Hitboy was a beast in his 2021 run with KD2 and the first magic being absolute classics.This year my guy's been mid af both KD3 and magic 2 especially magic 2 disappointed alot
I respect his beat selection even if I don't love it. He's trying to play with different vibes and sounds and be unique and sometimes you're gonna fall flat in doing so.
The problem with popular narratives is that people tend to run with them long after their expiration date. Nas had a 2-album low in the late 90s - and even that was partially due to the infamous leak. Here’s what the part-time fans missed: Stillmatic, God’s Son, The Lost Tapes (some artists never match the quality of *that* 3 album run, nevermind Illmatic and IWW), Street’s Disciple, Hip Hop is Dead…. And all before 2012 when he released another one of his best: Life is Good. All well before the KD. I’m a big fan of yours Navie, but you’re talking about my boy here. Had to say something!
Stillmatic & God's Son had some great songs, but they both also had some mediocre filler tracks. The track "Book of Rhymes" was a mixed bag, the lyrics are great but he's so pretentious in b/w verses like "this can't be me writing this BULLshit" I'm like dude, these verses are better than a 3rd or more of this album 🙄😂
@@alchemistrpm82 Maybe. It's been a minute since I listened to either but looking back at the track lists, there were definitely more on Stillmatic that I remember REALLY liking compared to God Son (even though I remember playing GS way more). But to each their own. Those 2 albums when they were new, and only recently Illmatic, are the only ones from Nas I've heard in entirety. And I just never got hooked enough to explore the whole catalog
There was constant talk about Nas & DJ Premier doing a joint album together which likely would’ve been one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Such a shame that it never transpired.
@@wirsuchendich9364 you right but not as much as beats made by beginners out from tutorials, kids this days have habit of posting everything even first trash beats
Agreed! I know I'm a rare Nas fan that'll say "Life Is Good" is one of my favorite albums he made. "Stay" and "Cherry Wine" are songs I still listen to regularly today
That "Nas picks bad beats" narrative is perpetuated by people like vlad and peter rosenberg. Sadly, that narrative gets repeated over and over again, and people who know nothing about real hip hop start believing that crap. Hip hop goes through phases. If anything, I'd say he maybe didn't arrange his songs to flow a certain way on certain albums. Hell, when you go back and listen to Jay-Z's Vol. 3 "Life & And Times of S.Carter", you could say a lot of those songs didn't age well. People get caught up in the popularity contest and buy into foolishness. Check the rhyme.
@@CoolOutSessions910 Ya know, there used to be a time before glorified "Super Producers" ruled the day, that the beat didn't have to be all that. People just listened to the words. So to me it's no such thing as a bad beat. If the MC is dope enough, the beat is just a canvas for the artist to paint on. But people got to the point where you had to have a Pharrell beat or a Timbaland beat. So here we are. Illmatic is a classic till this day. Nobody ever bragged about those beats
@@CoolOutSessions910that how MCs do it,go look at old Big Daddy Kane videos,one of them have him in the studio rapping to the mic while reading what he wrote,I’m a former MC,if you haven’t done it quit criticizing or critiquing things you clearly don’t understand,quit believing that mess that rappers really be spitting off the dome
I mean, hes also one of the best beat pickers. 2 classic albums back to back, then stillmatics beats are insane. This “bad beat picker” narrative is insane
@user-ky8nd2rz4f After your comment I listened to God's Son for the 1st time in over 10 years. 3 (quite solid) tracks in I thought maybe my memory exaggerated the negative but I kept listening. I wrote up like a whole review I might use to kick off a music review channel I've been considering, but in the meantime, my thoughts on God's Son track by track: (1) Solid (2) Solid (3) Solid (4) Nice beat. Decent hook & 1st verse. Weak 2nd verse (5) Trash beat, trash verses. (6) Weak, plain beat. Cheesy hook. Technically some of the album's best verses. (7) Positive song but cheesy beat & hook. Corny 'classroom role model' delivery with very basic lyrics. (8) Fire beat. Some of the best verses. Marred by pretentious dialogue b/w verses (9) Good song, verses could be stronger though. (10) Beat is okay. Hook is so-so. Verses are average to weak. (11) Beat is okay, could be stronger to fit the theme. 1st verse is fire, 2nd is weak, 3rd is in between. (12) Nice beat. Good hook. Verses are weak to average. (13) Decently good song. Beat, hook, and tone of delivery fit the mood, but the verses are kind of average.
@user-ky8nd2rz4f Oh you WERE replying to the comment where I mentioned beats. But yeah there were a few, Zone Out being the worst. I Can was cheesy, Hey Nas was so-so but really basic. Warrior's Song was decent but the verse part was average and overall it could've sounded more dramatic and "warrior" like. Mastermind was decent, not the album's best. Made You Look was great but could've used more low-end.
Kings disease was a crazy drop and honestly reversed his aging by up to 10 years lmao not really but really seemed like a career startijg album but it was a career revising album!
@@wesleywayne303 True, his song "War" on the album God's Son is my top 3 favorite Nas song of all time. Edit: My bad, I think "War" was on Street's Disciple.
and these people saying this, also dont understand he writes to the bets at hand and thats why you cant swap his verses out on different beats like you can with a Jadakiss or 2Pac. They'll say, "he killed it LYRICALLY but...." not understanding if it was a different beats then it would be different lyrics.
If I Am would of been released as the original double album he would of had 3 classics in a row and nobody would of been talking about him selling out. He's had some duds like any rapper but I never bought into that narrative that he's the worst beat picker. Stillmatic and God's Son are classics with dope production. Plus Life is Good had great production as well. The Untitled album had dope production...If it wasn't for the label censoring the title and and making him put that corny song with Game and Chris on it rather than Be A N***a Too, that album would be considered one of his best. You could maybe argue Streets Disciple and Hip Hop is Dead were weak albums but still had plenty of good tracks.
Naw nas never picked bad beats. He never picked radio single tracks type beats and his hooks were questionable but If you listen to all his albums his beats were pure underground hip hop. NAS biggest problem is that he’s a underground type mc with mainstream popularity so people are expecting a mainstream sound from him when he’s not trying to cater to that sound. Every artist has a bad beat or two on there albums and I’d argue that nas isn’t different from any other mainstream artist from his era
Nas ear for beats since he got with Hit Boy is A-1. Illmatic, It Was Written, I Am, Lost Tapes, Stillmatic and Life Is Good had dope beats throughout. This video has false statements.
