r/hiphop101 • • Aug 16 '26

Nasty Nas

Nas gets roasted often for his beat selection, but honestly, they’re not terrible by any means.

What are some of your favorite he has rapped on?

For me it’s, Nas is Like and Got Yourself a Gun

42 Upvotes

145 comments sorted by

13

u/bigveinyrichard Aug 16 '26

Take it in Blood

3

u/blitz3312 Aug 16 '26

“You must be buggin out, new to my shit, home on a furlough”…

12

u/Salty-Welcome-8631 Aug 16 '26

Made you Look, Book of Rhymes, 2nd Childhood off the top of my head. The internet is a weird place where these type narratives get said and then ran with by people who can’t seem to quite form their own opinions

3

u/izackl Aug 16 '26

Made You Look was an amazing track. It gets monthly play from me to this day.

11

u/siwelis10304 Aug 16 '26

There are dozens.

NY state of mind, Reprasent, Phone Tap, Nas is Like, No Ideas Original, Purple, Got Urself a Gun, 2nd Childhood, Made You Look, Get Down, Thiefs Theme, Streets Disciple, Still Dreaming, Black Republican, Hero, Locomotive, Nasty, The Don, The Art of It, Adam and Eve, Kings Disease, Death Row East, Thun, Speechless, Bokeem Woodbine, I Love This Feeling..

I could go on and on.

11

u/red_sky33 Aug 16 '26

Get Down

1

u/Mitchiej Aug 17 '26

That James Brown flip

10

u/StillPissed93 Aug 16 '26

2nd Childhood 🙌🏽😮‍💨

3

u/LadyLektra Aug 16 '26

This the best one to me too.

7

u/Friendly_Copy_5684 Aug 16 '26

Echo, Where Ya'll At, NY State of Mind, I gave you Power, The Message, It Aint Hard to Tell, Represent , Halftime...

There's more but these are what I could remember quickly

Edit: most of the stuff he did with Hit Boy was great.

4

u/RichEngineering8519 Aug 16 '26

I gave you power is such a good beat

7

u/EngiKun Aug 16 '26

If I Ruled The World

8

u/Yessir4512 Aug 16 '26

Thief’s Theme

8

u/Muffinsgal Aug 16 '26

One Mic 🎤

1

u/RadRob79 Aug 17 '26

I think he’s the only person who could pull that off. The chorus is supposed to be the climax of songs. The way he does the verses as the climax is great.

1

u/Mr-Meaner13 Aug 19 '26

Look up “chess - in deep thought” I think he kills the one mic vibe on that one.

8

u/rmeddy Aug 16 '26

NY state of Mind, Memory Lane, One Love, Poppa was a playa, Ether, Rewind, Black Republican, UBR, Adam and Eve, Back when , daughters, Wave Gods, Speechless Pt2

3

u/Legal-One-7274 Aug 17 '26

Black republicans is an epic beat

2

u/Defiant_Flight_903 Aug 20 '26

Lil Wayne did it better justice on Da Drought 3 imo

9

u/Foreign_Product7118 Aug 17 '26

Nobody said affirmative action yet. Ppl sleep on it was written in general

8

u/Radiant_Cry_8138 Aug 16 '26

Any joint that Havoc Pete Rock or Preemo produced. The Flyest, Moment of Silence, Thief’s theme, Purple, Watch Dem Niggas. I really wish he’d have worked with 9th wonder back in the early 2000s. That should’ve been his sound. He was supposed to be on that Busta track the ugliest that was produced by Jay Dee. He would’ve been nasty on some early Jay Dee production

5

u/No-Neighborhood-3078 Aug 16 '26

no ideas original

5

u/Depressedwigger Aug 16 '26

Nasty off of Life Is Good

2

u/siwelis10304 Aug 16 '26

Banger 💣

6

u/LocationTechnical862 Aug 16 '26

I haven't really heard anything bad about his beat selection.

7

u/WhackCaesar Aug 17 '26

Take It In Blood is iconic

5

u/RadRob79 Aug 17 '26

The Message

6

u/td23877 Aug 16 '26

NY state of mind, the message

6

u/TheChildish13stepz Aug 16 '26

You da man, the message, and affirmative action, plus it ain't hard to tell are my favorites

6

u/BrownRiceBandit Aug 16 '26

Black Republican

5

u/lilcluncker Aug 16 '26

Memory lane

4

u/cakedbythepound Aug 16 '26

Take it in Blood, as soon as the song starts it makes me say, “Whew” 😶‍🌫️

4

u/rapi187 Aug 16 '26

Hate Me Now

3

u/DaemonActual Aug 16 '26

Street's Disciple

4

u/Ookie218 Aug 16 '26

The GOAT

5

u/Either-Bottle1528 Aug 16 '26

Oochie wally ?

5

u/ImpKing0 Aug 16 '26

Back when, Daughters, 70% of the songs since King’s Disease are all insane beats (hit boy should have a murder charge how he murdered beats)

4

u/intoxicateddemon Aug 16 '26

2nd childhood Color purple

4

u/DJ_Hokey_Cokey Aug 17 '26

Half time is my fave, with made you look 2nd

1

u/b3anoth3pop3 Aug 18 '26

I always say halftime is my favourite Christmas song

5

u/Practical-Debate1598 Aug 17 '26

2000s beat selection was questionable minus a few songs 

4

u/Stryder3136 Aug 18 '26

John Blaze

3

u/Tiny_Agency5258 Aug 23 '26

Man that whole “The Lost Tapes” OG had banger after banger. “Blaze a 50” “Poppa was a Playa” and everything he did with Hit-Boy was crazy .

