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

[krazy88s]

LIG is good is my second favorite rap album of the past 3 years. MCHG was hot the first couple of listens but all the tracks sound the same for the most part after a while.

 

[Hahahaha]

BP2 is underrated in a sense.

Meet The Parents is better than any song Nas dropped since Stillmatic...

Clearly you're a big Jay fan. "Meet the Parents" is one of my favorite Jay records but come on.
Blueprint 2 wasn't bad but what ruins it was all the trash records. Should have been a ten record album.


I'm not even acknowledging Antidope after calling "Kingdom Come" a coming of age album

 

[tupackshaker]

Jay z has grown as an artist? He has actually devolved its sad to watch honestly. But he's making billions amirite? That's all that matters apparently.

 

[bleek gilliam]

A question for the Nas fans, how many of you guys still purchase his albums and check the production credits? I only ask that because you guys love to mention Salaam Remi's name for one of the main reasons that in your opinion is why Nas has a bad ear for beats. I remember when Untitled first came out and folks was saying "America" sucks because of that garbage Salaam Remi beat

,  his beats are easy to recognize on Nas albums.

Nastradamus and Untitled are Nas two worse albums production wise in my opinion, Hip Hop Is Dead is low on my list as well.

..............

 

[memphisboi55]

Jay for me


and I'm listening to It was written as we speak

 

[Hahahaha]

A question for the Nas fans, how many of you guys still purchase his albums and check the production credits? I only ask that because you guys love to mention Salaam Remi's name for one of the main reasons that in your opinion is why Nas has a bad ear for beats. I remember when Untitled first came out and folks was saying "America" sucks because of that garbage Salaam Remi beat

,  his beats are easy to recognize on Nas albums.

Nastradamus and Untitled are Nas two worse albums production wise in my opinion, Hip Hop Is Dead is low on my list as well.

..............

I've purchased every NaS and Jay album (except for MCHG). I check the credits. I don't think NaS' production is as bad as people say. Only albums of his that I couldn't accept the production was God's Son, Street's Disciple (half the album) and Untitled. I liked the production on Hip Hop is Dead and Life is Good.

 

[guccjermaine]

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.

I listen to music for substance, content, and the story; especially when I'm 

. IMO I think Life Is Good is the better album; no more, no less. At the end of the day it's all about personal preference and what you're looking for in an album.

 

[mastamind033]

This is a laughable thread.  If the topic was Nas > Jay-Z as an MC?  Sure, I could vibe with that.  I wouldn't personally agree, but its all about personal taste in music.

As an ARTIST though?  This really isnt even close.  When you say "as an artist," that means EVERYTHING.  And when you factor in live performances, growth as an artist, keeping up with the times, setting trends, making music that a wider audience can enjoy, popularity, personality, influence, ability to open up gateways for new artists, and ability to withstand the test of time, Jay-Z wins in an absolute landslide.

When it comes to determining who is a better artist, isn't all we should compare is just the art (music)? All those other things for the most part don't actually deal with the art itself.

 

[bleek gilliam]

I've purchased every NaS and Jay album (except for MCHG). I check the credits. I don't think NaS' production is as bad as people say. Only albums of his that I couldn't accept the production was God's Son, Street's Disciple (half the album) and Untitled. I liked the production on Hip Hop is Dead and Life is Good.

I agree that Nas ear for beats isn't as bad as people say. God's Son had 5 songs produced by Remi and one of them "Hey Nas" isn't good. I'll say the worst beat on that album was produced by Eminem, but I like the majority of the beats on that album. The worst beat on Street's Disciple is "Disciple" on disc 1 produced by L.E.S., you remember the original version? Easily better than the album version. "American Way" produced by Q-Tip is also the second worst beat on that album. "Carry On Tradition" produced by Scott Storch and "Blunt Ashes" produced by Chris Webber are the worst beats on Hip Hop Is Dead,

 at "Blunt Ashes" in general. "America" produced by Stargate and "Y'all My ******" by J. Myers are the worst beats on Untitled. LIG? "Summer On Smash" no question about it

................

 

[bleek gilliam]

I like how a lot of Nas fans don't talk about Nas & L.E.S. track record together, they have classic songs together but at the same time L.E.S. produced arguably Nas two worst songs in his catalogue.

1. Big Girl

2. Big Things

..........

 

[dland24]

This is a laughable thread.  If the topic was Nas > Jay-Z as an MC?  Sure, I could vibe with that.  I wouldn't personally agree, but its all about personal taste in music.

As an ARTIST though?  This really isnt even close.  When you say "as an artist," that means EVERYTHING.  And when you factor in live performances, growth as an artist, keeping up with the times, setting trends, making music that a wider audience can enjoy, popularity, personality, influence, ability to open up gateways for new artists, and ability to withstand the test of time, Jay-Z wins in an absolute landslide.

When it comes to determining who is a better artist, isn't all we should compare is just the art (music)? All those other things for the most part don't actually deal with the art itself.

Here is where I have the issue with this response....

Isnt keeping up with the times part of the art of music?

Isnt setting musical trends part of the art of music?

Isnt making music that a wider audience can enjoy part of the art of music?

Isnt opening up gateways for new artists part of the art of music?

Ok, lets just say that I agree with you that none of what I just wrote actually does NOT deal with the art itself.  We should just look at the actual music itself.  There are two parts to this....the actual songs and albums themselves, and the performance of the actual songs and albums themselves.  Obviously, its personal preference as to who one likes better....but I think it would be pretty safe to say that most hip hop fans can at least admit that the two are close in just looking at music.  Well the two are NOT close when it comes to live performances.  Jay-Z is exponentially better than Nas live, and I would even go as far as saying Nas is the worst live performer I have ever seen in my life.  Forgetting the words, not being able to keep up rapping with his voice being played on the track, losing his breath constantly....he sucks live.