Idk why people give shit to Nas for his choice of beats when theres so many other rappers who stick to one style and usually almost never change from it, but you guys arent ready to talk about that
I agree he did have a suspect ear for beats. But it was more then that. When Nas first came out. That shining suite wearing movement had hit a year or so after. This put Nas in a position to switch. Do you stay lyrical and all the way Hip Hop. Or do you join that R&B aka Rap and Bull$hit movement that was taking over the way. Cue Puffy and his wave. When Nas jumped on that train. That’s when everyone starting hating on him. A lot of rapper though fell victim to that shining leather suite wave cue the Lox. That was the initial movement of the commercial Hip Hop. Which in my opinion was the down fall of true Hip Hop. And why hip hop nowadays is trashhhh! Back then you didn’t want to sound like everyone else. Now everyone sounds like they are related. Lol
yet nobody gives Jay,etc shit for doing the same, they later held it against Nas and the narrative then became he couldnt change ith the times. the narratives are bullshit period. when yall say he git a bad ear for beats, all you're saying is you dont like what he likes. There's nothing wrong with the beats he picks. im 1000% sure that you like beats that others, including Nas, dont like. Yall also dont understand the craft because he's writing THOSE LYRICS to those beats, and for the slow kids in class, that means you DONT GET those lyrics, without those beats. He's nit a 2Pac rapper where every verse has the same flow, he adapts to the instrumentation. Thats something Navie is oblivious of and its sad.
Nobody is a worse beat picker than Canibus. The only album of his that had dope production was "Rip The Jacker" and that's because he sent his acapellas to "Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind from Jedi Mind Trick and made the beats around his vocals and Canibus was in the army so he didn't hear them. Otherwise he would still be blaming Wyclef. He owes Wyclef an apology after he turned down Dj Premier & D'Angelo's- Devil's Pie
The Canibus slander needs to chill. He obviously didn't have any Guidance early on. And he has had Bangers on his early albums! Stop It. "How We Roll" produced by Clark Kent was probably the best song beat wise from his Debut. Jay-Z years later recycles the same sample on ",What more can I say" nobody bats and eye just cause it's Jay. The hypocrisy real!
My favorite rapper of all time got to see him perform live. I know he had a rough streak of bad beats but his Life is Good album is actually a good Nas album with pretty good beats imo.
Agreed. Stillmatic was a great welcome back from the rough streak. The following albums I think were still very much improved from said streak but not up to Stillmatic's par.. But LIfe is Good is when it seemed to take another leap forward.
@@alchemistrpm82 of course. Another great album. I just think stillmatic was the first album that recharged nas back from the dip after his first two albums.
His 1st album has the best beats. It was written is decent. The rest of them all suck. Including kings disease. Has a few joints that are okay but his beat selection still sucks.
I haven't liked all of Nas' beats that he's hopped on, but I respect that he continually keeps challenging himself (that classical/hip-hop track off of Lost Tapes 2 comes to mind)
No Stillmatic no godson no I am no life is good I even like Street's disciple there's some songs I don't like but some of the songs are good people is stupid
the nas picks bad beats narrative has been one of the biggest false narratives for awhile. It became another way of saying they waned Illmatic Nas when the content was undeniable. Even in the 2000s guys like Salaam Remi laced him with classic beats like made you look, get down and theifs theme. Hit Boy has given him his most consistent run in a minute but I wish people knock that narrative. Even with Magic 2 it seems to have started up again but they seem to be more about song ideas/choices than the beat
you hitit right on the head. Some people hear artists for the first time and want them in that box forever and when that doesnt happen, all they do is complain that it wasnt and start judging from an unrealistic place.
I don't like alot of his new beats. Maybe like 1 or 2 on the new Magik. The first magic was the best of all of them to me. I still think he has a beat picking problem
his new beats are horrendous. Don't let the fake applause fool you. It's a minority of internet dweebs hyping this sh*t up. In general, these Hitboy collabs are terrible and haven't moved the needle at all.
Beat selection is subjective..good video but from a artist perspective it’s their art it’s what they feel ..when we listen to a album we step into their world ..life is good was dope too
I disagree. Sounds and art are subjective. Nas is not the type to just rely on the most popular producers. So it's an acquired taste. And making music because he loves it. Not to make music for radio and pleasing people respectfully
Nas has always picked great beats. What might be the bad beats for u, could be a gr8 for someone else. Nas beats are way better than these artists rapping over the similar beats. Nas instrumentals are mostly used in battles, cyphers, freestyles.
Seriously?! So Illmatic doesnt exist. Stillmatic almost flawless, and MANY jewels along the way. But to say it was HIT BOY 😂😂😂 and not DJ PREMIER who gave him his most legendary tracks. While Nas new stuff has MORE good beats, you cannot tell me a single one of those 5 albums that had a bigger impact than NY State of Mind, Nas Is Like, and the many other Nas and Premo tracks. This video is 100% click bait for anyone who isnt a true hip hop historian.
I dont think he picks bad beat , he just goes offbase from what people expected , sometimes our music vibe may not be the best for the listeners but not that is bad.... what may have motivated him may not have been what people wanted. People just wanted way tok much from him and he wanted to try things , i love his outing on distant relatives though, His career growth showed the man was growing and that he was not stock in one spot like some other folks are ,look at him now making 5 albums in 3years....
"Y'all can keep y'all weak beats, from your corny producers There's a new king of the streets, you're gonna get used to I was the old king of the streets, that y'all once hated But now I reinvented myself, and y'all all waited... Nas" -The Cross/Nas
over a sparse Eminem beat, i love that. he ethered Navie and guys like him in advance lol Thats what happens when you left software dictate everything, you end up able to emulate styles you hear but cant create a signature of your own. exactly why most of these folks instumentation all sound and move the same. #FactoryLineProducers
I’m tired of this “Nas picks bad beats” narrative. When did this start?! Nas has worked with the best producers in the game! All this argument is saying is, “The best beat makers in the game made bad beats.” Make it make sense.
Yo this is a well structures vid. You dont just explain it clearly. You also gave really good examples. Really inspired me to be more experimental (even though just a bit) with my drum samples 🔥
I throw Nas on when I want to get a good night's sleep. He hasn't done anything new or ground breaking whatsoever musically in 30 years. Breaking down that first track "Get Light" it sounds like something produced in 1993. Yawn.
