>I think the best thing about Nas, is also the worst thing
>about Nas. He's not afraid to try new things, even if he
>sounds like shit doing it. He has a very standoffish approach
>to music, versus a need to be consistently validated. if he
>sucks, he really doesn't give a shit.

Very well said. This may be the most apt description of Nas that I've seen. And it also illustrates the most glaring difference between him and JayZ, which is why their beef was and still is always so compelling. JayZ needs constant validation which is why he TELLS everyone he's the greatest all the fucking time, and is also why he went after Nas in the first place.

Whereas Nas lets his work speak for itself, and like you said, sometimes it's the best thing for him that he's not afraid to try new things, sometimes it's the worst for him. Examples are that I think the Distant Relatives project was a good risk and worked out, whereas Untitled was a bad thing for him even though it got him some press; he just didn't pull off the "concept" very well.