This isn’t an ordinary Nas album, but a collection of necessary reflections, learnings, and appreciation.
Where’s the normality? Well, a part of it lies in the new Nas album King’s Disease, which is a triumphant return to the rap game, as he enlists legendary producer Hit-Boy and proves he doesn’t have the word ceiling in his dictionary. Here in 2020, a global pandemic has altered the music industry to the point that music festivals are taking place on Minecraft. From three decades of rap-pioneering, with classic albums like Illmatic, starring in cult classic films like Belly, or striving to create a platform for creatives with the launch of Mass Appeal. There are so many things you have to think about when painting the legacy of the always innovative Nasir Jones it’s a dense masterpiece. And finally, their shared love for their hometown and the role it plays in their art goes without saying.There is a long list of accolades that cement Nas’ legendary status. Celebrity, To Rome With Love, Deconstructing Harry.) With this record Nas employs a retro-chic style that freshens classic nostalgia without lamenting the past, just as Allen does so in Midnight in Paris. Allen, who seemingly rejects any public attention, especially following the whole Soon-Yi scandal, manages to render the cult of celebrity, central to many, if not all of his recent films (e.g. They both endure internal struggles with the concept of celebrity as noted, Nas makes multiple references to courtside NBA games, famous friends, and the limelight, yet can't seem to ever feel truly comfortable. The two share a history of prolific output (in rap terms Nas' 10+ albums qualifies), though relative to the volume of output, there are only a handful of true classics that stand the test of time. If you asked Nas who his spirit director was, he'd undoubtedly reply Scorsese, but in reality his art is far more akin to the work of Woody Allen.
Nas life is good lyrics skin#
They skillfully rebooted the 90's grimy New York sound, preserving the bleakness, while Nas takes the opportunity to add a visceral element to the world with Proust-like detail in lines like " At night, New York, eat a slice too hot/Use my tongue to tear the skin hangin' from the roof of my mouth." But it's in the third verse, when he addresses the listener do we get a truly personal insight into Nas' inner devils "I know you think my life is good cause my diamond piece/But my life been good since I started finding peace/I shouldn't even be smilin', I should be angry and depressed/I been rich longer than I been broke, I confess." The combo is a win with the track's potent dark piano licks and NYC train car effects compliment Nas' vengeful cadence.
Nas sends a bold and clear signal at the top of the album by featuring Large Pro, an MC/Producer whose influence on hip hop's golden era and Nas' career more specifically, significantly trumps his relevance in popular music today. He's not trying to be cryptic about it, evidenced by his track ending declaration "this is for my trapped in the '90s n*ggas" on the neck snapping "Loco-Motive," the second track on the record that features Large Professor.
Not that it was made exclusively for the Heeb nation, because it wasn't, but it's certainly a subset of those who feel that Nas let us down. When I say that Nas made this album for "me" I'm speaking on behalf of "what happened to the good ol' days" 30-something hip hop fans who lament the tragic rise and fall of the Nas we all came to adore.
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