Nas bad beats is a myth. This all started with the Jayz vs nas battle. Jayz was making club songs and nas stayed on his story telling type beats. Then he tried doing his own club type songs and people didn’t like it. Nas excels at the storyline rap flow. He’s not making “hotline bling”. He’s best in his element of being an Mc. No rapper ever wants to go to war with him he’s a master lyricist. What I can’t stand though is how can they criticize his beats when he’s responsible for legendary songs like ether,if I ruled the world,hate me now etc etc.
So glad I found your channel, not that I'm planning to become a hip hop producer anyday but it gives me new appreciation of all these classics. Great stuff
Sampling from a sample pack with loops made for sampling is super lame and should be frowned upon. Enjoyed the breakdowns of the tracks though. Especially the French house comparison.
Seems like everyone forgot about The Firm? That album had some of the dopest beats, The Lost Tape? Also fire beats beginning to end, QBs Finest? I straight flames gtf outta he. I am... Stillmatic I have to disagree . Street Disciple and Hip is Dead started to miss but still had bangers
"Kings Disease" is actually Gout. The disconnect has taken me this long to realize they are talking about what used to be known as "Lead Singer Disease"
Love the tiltle ! Watching the video now. Edit : Great video ! I thought it was going to be something totally different lol. I went from never listening to Nas, to listen to him daily since I discovered his recent albums 2 years ago. Hit-boy has become one of my favorite producers, I love how he brings new ideas to boombap.
Casual take from a person with an agenda. Over a dozen albums where th3 production is fine...a non semse take from peope that wont just say he isnt for them. Pretending lik3 80% of his albums are unlistenable bacuase he doesnt have a couple beats u dont like is odd...
loved that example you did that showed if you tweaked it a little it turns into a french house song lol. it's stuff like that to me that shows the benefits of having a wide music pallet. your example sounded just like daft punk
Nas really didn't have a beat issue people whom was riding jayz was using it as a excuse and also illmatic lunatics like vlad acted like if it was not the same exact producers as illmatic Nas could not make a great album.... if Nas has a track or maybe 2 with a weak beat is was never the bulk of the album. and even when KD 1 drop guess what u still had people complain.. they follow the same slander
All they do is say that Nas picks bad beats. Of course, one could put together an album worth of bad beats Nas picks but one can do the same for every other rapper who has an extensive catalogue.
Most modern beats being used by the likes of Nas and Eminem just suck basically, they are dull, have no atmosphere or grit and let’s be honest, most of these young modern beat makers lack the ability to carve out their own style, beats are flat and lifeless, technology doesn’t always yield better results unfortunately for the current generation
I think saying it wasn't until the last 3 years that he started gaining praise and beats got better is a stretch. He had a tough run after the first two albums beat-wise but he's always been praised as a top notch lyricist, and it was really Stillmatic where he made the turn around beat-wise.... He has modernized his sound in the last 3 and I think earned new, younger, fans.
That being said I love the video as always and agree that Hit-Boy has really helped him find himself in a new way. Nas is my favorite rapper all time and seeing this renaissance over the last 3 years has been an absolute pleasure. Hit Boy has really balanced old school feel with modern appeal and its so natural and he does an amazing job finding space for nas to do his thing too. Few do that better than Hit Boy, If any.
I’ve always wanted to like Nas but felt the beats were lacking. He’s a dope lyricist but the beats just don’t match his delivery. I’ll listen to him but he never makes it into regular rotation because the shit just don’t bump. Nas makes some shit to provoke thought but never makes bangers.
yup, he likes them off time signature joints. I can rap to that beat NOW but it took me a while to grab it. "reasons" is another one on there where's he wilding outside of a 4/4 count.
The reason his name came up over and over again (when you asked who has the worst beats) is because everybody has memorized the trope of Nas = bad beats. But's that only true if you define great beats as party music. Nas' albums age better than the party rappers because he doesn't just make dance music.
hit-boy is dope but i feel like nas should make a joint album with alchemist. the chemistry between those two is amazing, just with "glorious (cormega ft. nas)" in my opinion he made the best verse last year
Let an artist breathe. He is not always going to create something you instantly fall in love with. They have their own journey where something they create will not resonate with everyone. To nitpick that and blame an artist is not good. Wait for your turn. Be patient. They will get you what you want.
I don’t think it’s weak beats. As a real artist you don’t paint the same picture. You try new things, not everyone going to agree with it. Or you’ll end up like future with everything being the same.
That's literally how Kanye does his music. Every album sounds very different from each other, and Yeezus recently showed its influence with Utopia on tracks like Modern Jam and Circus Maximus.
Vlad is the one who put the narrative out there that Nas is a horrible beat picker. For those of us who are truly Nas fans we never had issues with his beat selections.
@Jay-sl1qo where did this narrative exist? Were the fans complaining about Nas’ beat selection? If so point it out. You are slow and you’re not smart to think for yourself so you believe anything that people say. Vlad is a Jay-Z fanboy and he was looking for anything to attack Nas about and he chose his beat selection. Vlad kept bringing it up in interview after interview and that became the popular narrative about Nas’ beat selections. Do some research before you speak.
What makes MC's great is their ability to make what you call a wack beat a gem... Lots of bums got good song that are 90% beat 🤷🏾♂️ Nas got a lot of bomb beats
Letdown??? Letdown because he was unable to create THREE albums in a row that could be considered the greatest of all time. Imagine trying to live up to the hype of Illmatic, a top 3 Hip-Hop album of all time. Oh yeah, he did, It Was Written is an amazing album. Neither I Am nor Nastradamus are even good albums, they are great. Stillmatic is another classic. His next five albums, from God's Son to Life is Good are amazing. He then proceeds to create another amazing three-album run from King Disease to Magic, winning a Grammy in the process. Don't slander the man's name.
It's been an agenda to try and destroy Nas as a creative. These folks are Continuing to push thus false narrative. Loon who's doing it. Should tell you all you need to know about these cutler vultures.
bro just toss this whole video out nas is the goat and still making hits and won a grammy with hitboy recently and with his flow and word play he can sound good over banging trash cans with spoons
Been sayin it for over a decade. Mad nice on the mic but got no fuckin idea when it comes to pickin up beats. I think it’s arrogance, so many MCs think they’re so dope they can make any track a classic but what they forget is they’re only 50% of the equation. It takes a dope beat and a dope mc to make a classic.
