Jay-Z Or Nas? Vol. Complex

[tony plush]

10 Reasons Jay Z Is Better Than Nas

Business acumen aside, Jay Z wasn’t always better than Nas. While both were regulars on the rap scene during the late ’​80s, early ’​90s, the latter arguably produced the greatest rap album of our time. Jay had to creep from out of Jaz-O and Big Daddy Kane’s shadows before being taken seriously. As a result, his debut, Reasonable Doubt, was slept on. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 showed Jay trying to prove himself while striving for mainstream acceptance. Nas did the same with It Was Written, and did it better on that album, but that’s where it stops. J**** figured something out after his second LP.

Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life shot Jay past Nas—selling five million records will do that. His Roc-A-Fella Records label also started the clothing line Rocawear further expanding their stranglehold on late '90s hip-hop. His third LP was the start of an unbeatable run which saw the releases of Vol. 3...Life and Times of S. Carter, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, and his second classic record, The Blueprint. The latter of which featured a song so good that resurrected Nas’ career. Nastradamus was so horrible the hip-hop community stuck a fork in him, assuming he was done. “Takeover” started a war, awakening Nas’ competitive spirit. The rap game stopped when he dropped “Ether,” but in hindsight, it was just a personal attack on sexual orientation and looks. And the beat isn’t on the same level as J****’s first shot.

Nas is in a fact a better storyteller, but Jay has a better ear for beats, is a better assessor of talent, a better businessman, and is a better artist overall. Nas has never been able to consistently make crossover hits at the same pace as Jay, and is just now starting to understand the business side of things. In fact, Jay helped Nas by signing him to Def Jam while holding the presidency at the historic label, further adding to the #NasLost legacy.

However, in 2014, the two of them are closer lyrically. Life Is Good was a great album, and Jay mails it in from time to time—being worth around $500 million will do that. Jay still has that ability to get under rappers’ skin, though, talking slick on features and such. When you put both careers side-by-side, it’s hard to argue in Nas’ favor. He’s trying to catch up, but it might be too little, too late.

For more on why Jay Z dominates Nas, watch the video for 10 Reasons Jay Z Is Better Than Nas.

http://www.complex.com/music/2014/11/jay-z-better-than-nas

10 Reasons Nas Is Better Than Jay Z

It's now a tired discussion, but one that hasn't been definitively answered: Who's better: Queensbridge's prodigal son or Marcy's ambassador? The two have been at odds with one another since Nas reportedly flaked on a Reasonable Doubt recording session. They then entered into a back-and-forth that culminated in one of rap's greatest on-record beefs. A beef that produced some of each rapper's best work. It's also a beef that, according to Hot 97 listeners in 2001, Nas won. But when determining who's the better MC, we should start in 1994.

It was two years before Jay Z would drop his debut. It was the year when the Notorious B.I.G. would drop the highly anticipated Ready to Die. But, more importantly, it's the year when Nasir Jones dropped Illmatic, the culmination of his work with his mentor Large Professor and a bevy of the best producers available at the time: Q-Tip, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock. Lean, expertly produced, and preternaturally rapped, the 10-track project was given the then highly coveted five mic rating in The Source and would go down in history as the greatest rap album ever recorded. Despite himself releasing two albums that have been declared "classic" (Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint), Jay Z has not released an album as good as Nas' debut.

It's not too difficult to surmise why: Jay Z has openly admitted to dumbing down his content to reach more listeners. Hov is a ruthless capitalist, a man who first sees bottom-lines and works backward in order to achieve his desired result. His goal, as he stated on record many times, was to become a multimillionaire many times over ("I'm raping Def Jam 'til I'm the Hundred-Million Man"). In order to accomplish that goal, Jay Z has trend-hopped his way through the years, adopting new flows, sounds, and styles from fresh talent. He hones his marketing acumen, figuring out new ways to bank off his image, even going so far as to fake retire.

