From ‘Illmatic’ to ‘Life is Good:’ A look at Nas’ career
After the success of “Illmatic,” Nas returned two years later with “It Was Written.” The album continued with the themes of street life, drug dealing and crime that Nas painted so vividly on his debut. The lead single, “If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)” featuring hip-hop songstress Lauryn Hill was a smash hit and scored Nas his first Top 20 R& B single. “It Was Written” was also notable for its first iteration of “The Firm,” a rap group composed of Nas and rappers Foxy Brown, AZ and Cormega, who went on to collaborate on another album with Nas. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
By Aaron Williams
Shifting from the New York boom bap style that made him famous, Nas began pivoting his career toward a more mainstream sound and enlisted hit West Coast producer Dr. Dre and production group Trackmasters to provide the backdrop for a collaborative album. Nas formed “The Firm” with rappers Foxy Brown, right, AZ and Nature and released the self-titled debut album in 1997, which reached No. 1 on the U.S. hip-hop and R&B charts. (Karen Tapia / Los Angeles Times; Michael Levine / Associated Press)
Nas started Ill Will Records in 1992 in tribute to a childhood friend who was killed the same year. From this label, he released “QB’s Finest,” a compilation record featuring artists from the Queensbridge projects in New York. Though the album sold modestly, the single “Oochie Wally” was a commercial hit and reached No. 2 on the Hot Rap Singles chart and No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
Harking back to his original plan with “I am...,” Nas released the double-disc album “Street’s Disciple” on Nov. 30, 2004, featuring heavy production from Salaam Remi and L.E.S. The album featured more politically charged and socioeconomic lyrics than previous and also featured a collaboration with Nas’ jazz trumpeting father Olu Dara on the album’s hit single “Bridging the Gap.”
“I think what the song is doing and why we did it is pretty obvious,” Nas said in an interview with The Times in 2004. “My music is the child of his music.” (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
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For his eighth studio album, “Hip Hop Is Dead”, Nas left his longtime label Columbia for Def Jam Recordings. The album, whose name was inspired by Nas’ feeling about the genre at the time, brought on controversy from other hip-hop acts. Despite this, the album charted well and featured production from Kanye West and will.i.am. The album also featured a guest spot from former rival Jay-Z on “Black Republican.” (Peter Kramer / Getty Images)
Keeping with the controversial album titles, Nas sought to name his ninth studio album after an unprintable epithet for African Americans. Due to the controversy surrounding the album name, it was released as “Untitled,” though the album cover showed a picture of Nas with flagellation scars in the shape of the letter N. Though the album sold decently, it had mixed reviews.
“The nearly hour-long ‘Untitled’ jumps from rote gangsterisms to transparent bids for commercial success and a litany of racial transgressions,” The Times said of the record. “More often than not...Nas offers windy whines instead of innovative ideas.” (Jim Cooper / Associated Press)
Though Snoop Dogg recently changed his name to Snoop Lion and become a Rastafari, he isn’t the first rapper to get in touch with Jamaican culture. Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley -- youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley -- released “Distant Relatives” in 2010. The album was mostly produced by Damian and his brother Stephen Marley and featured heavy use of live instruments. Nas’ lyrics touched on the African diaspora and history of the continent. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Nas’ latest release, ‘Life Is Good,’ shows the MC can still weave intricate street narratives after more than 15 years in the business. From his issues with the IRS to fatherhood, “Life Is Good” is probably Nas’ most personal album since “God’s Son.” Most notably, the album talks about his divorce with avant-garde R&B singer Kelis on the album closer “Bye Baby.” Again, linking up with longtime collaborator Salaam Remi and veteran hip-hop producer No I.D., “Life Is Good” proved that Nas’ tenure in the genre isn’t all for naught. Times music critic Randall Roberts said, “Nas not only still has it, but has vast quantities of it. Luckily for us, he’s still inspired by the need to share -- even the moments when life isn’t all that great.” (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