Sometimes I think Nas got incorrectly labeled a bad beat picker. Go thru anyone with a 10 year career, let alone a 30 year one. Plenty of misses. I think Nas ended up getting knocked 1. Because his first album was all time great, hard to live up to. And 2. Because he wasn’t a flashy, bombastic, polarizing, or drama filled rapper like so many are or try to be. Nas was just Nas. A what you see is what you get type personality. People will inevitably get bored with that.
I don't know why "classic boom bap" is constantly mentioned on here because after 1994's iLLmatic, Nas almost entirely stayed away from that style in search of more radio friendly pop beats. If he had let only Large Professor, Pete Rock, and Premier handle ALL of his production, he wouldn't have the reputation for picking wack beats.
That's a false narrative. Smh. They were unique. Not meant to sound like anything else out. It definitely wasn't radio friendly music either. As a real fan, it was never about the beats. And never will be.
False, fam. Every rapper has mid to bad beats on their albums, especially then. The narrative only started through haters and Nas choosing to not ride any popular waves after Nastradamus. People were too used to listening to songs just for the beat
I don't believe nas has awful beats. Some aren't the best but I believe Nas beats fit him. Like Jadakiss said "rappers use beats to help the rhyme, I uses rhymes to help the beat"
I don't disagree but nas is in the music business which mean he dnt make music for himself but for the public so he has to find the sweet spot between what fits him and a little bit of mordern touch.
![FendiDa Rappa - Clock Dat ft. Shamar Marco [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3NBU8KHdxYY/mqdefault.jpg)
Hit-Boy wants to know your location
Hitboy was a beast in his 2021 run with KD2 and the first magic being absolute classics.This year my guy's been mid af both KD3 and magic 2 especially magic 2 disappointed alot
@@A.R.V_02 i get magic 2 but KD3 Has Great Beats
@@ProdHKDyeah I agree but KD2 is still better than KD3 which is why I wrote that
But I say in the video Hit-Boy helped Nas solve his beat problem.
Hit-Boy please don't beat me up
Khabib "send me location"
“you kill the ego, make it about the music”
profound statement for success that can apply to anything you focus on
I wanna focus on you😋
🤟🏽
1:36 i love this fella's sense of humor.
Nas career is just amazing. The way he still managed to be relevant 30 years in is so crazy. GOING ON 30 SUMMERS!!! And of course Hit-Boy NEVER MISSES
He a living legend one of the great
his new albums are so doope..
@@Klatyno256the greatest
He's the goat,,, jayz can't compare to nas lyrically
He wasn’t consistently relevant for 30 years tbh
I think Nas picks unique beats, I've always loved how he flows over stripped down, deconstructed beats, like "queens get the money"
He's definitely had ups and downs when he picks the beats in my opinion
Yeah that song is dope. That came from the "Untitled".
@@DANAMIONLINE Fried Chicken was dope too!
I respect his beat selection even if I don't love it. He's trying to play with different vibes and sounds and be unique and sometimes you're gonna fall flat in doing so.
That’s a jay electronica beat.A jay electro nas collab album would be 🔥
The problem with popular narratives is that people tend to run with them long after their expiration date. Nas had a 2-album low in the late 90s - and even that was partially due to the infamous leak. Here’s what the part-time fans missed: Stillmatic, God’s Son, The Lost Tapes (some artists never match the quality of *that* 3 album run, nevermind Illmatic and IWW), Street’s Disciple, Hip Hop is Dead…. And all before 2012 when he released another one of his best: Life is Good. All well before the KD. I’m a big fan of yours Navie, but you’re talking about my boy here. Had to say something!
Don’t forget Distant Relatives!
@@Don.M. my man 👊
Stillmatic & God's Son had some great songs, but they both also had some mediocre filler tracks. The track "Book of Rhymes" was a mixed bag, the lyrics are great but he's so pretentious in b/w verses like "this can't be me writing this BULLshit" I'm like dude, these verses are better than a 3rd or more of this album 🙄😂
@@danatello8489 You’re so far off base
@@alchemistrpm82 Maybe. It's been a minute since I listened to either but looking back at the track lists, there were definitely more on Stillmatic that I remember REALLY liking compared to God Son (even though I remember playing GS way more). But to each their own. Those 2 albums when they were new, and only recently Illmatic, are the only ones from Nas I've heard in entirety. And I just never got hooked enough to explore the whole catalog
There was constant talk about Nas & DJ Premier doing a joint album together which likely would’ve been one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Such a shame that it never transpired.
Nas was so busy making albums on Hit Boy wack beats. Forgive him
@@nbafinest2775 Hit-Boy WEAK!!! you smoking the zaza
Didnt he say on kd3 that album still might happen?
@@nbafinest2775 you sound wack
They’ve been teasing that album since 2012. It’s going to come out one of these days.
i love simple beats nas picked, they are still better then generic trap beats this days
Much better. They stay timeless
this is just cope 😂
boom bap beats can be generic too
@@wirsuchendich9364 you right but not as much as beats made by beginners out from tutorials, kids this days have habit of posting everything even first trash beats
tbh yea. you right. And i make trap beats
cap, the rapping on trap usually blows, but the beats fucking kill.
The beats on “Life Is Good” was dope. He picked well on that album.
Agreed! I know I'm a rare Nas fan that'll say "Life Is Good" is one of my favorite albums he made. "Stay" and "Cherry Wine" are songs I still listen to regularly today
yes. that was his best album in my opinion
That "Nas picks bad beats" narrative is perpetuated by people like vlad and peter rosenberg. Sadly, that narrative gets repeated over and over again, and people who know nothing about real hip hop start believing that crap. Hip hop goes through phases. If anything, I'd say he maybe didn't arrange his songs to flow a certain way on certain albums. Hell, when you go back and listen to Jay-Z's Vol. 3 "Life & And Times of S.Carter", you could say a lot of those songs didn't age well. People get caught up in the popularity contest and buy into foolishness. Check the rhyme.
Bro it's true. He picks bad beats and for a while it sounded like he rapped off of reading a piece of paper.
