It’s been a rumor for months, even before the I Declare War show, but it’s official now: Def Jam has signed Nas, and the greatest rap beef of four years ago has become the greatest rap joint-venture prospect of right now. It’s funny; the Times article makes much of the aesthetic border between personas in the Jay/Nas beef: “…they appeared to represent two versions of hip-hop, with Jay-Z cast as the savvy hustler and Nas as the brooding street poet.” That might be true, but I’m not sure we really felt that way at the time, since the Nas that was fresh in our minds then was the Nas of “Hate Me Now” and “You Owe Me” and (especially) “Oochie Wally,” the guy whose boneheaded pop moves had tarnished his respectability and simultaneously fucked up his sales. If I’m remembering right, they were both hustlers; it’s just that Jay-Z was doing it better. Since then, Nas has cultivated the reticent-poet archetype thing, dropping most of the bigtime trappings over the last three albums and disappearing further into his own head. It’s been a good look; even if his sales haven’t gone up much, he’s got goodwill for days, and his integrity, once in question, is pretty much no longer an issue. And now he’s set to capitalize on all that goodwill, moving to a company run by a guy who knows how to market uncompromisingly classicist New York rap.
At the same time, Jay’s been working to bring his own public image closer to the street-poet thing for years, starting with the album on which he dissed Nas in the first place. The Blueprint might’ve had a Trackmasters beat, but it’s still the moment when Jay decided to give up the late-90s keyboard-beep production style and move toward swelling strings and dusty samples and gentle introspection and “I’d probably be Talib Kweli.” Jay always had a bit of closet backpacker in him; even at his coldest, he was more humane than, say, Big Pun. In retirement, his gentleman-about-town steez has reached new heights of regal sophistication; especially when compared to 50 Cent, he’s a model of cosmopolitan elegance. The Cam’ron dis is telling; even though Cam is probably Jay’s equal as an artist/craftsman/wordsmith, his sneering fight-dirty bluster feels crass next to Jay’s aristocratic grace.
Jay has quietly spent the past year or so making over Def Jam in his own image, signing and retaining guys who sit well with the different crannies of his gentleman-gangsta-aesthete thing. In their own ways, Kanye and Jeezy and the Roots and Ghostface all fit comfortably into Jay’s world. DMX doesn’t, and that’s why Jay quietly let him go last week. Murder Inc. doesn’t, and that’s why Irv Gotti will probably be taking it elsewhere soon. Unless LL Cool J’s new album finds him abandoning the dated oiled-up loverman schtick for a gravelly veteran snarl, he’ll probably be gone soon, and so will Method Man and Redman and maybe Joe Budden and possibly Ludacris, whose five-album contract is coming to an end after his next album drops. Def Jam’s hegemonic late-90s roster is a thing of the past, and so this Nas signing is a major coup in almost every conceivable way. But the real test won’t be whether or not the next Nas album sells. The real test will be whether it’s great.
The album will go platinum easily, especially with the Jay collaboration that everyone expects now; Street’s Disciple did 600,000, and that was before all the Def Jam hype. It doesn’t really need to do more than platinum for it to be remembered as a success. But Nas needs to focus and dig deep and deliver a classic. He’ll need to do away with all the Bravehearts collaborations and dubious concept-songs like “Remember the Times.” He’ll need to make use of the cavalcade of expert soul-rap producers he’ll suddenly have at his disposal. He’s got expectations to fulfill.
Nas announced a while back that his next album would be a full-length collaboration with DJ Premier. That might be a good look; they’ve historically had great chemistry, it would keep the album from sounding piecemeal, and Primo’s boom-bap would place the album as part of a purist NY continuum. But I’ll believe it when I see it, especially with Premier giving interviews about how he’s ready to do this thing anytime Nas is; dude’s never really been one for fulfilling promises. And what was the last great Premier track, anyway? “Doobie Ashtray”? That one from the Cee-Lo album? There must be a good reason he was left off The Black Album. More likely, Nas will use Kanye and Just Blaze and Bink and guys like that, expansive velvety strings-and-horns guys, and he’ll use them to build an East-Coast traditionalist monument. That’s what I’m hoping for, anyway. Fuck. I’m excited.
