The Greatest Rapper Comeback of All-Time? (Musically)

[AllElite617]

Because those albums that Jay dropped were commercially successful. Jay was always good at making radio singles. vol 2 went 5X plat and vol 3 went 3x plat.

That's my point with Nas in 99 I Am, Nastradamus even QB album were platinum albums. But people act like he's only good for Illmatic type albums.

 

[odgkid]

 

[SeaSnake]

Camron when he signed to the ROC

 

[5th Letter]

Why do people consider the 99-00 period from Nas to be a a down time for him when he was dropping some of his biggest records at the time mainstream wise? Jay doesn't get nearly the same criticism for dropping sub par albums following the classic that was RD.

I am and Nastradamus were considered disappointing at the time. Plus he got flack for Oochie Wally. Stillmatic was seen as a return to form.

 

[5 Grand]

Jay was on fire from 98-01

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

I am and Nastradamus were considered disappointing at the time. Plus he got flack for Oochie Wally. Stillmatic was seen as a return to form.

Disappointing to who?

Like he said both albums had hits and went platinum.

Plus he had some big features during that time too.

 

[SheerExcellence]

Disappointing to who?

Like he said both albums had hits and went platinum.

Plus he had some big features during that time too.

come on man, nas even said on ether that ppl thought he was over and done with and spitting on his grave

don’t act like ppl didn’t think those albums were disappointing. i’m not saying they didn’t have their moments, but they were not illmatic or iww

 

[AllElite617]

come on man, nas even said on ether that ppl thought he was over and done with and spitting on his grave

don’t act like ppl didn’t think those albums were disappointing. i’m not saying they didn’t have their moments, but they were not illmatic or iww

Yes they're not Illmatic but my point is Vol 3 or Dynasty were nothing close to Reasonable Doubt but it's a double standard when it comes to Nas for some reason.

 

[5th Letter]

Disappointing to who?

Like he said both albums had hits and went platinum.

Plus he had some big features during that time too.

They sold but they weren’t what people wanted to hear from Nas.

 

[Lab Baby]

Yes they're not Illmatic but my point is Vol 3 or Dynasty were nothing close to Reasonable Doubt but it's a double standard when it comes to Nas for some reason.

RD was a classic in hindsight, plus it was hyped up retroactively by the machine and Jay himself. Jay's resume is checkered anyway... ppl forgot how mid Vol 1 was til Vol 2 came out. Illmatic and IWW was the perfect 1st two albums. The drop-off between those and I Am/Nastradamus was that noticeable to where you could've justifiably written Nas off. And again, that narrative was pushed by the machine and Jay down the line. I Am lowkey slapped and Nastradamus had a few gems on it. Plus Nas was ALWAYS nice. Only Jay fans stuck in 2001 say Nas fell off til Stillmatic.

 

[5 Grand]

Yes they're not Illmatic but my point is Vol 3 or Dynasty were nothing close to Reasonable Doubt but it's a double standard when it comes to Nas for some reason.

The difference is that Reasonable Doubt is a revisionist classic. People weren't calling RD a 5 mic classic from the jump. It wasn't commercially successful either (not saying it flopped).

When Hardknock Life dropped Jay was on top of the world. That album sold 4x plat and got nominated for awards.

 

[aka_og]

Dr.Dre - the amount of situations he walked away from to end up where he is today needs to be studied

 

[SheerExcellence]

Yes they're not Illmatic but my point is Vol 3 or Dynasty were nothing close to Reasonable Doubt but it's a double standard when it comes to Nas for some reason.

Vol. 3 and Dynasty might not have been Reasonable Doubt, but they still had monster hits, club anthems, and undeniable cultural impact.

Nas dropped Nastradamus and had people questioning if he fell off entirely.

Jay dropped vol. 3 a month after nastradamus and instantly took over the city while Nas was scrambling to remind people who he was. There’s no double standard.

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

come on man, nas even said on ether that ppl thought he was over and done with and spitting on his grave

don’t act like ppl didn’t think those albums were disappointing. i’m not saying they didn’t have their moments, but they were not illmatic or iww

What people thought and what the facts are, are two different thing.

And again who thought it was over. Nas still had hits and platinum albums. So something not adding up

 

[Revolver Ocelot]

They sold but they weren’t what people wanted to hear from Nas.

Again what people?

Albums people don't wanna hear, don't go platinum

 

[5th Letter]

Again what people?

Albums people don't wanna hear, don't go platinum

Most mainstream albums were selling back in those days. Nas always had a buzz and sold based on that. The fans wanted another Illmatic or at the minimum another IWW.

 

[Lab Baby]

Vol. 3 and Dynasty might not have been Reasonable Doubt, but they still had monster hits, club anthems, and undeniable cultural impact.

Nas dropped Nastradamus and had people questioning if he fell off entirely.

Jay dropped vol. 3 a month after nastradamus and instantly took over the city while Nas was scrambling to remind people who he was. There’s no double standard.

All the work of the aforementioned machine. They dropped Do It Again late 99 and lit the clubs on fire. The album caught momentum off that single... then they dropped the Mariah single, crickets. Jay was still a name, but that album didn't catch buzz again til Big Pimpin. We fucked with the intro, So Ghetto, Dope Man and the one 50 line off It's Hot but it wasn't this blockbuster album the machine was pumping it to be. Nas had the same amount of dope songs on both albums, but the difference was he reached his commercial prime in the mid 90s so it seemed like he was washed. Jay just got hot a year or two prior so he was still a commodity.

 

[grYmes]

It wasn’t a question of if Nas was gonna fall off commercially. LL had those comebacks but he didn’t fall off commercially. Both dudes were losing credibility critically and other MC’s were coming for their neck. As much as they were selling they both knew they could never be taken seriously if they didn’t switch it up.

 

[SheerExcellence]

All the work of the aforementioned machine. They dropped Do It Again late 99 and lit the clubs on fire. The album caught momentum off that single... then they dropped the Mariah single, crickets. Jay was still a name, but that album didn't catch buzz again til Big Pimpin. We fucked with the intro, So Ghetto, Dope Man and the one 50 line off It's Hot but it wasn't this blockbuster album the machine was pumping it to be. Nas had the same amount of dope songs on both albums, but the difference was he reached his commercial prime in the mid 90s so it seemed like he was washed. Jay just got hot a year or two prior so he was still a commodity.

ok

im huge fans of both nas and jay, i guess we just see it differently

in any event, to the thread topic, nas comeback was the greatest in my opinion. after nastradamus i did not think there was any way he’d be where he is today.

 

[AllElite617]

All the work of the aforementioned machine. They dropped Do It Again late 99 and lit the clubs on fire. The album caught momentum off that single... then they dropped the Mariah single, crickets. Jay was still a name, but that album didn't catch buzz again til Big Pimpin. We fucked with the intro, So Ghetto, Dope Man and the one 50 line off It's Hot but it wasn't this blockbuster album the machine was pumping it to be. Nas had the same amount of dope songs on both albums, but the difference was he reached his commercial prime in the mid 90s so it seemed like he was washed. Jay just got hot a year or two prior so he was still a commodity.

You Owe Me and Oochie Wally even if people clown those songs showed Nas can make club hits too. People just wanted Nas to stay in his Illmatic lane.