Skip to main content

Jay-z vs. Nas Recent rivalry


Jay-z vs. Nas

Recent Rivalry

 

            For a long time I have considered Shawn Carter aka Jay-z and Nasir Jones to be 2 of the best rappers not only alive….but all time. I’m not trying to favor one over the other, but this particular blog compares their discographies latest additions.

 

            I’m going to do their last 2 solo albums, and their recent collabo albums. Let’s start with their most current works….

 

Round 1

Category
Jay-z
Nas
Winner
Title(is not graded)
Magna Carta..Holy Grail
Life is Good
 
Lyrics
B+
A
Nas
Production
A-
B
Jay-z
Legacy
B
A-
Nas
Songs
B-
B-
Tie
Use of Features
A-
A-
Tie

 

R1 Winner: Nas-Life is Good.

                        Nas edges out Jay recently, which doesn’t surprise me. LiG was a better album overall, and one of Nas’ best. It was better lyrically and I feel it added a lot more to Nas’ legacy than Jigga’s. Intersting enough I felt the songs and the artists guest spots were a tie. Both albums have their not so high almost filler moments.

                       

 

Round 2

Category
Jay-z
Nas
Winner
Title
Watch The Throne
Distant Relatives
 
Lyrics
B+
A
Nas
Production
A
C+
Jay-z
Legacy
A
A
Tie
Chemistry
B+
A
Nas
Songs
A-
B
Jay-z

 

Round 2 Winner: Tie

                        This was a lot harder to grade. WTT and DR are great albums, but I would be quick to tell you that Distant Relatives is a little bit better. However Jay-z and Kanye West had some really good singles on the album. Lyrically WTT was inferior, and vice versa with DR’s production.

 

 

 

 

 

Round 3

Category
Jay-z
Nas
Winner
Title(is not graded)
Blueprint 3
Untitled
 
Lyrics
B+
A+
Nas
Production
A
C
Jay-z
Legacy
A
A
Tie
Songs
A
A-
Jay-z
Use of Features
A
B
Jay-z

 

Round 3 Winner Jay-z

                        These are two great albums, and imo they are actually tied. However Jay’s album had better features by far(and more of them). I also felt that BP3 had a slightly better songs than Untitled.

 


Ok after 3 rounds its Jay-z 1, Nas 1, and a Tie…..therefore I will look at more of their albums going backwards….next time.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Nas Albums Worst to Best

20)      Nastradamus (75)- It really shouldn’t be a surprise to see this one ranked so low. The lyricism isn’t abysmal but everything is pretty average. How does a song like “Big Girl” make it to a Nas album?? It’s just a boring album plain and simple….I don’t really have a lot to say about it. 19)          Street’s Disciple (82) -I hate having this one so low. I honestly like a lot of the songs on this double disc. Unfortunately there’s quite a bit of filler here just like with Jay-z’s Blueprint 2. Disc one has hits like “Nazareth Savage”, “American Way”, “ Just a Moment” and “ You Know My Style”. Disc 2 has some heat on it too: “Suicide Bounce”, the title track, “Virgo”, “Bridging the Gap” and “Thiefs Theme”.   18) T he Lost Tapes 2 (86) -This one I admit I haven’t heard that much…but its pretty decent. It gets off to a good start with songs like “Vernon Family” and “Jarreau of Rap (Skatt Attack)”. A lot of these songs are ok….but not muc...
Read more

Album Review: Kid Cudi-Insano (regular version)

 I gotta admit I didn't like this album that much when I first heard it over half a year ago. I've heard that Kid Cudi doesn't exactly play to his strengths....that's partly true. I do like his rapping here tho. Honestly most songs here kinda blend together....."Keep Bouncin'" is really hype....and it gets the album off to a good start. "At The Party" with Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott may be my favorite song. "Wow" with A$AP Rocky is another highlight. Overall tho I feel this album tries too hard to be trendy. Cudi needed to put more of his pain into it. I mean a happy Cudi album isn't a bad thing but it really seems odd to me. You're not getting alot of singing or hums here know what I mean? However the production I found to be very good. Cudi is one of my favorite rappers like top 20 and I guess this will do for 2024. Lyrics 20 Beats 23 Depth 21 Tilt 21 Verdict 85
Read more

Album Review: Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo & Youth

Lupe has come back, and with a classic album. He seemed to be back on tracks with Food and Liquor II, but F&L2 wasn’t as fun to listen to as his earlier albums. Even LASERS was more fun. This album however, is very complex and fun to listen to. It’s also incredibly well produced. Lupe proves he’s still a top lyricist in the game. Check out his lyrical showcase on Mural, or storytelling on  Prisoner 1 & 2. He’s got a really long song called Chopper which features a lot of guests but its all good. The last song might be the weakest which features Ab-Soul. No Scratches feat. Nikki Jean is one of my favorite songs here. The interludes are pretty intersing, but ultimately skippable. This album is already up for album of the year, and honestly it will be hard for anyone to match this effort. The verdict... its 10/10 for me. This is a great album
Read more