@@CoolOutSessions910 Ya know, there used to be a time before glorified "Super Producers" ruled the day, that the beat didn't have to be all that. People just listened to the words. So to me it's no such thing as a bad beat. If the MC is dope enough, the beat is just a canvas for the artist to paint on. But people got to the point where you had to have a Pharrell beat or a Timbaland beat. So here we are. Illmatic is a classic till this day. Nobody ever bragged about those beats
@@CoolOutSessions910So do you think It Was Written, The Firm, I Am have bad production?
@@SoulOfTheSouth nah. Not at at. Everything after Stillmatic in my opinion went down hill.
@@CoolOutSessions910that how MCs do it,go look at old Big Daddy Kane videos,one of them have him in the studio rapping to the mic while reading what he wrote,I’m a former MC,if you haven’t done it quit criticizing or critiquing things you clearly don’t understand,quit believing that mess that rappers really be spitting off the dome
I mean, hes also one of the best beat pickers. 2 classic albums back to back, then stillmatics beats are insane. This “bad beat picker” narrative is insane
The beats on God's Son had some misses for sure.
@user-ky8nd2rz4f After your comment I listened to God's Son for the 1st time in over 10 years. 3 (quite solid) tracks in I thought maybe my memory exaggerated the negative but I kept listening. I wrote up like a whole review I might use to kick off a music review channel I've been considering, but in the meantime, my thoughts on God's Son track by track:
(1) Solid (2) Solid (3) Solid (4) Nice beat. Decent hook & 1st verse. Weak 2nd verse (5) Trash beat, trash verses. (6) Weak, plain beat. Cheesy hook. Technically some of the album's best verses. (7) Positive song but cheesy beat & hook. Corny 'classroom role model' delivery with very basic lyrics. (8) Fire beat. Some of the best verses. Marred by pretentious dialogue b/w verses (9) Good song, verses could be stronger though. (10) Beat is okay. Hook is so-so. Verses are average to weak. (11) Beat is okay, could be stronger to fit the theme. 1st verse is fire, 2nd is weak, 3rd is in between. (12) Nice beat. Good hook. Verses are weak to average. (13) Decently good song. Beat, hook, and tone of delivery fit the mood, but the verses are kind of average.
@user-ky8nd2rz4f Oh you WERE replying to the comment where I mentioned beats. But yeah there were a few, Zone Out being the worst. I Can was cheesy, Hey Nas was so-so but really basic. Warrior's Song was decent but the verse part was average and overall it could've sounded more dramatic and "warrior" like. Mastermind was decent, not the album's best. Made You Look was great but could've used more low-end.
I don't think he's had bad beats until Hip hop is dead. The album was horrible, damn near depressing lol
@@danatello8489watch yo mouth, God’s son had amazing production outside of zone out, like go clean yo ears
Kings disease was a crazy drop and honestly reversed his aging by up to 10 years lmao not really but really seemed like a career startijg album but it was a career revising album!
Great video, I’m sure if you shared this with Hit-Boy he would reply back, he loves his fans and people that support him. I hope he sees this.
I am just happy you watched it, my friend
Oh he will hit boy will like your comment and reply
Nas' beats have been on point since his 2010 "Life Is Good" album. Probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite album of his.
Distant Relatives was 2010. Life is Good was 2012.
Life is good was dope, Gods Son has some bangers.
@@wesleywayne303 True, his song "War" on the album God's Son is my top 3 favorite Nas song of all time.
Edit: My bad, I think "War" was on Street's Disciple.
This title is disrespectful
The skill n lyrics never could be debated
So Nas picks bad beats is the best critique most can bring up
That is exactly what’s happened. Gotta found a weakness somehow. The sad thing is people actually ran with this narrative that Vlad made up.
Exactly
and these people saying this, also dont understand he writes to the bets at hand
and thats why you cant swap his verses out on different beats like you can with a Jadakiss or 2Pac.
They'll say, "he killed it LYRICALLY but...." not understanding if it was a different beats
then it would be different lyrics.
If I Am would of been released as the original double album he would of had 3 classics in a row and nobody would of been talking about him selling out. He's had some duds like any rapper but I never bought into that narrative that he's the worst beat picker. Stillmatic and God's Son are classics with dope production. Plus Life is Good had great production as well. The Untitled album had dope production...If it wasn't for the label censoring the title and and making him put that corny song with Game and Chris on it rather than Be A N***a Too, that album would be considered one of his best. You could maybe argue Streets Disciple and Hip Hop is Dead were weak albums but still had plenty of good tracks.
I love the Slave and The Master song
Great video as always. Please deconstruct Flying Lotus drums from Cosmograma.
Eoowwwwww!!!! Flying Lotus is in another planet... Another univers...like Araab and Jay Dilla...
Naw nas never picked bad beats. He never picked radio single tracks type beats and his hooks were questionable but If you listen to all his albums his beats were pure underground hip hop. NAS biggest problem is that he’s a underground type mc with mainstream popularity so people are expecting a mainstream sound from him when he’s not trying to cater to that sound. Every artist has a bad beat or two on there albums and I’d argue that nas isn’t different from any other mainstream artist from his era
Nas ear for beats since he got with Hit Boy is A-1. Illmatic, It Was Written, I Am, Lost Tapes, Stillmatic and Life Is Good had dope beats throughout. This video has false statements.
Idk why people give shit to Nas for his choice of beats when theres so many other rappers who stick to one style and usually almost never change from it, but you guys arent ready to talk about that
*coughs* The Lox for starters.
Always thought Eminem had bad beat selections
@@3lle272they ain't gonna say that they will say it's bout the lyrics but we can't say that with Nas SMH😂
Beats???? We really talkin about Beats?!?!?
I agree he did have a suspect ear for beats. But it was more then that. When Nas first came out. That shining suite wearing movement had hit a year or so after. This put Nas in a position to switch. Do you stay lyrical and all the way Hip Hop. Or do you join that R&B aka Rap and Bull$hit movement that was taking over the way. Cue Puffy and his wave. When Nas jumped on that train. That’s when everyone starting hating on him. A lot of rapper though fell victim to that shining leather suite wave cue the Lox. That was the initial movement of the commercial Hip Hop. Which in my opinion was the down fall of true Hip Hop. And why hip hop nowadays is trashhhh! Back then you didn’t want to sound like everyone else. Now everyone sounds like they are related. Lol
yet nobody gives Jay,etc shit for doing the same, they later held it against Nas
and the narrative then became he couldnt change ith the times. the narratives are bullshit period.
when yall say he git a bad ear for beats, all you're saying is you dont like what he likes.
