whenever he tried to jump on a track
with the hottest producers, it never worked.

partially b/c his fans expected to do "illmatic" again.
partially b/c he can't pick beats for shit.




as for the other chances he took,
they worked in a way.
there was some good stuff on "untitled" and "hip hop is dead."



but even that stuff isn't as good as his "nasty nas" persona.
he spits the best when he's in that mode.
and the beats he picks for that mode are always the best.


so really, the answer is
he's at his best when he's in grimey mode,
and also... when he's NOT in grimey mode... he just picks godawful beats, as a general rule.




>When Nas took chances it never worked for him. Why? I mean,
>"You Owe Me", "You Want See Me Tonight", Untitled LP, Hip Hop
>is Dead LP and other "Against The Grain" attempts to make a
>statement. It seem like he always fall a little short unless
>he make his RAW Nasty Nas songs that we all seem to love. His
>commercial attempts or "concept" LP's always seem to not be
>accepted. Now, Nas is my favorite MC but it appears taking
>chances never jump off for him....or do they in your opinion?
>
>peace