So I spoke to Nas yesterday...

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:17 am

Well not personally, it was a conference call and a bunch of uneducated people got to ask him irrelevant. boring and knob slobbing type questions. But for those interested in Nas here is what he had to say.

-- Once again Remi is producing most of his shit. Apparently the new song "Don" was either produced by Remi and Heavy D or it was originally for Heavy D. I couldn't make it out exactly.

--- He REALLY likes this new album. Suppodily Remi and NO ID were the only ones producing shit. He didn't say anything about guest spots because he didn't know for sure if they were making the album.

--- Somebody brought up Premier and he really sounded uncomfortable answering. You could tell there is some shit going on but he didn't want to get into it. He started to kinda bash Preem as if he is wishy washy but said if the mood is right he'd do it. To quote "If Preem wakes up and is in the mood to give Nas a beat and Nas is in the mood to rap over a Preem beat, it can happen, but the mood has to be right."

I'm no pro but what that tells me is Nas is annoyed by always being lumped with Preem as if he can't make good music on his own. He is turned off by the dozens of "sup with the Preemo album" questions because there had to be some riff or unresolved matter between them.

---He wasn't thrilled with the Hip Hop Is Dead album, but felt it was needed and caused an important movement.

I was able to ask him a question which was basically "At this stage in your career, do you feel like you're able to make the albums you really want to make on Def Jam?" The reason I asked is because out of all the Def Jam artists, to me, only The Roots and Jay seem to make the albums they want to. I haven't really enjoyed a Nas album in years and we all know his choices are questionable at best.

He was taken back, said it was the best question and just elaborated for a good 5 minutes on why he has always dreamed about being on Def Jam as a kid. It's the right fit and he is pleased to be apart of the DJ family. Basically, he makes the music he wants to make which is kinda concerning as a fan. I wanted to mention getting at Large Pro and Tip but after I asked the question my mic was muted.

So there you have it, for those who care anyways.

chiefbombpro · Post by **chiefbombpro** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:23 am

He loves contradicting himself. He feels he's making the albums he wants but then says he wasn't thrilled with HHID. That doesn't make any sense.

Magneto · Post by **Magneto** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 9:47 am

chiefbombpro wrote:He loves contradicting himself. He feels he's making the albums he wants but then says he wasn't thrilled with HHID. That doesn't make any sense.

Well, you can make the music you want, but you still have time constraints and release dates you have to make. So he might have wanted to make changes to the final product but didn't have time to change things.

You can record a song, like it initially, but then after a few listens want to scrap it, or change things in it, but you don't have the opportunity cause the record company needs that album done by a specific time.

B. Ware tha Siniq · Post by **B. Ware tha Siniq** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:00 am

I don't even think Nas and Premier at this point would be that great.

I'm inclined to agree with Magneto on the HHID comment. He may not have been fully happy with it at first and just doesn't like it that much now. It's very easy for an artist to create something they like in the moment and grow to hate it.

I think it's more funny that he singled that album out, as I feel that way about probably half to 60% of Nas's catalog.

Rachel Hobozal · Post by **Rachel Hobozal** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:06 am

Magneto wrote:
chiefbombpro wrote:He loves contradicting himself. He feels he's making the albums he wants but then says he wasn't thrilled with HHID. That doesn't make any sense.
Well, you can make the music you want, but you still have time constraints and release dates you have to make. So he might have wanted to make changes to the final product but didn't have time to change things.

You can record a song, like it initially, but then after a few listens want to scrap it, or change things in it, but you don't have the opportunity cause the record company needs that album done by a specific time.

Truth. And just because you want to do something and then you do it doesn't mean that years down the road you're not going to sometimes say, "Man, that wasn't as good as I thought it should've been."

chump change · Post by **chump change** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:09 am

isnt he bouncin to africa to avoid his tax debt?

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:15 am

im sure many artists feel in retrospect some of their work wasn't as good as they originally thought it was. happens to everyone.

the prob with nas is he thinks all his albums at the time are great. from the writing to the production.

let me A&R his shit and even if it's 1/3 of illmatic i'm bringing him back with pete rock, tip, large pro and preem. fucking let him redo every illmatic track because it's going to be better than anything he does now with salaam remi.

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:19 am

Philaflava wrote:im sure many artists feel in retrospect some of their work wasn't as good as they originally thought it was. happens to everyone.

the prob with nas is he thinks all his albums at the time are great. from the writing to the production.

let me A&R his shit and even if it's 1/3 of illmatic i'm bringing him back with pete rock, tip, large pro and preem. fucking let him redo every illmatic track because it's going to be better than anything he does now with salaam remi.

I couldn't disagree more. Nothing more pathetic than an artist trying to retread work that their heart is just not in any more.

You are a fan of Nas' early work, but like everything he changed as a rapper and a person and you don't like the work that he makes anymore and haven't for some time. The solution to this is not for Nas to try and pretend he is 17 again, the solution is for you to listen to those early Nas albums and ignore the new stuff he puts out.