There's nothing wrong with the beats he picks.
im 1000% sure that you like beats that others, including Nas, dont like.
Yall also dont understand the craft because he's writing THOSE LYRICS to those beats,
and for the slow kids in class, that means you DONT GET those lyrics, without those beats.
He's nit a 2Pac rapper where every verse has the same flow, he adapts to the instrumentation.
Thats something Navie is oblivious of and its sad.
Nobody is a worse beat picker than Canibus. The only album of his that had dope production was "Rip The Jacker" and that's because he sent his acapellas to "Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind from Jedi Mind Trick and made the beats around his vocals and Canibus was in the army so he didn't hear them. Otherwise he would still be blaming Wyclef. He owes Wyclef an apology after he turned down Dj Premier & D'Angelo's- Devil's Pie
The Canibus slander needs to chill. He obviously didn't have any Guidance early on. And he has had Bangers on his early albums! Stop It. "How We Roll" produced by Clark Kent was probably the best song beat wise from his Debut. Jay-Z years later recycles the same sample on ",What more can I say" nobody bats and eye just cause it's Jay. The hypocrisy real!
no did you guys never hear Ice Cube's first two albums? Amazing albums and lyrics but them beats are horrid
@@theblueprint2001 jadakiss also
@@MastaInfernoTracey Lee feat BIG - Keep Ya Hands High
He got more then one album 😂😂😂they just suck they dead no gud
My favorite rapper of all time got to see him perform live. I know he had a rough streak of bad beats but his Life is Good album is actually a good Nas album with pretty good beats imo.
Agreed. Stillmatic was a great welcome back from the rough streak. The following albums I think were still very much improved from said streak but not up to Stillmatic's par.. But LIfe is Good is when it seemed to take another leap forward.
Y’all really never heard of God’s Son?
@@alchemistrpm82 of course. Another great album. I just think stillmatic was the first album that recharged nas back from the dip after his first two albums.
His 1st album has the best beats. It was written is decent. The rest of them all suck. Including kings disease. Has a few joints that are okay but his beat selection still sucks.
I haven't liked all of Nas' beats that he's hopped on, but I respect that he continually keeps challenging himself (that classical/hip-hop track off of Lost Tapes 2 comes to mind)
Al Jarreau Of Rap.
All of them? You mean his whole catalog?
@@SoulOfTheSouthif it’s all of them then DAMN. But I respect it.
No Stillmatic no godson no I am no life is good I even like Street's disciple there's some songs I don't like but some of the songs are good people is stupid
the nas picks bad beats narrative has been one of the biggest false narratives for awhile. It became another way of saying they waned Illmatic Nas when the content was undeniable. Even in the 2000s guys like Salaam Remi laced him with classic beats like made you look, get down and theifs theme. Hit Boy has given him his most consistent run in a minute but I wish people knock that narrative. Even with Magic 2 it seems to have started up again but they seem to be more about song ideas/choices than the beat
you hitit right on the head. Some people hear artists for the first time and want them in that box forever
and when that doesnt happen, all they do is complain that it wasnt and start judging from an unrealistic place.
After 1994 and 1996 then 1998 internet happened leaking I am nastradamus
Nas really remembered why he is so great with Hitboy's beats, so much uniqueness and even if I don't like the beat on its own Nas always kills it
I don't like alot of his new beats. Maybe like 1 or 2 on the new Magik. The first magic was the best of all of them to me. I still think he has a beat picking problem
his new beats are horrendous. Don't let the fake applause fool you. It's a minority of internet dweebs hyping this sh*t up. In general, these Hitboy collabs are terrible and haven't moved the needle at all.
Beat selection is subjective..good video but from a artist perspective it’s their art it’s what they feel ..when we listen to a album we step into their world ..life is good was dope too
yup, ad i wish some fans and creators would understand that.
They spend far too much time projecting their tastes onto others
You are not wrong. I love Nas but sometimes I'm not feeling his beats choice. WE REALLY NEED NAS ON SOME BANGER BEATS😢
Love these breakdowns. People probably don’t realize the amount of energy that you put into these reconstructions.
yeah his breakdowns are dope, even if I don't always agree with his argument.
Um, dude, there’s no way this isn’t clickbait.
We need a french house over-explained
Hahaaa
I disagree. Sounds and art are subjective. Nas is not the type to just rely on the most popular producers. So it's an acquired taste. And making music because he loves it. Not to make music for radio and pleasing people respectfully
Hit Boy era is super weak
worse than Nastradamus and Streets Disciple.
Bruh, Nas in the late 90's he was hitting rock bottom. Jay's biggest mistake was kicking Nas when he was down, however, he came back with heat.
I agree with you and I'm both their fans..
Nas has always picked great beats. What might be the bad beats for u, could be a gr8 for someone else. Nas beats are way better than these artists rapping over the similar beats. Nas instrumentals are mostly used in battles, cyphers, freestyles.
I disagree
Seriously?! So Illmatic doesnt exist. Stillmatic almost flawless, and MANY jewels along the way. But to say it was HIT BOY 😂😂😂 and not DJ PREMIER who gave him his most legendary tracks.
While Nas new stuff has MORE good beats, you cannot tell me a single one of those 5 albums that had a bigger impact than NY State of Mind, Nas Is Like, and the many other Nas and Premo tracks.
This video is 100% click bait for anyone who isnt a true hip hop historian.
I dont think he picks bad beat , he just goes offbase from what people expected , sometimes our music vibe may not be the best for the listeners but not that is bad.... what may have motivated him may not have been what people wanted.
People just wanted way tok much from him and he wanted to try things , i love his outing on distant relatives though,
His career growth showed the man was growing and that he was not stock in one spot like some other folks are ,look at him now making 5 albums in 3years....
Bruh I don't know who you are but you don't know anything
His beats were never bad. Nas music is made for you to actually fuckin listen so if he has to use a settled beat for you to do so he will & DOES 😂….
"Y'all can keep y'all weak beats, from your corny producers
There's a new king of the streets, you're gonna get used to
I was the old king of the streets, that y'all once hated
But now I reinvented myself, and y'all all waited...
