Life is Good: The Review

Ok....for those of you who DO NOT know...Nas is my #1 all-time favorite MC. Well, him and Andre 3000, but I digress. He recently dropped his much-anticipated album "Life is Good."

Indeed, it is. 

In it, he takes his listeners on a journey, delving into his past experiences, most notably his divorce from his wife of four years, Kelis. 

Pictured: The most expensive milkshake ever. 

Throughout the tape, Nas maintains that despite the many hardships he's endured, life is better than it's ever been. This review will be brief. As previously stated, Nas IS my favorite rapper, however I am going to try my best not to compromise my journalistic integrity and let my inner stan get the best of--OMG LET'S FCKIN REVIEW THIS ALBUM RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111!!!!11!1

"Life is Good," which many are calling Nas' best album since "Stillmatic," is laden with his signature liquid wordplay. That, plus stellar beats and well-placed features, make it a top contender for best rap album of the year. From the opening song, you immediately realize that Nas is not playing around. "No Introduction" isn't so much an intro as it is a proclamation; it's Nas screaming at the world "YALL STILL SLEEPIN ON ME?" Not anymore they're not, Nas. Not anymore.

I have to give Nas his props, there aren't too many other rappers who would have released such a personal record. In "Bye Baby," he addresses those who criticized his decision to marry Kelis:

And all I seen was suckas, cowards, under they breath/
Saying "why did Nas trust her?"/
But look at yourself, speak louder bro,/
You live with your baby moms and scared to make an honest woman out of her/
And make her your bride, fake bitch you ain’t even alive/
At least I can say I tried, plus enjoyed the ride.

And I know those are the words, because I played that verse back at least 10 times during my first listening. This album is near-perfect, from hard-hitting cuts like "A Queens Story," to the smooth saxophone-driven "Stay," anyone listening to "Life is Good" is in for quite a ride. "Cherry Wine" is the album's high point. The song, which has a circa-1960 sound, features Amy Winehouse and shows Nas expressing his desire to meet a woman just like him who will stand by him through all the craziness that comes with being famous. Winehouse's soulful vocals mesh beautifully with the beat and really set the whole song off.

If I had to say anything negative about this album, it would have to be that a lot of what Nas says will go over the heads of average listeners; granted, this seems to be the case with just about every album he's ever released, so it really comes as no surprise.

All in all, "Life is Good' is the best rap album I have heard in a long time. If you are a fan of hip-hop--I'm talking true, raw hip-hop in its purest form--do yourself a favor and buy it. Word up, ya grandma is gonna
like this one.

"QUEENS GET THE MONEY!!!" 

5/5