Would Nas be the GOAT without "ETHER"?

[eternal soldier]

To be the GOAT u have to maintain relevance ur whole career...cant be irrelevant from 99'-01', and then irrelevant again from 01'-06'...thats just too much irrelevance lol...then again from 06'-12'....been in the game 20 years and been relevant maybe 8 of those years, yet he's the "undisputed GOAT" smh

To be the GOAT, all hip hop fans have to fuck wit u, all demographics, ethnicities and age groups, not just dusty black old niggas age 27-40...u the GOAT but yet the avg 21 year old a barely acknowledge ur existence? FOH.

SN....Nas rarely does any features so in between mediocre albums the man really is the epitome of irrelevance, he be ghost, u cant hear from him...while the real GOAT makes sure he's relevant even in between albums.

By the notion of remaining revalent for your whole career, 95% of those we call greats aren't shit... This follows the question of who is the goat? Jay "retired" for 3 years. Em fell off the face of the world for 5 years. BIG and PAC both passed before they met their peak. DMX had an excellent 5-6 year run. So who is the goat to you?

 

[Chasin Bundlez]

@jim...Niggas acting as if I'm ashamed or afraid to admit Em is the GOAT lol...he's not my personal fav, but he has as just a right to claim GOAT status as any other legendary emcee (sales back him up), and if we're tbh with ourselves he's a better lyricist than our fav rappers (ate up jay easily) and it's not even close...flow, metaphors, multis, complex rhyme schemes, etc he blows niggas out the water, including Nawz, who barely rhymes and is more of a poet than an actual rapper...too bad he used that talent to diss pop stars, rap bout faggotry, OxyContin, and killin his baby moms lol...had he grew up in an ur an environment where he was selling drugs and involved in real street shit he would relate more to an urban audience and would've been the best of all time hands down..facts.

@eternal...Hov is the GOAT cuz he's top 5 in every category, lyricism (subjective), commercial performance, longevity, financial success, respect amongst his peers and multi classic albums.

No other rapper could say the same, they lacking in one regard or another...Em doesn't get respect, Big and PAC don't have longevity, and Nas is fitting himself in red suits to play Santa Claus at ur local mall this Xmas...the boy dead broke after 20 years on the game...sad.

It's a reason 50 keeps Floyd and Jay names in his mouth 24/7, and that's cuz they to sumn in common...both the best of all time at what they do...word.

 

[TrillRussell]

Nas top 5...but the greatest?..Nah..there's A difference between "best" and "greatest"..Nas could very well be the best rapper of all time..that could be A legit argument for him..but "greatest" is something else...being the greatest has nothing to do with technical skill..but what type of mark an artist/his music leaves on the world..and 2pac got that shit by A landslide..2pac is biggest icon hip hop has..say what you want about his technical skill,bring your "If he wouldn't have died" scenarios..but shit..it's alot of dead rappers..and he's the only 1 that's close to the level of Icon as Michael Jackson,Elvis Presley,Jimi Hendrix,Bob Marley etc. ..that's what greatness is all about

 

[eternal soldier]

@jim...Niggas acting as if I'm ashamed or afraid to admit Em is the GOAT lol...he's not my personal fav, but he has as just a right to claim GOAT status as any other legendary emcee (sales back him up), and if we're tbh with ourselves he's a better lyricist than our fav rappers (ate up jay easily) and it's not even close...flow, metaphors, multis, complex rhyme schemes, etc he blows niggas out the water, including Nawz, who barely rhymes and is more of a poet than an actual rapper...too bad he used that talent to diss pop stars, rap bout faggotry, OxyContin, and killin his baby moms lol...had he grew up in an ur an environment where he was selling drugs and involved in real street shit he would relate more to an urban audience and would've been the best of all time hands down..facts.

@eternal...Hov is the GOAT cuz he's top 5 in every category, lyricism (subjective), commercial performance, longevity, financial success, respect amongst his peers and multi classic albums.

No other rapper could say the same, they lacking in one regard or another...Em doesn't get respect, Big and PAC don't have longevity, and Nas is fitting himself in red suits to play Santa Claus at ur local mall this Xmas...the boy dead broke after 20 years on the game...sad.

It's a reason 50 keeps Floyd and Jay names in his mouth 24/7, and that's cuz they to sumn in common...both the best of all time at what they do...word.

So Nas isn't a GOAT because his wallet isn't as big as Jay's? That's where my confusion kicks in. So Kane (according to Hip-Hop fans and peers alike) isn't an ultimate goat because his wallet isn't as big? I don't think anyone is gonna agree and we don't have to which is why the boards are here.