With that being said, you have two rappers who are close when comparing catalogs, but one is light years better as a performer.  So who wins?  Even if we are putting everything aside that Jay-Z dominates Nas in (that I listed), just judging strictly on songs/albums and live performing, Jay still comes out on top.

 

[certifiedflyboi23]

Funny how Nas can release tracks like You Owe Me and Flyest Angel but wanna be the 1st person to say Hip-Hop is dead.

ok Nas...

 

[Hahahaha]

Funny how Nas can release tracks like You Owe Me and Flyest Angel but wanna be the 1st person to say Hip-Hop is dead.

ok Nas...

Clearly you don't mess with NaS or you're a Jay stan.

1. Those songs are over ten years old.
2. I don't have any problem with those songs.
3. I have no problem with some of Jay's older commercial songs.

 

[bluedeniro]

nas bar structure on this so nasty, that convo flow jay took on RD, nas still got that ish in his back pocket no flaws.

 

[dt43]

This is a laughable thread.  If the topic was Nas > Jay-Z as an MC?  Sure, I could vibe with that.  I wouldn't personally agree, but its all about personal taste in music.

As an ARTIST though?  This really isnt even close.  When you say "as an artist," that means EVERYTHING.  And when you factor in live performances, growth as an artist, keeping up with the times, setting trends, making music that a wider audience can enjoy, popularity, personality, influence, ability to open up gateways for new artists, and ability to withstand the test of time, Jay-Z wins in an absolute landslide.

When it comes to determining who is a better artist, isn't all we should compare is just the art (music)? All those other things for the most part don't actually deal with the art itself.

Yep. All those things prove is that Jay-Z is better at the business side of rap and commercializing himself.

 

[ninjahood]

Nas is better then Jay-Z da way Spiderman is better

Then Superman..sure on paper it looks like da man

Of steel got da upper hand..but da wall crawler is

More popular wit da people for a reason, he shows

Alot more dimension in his character...besides

Illmatic & it was written ≥ reasonable doubt >>>>

Da rest of hov's catalog.

 

[gllahone84]

repped 

 

[airjordan jb23]

its tough to compare LIG & MCHG because they are two totally different sounding projects. i enjoyed LIG because of the diversity on that album... you had tracks that could be placed perfectly in the 90's like loco-motive (illmatic era), trust (i am...), nasty & reach out. then there were tracks reminiscing about that time period like with back when. you also had some jazz inspired tracks with cherry wine & stay, then some soul like with bye baby. the personal aspect of this album with nas opening up was great too with tracks like daughters & bye baby. then classic story telling nas with the world is an addiction, a queens story, & accident murderers. i though LIG was a great album personally.

same goes with MCHG... another great album, but imo, a totally different project. this was an album carried more by amazing production & great features. hov carried his own too, don't get me wrong, but when i first listened to the album, that's what stuck out to me the most. while he didn't say anything mind blowing on the album, he still held it down over the great production & meshed with the features perfectly. another great project & after waiting about 4 years since his last solo effort, i felt like it delivered as well.

 

[mjsaver]

Nas is better then Jay-Z da way Spiderman is better

Then Superman..sure on paper it looks like da man

Of steel got da upper hand..but da wall crawler is

More popular wit da people for a reason, he shows

Alot more dimension in his character...besides

Illmatic & it was written ≥ reasonable doubt >>>>

Da rest of hov's catalog.

He's more popular with the people but yet Superman sold a hell of a lot more records , sounds like bad math to me .

Is it a fact that those albums are better , nope it's an opinion....so please don't act as if its a foregone conclusion or written in stone.

I honestly wouldn't argue because i do like IWW over RD but that doesn't mean it's gospel.

Also BP >>> Nas's entire existence

 

[dt43]

Nas is better then Jay-Z da way Spiderman is better

Then Superman..sure on paper it looks like da man

Of steel got da upper hand..but da wall crawler is

More popular wit da people for a reason, he shows

Alot more dimension in his character...besides

Illmatic & it was written ≥ reasonable doubt >>>>

Da rest of hov's catalog.

He's more popular with the people but yet Superman sold a hell of a lot more records , sounds like bad math to me .

Is it a fact that those albums are better , nope it's an opinion....so please don't act as if its a foregone conclusion or written in stone.

I honestly wouldn't argue because i do like IWW over RD but that doesn't mean it's gospel.

Also BP >>> Nas's entire existence

That doesn't make sense, because Nas's existence includes making Illmatic at 19 years old.

Or are you saying BP > Illmatic?? I guess that's your opinion..

..which is an opinion that disqualifies you from being taken seriously

 

[ninjahood]

Nothing jay makes will ever touch illmatic thou..

 

[larrydavid]

I'm a Nas fan and all but Life Is Good does not have much replay value. 

Of course it has 4-5 timeless tracks, but outside of those, it gets to be somewhat of a drag. Of course his lyrics are always on point but some of those beats are meh after you've heard them 5 or so times.

 

[certifiedflyboi23]

Nothing jay makes will ever touch illmatic thou..

TBA > Illmatic

 

[sonoftony]

I'm more of a Nas fan than a Jay fan

LIG & MCHG have no replay value to me

Jay didn't say nothing I haven't heard already with the MCHG. Most can agree with me on this. LIG on the other hand, is Nas' most personal album to date and had better subject matter. So ill give the slight edge to Nas on this one

 

[larrydavid]

People saying Magna Carta has no replay value and the joint hasn't been out 2 weeks