 am
I’m not going to touch the Chuck Phillips thing for obvious reasons but keep in mind 1) he no longer works at the paper and 2) no other hip-hop publications are even attempting to do any sort of investigative journalism any more. Granted, it’s a shame those Phillips pieces were botched but it’s not like anyone else is doing much better.
As for the Times, I don’t think they have a bad habit of baiting controversy. I’ve read it every day for the last 20 years and haven’t found that to be the case. If you can point to specific examples other than those Chuck Phillips’ pieces please do, I’m curious as to what gives you that impression.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 am
Nas don’t want it with you, Jeff. Hasn’t he heard about how you ethered Bradford Cox?
(Well, OK, he probably hasn’t.)
Observation: The Times will print “N.I.G.G.E.R.” but refer only elliptically to “a racial epithet for African Americans”? Odd…
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:08 am
The best/worst part of this is that the Fox hater put on this performance at a MySpace sponsored event.
But hey at least he pointed out the audience’s complicity in such an event!
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 am
“They think we sheep-le…
(Serious head shake)
…we people.”
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
“As for the Times, I don’t think they have a bad habit of baiting controversy. I’ve read it every day for the last 20 years and haven’t found that to be the case. If you can point to specific examples other than those Chuck Phillips’ pieces please do, I’m curious as to what gives you that impression.”
Well, I don’t know about controversy “baiting” but there was that whole LAT Beatbox experiment “scandal” that a few of us were involved in. Granted, that wasn’t really published in the L.A. Times but very loosely “affliated” with it.
And Nas has had at least two hot albums this Illmatic. He’s more like 1 every 5 years.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
The best things he’s done this decade weren’t even albums. Give me The Lost Tapes or the N Word Mixtape any day of the week over any album that Def Jam’s put out.
The Beat Box thing has been discussed to death. That wasn’t the Times’ fault and really, it was the biggest non-controversy I’ve ever seen. One person made an poorly chosen off-hand remark on a blog that no one read and the next thing you know it’s Watergate 2.
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
“The best things he’s done this decade weren’t even albums. Give me The Lost Tapes or the N Word Mixtape any day of the week over any album that Def Jam’s put out. ”
I don’t know. I think people get on the Lost Tapes’ dick too much. I mean it has just as much easy listening adult contempo beats on there as any Nas album this decade. Granted, I like that stuff so I like that album but it’s not like the Lost Tapes is a dramatic departure from the rest of Nas’ recent catalogue. Wasn’t it just throwaways from I Am…/Nastradamus and Stillmatic?
I mean Stillmatic’s still one of the best albums released this decade all things considering (regardless of what delusional Jay-Z fans will tell you) and God’s Son is almost as good. And I also don’t think there would be any debate about Hip Hop Is Dead had it been named anything other than Hip Hop Is Dead.
“The Beat Box thing has been discussed to death. That wasn’t the Times’ fault and really, it was the biggest non-controversy I’ve ever seen. One person made an poorly chosen off-hand remark on a blog that no one read and the next thing you know it’s Watergate 2.”
Oh, I agree. Just saying. Still wasn’t a good look for the LA Times, though even being remotely affliated with it especially coming right after Chuck Phillips.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Doc:
HIP HOP IS DEAD by my count really has 5 songs I’d actually listen to again. The name of the album has nothing to do with the fact that for the most part, it’s kinda boring. “Still Dreaming” is fucking incredible, which is really Jeff’s biggest beef with Nas: hire great producers and make great SONGS, something he’s done alot of in the past.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
it hurts my eyes to read about the beatbox.
btw, Camilo Smith was laid off in the latest purge.
As much as I am a Nas fan, him saying “fuck the Times” really pisses me off.
Where should we get our news from? Al Jazeera?
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
i think the thing about stillmatic and god’s son is that they’re ALMOST great albums, and fans (present company steadfastly included) are so desperate for nas to come up with something mind-blowing that we’ll accept something that’s merely solid and hail it as a classic.
i wouldn’t say that the lost tapes is better than nas’ def jam output, though; to me, it has the same number of brilliant tracks that hip-hop is dead has (which i will agree with zilla and say there’s about five). but, i’ve said it before, the n-word tape is nas’ best release in years, and genuinely his best complete work since it was written.
BUT BUT BUT if he does actually follow through on that premo/dre use your illusion-esque thing, we may find the classic nas album(s) we’ve been waiting for.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Regarding Nas finally doing the Premier produced album my brother and I both said to each other “It’s about fuckin’ time!”.