Nas"
-The Cross/Nas
I am personally offended
Which…I loved that beat btw
over a sparse Eminem beat, i love that.
he ethered Navie and guys like him in advance lol
Thats what happens when you left software dictate everything,
you end up able to emulate styles you hear but cant create a signature of your own.
exactly why most of these folks instumentation all sound and move the same.
#FactoryLineProducers
I’m tired of this “Nas picks bad beats” narrative. When did this start?! Nas has worked with the best producers in the game! All this argument is saying is, “The best beat makers in the game made bad beats.” Make it make sense.
Yo this is a well structures vid. You dont just explain it clearly. You also gave really good examples. Really inspired me to be more experimental (even though just a bit) with my drum samples 🔥
I throw Nas on when I want to get a good night's sleep. He hasn't done anything new or ground breaking whatsoever musically in 30 years. Breaking down that first track "Get Light" it sounds like something produced in 1993. Yawn.
You're a music genius 👍
I am just a regular fella who makes videos
@@NavieDit was a joke hes trying to say you taste is ass
Nas bad beats is a myth. This all started with the Jayz vs nas battle. Jayz was making club songs and nas stayed on his story telling type beats. Then he tried doing his own club type songs and people didn’t like it. Nas excels at the storyline rap flow. He’s not making “hotline bling”. He’s best in his element of being an Mc. No rapper ever wants to go to war with him he’s a master lyricist. What I can’t stand though is how can they criticize his beats when he’s responsible for legendary songs like ether,if I ruled the world,hate me now etc etc.
So glad I found your channel, not that I'm planning to become a hip hop producer anyday but it gives me new appreciation of all these classics. Great stuff
Sampling from a sample pack with loops made for sampling is super lame and should be frowned upon.
Enjoyed the breakdowns of the tracks though. Especially the French house comparison.
Vlad came with that nonesense and I always thought he was bugged out for saying that. Nas always had a legendary beat selection
Get your ears checked
@@MrJeancow get you brain checked
Seems like everyone forgot about The Firm? That album had some of the dopest beats, The Lost Tape? Also fire beats beginning to end, QBs Finest? I straight flames gtf outta he. I am... Stillmatic I have to disagree . Street Disciple and Hip is Dead started to miss but still had bangers
"Kings Disease" is actually Gout. The disconnect has taken me this long to realize they are talking about what used to be known as "Lead Singer Disease"
Ah yes Nas cured his gout by getting rid of his ego 🤦🏼♂️💀💀
He’s a solo rapper, not sure what you mean
@@Bethune_Groundstaffhe ain't sure either
Hitboy beats sound like elevator music. Soft drums, boring samples. Next.
Love the tiltle ! Watching the video now.
Edit : Great video ! I thought it was going to be something totally different lol. I went from never listening to Nas, to listen to him daily since I discovered his recent albums 2 years ago. Hit-boy has become one of my favorite producers, I love how he brings new ideas to boombap.
Glad you're back into listening to his music!
Casual take from a person with an agenda.
Over a dozen albums where th3 production is fine...a non semse take from peope that wont just say he isnt for them. Pretending lik3 80% of his albums are unlistenable bacuase he doesnt have a couple beats u dont like is odd...
loved that example you did that showed if you tweaked it a little it turns into a french house song lol. it's stuff like that to me that shows the benefits of having a wide music pallet. your example sounded just like daft punk
Nas really didn't have a beat issue people whom was riding jayz was using it as a excuse and also illmatic lunatics like vlad acted like if it was not the same exact producers as illmatic Nas could not make a great album.... if Nas has a track or maybe 2 with a weak beat is was never the bulk of the album. and even when KD 1 drop guess what u still had people complain.. they follow the same slander
MY POINT EXACTLY!!! he never discussed which "awful beats" Nas has picked
All they do is say that Nas picks bad beats.
Of course, one could put together an album worth of bad beats Nas picks but one can do the same for every other rapper who has an extensive catalogue.
dont diss Nas trust he is untouchable so just dont
wipe that title u taking tings for joke
hows bangra at the minute any good songs????
Simple beats help you flow effortlessly without caring if you doing justice to the beat
But complex beats make for better songs because they associate the lyrics with the eemcee
I asked for a Hit Boy Deep dive and it came. Thanks man great video ❤
Grab your snorkel, we divin deep!
DaBaby needs an honorable mention. He may not be a Nas-tier rapper, however I think his ear for beats hurt his career more than his infamous rant did.
God's Son is a fantastic album.
Hit Boy is genius, loved the tutorial🤘
Most modern beats being used by the likes of Nas and Eminem just suck basically, they are dull, have no atmosphere or grit and let’s be honest, most of these young modern beat makers lack the ability to carve out their own style, beats are flat and lifeless, technology doesn’t always yield better results unfortunately for the current generation
I think saying it wasn't until the last 3 years that he started gaining praise and beats got better is a stretch. He had a tough run after the first two albums beat-wise but he's always been praised as a top notch lyricist, and it was really Stillmatic where he made the turn around beat-wise.... He has modernized his sound in the last 3 and I think earned new, younger, fans.
That being said I love the video as always and agree that Hit-Boy has really helped him find himself in a new way. Nas is my favorite rapper all time and seeing this renaissance over the last 3 years has been an absolute pleasure. Hit Boy has really balanced old school feel with modern appeal and its so natural and he does an amazing job finding space for nas to do his thing too. Few do that better than Hit Boy, If any.
@@nickgilday8946yikes😊
I’ve always wanted to like Nas but felt the beats were lacking. He’s a dope lyricist but the beats just don’t match his delivery. I’ll listen to him but he never makes it into regular rotation because the shit just don’t bump. Nas makes some shit to provoke thought but never makes bangers.
Nas helps the beat, the beat doesn’t help him. Show me another rapper who would figure out how to rap over that “Rest of My Life” beat. 🐐
yup, he likes them off time signature joints.
I can rap to that beat NOW but it took me a while to grab it.
"reasons" is another one on there where's he wilding outside of a 4/4 count.
The beats Nas pick are just over most people's heads
That part!
The reason his name came up over and over again (when you asked who has the worst beats) is because everybody has memorized the trope of Nas = bad beats. But's that only true if you define great beats as party music. Nas' albums age better than the party rappers because he doesn't just make dance music.