I fucks with HHID more than I fuck with IWW. At least it has some heart.

chiefbombpro · Post by **chiefbombpro** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:20 am

True, sometimes doing a track high, it may sound monstrous at the time but, the next day it's like, "what the fuck was I thinking?!"

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:22 am

COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote: I fucks with HHID more than I fuck with IWW. At least it has some heart.

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:28 am

I already articulated my reason for placing HHID above IWW in some discussion with Thun (RIP) on here that I have no idea how to find, but basically HHID has some duds but is a mature, thoughtful album with some bangers. The subtext of the whole album is about getting older, realizing what's important and honoring but not being beholden to the past. It's very honest at points, even self critical.

IWW is an unoriginal, unconvincing cops-and-robbers fantasy where Nas is blatantly biting the trends of the day and seems completely out of touch with who he is and what, if anything, he has to say. How people listen to it in 2012 all the way through is beyond me.

chiefbombpro · Post by **chiefbombpro** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:29 am

Philaflava wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote: I fucks with HHID more than I fuck with IWW. At least it has some heart.

B. Ware tha Siniq · Post by **B. Ware tha Siniq** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:31 am

Philaflava wrote: let me A&R his shit and even if it's 1/3 of illmatic i'm bringing him back with pete rock, tip, large pro and preem. fucking let him redo every illmatic track because it's going to be better than anything he does now with salaam remi.

I actually don't think that's the problem. For one I think Salaam has laced him with some very nice beats over the years, for two none of those producers are the producers they were in '92-'94, and for threes it would come off just as contrived as most of these other 90's revivalism albums that has-beens put out every year. Give me new records from Ka and Roc Marci and let Nas continue to do whatever it is that he's doing. Some of it will be good and some will be cringe-worthy.

I'm not saying he couldn't use better creative director/A&R's, but at this point in his career he really has no reason to listen to folks like that.

citizen · Post by **citizen** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:36 am

Philaflava wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote: I fucks with HHID more than I fuck with IWW. At least it has some heart.

Piff Tannen · Post by **Piff Tannen** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 10:37 am

did thun die?

nas should fuck with warner brothers, currensy said they dont trip on him not having hooks, so maybe theyd let nas make shit with minimal interference too

Larry2times · Post by **Larry2times** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:51 am

Philaflava wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote: I fucks with HHID more than I fuck with IWW. At least it has some heart.

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:54 am

You can "wtf" or you can address my reasoning, which is that IWW is a derivative, unoriginal album overflowing with cliches and crossover pandering that is painful to listen to in 2012.

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:06 pm

COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:You can "wtf" or you can address my reasoning, which is that IWW is a derivative, unoriginal album overflowing with cliches and crossover pandering that is painful to listen to in 2012.

Yeah because Money Over Bullshit, You Can't Kill Me, Play On Playa and the wonderful Who Killed It were all original and not too painful to listen to either.

Say what you will about IWW, but the album shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breathe as HHID. Yeah it's his attempt at crossing over but its also an album that contains some of his BEST songs in his entire catalog.

Take It In Blood shits on anything HHID had. The Message, I Gave You Power, Live Nigga Rap, Shootouts...

Comedy Quaddafi · Post by **Comedy Quaddafi** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:33 pm

Larry2times wrote:
Philaflava wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote: I fucks with HHID more than I fuck with IWW. At least it has some heart.

drizzle · Post by **drizzle** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:48 pm

Philaflava wrote: a bunch of uneducated people got to ask him irrelevant. boring and knob slobbing type questions.

KITFUNK · Post by **KITFUNK** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:58 pm

No lost tape 2 questions? Shit forever dead?

Req · Post by **Req** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:59 pm

ironically, the only HHID song that even deserves to be on the same playlist as IWW was bastardized and had it's beat ripped out by the time it got to the album.

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The Afronaut · Post by **The Afronaut** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:13 pm

I never understand peoples adverse reaction to Nas working with Salaam.

Employee · Post by **Employee** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:16 pm

The Afronaut wrote:I never understand peoples adverse reaction to Nas working with Salaam.

You can't be serious.

COOLEHMAGAZINE · Post by **COOLEHMAGAZINE** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:23 pm

Philaflava wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:You can "wtf" or you can address my reasoning, which is that IWW is a derivative, unoriginal album overflowing with cliches and crossover pandering that is painful to listen to in 2012.
Yeah because Money Over Bullshit, You Can't Kill Me, Play On Playa and the wonderful Who Killed It were all original and not too painful to listen to either.

Say what you will about IWW, but the album shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breathe as HHID. Yeah it's his attempt at crossing over but its also an album that contains some of his BEST songs in his entire catalog.

Take It In Blood shits on anything HHID had. The Message, I Gave You Power, Live Nigga Rap, Shootouts...

Money Over Bullshit is great. You Can't Kill me, Who Killed it and Play On Playa are all somewhere between meh and downright terrible.

That said:

Nas Is Coming is one of the worst Nas songs ever.

Street Dreams is terrible.

Black Girl Lost is lyrically cringeworthy and the beat sucks.

