"So I'll begin with the basics and flow from the heart", says Nas on "Loco-Motives" and what better way to introduce the EssentialVision blog than with this line and the recent release by one of the greatest rappers ... no, musicians of all time. . . Nas. Released just three weeks ago, before shooting to #1 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, Life Is Good the 10th LP from the veteran Queens born MC is nothing short of a masterpiece. Classic is thrown around loosely these days as a word, and as a fan of Nasir Jones for the past decade, even I have been unsatisfied with his output in rap over the years. More a fan of Illmatic (1994), It Was Written (1996), and God's Son (2002), his releases in between have been uneven, and at times boring. A year ago, upon first hearing of the guy who changed the landscape of hip-hop in the early 90's recording his latest album, a conversation arose between a friend and I about Nas' relevancy to music. Unlike many arguments that I have gotten into regarding Nas, something changed, more so than anything else the argument shifted and something different happened: I didn't defend nor care about Nas making an album, and told the friend that if Nas doesn't have anything substantial to bring to the table, then why bother. I didn't want to see a poet try to fit in with the likes of 2 Chainz, or Lil' Wayne, but I didn't care for him to preach to me about race and society like on his 2008 album Nigger ("Untitled" to retailers), when Dr. Cornell West and Michael Eric Dyson are so much better at it. Not only this but if he were to make another album, his production had to be fit for the hip-hop-jazz poet that he is, which reflected with the likes of DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, and Q-tip, not Lex Luger, Diplo, and David Guetta, and by no means is anything wrong with these groups of producers, they're great, just not for Nas. Low and behold when word on the street came around that NO I.D. was spearheading the project, I jumped for joy. If anyone could bring Nas back to the essence it was NO I.D.; hell, he did it for Jay-Z on 2009's The Blueprint 3, and to an even greater extent on Common's 2011 The Dreamer/The Believer (If you dont have that album, go get it!). On top of that, Salaam Remi, who's produced Nas' "Made You Look", "Thief''s Theme", Jaszmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows", The Fugee's "Fu-Gee-La" and most notably Amy Winehouse's Back to Black album was handling co-production duties, I couldn't complain. What sets this album apart from Nas' most recent work, and that of many releases of this year, is that he reflects on so many issues facing his life, that everybody at some point can relate to it. Whether it is the loss of a relationship ("Bye Baby"), financial problems ("Reach Out" w/ Mary J. Blige), issues with your kid's ("Daughters"), chillin' at the park ("You Wouldn't Understand"), violence towards innocent people by young cowards ("Accident Murderer" w/ Rick Ross), or reminiscing on love and life ("Cherry Wine" w/ Amy Winehouse), etc. This may very well be the first Hip-Hop album that a man takes to own up to his mistakes, not make excuses for them. There is no diss record to Kelis, as he clearly is understanding of thie relationship downfall, nor any songs downgrading his fellow musicians of their craft. The criticism and onslaught on Life Is Good is minimal, but it is however important. This time out the attack has more substance than any past "Ether" diss. Notice that on this album he is preaching and sending warnings mainly to that of his daughter and to young kids claiming lives, and becoming criminals as well as culprits in a system already against them. This record is important, and doesn't feel rushed, or uninspired as albums, including that Nas himself has seemed in the past. Courtesy of No I.D. and Salaam Remi, there is a bluesy and Jazz like presence to the album production-wise given to Nas, while he speaks like the true poet-MC that he is. Life Is Good, isn't about punch lines, or conquering the streets's, nor is it about tearing the clubs on fire, it's about a man humbling himself, and letting the world know that while issues are prevalent in one's life, there is a bigger picture at hand: You get to see another blessed day . . .so Life Is Good.