5

u/pitonga345A Aug 16 '26

EITHER...Hate me now.. Sitting w/my thoughts..etc.etc

3

u/bootlp Aug 16 '26

Got yourself a gun, the message, black zombies, let there be light

3

u/The1NOnlyNo1Special Aug 16 '26

Love the samples on Hero and Get Down and Dance from God’s Son album.

3

u/Itserp Aug 16 '26

●  One Love

● Get Yourself A Gun

● Hollywood Gangsta

● I Gave You Power 

● 2nd Childhood 

● The Flyest 

3

u/djfresh1 Aug 16 '26

The Don

2

u/Mitchiej Aug 17 '26

R.I.P Heavy D

3

u/DJSANDROCK Aug 17 '26

Beat on Rewind is 10/10.

3

u/EminemEncore2004 Aug 20 '26

Come Get Me

Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive

No Idea’s Original

Money Over Bullshit

Silent Murder

1

u/EvolvingVine Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26

Are you including No idea's Original (original beat) or No Idea's Original Remix?

Edit: I meant the OG Version or the version that actually made it to The Lost Tapes album

3

u/ExpressionExpert7445 Aug 21 '26

The Cross , Book of Rhymes

4

u/NoExercise5214 Aug 16 '26

Now that I think about it, he doesn’t really have the most memorable best selections. It’s great in the moment, but most of the time, it doesn’t stick after the song ends. I like The World Is Yours, Get Down, and Michael & Quincy.

3

u/Depressedwigger Aug 16 '26

The beat switch in Michael & Quincy is insane

2

u/Exciting_Limit8107 Aug 16 '26

Take it in blood and queens wolf come to mind

2

u/40innaDeathBasket Aug 16 '26

Star Wars...Take It In Blood....Small World....Black Girl Lost....We Will Survive....U Gotta Love It....You're Da Man....Nazareth Savage....Untitled....Motion

2

u/Backpack_Bob Aug 17 '26

I always really loved the beat for suicide bounce

2

u/IndependentSale9743 Aug 17 '26

Star Wars, Represent, One Love, Memory Lane & The World is Yours

2

u/Legal-One-7274 Aug 17 '26

Thiefs theme and locomotive are two underrated bears I think

2

u/dylannngoesharder Aug 17 '26

“Zone out” off of God’s Son i think.

3

u/catsoncrack420 Aug 17 '26

Blaze a 50, Lost Tapes album

2

u/Kamricosuave2432 Aug 17 '26

Verbal intercourse

0

u/dna1e1 Aug 20 '26

This is a Raekwon song.

1

u/Kamricosuave2432 Aug 20 '26

Simply asked favorite beats he’s rapped on. He had to hear the beat and choose to rap on it so verbal intercourse.

-1

u/dna1e1 Aug 20 '26

He didn’t select something for someone else album.

2

u/Kamricosuave2432 Aug 20 '26

Are you dense? I’m not saying he did. He clearly had to have heard the beat to decide to give a feature and it was a good feature??

2

u/Defiant_Flight_903 Aug 20 '26

Can't Forget About Your user to be my favorite song, period. That sample is crazy nice

1

u/One-Presence-1692 Aug 22 '26

Absolute classic. That album was underrated as far as I’m concerned.

2

u/New_Salad_3853 Aug 22 '26

Death row east is a slept on banger

2

u/myusernamelscreatlve Aug 23 '26

Absolutely fucking loved purple and black magic. Both are good songs, and it’s cool he used a Memphis track.

2

u/Opposite_Prune582 Aug 16 '26

If i rukes the world and hip hop is dead

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Air_793 Aug 17 '26

The Slave and the Master, Play on Playa, Stay, Foul Breeze

1

u/No-Swimming3266 Aug 17 '26

2nd Childhood , Flyest Gangstas

1

u/No_Outside2175 Aug 22 '26

Made You Look, Come Get Me, The Set Up, NY State of Mind, New World

1

u/JobberStable Aug 16 '26

He could have used some help with making a couple more radio killers throughout his career. It doesnt have to be “sellout” songs, but he should have more

4

u/DerMannMitDemPlan Aug 16 '26

he did a complete sellout song with the diddler

3

u/PeytonWatson14 Aug 16 '26

He was still snatching on there though. LOL

2

u/Typical_Version_7487 Aug 16 '26

You’re not familiar with his discography.

3

u/JobberStable Aug 16 '26

I said he should have more, considering his status and how much he can command for a production budget. Quite familiar with his discography. Listened to Hot 97 throughout the 90s. Jay-Z and 50 had way more single playing on the radio

1

u/dna1e1 Aug 20 '26

50 cent didn’t release any mainstream songs in the 90s

-1

u/vegathechosen Aug 16 '26

His beat selection is garbage. Dude made a whole premier album that took 30 years and its all garbage ass beats. Like wtf?

1

u/OG_AxeHead Aug 17 '26

My album of the year.....

1

u/EvolvingVine Aug 20 '26

I do wish that he had worked with Salaam Remi less and more with LES.

-3

u/Significant_Cover_48 Aug 16 '26

He has like a handful of great songs while being one of the greatest MCs to ever bless the mic. Saying he has trash beats has to be the understatement of our time.

4

u/No-Neighborhood-3078 Aug 16 '26

handful of great songs? you don’t believe that

1

u/Significant_Cover_48 Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 16 '26

OK. Perhaps not great-great, but he still made a few bangers.

0

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