No more Chris Webber beats!
One.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:52 am
“BUT BUT BUT if he does actually follow through on that premo/dre use your illusion-esque thing, we may find the classic nas album(s) we’ve been waiting for.”
I don’t know both Primo and Dre are way past their prime. Dre can’t be bothered with his own album and Primo hasn’t had an original idea in years.
I just had an interesting parrell between Nas and Primo, though. Primo is sort of the Nas’ of the producers’ world. He’s an exceptionally talented genius who instead of kicking brilliant lyrics over shitty beats, he picks shitty rappers to rap over his brilliant production. Maybe, Preme and Nas need each other.
July 25th, 2008 at 3:11 am
I dunno, Weiss. As much as I like sarcastic writing, your snark just seems misplaced. I mean, were all the digs at Nas in this post as well as the review really necessary? Moreover, I don’t remember many times I’ve heard you praise a mainstream rapper with actually something to say, which is, you know, sorta important for a rapper.
Whether Nas fails to properly address the hot button issues facing the US or not, he probably should be given some credit for trying - especially when other big-name rappers are afraid to do so for fear of losing their popularity/money, or won’t since they don’t give a f**k about any of it.
July 25th, 2008 at 9:39 am
How many mainstream rappers do have something to say? It’s not like there’s that many to choose from. Besides, I gave Bun B a very strong review in the Times earlier this year, in large part because several songs on II Trill address large social issues in a cogent, intelligent manner. So yeah, there’s one. Plus, I’ve repeatedly praised Outkast in this space, who of late have gotten extremely socially conscious. So there’s two. I could probably go on but it’s early and unfortunately, it’s slim pickings out there.
So maybe Nas does deserve credit for trying but this is a very antagonistic and alienating record, one with a muddled politique. I don’t really want to continue having this argument. It’s over. But ultimately, he tried to fight fire with fire and you know how that goes. Maybe I should learn the same lesson but when you get paid money to write a review, you should be expected to be honest, right?
As for the “worried about losing money” thing, well that was one of my biggest problems with Untitled. It has several songs very blatantly groping for radio play that didn’t really fit and showed that despite his obvious social conscience, he’s just as, if not more concerned with maintaining his slippery fanbase (i.e. 200,000 less people bought this album than the last one).
Look, as I’ve said before. I own every Nas album. I have been a Nas fan since Illmatic. I recognize that he’s a great rapper and respect what he’s trying to do but just because he does it does not mean I should automatically lavish him with praise.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
“Primo is sort of the Nas’ of the producers’ world. He’s an exceptionally talented genius who instead of kicking brilliant lyrics over shitty beats, he picks shitty rappers to rap over his brilliant production.”
Doesn’t that more fairly describe Pete Rock? Premo did a ton of work with Nas, Big, KRS, and Jay - Pete Rock did, what, one song with them combined? Two if you count the Juicy remix. Guru > CL Smooth, to my ears… MOP and Jeru are talented rappers… then you’ve got his work with OC, Mos Def, late Rakim, Jada, the Lox, Too Short, Devin, AZ - and of course, he’s done his fair share of beats for these shitty unkut.com types, but I think the majority of his peak work was done with great rappers.
As for the relative merits of Nas’s albums, give me The Lost Tapes over any post-It Was Written release. Yes, it’s throwaways from I Am, but mysteriously enough, the throwaways in this case were way better than almost everything on the album they got cut from. It’s not perfect - the last verse of Doo Rags is some really treacly shit, Black Zombie’s confused, My Way’s another one of his disappointing balling songs that doesn’t come off, he shouldn’t have sang the hook on Poppa Was a Playa, and in general the beats are competent but far from stunning - but there’s a lot of really amazing stuff on there.
July 27th, 2008 at 12:10 am
yeah, it’s sad when the only good friggin song on the album is the anthem i play in the car on my way to popeyes.
between nas making me go get fried chicken and kelis making me go get a mcflurry*, that jones couple is gonna make me a fat-ass.
*=or milkshake.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Maybe I’m not the purveyor of music that you are, but Untitled 2 of 5 stars.Wow. We couldn’t have possibly listened to the same album. Maybe there’s more to it than what your letting on.
*Is perplexed*
July 29th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
2 of 4 which is subpar. Yes, I think it’s a subpar Nas album. Is it better than the best Rick Ross album. Of course.