7 responses to “Nas Signs With DefJam”
I AM A FAN OF NAS BUT DAMN SIGNING WITH DEFJAM I DONT KNOW ABOUT THAT.JAY-Z FUCKED HIS BABY MOMMA THEN LEFT THE CONDOM ON THE BABYSEAT. IT WAS RUMORED THAT HE HAD FUCKED KELIS AND NOW HE IS GOING TO BE MAKING MONEY OFF NAS. WOW I KNOW IF A NIGGA HAD FUCKED MY WIFE AND MY BABYMOMMA I DON’T GIVE A FUCK HE WOULD BE THE LAST NIGGA THAT I WORK WITH.
Yo D81, you got a point like a muh-fucka. At first I was like big buisiness(millions) overshadows egoes, but if that shit is true, somebody needs to yoke Nas up by his collor and slap him in the back of his head with a loaf of bread.
D81 AND Ant, HOW THE FUCK Y’ALL GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT A RAPPER SAID IN A DISS SONG? 80% OF THE TIME THEM NIGGAS IS LYING. NAS AND JAY TOGETHER IS WHAT MUTHAFUCKAS BEEN WAITING FOR. THE #1(NAS) AND THE #2(JAY-Z) RAPPERS OF ALL TIME UNITING IS FUCKING BEAUTIFUL!!!
D.SENIOR I REALLY DONT GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU SAY, AND I REALLY DONT GIVE A FUCK HOW BEAUTIFUL THE SHITS GOING TO BE. NAS BABYMOMMA SAID THAT SHE HAD FUCKED JAY-Z. ANYWAY WHO CARE ABOUT THE BITCH I KNOW I WOULDN’T WANNA WORK WITH A MAN THAT DISRESPECTED MY KID TALKING ABOUT THEY LEFT A CONDOM ON HER BABYSEAT. I DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT HOW MUCH THE DISS SONG MAY BE A LIE. FOR A NIGGA TO BRING ANOTHER NIGGAS CHILD INTO THEIR BEEF IS PRETTY FUCKED UP AND THATS WHAT JAY-Z DID WITH THAT CONDOM LINE.
fuck both of them they need to get together and try to help some of the poor family in the world instead of buying car,houses,jewelry and dumb shit like that no that would give the media something to write about.why when u get money u have beef when they ass was broke they was cool b’cuz they didn’t have shit to brag about who give a fuck about a jetta or oldsmobile do u feel me that go for 50 and ja.me a my homies get along b’cuz we don’t idolize material shit we respect what M L K Jr,and Coretta King for us so why fuck up what they have establish,but when u not use to having shit u act like that money don’t make u hard lose ur boys and the bodyguards and what do u have then a man on his own.so in closing FUCK BEEF that’s for sucker real man don’t beef they talk it out like martin and malcolm.wake ya’ll dumb ass upbefoe it’s to later u can’t buy heavenok.peace i’m out oyeah what’s up dawg thanks for the vent session
Damb cuz its only music. We aint tryin to march on Washington behind this shit.Its entertainment, thats what we’re vibin on,simply a hip hop outlet.When you wanna bring MLK, Malcolm, Coretta etc. into the mix, thats on a completly different intelectual forum……..breeeeeth !
if it’s only music ant then why are they shooting at each other and fighting one another.let that shit stay on waxes ok so malcolm and martin was to deep for u ,but u didn’t see LL and kool moe dee shooting at each other.ant could you please tell me what happen to Biggie and 2pac!that’s what i’m talking about exactly what you’re think they was killed becuz of beef i’m out peace think for ur input be safe and stay cool!