 

[qawshun]

Nas top 5...but the greatest?..Nah..there's A difference between "best" and "greatest"..Nas could very well be the best rapper of all time..that could be A legit argument for him..but "greatest" is something else...being the greatest has nothing to do with technical skill..but what type of mark an artist/his music leaves on the world..and 2pac got that shit by A landslide..2pac is biggest icon hip hop has..say what you want about his technical skill,bring your "If he wouldn't have died" scenarios..but shit..it's alot of dead rappers..and he's the only 1 that's close to the level of Icon as Michael Jackson,Elvis Presley,Jimi Hendrix,Bob Marley etc. ..that's what greatness is all about

I see what you mean but at the same time, Nas didn't make a mark on the game ? The boy is touring off his 1st lp 20yrs later. As for pac he has a million dick riders. I mean more than half of his "followers" not following him for his positive side.

Side note When bringing up sales. Everyone that out sold nas went commercial. Jay was on par or below nas sale wise then that Annie track took the fuck off and it's been a wrap since.

Also for people speaking on jay using big lines for every big line jay used he has a song full of his own shit better than that track.

 

[TrillRussell]

Nas top 5...but the greatest?..Nah..there's A difference between "best" and "greatest"..Nas could very well be the best rapper of all time..that could be A legit argument for him..but "greatest" is something else...being the greatest has nothing to do with technical skill..but what type of mark an artist/his music leaves on the world..and 2pac got that shit by A landslide..2pac is biggest icon hip hop has..say what you want about his technical skill,bring your "If he wouldn't have died" scenarios..but shit..it's alot of dead rappers..and he's the only 1 that's close to the level of Icon as Michael Jackson,Elvis Presley,Jimi Hendrix,Bob Marley etc. ..that's what greatness is all about

I see what you mean but at the same time, Nas didn't make a mark on the game ? The boy is touring off his 1st lp 20yrs later. As for pac he has a million dick riders. I mean more than half of his "followers" not following him for his positive side.

Side note When bringing up sales. Everyone that out sold nas went commercial. Jay was on par or below nas sale wise then that Annie track took the fuck off and it's been a wrap since.

Also for people speaking on jay using big lines for every big line jay used he has a song full of his own shit better than that track.

Of Course Nas has left A mark..that's why he's top 5..but Pac's level of icon is bigger than hip hop man..he is to hip hop what Mj is to Pop/R&B.For Example...Mj wasn't technically the best singer/dancer..historically there's A few singers that would sing circles around him...but he capivated the world on A different type of scale with what he did bring to the table..Same thing with Pac when it comes to rap..

 

[S2J]

i don't think he needed it. But I'll admit it did help his career

Helped? Ngga...Thats like saying Lebron didnt need a title but it helped his career. A bit of an understatement.

There's 2 ways to hypothetically look at it:

1) The entire beef never happened, Takeover or Ether.

Its hard to say, who knows what type of music Nas would go on to make. Ether revitalizd him, but i think it's sfe to say the backlash from Nastradmus and people sayin 'he lost it' would have eventually made him 'snap out of it' and make good music again. His discography would still be similar to what it is now.

2) Takeover still happens, but Nas' reply isnt Ether. Lets say it was subpar or he didnt respond.

Ngga, we wouldnt be talking about the same guy. B/c Ether is so brilliant, it makes people forget how brilliant Takeover was! If Nas didnt come back from Takeover, he would be less of what he is today. Confidnce-wise and public perception. See: Prodigy.

*Dont forget his mom passed around that time. There is a GOOD chance that if Takeover didnt call out his pride, his craft, he would have been content with sittin back n chillin.

 

[DR. JEK]

N.mcfly come on now

I think there is only so much you can "Big up your brother" cuz you "Big enuff to do it" type shit.

This nigga Big been dead as a muthafucka for 17 and some change and bit Biggies lines again as recently as the holy grail album. We gotta stop giving this.bastard a pass if he suppose to be the greatest rapper ever lived. How somebody that great stays on somebody else dead dick?

 

[DR. JEK]

i don't think he needed it. But I'll admit it did help his career

Helped? Ngga...Thats like saying Lebron didnt need a title but it helped his career. A bit of an understatement.

There's 2 ways to hypothetically look at it:

1) The entire beef never happened, Takeover or Ether.

Its hard to say, who knows what type of music Nas would go on to make. Ether revitalizd him, but i think it's sfe to say the backlash from Nastradmus and people sayin 'he lost it' would have eventually made him 'snap out of it' and make good music again. His discography would still be similar to what it is now.

2) Takeover still happens, but Nas' reply isnt Ether. Lets say it was subpar or he didnt respond.

Ngga, we wouldnt be talking about the same guy. B/c Ether is so brilliant, it makes people forget how brilliant Takeover was! If Nas didnt come back from Takeover, he would be less of what he is today. Confidnce-wise and public perception. See: Prodigy.

