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Why You Should Listen To: Nas [MixEP]

By on January 20, 2011

So what started with some members catching feelings and me somehow getting involved in a challenge (Shots fired to the nay say’ers that didn’t think I could do it), ends with a project that I actually enjoyed doing. As the Nas stan around the ‘Fro, it should come to no surprise that I picked Nas as my artist to do an MixEP (although I did consider J. Cole, but the lack of “No DJ’s” for The Come Up mixtape halted that idea). I figured we might as well make it on an artist that was part of the original challenge and why not pick one of Jerm’s least favorite rapper.

Now, this project was by no means hard, considering that Nas has a great catalog of tracks that many would call classic, deep and street. The only minor challenge was to avoid the spontaneous and easy way out by picking all Illmatic, bringing a balance of musical styles (So we don’t end up with all deep tracks or all bangers), and picking songs that would even keep Jerm’s interest. After all this is an EP to introduce the listeners to a wide variety of Nas tracks. I tried to follow a rule that I wouldn’t use the more known tracks and singles that most of us know just to make it a little more challenging (i.e. “N.Y. State of Mind”, “If I Ruled The World”, “Ether”, & “Made You Look”, to name a few).

Bonus: I’m going to go the extra mile, I included 4 more cuts as a bonus, some being personal favorites and some being essential tracks. If you guys catch feelings and don’t like it, ya’ll can eat a dick!

1. Stillmatic (The Intro) (Stillmatic)
2. Get Down (God’s Son)
3. Nas Is Like (I Am…)
4. Represent (Illmatic)
5. Take It In Blood (It Was Written)
6. God Love Us (Nastradamus)
7. N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave And Master) (Untitled)
8. Drunk By Myself (The Lost Tapes)
9. What It Is (The Nigger Tape)
10. Black Republican (feat. Jay-Z) (Hip Hop Is Dead)
11. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Illmatic) [Bonus]
12. Shootouts (It Was Written) [Bonus]
13. Small World (I Am…) [Bonus]
14. Last Real Nigga Alive (God’s Son) [Bonus]

Download: Why You Should Listen To: Nas [MixEP]

A 90's NY Hip-Hop. He looks for anything and everything that brings back the feeling of that gritty NY sound. His favorite producer is the legendary DJ Premier, he also believes the second coming of Nas has arrived in J. Cole. Most times you'll find him browsing the web searching for new music to enjoy and looking for the next possible Sound Session track to write about
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  • http://www.nappyafro.com King Jerm

    He is not my least favorite…I just think he is BORING.

    • DJ LP

      “picking songs that would even keep Jerm’s interest”

    • P

      Yeah Jerm understand since you from the South u like to shake your head all wild jump around da room and eat fried chicken LOL, I guess Nas wouldnt be your music of choice

      • http://www.nappyafro.com King Jerm

        Good one…but I do like Illmatic, It Was Written, and GodSon. I really don’t fuck with too many “lyrical” rappers cause they get boring.

  • Rickjamesbitch

    Pass

    Jk, props for doing Nas he is the GOAT in my opinion

    • DJ LP

      LOL

    • P

      Thank You, what makes ANYONE better?

  • Kevin

    This list should just be Illmatic. Trust me. I am not even a huge Nas fan and Illmatic is, in my opinion, the best hip-hop album of all time. It’s fuckin’ perfect.

    • http://nappyafro.com H2O

      It really is.

    • DJ LP

      No doubt its the best hip-hop album of all time

      • arkitekt

        ill cosign that

  • spyda man

    eh i agree with jerm, he is boring to listen to. illmatic is great by all means i just cant listen to it. i put up a mixep but i guess noones gives a shit about brotha lynch except me lol

    • http://www.nappyafro.com B-Easy

      All the MixEP’s that have been put up have been e-mailed to us. If it’s posted it in the forums, I can’t figure out who wants their stuff on the main site and who just wants their stuff to stay in the forums. Hit us up if you want that Brotha Lynch Hung to get the proper treatment though.

    • Jay W

      Brotha Lynch? Yea that would be an interesting mix ep since all I’ve heard him rap about was raping bitches and murdering babies…

  • Michael Morrison

    NAS IS THE TRUTH. Every time he touch the mike he drop nice issh. Now it glamour or pop. It’s raw untouchable hip hop, and it ain’t a rapper that can touch him.

    • P

      Yup!

  • P-Body

    Nas is definitely probably my number 2 favorite rapper of all time.

    Then again its hard to say who is the best since each rapper bring something different to the table and some songs I’ll hear a line that’ll make me be like “Damn!”.

    Good post. I should have gave you some unreleased Nas and demos

    • http://www.nappyafro.com King Jerm

      Who is number 1?

      • P-Body

        You already know man. I think everybody knows

        Makaveli

  • P-Body

    I personally think “It Was Written” was better than Illmatic. When I first heard it a long time ago it caught my attention. The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that “Street Dreams” (Original) used the same sample as 2Pac “All Eyez On Me” song. Trackmasters could have picked another sample! Or maybe use the remix with R Kelly but then again it may not fit the album properly.

    • Michael Morrison

      I don’t neccessarily think it was better, but ,It Was Written, really didn’t receive the amount of love it deserved.

  • http://www.nappyafro.com DuB

    I give you props for doing this project, but Nas is in almost everyones top 5, and in everyones top ten for sure. You were suppose to pick an artist that you feel is underrated fam. Still good track listing!

    • DJ LP

      This nigga…..give me a week or two for the next one, depending. It might be as illusive as Detox so no promises

      • http://nappyafro.com DuB

        Damn fam….. I never thought you would find a way to skip out on a challenge. I thought you had more integrity than that.

        • DJ LP

          Brown I’m a psychology major, reverse psychology doesn’t work on me. Whenever I feel like it it’ll get done. Never did I say I wouldn’t do it so I haven’t backed out

          • DJ LP

            Bro* damn this auto correction on my phone

          • http://nappyafro.com DuB

            lol watever fam…. I’m just saying as it stands you have not accepted the challenge, it’s kool though. Not everyone can do it.

          • DJ LP

            Ha

          • http://www.nappyafro.com DuB

            So those shots you fired were only blanks.

    • http://www.nappyafro.com King Jerm

      I see what you did there….

      well played.

  • Plewto Smith

    Nas is still the best in my eyes.

  • Practical

    Do J. Cole anyway, who cares if some songs have a DJ

    • DJ LP

      I’ll consider it