I get tired of seeing this, but it is easily quotable: Illmatic is a classic. Word.
Definitely Nas is more lyrical than Eminem in terms of wordplay and complexity. Just bump "It Ain't Hard to Tell" and look up the lyrics. He uses multisyllabic rhymes COMBINED with internal rhymes... all that which rhymes with the next line. Both internally and the last syllable. It's astounding. I must agree though, Nas seems to have a lack of charisma that is apparent in Eminem's, Jay-Z's, and The Notorious B.I.G.'s raps. He doesn't really define his character very well, except maybe his Stillmatic track "One Mic."
But all in all, there IS a reason why Eminem can't elevate himself into the legendary circle of respected MC's. He lacks a certain consistency and unique-ness, although that does sound a little contradictory. Hm... Eminem just doesn't have the gritty feel, usually, that is apparent in Golden Age rappers such as Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and LL Cool J, West Coast Golden Age rappers such as 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube, and East Coast Renaissance rappers such as Nas, Jay-Z, and the Notorious B.I.G. Same with Scarface although he is a Southern rapper, along with OutKast. (Andre 3K rules!)
He somehow needs this certain feel and this DEFINING classic. The Marshall Mathers LP is very incredible, but somehow his depiction of his life is more leaning to a certain "whining" tone than a "this is my life. it's reality." tone that is greatly apparent on such albums like "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) or Liquid Swords." He tends to whine too much such as in horrendous tracks as "Kim" or "The Way I Am", although "The Way I Am" is a very lyrically and emotionally charged track; it is also my favorite song by him.
I believe Eminem could reach the legendary circle of rappers if he had one undisputed classic that is accepted in the streets and mainstream. An album that can defeat time and remain as immensely intriguing as if it was just released. Also, I think Eminem needs to drop his silly first singles tactic, although I personally find some enjoyable to listen to, even though replay value is annihilated quickly. His first singles tactic tends to be the reason why hip hop heads think that Eminem is a clown and not a "real" rapper. Also, sadly as it seems, Eminem IS white, obviously enough and there is still some discriminatory feelings in the "hood."
_SacJB wrote:which one has a better vocabulary
Both Eminem and Nas have extensive vocabulary. If you doubt me on Nas, check out Illmatic and Stillmatic. If you somehow (I doubt it) like those albums, please feel free to cop "God's Son" as well in the process.
Shady'baby. wrote:slimsoxshady wrote:^ Eminem is more legendary than Nas in the Hip Hop world
Are you sure about that, i dont think alot of rappers consider eminem one of the best or they do but dont say it, while every rapper would say nas is the best
Sadly, some rappers are too biased towards Nas, despite Eminem's apparent talent in wordplay. Although, Nas is a overall more respected MC than Eminem, no doubt. Ironically, Nas thinks the return of Eminem is a "great thing for hip hop and can be looked foward to." Also, weirdly enough, Eminem is on Jay-Z's top 5 list of MC's. Don't ask me for the source; I forgot.
ShadyVsEminem wrote:Nas only knows one way to skin a cat,Eminem has so much more musical range and that alone makes him better.Nas is very lyrical but equally boring a lot of the time where as Eminem continues to find new techniques and flows to keep things fresh.
It is true Eminem has a more flexible method to switch his flows and keep his music somewhat more fresh, Nas does not have one way to skin a cat, actually. In N.Y. State of Mind, he explains what kind of mentally state he possesses to survive in his hood. In I Gave You Power (a brilliant track), he raps in the perspective of a gun being used by gangsters in his home to kill others. In Rewind, he spits a verse that tells a story backwards about a supposed murder. I could name countless more, but I think you get the point. Nas's flow may be somewhat monotonous, if you are trying to get familiar with him, but his lyrics are amazing.
AnalKiddo wrote:honestly it is VERY VERY close but Em is more lyrical
I'm curious what Eminem track you believe surpasses any Illmatic track in terms of lyrical prowess? I think this was asked before but... WHY IS YOUR NAME ANALKIDDO?
voice23 wrote:lol..eminem is good...but nas blows him out....and WHY ARE YOU GUYS COMPARING MMLP TO ILLMATIC!!! HAHAHAHA....first nas was 18 and it was 94 with illmatic----second--em was 27ish with mmlp...lol theres really no comparing....nas is very very consistent ...illmatic..stillmatic..gods son..streets disciple..lost tapes..hip-hop is dead........come on people---......lol all I can say is stans stans stans....eminem is a great emcee...but nas is a legendary emcee...so hate it up...ahhhhhhh
You sound like your dickriding Nas and don't know shit about him, no offense. Hate on me all you want.
Emadyville wrote:Chet Starr wrote:Nas of course, but it's silly to compare them on a eminem forum. Cause only weirdo's and huge eminem fans are on this site.
as in drunkendeath and everyone else lol?
comparing mmlp with illmatic i'd say mmlp cause illmatic was dope don't get me wrong, nas has a gift for descriptive verses but that album seemed to sound the same in almost every song, i havent heard it in awhile but thats what I remember, and Xray I gotta agree with, i'd prolly agree that ny state of mind and the way I am are the tracks form each album that stand out (altho others on mmlp do as well, like Stan and Criminal) and I'd pick the way I am every time
Hm... I used to be biased towards MMLP, because of tracks like Stan and The Way I Am. Don't get me wrong. Stan has an amazing concept and a fantasic storyline, but I feel the lyrics themselves are a little too simple and the rhyming techniques Eminem employs are a little less complex than ANYTHING on Illmatic. An album is judged, mostly, on its subject matter, lyrical complexity, and production rate. Other things are more trivial like flow, although a good flow is necessary to get listeners interested. The Way I Am is a FANTASTIC track in its ability to create an angry mood and Eminem spits like a beast, but to me, now, it sounds a little more bitchy-ish than actually a reality check. Illmatic may lack the intensity that MMLP, but its lyricism and production is more than enough to compensate. It's old school at it's best, to be perfectly honest.
slimsoxshady wrote:^ Eminem is more legendary than Nas in the Hip Hop world
You're wrong. Simple.
Hate on me all you want, people.
Been a while since I posted anyways.