Nas, for the most part, stayed true to himself. Sure, there was the whole Nastradamus fiasco, but everyone's allowed a misstep. Instead of borrowing flows, he refined the one he came in with. His flow is held in such high regard that newer rappers bragged about approximating it. Remember the opening to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy? There's a new NYC rapper who, though nice with the pen, is getting massive shine because people thought he was Nas. And at a time when older rappers are trying to figure out a way to gracefully age while staying hip to the new ****, Nas, as displayed on Life Is Good, is comfortable doing what feels comfortable to him. There's no Drake hook. No Hit-Boy beat. No European fashion on the cover. Just Nas. In 2014, that sounds like a win.

For more evidence of why Nas trumps Jay Z, watch the video for 10 Reasons Nas Is Better Than Jay Z.

http://www.complex.com/music/2014/11/nas-better-than-jay-z

 

[aNYone]

Jay knows what it is 

/thread

 

[$tatus $ymbol]

Complex being complex. Basically saying jay is the better artist bc of business acumen is laughable at best.

 

[tony plush]

Jay knows what it is 

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/thread

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[hennessy]

I don't understand how dudes can say Nas only has one good album when Distant Relatives was better than anything Jay-Z put out since the black album.

 

[nawghtyhare]

Nas is a better mc PERIOD
If nas cared about all the fame he would be richer than jay
But u can tell just by his vibe and whole demeanor he cool just being him
And putting out music that is RELATABLE
He just enjoys the art of music
It's not really a business to him
Jay it's different
Bum as snake that he is

 

[nawghtyhare]

I don't understand how dudes can say Nas only has one good album when Distant Relatives was better than anything Jay-Z put out since the black album.

Untitled/N ALBUM was FLAMES
god son
STILLMATIC
IWW
And I'm in the minority but don't know why
But streets disciple was
He could have condensed it sure but it's a great album to me
Sekou story is one of my fav songs by dude
I STILL don't believe he was the girl rapping in that song

 

[mw2889]

Its really a toss up imo, they're like 1a and 1b, Pac is 1c.

If you can't acknowledge they are both all time greats, your opinion shouldn't be taken seriously.

 

[offset pow clow]

Jay makes better music & nas is the better mc

 

[antidope]

This isnt debatable IMO. Jay Z is superior 

 

[servechilled81]

have fun yall, gonna be a long thread... again

 

[suberzat1]

Not even worth it before the stans catch wind of this

 

[addict4sneakers]

This isnt debatable IMO. Nas is superior 

 

[miketysonthekiller]

inb4 nas lost

 

[kevlar]

Damn ya don't get tired of this

 

[cedric ceballos]

in before antidope and deuce king post 

 

[htg designs]

Nas is the better lyricist.
JayZ makes better music

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

 

[aNYone]

Nas is better Lyrically.

He is profound and was a child prodigy ain't no arguing that.

Jay is a very smart dude that surrounded himself with great producers with the intent of being mainstream.

Both got exactly what they wanted out of the rap game IMO.

 

[nawghtyhare]

Nas is better Lyrically.
He is profound and was a child prodigy ain't no arguing that.


Jay is a very smart dude that surrounded himself with great producers with the intent of being mainstream.

Both got exactly what they wanted out of the rap game IMO.

So eloquently and accurately put
Will rep when I reup

 

[rillo561]

Nas has my vote, timeless meaningful music and great storyteller.

Jay is good @ business though.

 

[illphillip]

Jay knows what it is 

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/thread

And a Brooklyn Mint shirt

 

[nawghtyhare]

Jay knows what it is 

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/thread

And a Brooklyn Mint shirt

I would also like to throw out that DMX has more classic albums that hold the test of time than jay
His first 2 albums alone are better than 3/4 of jays catalog

 

[dipsetgeneral]

Lyrically: Nas

Song making ability: Tied

Discography: Too debatable. (Save that for another thread.)

Success: Hov

Endeavors: Hov

Overall: Hov

Even though I prefer Nasir...

 

[aNYone]

BTW Nas is the greatest hip hop artist conceptually speaking. 

I gave, you power, Fetus, Money is my *****, Sekous story, Undying Love,  Unauthorized bio of Rakim, Book of Rhymes, Rewind 

****** really ain't seeing him on that front

Ol boy is Mark Twain b