Honestly, I think we're arguing past each other. "The Carter III" goes places that conventional hip-hop generally doesn't. I'm not saying he's the better MC. I'm saying the music that he's making is more interesting to listen to. Even "Lollipop", the subject matter of which is completely lame, didn't sound like anything else on the radio when it came out. It does NOW but that speaks to his influence.
And honestly I can cherry pick lame Nas rhymes as easily as I can good ones. I think, if we're going to get to the heart of the matter, that Nas is just as disingenuous as anyone else. I mean if you want to say Lil Wayne has nothing to say except "I'm rich" by his third album, what is Nas saying at this point in his career?
Take this (from "Hero"):
And of course I've been the boss since back when
Rocking D Boy, Fila, velour in 190 black Benz
Now they shut down the stores when I'm shopping
Used to be train robbing, face covered in stocking
I'm him
I mean come on, he's arguing the same thing. He's just pretending to be important. Lil Wayne makes grand statments about his place in the history of hip-hop but his music is not self-important. I mean EVERY rapper talks about how great he (or she) is. The question is what music is enduring. Now, I'm not going to make the argument that Lil Wayne's music is enduring because I'm not sure. The artist of the decade who is going to be remembered above everyone else is Kanye, but this is a conversation for another time. Nas has his seminal moment. It past a long time ago and honestly, if we're talking about content, I feel like every passing album is another attempt at current relevancy and as such it generally falls flat. It comes off as contrived to me. That is what is fresh about Lil Wayne both when it's good and bad. I have no doubt he made the record that in his heart he really wanted to make and he has fun doing it. Nas never sounds like he's having fun. This is obviously not a requirement, a bunch of artists I like never sound like their having fun (Conor Oberst comes to mind) but the songs tend to make up for it. Bottom line, I just don't get anything out of being preached at by Nas.
I should make something else clear, all those records I listed earlier that I would take over "Illmatic" would beat out "The Carter III" as well. I just think in some ways he's picking up where Outkast left off. Is he their equal yet? No, absolutely not. But he's a hell of a lot more culturally relevant then Nas at this point. Is that a comment on where we are as a culture? Maybe, but there it is.
As I said before I shouldn't have been so dismissive of "Stillmatic" it is a solid hip-hop record. But it doesn't rival "Illmatic" or any other of the great hip-hop records of the decade and I'm sorry but "Ether" is no "Takeover".
That this Gay-Z and Cockafella Records wanted beef
Started cocking up my weapon, slowly loading up this ammo
To explode it on a camel
and thats so LAAMMMEEE.
Whatever. This gets to my question. Do you really listen for the rhyme's first and the total aural package second? I'm just curious. I'm a lyrics guy, beyond the shadow of a doubt. I love folk music and most of that is due to the content of the songs rather then the melody, but I tend to want something different out of my hip-hop.That is why I love "Be" even though I don't think Common is at his best. The album is just beautiful to listen to. Maybe it is also that I tend to go to other genre's for my "serious" music. Most of the hip-hop I like because it puts me in a good mood. Nas just gets on my nerves. This is not a "better or worse" argument, I guess we're just looking for different things.
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