listen to songs like 'testify', 'black president', or 'black republican' - you might hear what i hear..Originally Posted by monk
i dont want to get into a debate on Nas - but this is just a reference - and i have heard other things to support my humble opinion..
hey jasper you know it's funny being a dj i have a crap load of songs from lots of different artists but i rarely buy albums so a lot of their material escapes me, I'll have like 20 singles but no full albums lol. That being said I checked out those tunes and I didn't get any sense of him being racist, especially not in black president, so much as just calling some attention to some racism inherent in our system and culture, which I think anyone can plainly see and agree exists, sadly. but he's pretty explicit about his hopes for Obama and what that means for the country. besides I know he has collaborated plenty of times with white people, some of the musicians in his live band, in studio, jr. gong, etc.
a lot of argument goes into who is the best rapper of all time, and usually the list goes Biggie, (born to two Jamaican parents), with Jay-Z and Nas alternately being placed as number 2.
I hope you give him another look, I hope you will see why. His newest LP is rock solid, he had me at the inclusion of Supercat's YoMTV Raps interview on The Don when I first heard it. I'd say a lot of people have little historical background regarding hip hop, or even that it would be what we have to day if it weren't for Jamaica birthing it when Kool Herc laid the foundation of the break beat.
I like when it comes round full circle, which is why I like the Nas/Damian stuff, I like how Jr. Gong generally leaves the homophobic crap aside -except for in Welcome to Jamrock, but even then it was such a minor reference- and I think he serves to help elevate Nas's game and vice versa, anyway beyond the general misogyny I like a lot of Snoop Dog too, just wish that maybe he hadn't been so fast to try the patwa. Like Busta Rhymes, it just sort of fell a little flatter.
anyway cool shooting the shyte with you over music. i do hope you give nas another run, if you are into lyrical analysis and such rapgenius often has some good material up.
"I beseech thee, my lord , let this venture be mine..."
-Sir Gawain
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