As I get older I resonate more with Nas’ music. Every album is different and unique I actually don’t have an album under 7 from Nas
Really useful breakdown, thanks for sharing
I disagree.. nas beats are classy, smooth, but still hit hard. Just because people drank the modern garbage kool-aid doesn't mean his shit is bad
hit-boy is dope but i feel like nas should make a joint album with alchemist. the chemistry between those two is amazing, just with "glorious (cormega ft. nas)" in my opinion he made the best verse last year
Ooh I forgot Mega put out an album. Gonna check the song out now
"the Nas enthusiasts thinking they know whats best for me, more than i know whats best for me" Nas (Magic)
KD 3 was dope u trippin bruh 😂 hit boy got nas back in his bag, haven’t heard magic 2 yet tho
Your truly a prof. of beat making. very enlightening. Salute..
Thank you my friend!
You should do a beat breakdown of some of your viewers’ beats, or some kind of contest. Would be fun.
People only saying this because Vlad said it smh the internet is funny it was plenty dope beats he’s had especially by dj premier
This was a Dope Watch and Insight to Beats & Artists Sound 👊🏽 thank you brother for this mind set 🙏🏽
Let an artist breathe. He is not always going to create something you instantly fall in love with. They have their own journey where something they create will not resonate with everyone. To nitpick that and blame an artist is not good. Wait for your turn. Be patient. They will get you what you want.
I don’t think it’s weak beats. As a real artist you don’t paint the same picture. You try new things, not everyone going to agree with it. Or you’ll end up like future with everything being the same.
That's literally how Kanye does his music. Every album sounds very different from each other, and Yeezus recently showed its influence with Utopia on tracks like Modern Jam and Circus Maximus.
yup! and thats exactly why 99% of producers and rappers all sound the same now.
Remember when narrators didn't show their face? Ruins the whole video.
Vlad is the one who put the narrative out there that Nas is a horrible beat picker. For those of us who are truly Nas fans we never had issues with his beat selections.
Right. They keep using people outside the culture to discredit Nas. Shit weak and played out.
Vlad probably mad Nas never wanted to do a interview on his platform and I don't blame Nas we all know what his platform about . Salute to Nas
@Jay-sl1qo where did this narrative exist? Were the fans complaining about Nas’ beat selection? If so point it out. You are slow and you’re not smart to think for yourself so you believe anything that people say. Vlad is a Jay-Z fanboy and he was looking for anything to attack Nas about and he chose his beat selection. Vlad kept bringing it up in interview after interview and that became the popular narrative about Nas’ beat selections. Do some research before you speak.
The French house beat version was way better than the original.
Hahah maybe I should make an official remix
agreed
What makes MC's great is their ability to make what you call a wack beat a gem... Lots of bums got good song that are 90% beat 🤷🏾♂️ Nas got a lot of bomb beats
The lack of swing in the drums is one of the main reasons why I don’t care for most of Hit-Boy’s beats. They’re too stiff.
Letdown??? Letdown because he was unable to create THREE albums in a row that could be considered the greatest of all time. Imagine trying to live up to the hype of Illmatic, a top 3 Hip-Hop album of all time. Oh yeah, he did, It Was Written is an amazing album. Neither I Am nor Nastradamus are even good albums, they are great. Stillmatic is another classic. His next five albums, from God's Son to Life is Good are amazing. He then proceeds to create another amazing three-album run from King Disease to Magic, winning a Grammy in the process. Don't slander the man's name.
It's been an agenda to try and destroy Nas as a creative. These folks are Continuing to push thus false narrative. Loon who's doing it. Should tell you all you need to know about these cutler vultures.
I was just looking on RUclips for video like this the other day, thank you Navie, you really helped me a lot.
bro just toss this whole video out nas is the goat and still making hits and won a grammy with hitboy recently and with his flow and word play he can sound good over banging trash cans with spoons
Nobody wanted to say it!Thank you
Thank you for watchinggggg
Hit-Boy is some sort of God for doing what Kanye couldn't
Been sayin it for over a decade.
Mad nice on the mic but got no fuckin idea when it comes to pickin up beats.
I think it’s arrogance, so many MCs think they’re so dope they can make any track a classic but what they forget is they’re only 50% of the equation. It takes a dope beat and a dope mc to make a classic.
I just think he hears beats in a very particular way. One that may not connect with as many people when left on his own
So give us an example of a great people picker.
@@BdalingoFitnEnt The Purple people eater is great at it.
I don’t expect wiggas to relate but Nas beat selection is 🔥🔥🔥🔥
You're amazing brother. Thanks for all you do.
Sometimes I think Nas got incorrectly labeled a bad beat picker. Go thru anyone with a 10 year career, let alone a 30 year one. Plenty of misses. I think Nas ended up getting knocked 1. Because his first album was all time great, hard to live up to. And 2. Because he wasn’t a flashy, bombastic, polarizing, or drama filled rapper like so many are or try to be. Nas was just Nas. A what you see is what you get type personality. People will inevitably get bored with that.
I don't know why "classic boom bap" is constantly mentioned on here because after 1994's iLLmatic, Nas almost entirely stayed away from that style in search of more radio friendly pop beats. If he had let only Large Professor, Pete Rock, and Premier handle ALL of his production, he wouldn't have the reputation for picking wack beats.
Precisely
That's a false narrative. Smh. They were unique. Not meant to sound like anything else out. It definitely wasn't radio friendly music either. As a real fan, it was never about the beats. And never will be.
@@timothynash442agreed, it’s a false narrative that people just run with.
False, fam. Every rapper has mid to bad beats on their albums, especially then. The narrative only started through haters and Nas choosing to not ride any popular waves after Nastradamus. People were too used to listening to songs just for the beat
That was really relaxing to look at. You have a great way of showing why certain beatmaking decisions were made
I don't believe nas has awful beats. Some aren't the best but I believe Nas beats fit him. Like Jadakiss said "rappers use beats to help the rhyme, I uses rhymes to help the beat"
I don't disagree but nas is in the music business which mean he dnt make music for himself but for the public so he has to find the sweet spot between what fits him and a little bit of mordern touch.
Nas doesn’t choose weak beats😂, i can name 40 beats that are hard
Great video fam. Cool to see someone break down the production. Each album since hitboy has been incredible🔥🔥