*Dont forget his mom passed around that time. There is a GOOD chance that if Takeover didnt call out his pride, his craft, he would have been content with sittin back n chillin.

Every reason you gave is why i voted the way i voted.

Good post

 

[Built 4 cuban linx]

I never held nastradomus against nas like everyone else do. That album never was supposed to happen in the first place. It's a rushed album and a bad decision by nas or the label. The original I...am album is probably one of the top in his catalog.

 

[Built 4 cuban linx]

i don't think he needed it. But I'll admit it did help his career

Helped? Ngga...Thats like saying Lebron didnt need a title but it helped his career. A bit of an understatement.

There's 2 ways to hypothetically look at it:

1) The entire beef never happened, Takeover or Ether.

Its hard to say, who knows what type of music Nas would go on to make. Ether revitalizd him, but i think it's sfe to say the backlash from Nastradmus and people sayin 'he lost it' would have eventually made him 'snap out of it' and make good music again. His discography would still be similar to what it is now.

2) Takeover still happens, but Nas' reply isnt Ether. Lets say it was subpar or he didnt respond.

Ngga, we wouldnt be talking about the same guy. B/c Ether is so brilliant, it makes people forget how brilliant Takeover was! If Nas didnt come back from Takeover, he would be less of what he is today. Confidnce-wise and public perception. See: Prodigy.

*Dont forget his mom passed around that time. There is a GOOD chance that if Takeover didnt call out his pride, his craft, he would have been content with sittin back n chillin.

Great post and I agree. I voted as if the battle never happened at all but if takeover came out and nas never responded, it would've been a bad look

 

[nex gin]

Ether just solidified the title.

 

[The Month of August]

With Nas' lyrical consistency throughout his career, I think he would've been one of the greatest w/o Ether. The whole point of the Jay-Z/Nas battle to me was that it was two of hip-hop's greats going at each other. It's like asking if Biggie or Pac would be considered two of the GOAT's w/o their beef...

 

[DR. JEK]

With Nas' lyrical consistency throughout his career, I think he would've been one of the greatest w/o Ether. The whole point of the Jay-Z/Nas battle to me was that it was two of hip-hop's greats going at each other. It's like asking if Biggie or Pac would be considered two of the GOAT's w/o their beef...

I respect your opinion but i disagree based off of the differing circumstances between the beefs. The Pac and Big beef had more of a personal element between the origin of it where people or a guy actually needed medical attention as a result of what happen much like the Ja vs 50 situations which made their beef more inevitable and not about rap like that

The Nas vs Jay was more legacies on the line as far as rap is concerned that only became mildly personal due to Jay messin wit his baby moms but it wasnt niggas getting shot and set up at the studios or niggas getting stabbed up at the studios type of thing. Their beef only took off by chance because had Nas not crashed hard wit Nastradamus and not wanting.to rap no more around the same time Jay grew enough to try niggas that beef that stayed lyrical wouldna even got off the ground.

 

[qawshun]

People for get why nastradamas can out the way it did. Had that leak not happened and we got that double disk what then ? Would there still be a debate

 

[The Month of August]

With Nas' lyrical consistency throughout his career, I think he would've been one of the greatest w/o Ether. The whole point of the Jay-Z/Nas battle to me was that it was two of hip-hop's greats going at each other. It's like asking if Biggie or Pac would be considered two of the GOAT's w/o their beef...

I respect your opinion but i disagree based off of the differing circumstances between the beefs. The Pac and Big beef had more of a personal element between the origin of it where people or a guy actually needed medical attention as a result of what happen much like the Ja vs 50 situations which made their beef more inevitable and not about rap like that

The Nas vs Jay was more legacies on the line as far as rap is concerned that only became mildly personal due to Jay messin wit his baby moms but it wasnt niggas getting shot and set up at the studios or niggas getting stabbed up at the studios type of thing. Their beef only took off by chance because had Nas not crashed hard wit Nastradamus and not wanting.to rap no more around the same time Jay grew enough to try niggas that beef that stayed lyrical wouldna even got off the ground.

My fault... I should've clarified that I was strictly comparing status/reputation at the beginning of both of the battles. They were all considered great to the masses before the feuds. I was focusing on the outside appeal of the battles rather than the actual circumstances. Lyrically, neither Jay-Z nor Nas were known to slouch at that time and neither were Pac/Big at the beginning of their rivalry. That's why people were wanting Big to rebuttal so bad, even though he didn't (officially). I think if it was Pac vs. a much weaker East Coast rapper, it wouldn't have been even half as high-profile. But I think I would've been wrong to compare either way. I appreciate the input.