After digesting MCHG, I'm saying Nas > Jay as an artist

[deereebs]

Don't get it twisted, I've been a Jay stan for over a decade.  I've been to over 5 of his live shows, have plenty of his vinyls/posters on the wall, got the documentaries, etc, but I finally accepted that he's had his better days.  Since his comeback after the Black Album, the only album I can really really connect to is American Gangster.  BP3 was dope too.  After making my final conclusion on MCHG, I'm a little disappointed that this was his best after a 4 year solo hiatus.  No club anthem, no workout bangers, no lyrical gems.  Kingdom Come vol 2013? 

Nas on the other hand has been steady doin his thing.  I know we say Jay's been off the streets for 20 years, but it doesn't mean he can still make thoughtful verses.  Life is Good is on a whole different level, and IMO blows Magna Carta out of the water.  As I hit almost 30, I find it harder to connect to Hov talking about million, billion, trillion dollar raps.  I understand he's reached Wizards Mike status, and his presence is good enough to change the game, but I really can't get the same excitement from him as I once did. 

 

[guccjermaine]

Life is good > MCHG. imo

 

[ravagebx]

Again? Is this all that matters to ya'll in hip hop? This Jay x Nas isht has to end somewhere. It's beyond obnoxious at this point.

 

[gllahone84]

Life is good > MCHG. imo

Played it last night and tried to do a comparison...but the beats bore me to death on LIG. Like his flow for the most part, but I can literally skip every song after Locomotive up until Stay and feel like I haven't missed ****. 

With MCHG...I like to feel to it. Got banging beats, and Jay is spitting some fire. 

Nas took me back to the 90's...but he dit it wrong...why homie do it without Premo?

He gotta be one of the most backward dudes, and I'm tired of saying, oh he do it for the culture, yadda yadda, but then he hops on wack *** BBC.

 

[Hahahaha]

What made me decide this was after hearing Blueprint 3 and then WTT. Jay is easily a better rapper than Kanye but BP 3 was boring and unnecessary. Watch the Throne, Jay PUT ME TO SLEEEEEEP.


Life is Good came out and lyrically I thought it was great. It was personal, talked about his wife, kids, financial issues. Throughout the whole album you could hear Illmatic to Untitled. Certain songs sounded like they were fresh off of I Am or Stillmatic which was impressive to me. Hearing songs like Daughters, Bye Baby, Trust, A Queens Story. That was it for me.

I don't care if I never heard another Jay record after The Blueprint to be honest. I enjoyed American Gangster but Jay been playing for the Wizards ever since.

 

[bogusreality]

I wonder if we would be saying the same thing had other legends been alive...

 

[Hahahaha]

Played it last night and tried to do a comparison...but the beats bore me to death on LIG. Like his flow for the most part, but I can literally skip every song after Locomotive up until Stay and feel like I haven't missed ****. 

With MCHG...I like to feel to it. Got banging beats, and Jay is spitting some fire. 

Nas took me back to the 90's...but he dit it wrong...why homie do it without Premo?

He gotta be one of the most backward dudes, and I'm tired of saying, oh he do it for the culture, yadda yadda, but then he hops on wack *** BBC.

Jay's album had great production but lyrically, you can't tell that **** apart. Every song is about the same ****. It gets old and repetitive FAST

 

[gllahone84]

Jay's album had great production but lyrically, you can't tell that **** apart. Every song is about the same ****. It gets old and repetitive FAST

Picasso Baby

Heaven

Tom Ford

Crown

Somewhere in America 

Compare that to the first half of LIG and I only really like Locomotive...

Then I have to go to track 12 for Stay...that's a banger.

Queens Story is boring as ****. It's like I heard him tell me that story better before...

Don't like the Intro...what else? Life's an Addiction? Nope. Summer on Smash I don't rock with it...

# 9 is ok. 

I like Nasty. but that's at then end. Not even really feeling those bonus cuts, and I don't like The Don like that. Cherry Wine...nah. I need something to ride out to and that's what I listen to hip hop for...every now and then listening to a dude spit over weak beats is ok, but I need banging beats and lyrics. Why can I never get both from Nas? 

Boring album. One of the worse Nas put out...I like Untitled much better...I guess it was the subject matter. 

I don't even listen to Bye Baby anymore...it was cool the first month or two maybe but come on...

Remember It Was Written, I am, Stillmatic, Untitled? 

When a dude thinks he's above the beats then something ain't right. 

Even Biggie got on hot beats...

 

[meek meals]

Don't know about all that OP, but I wanna hear Nas on the caliber of beats Jay had on MCHG

I wanna see what he can do with some Timbo, J. Cole, Pharrell, Hit-Boy, Travis Scott, Kanye West, etc. production. Along with Premo and some more Justice League cuts.

 

[jaymosenvied]

Nas doesn't have an ear for production. He stays rapping over these old school beats.

 

[gllahone84]

Meek we been asking for that over 10 years now...it ain't happening. 

 

[Hahahaha]

Picasso Baby
Heaven
Tom Ford
Crown
Somewhere in America 

Compare that to the first half of LIG and I only really like Locomotive...