If I Ruled The World is unlistenable.

Watch Dem Niggas?? Perhaps Nas' most forgettable song.

The production on the whole album is Nyquil. Seriously dated, which is what happens when you make an album where the beat choices are dictated by what you think is "hot on the radio". Ten years later you will sound like a fucking fool. The lyrics are cliche and generic as fuck and you can hear that Nas doesn't even believe a word of what he's saying. The concept is a mishmash of all the NY rappers who Nas felt eclipsed by.

So, yeah...HHID all the way. Lyrically Nas showed out, and he actually had something to say. I can't listen to a whole album of Nas wishing he was a combination of Rae and Biggie over Starbucks-ready instrumentals, all put together with the empty bombast of a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. But more power to the rest of y'all.

Still Dreaming
Can't Forget About You
MOB

Blunt Ashes
Black Republican
Not Going Back

are dope.

Title track
Where Are They Now
Carry On Tradition

are good but not great.

It just seems so silly to constantly be worried about an artist whose musical direction you have found lacking for damn near ten years. It's a wrap. The Nas you want to hear aint never coming back. Never. Forever? Forever, ever.

EMCEE DARTH MALEK · Post by **EMCEE DARTH MALEK** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:49 pm

cool info. i don't take his answer at face value. def jam has neutered both his solo albums since he signed. the title track off hip hop is dead was cut to pieces; the album version and is completely unlistenable. the tile track off "nigger" was cut completely off the album, as were a few other joints that should have made it, and the fucking album title was changed to untitled.

my guess is he was taken aback because to anybody paying attention knows he doesn't have the freedom to record what he wants. this from the label that brought us public enemy.

step one · Post by **step one** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:59 pm

I probably prefer HHID more than IWW. Never really liked IWW apart from Silent Murder. Cant I play HHID tha often though.

Salaam Remi has done some great stuff with Nas. Made You Look is one of his best non-Illmatic tracks and Get Down, Thiefs Theme and The Don are all dope.

Comedy Quaddafi · Post by **Comedy Quaddafi** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:04 pm

COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:The lyrics are cliche and generic as fuck

You might like HHID better but you're clearly overstating your point. His story-telling raps and mafioso-raps are some of the best ever lyrics of their kind. Nas showed he has an incredible mastery of language and wrote about familiar gangstarap topics in a way that is fresh and impressive even to this day.

So, yeah...HHID all the way. Lyrically Nas showed out, and he actually had something to say.

The less Nas has to say the better. Nas is a fucking idiot. Download a podcast or something.

GUCCI CONDOMS · Post by **GUCCI CONDOMS** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:55 pm

COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:
Philaflava wrote:
COOLEHMAGAZINE wrote:You can "wtf" or you can address my reasoning, which is that IWW is a derivative, unoriginal album overflowing with cliches and crossover pandering that is painful to listen to in 2012.
Yeah because Money Over Bullshit, You Can't Kill Me, Play On Playa and the wonderful Who Killed It were all original and not too painful to listen to either.

Say what you will about IWW, but the album shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breathe as HHID. Yeah it's his attempt at crossing over but its also an album that contains some of his BEST songs in his entire catalog.

Take It In Blood shits on anything HHID had. The Message, I Gave You Power, Live Nigga Rap, Shootouts...
Money Over Bullshit is great. You Can't Kill me, Who Killed it and Play On Playa are all somewhere between meh and downright terrible.

That said:

Nas Is Coming is one of the worst Nas songs ever.

Street Dreams is terrible.

Black Girl Lost is lyrically cringeworthy and the beat sucks.

If I Ruled The World is unlistenable.

Watch Dem Niggas?? Perhaps Nas' most forgettable song.

The production on the whole album is Nyquil. Seriously dated, which is what happens when you make an album where the beat choices are dictated by what you think is "hot on the radio". Ten years later you will sound like a fucking fool. The lyrics are cliche and generic as fuck and you can hear that Nas doesn't even believe a word of what he's saying. The concept is a mishmash of all the NY rappers who Nas felt eclipsed by.

So, yeah...HHID all the way. Lyrically Nas showed out, and he actually had something to say. I can't listen to a whole album of Nas wishing he was a combination of Rae and Biggie over Starbucks-ready instrumentals, all put together with the empty bombast of a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. But more power to the rest of y'all.

Still Dreaming
Can't Forget About You
MOB

Blunt Ashes
Black Republican
Not Going Back

are dope.

Title track
Where Are They Now
Carry On Tradition

are good but not great.

It just seems so silly to constantly be worried about an artist whose musical direction you have found lacking for damn near ten years. It's a wrap. The Nas you want to hear aint never coming back. Never. Forever? Forever, ever.

your opinions have AIDS

Reason · Post by **Reason** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:57 pm

B. Ware tha Siniq wrote:I don't even think Nas and Premier at this point would be that great. .

blasphemous a decade ago...now sad but true

So I spoke to Nas yesterday...

So I spoke to Nas yesterday...

Re: So I spoke to Nas yesterday...