Somewhere in the middle of his roughly hour-long set on Friday, May 3, New York hip-hop legend Nas busted out “If I Ruled the World,” an iconic song not only for his 20-year career, but for the genre as well. Sure, it elicited the most enthusiastic audience response at The Republik. But for Nas, it was just another footnote in a back catalogue that’s earned him the distinction as one of the most prolific in hip-hop’s history...
Nas' style is a good example of how not to overdress, find what basics work well, and rep a style that is distinctly your city. Styles may have come and past, but Nas still rocks Timberland boots, Champion jackets, dookie-rope chains, and a bucket hat when the weather forecast calls for it. Most importantly, Nas represents …show more content…
That's the creed on which VIBE's first-ever "List Issue" was created. And in case we haven't got you up in arms or nodding in agreement to our list of the Greatest Musical Geniuses of the past two decades, here's another list to give the squinty eye. For the 50 Greatest Albums, we itemized the crème de la crème of the past 20 years—from usual suspects to sleepers across genres. We pressed play, assessed the questionable projects and sipped the classics with a teaspoon of nostalgia, giving flawless albums slot boosts. Those that proved groundbreaking ranked higher, and those with skippable tracks dropped low. Through the raucous debates, the body of work always spoke loudest...
Though an urban superstar, Nasir Jones remains inherently street. He’s socially conscious yet credibly – and candidly – contradictory. The Queens, New York storyteller is also a survivor, and self-reinventor. Jones debuted back in 1994 with that instant classic Illmatic, but he’s never been more relevant. He triumphantly battled Jay-Z. Then Jones divorced R&B diva Kelis, emerging as, not the bad guy, but only human. Last year the literary MC presented an acclaimed tenth album, Life Is Good, which hit number one Stateside. It received multiple Grammy
Nas' style is a good example of how not to overdress, find what basics work well, and rep a style that is distinctly your city. Styles may have come and past, but Nas still rocks Timberland boots, Champion jackets, dookie-rope chains, and a bucket hat when the weather forecast calls for it. Most importantly, Nas represents …show more content…
That's the creed on which VIBE's first-ever "List Issue" was created. And in case we haven't got you up in arms or nodding in agreement to our list of the Greatest Musical Geniuses of the past two decades, here's another list to give the squinty eye. For the 50 Greatest Albums, we itemized the crème de la crème of the past 20 years—from usual suspects to sleepers across genres. We pressed play, assessed the questionable projects and sipped the classics with a teaspoon of nostalgia, giving flawless albums slot boosts. Those that proved groundbreaking ranked higher, and those with skippable tracks dropped low. Through the raucous debates, the body of work always spoke loudest...
Though an urban superstar, Nasir Jones remains inherently street. He’s socially conscious yet credibly – and candidly – contradictory. The Queens, New York storyteller is also a survivor, and self-reinventor. Jones debuted back in 1994 with that instant classic Illmatic, but he’s never been more relevant. He triumphantly battled Jay-Z. Then Jones divorced R&B diva Kelis, emerging as, not the bad guy, but only human. Last year the literary MC presented an acclaimed tenth album, Life Is Good, which hit number one Stateside. It received multiple Grammy