Then I have to go to track 12 for Stay...that's a banger.

Queens Story is boring as ****. It's like I heard him tell me that story better before...

Don't like the Intro...what else? Life's an Addiction? Nope. Summer on Smash I don't rock with it...

# 9 is ok. 

I like Nasty. but that's at then end. Not even really feeling those bonus cuts, and I don't like The Don like that. Cherry Wine...nah. I need something to ride out to and that's what I listen to hip hop for...every now and then listening to a dude spit over weak beats is ok, but I need banging beats and lyrics. Why can I never get both from Nas? 

Boring album. One of the worse Nas put out...I like Untitled much better...I guess it was the subject matter. 

I don't even listen to Bye Baby anymore...it was cool the first month or two maybe but come on...

Remember It Was Written, I am, Stillmatic, Untitled? 

When a dude thinks he's above the beats then something ain't right. 

Even Biggie got on hot beats...

So you and I are COMPLETE opposites on NaS. Lyrically, I liked Untitled but the production was horrible to me. I can't even play that album because the beats put me to sleep. I love the production on Life Is Good.

"A Queens Story"........

Watch the con realest chanel his mom's spirit,
Goosebumps cover me mother's here I can feel her

:x

 

[gllahone84]

Nas doesn't have an ear for production. He stays rapping over these old school beats.

Tired of that ****...it's 2013. 

New dudes coming in with fresher production...fresh flow...even J Cole might not be the best producer, but his beats are even better than the ones Nas raps on. 

Tired of that stale **** Nas rapping over...I been giving dude a pass, but why the **** do I have to be bored as hell listening to the music just to dissect the lyrics? 

This guy had so many chances to do some major **** with producers, but he stayed with Saleem...

Saleem Remi dog? I know he giving a discount on beats but still...

 

[gllahone84]

So you and I are COMPLETE opposites on NaS. Lyrically, I liked Untitled but the production was horrible to me. I can't even play that album because the beats put me to sleep.

"A Queens Story"........

Watch the con realest chanel his mom's spirit,
Goosebumps cover me mother's here I can feel her

Plenty henna in me, envy was simply they trend, see, my enemy was every hater that was bigger than me...

Breathe...

 

[Hahahaha]

Tired of that ****...it's 2013. 

New dudes coming in with fresher production...fresh flow...even J Cole might not be the best producer, but his beats are even better than the ones Nas raps on. 

Tired of that stale **** Nas rapping over...I been giving dude a pass, but why the **** do I have to be bored as hell listening to the music just to dissect the lyrics? 

This guy had so many chances to do some major **** with producers, but he stayed with Saleem...

Saleem Remi dog? I know he giving a discount on beats but still...

Have you looked at Saleem Remi's catalogue? He's got some serious heat. I don't have many complaints about NaS' catalogue. Untitled and God's Son I couldn't get with the production. Some of Street's Disciple had some awful beats too. Other than those three albums, I'm good.

 

[two zero five]

Jay-Z > Nas

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Ether > Takeover

 

[gmoney7781]

Honestly, LIG vs MCHG is like Wizards Jordan vs Shaqtus. They're both just living off their names at this point. I actually liked Life is Good at first listen, but I stopped listening to both after a week. I pretty much play Magna Carta to justify spending money on the CD, but I doubt I'll be bumping all summer.  

 

[dt43]

This was never really a debate for me. From the perspective of taking the artform seriously and exemplifying what hip hop is about (poetry and storytelling) Nas was always the GOAT in my eyes.

Life is Good got robbed at the Grammy's by that weak *** you-know-who's album, smh..

 

[basic sole]

AFTER mchg?
It was never close. Nas > take your pick. (Rakim and KGR are considerable)

 

[delete]

better MC? Nas


better songwriter with flows? Jay-Z hands down



listening to Nas can be a complete borefest, Jay got energetic flows and most of his stuff doesn't sound as boring. he's pretty entertaining in his music.

 

[thegoat123]

So yall gone front like LIG didn't have Stay, Bye Baby, Cherry Wine, Daughters, Locomotive, Accident Murderer, Back When...smh

The production on all of those listed...FIRE wit hella replay value

Nas lyrically the GOAT....BUT I personally feel like J**** or Ross Ghost picked them beats for LIG lol

Real talk tho, I still skip World's An Addiction sometimes

 

[thegoat123]

better MC? Nas


better songwriter with flows? Jay-Z hands down



listening to Nas can be a complete borefest, Jay got energetic flows and most of his stuff doesn't sound as boring. he's pretty entertaining in his music.

Good breakdown... I saw Nas perform in March, he was way more energetic than I expected yo

 

[delete]

^ Life Is Good had that energetic Nas, some tracks were boring but he seems revitalized rapping on different production.

 

[dipsetgeneral]

Life is good > MCHG. imo

Hmmmm, lyrically it's not even close but musically in the production tip, Holy Grail >>>
Good thread OP.

 

[jthagreat]

its good we have a reason to talk about Nas again.