Why Illmatic is Nas's Best Album

In 1994 in Queensbridge, New York Nasir Jones also known as "Nas" released his debut album "Illmatic." Throughout this album, Nas brings us the full range of emotion whether it is the pessimistic "Life's a Bitch" or the oddly hopeful "One Love." Nas captures what it is like to live in the Queensbridge Projects. Where every day was a struggle and you were never truly safe this is "Illmatic" is Nas's most critically acclaimed album but it is his best album for a different reason. Now look, Nas is my favorite artist of all time and I love all of his albums I'm not saying that this is his only good album but it is his best out of all of them especially for a debut album. "Illmatic" is a roller coaster of an album with many different types of songs on it. My favorite part about this is how there are no party anthems on it. Throughout the entire album, there is no song that is made for clubs, each song has emotion and thought and is made for the lyrics not for the beats. There is also no one who has listened to that album who didn't feel a connection to one of the amazing songs on it. The album has amazing production and amazing lyrics it cannot be beaten. Keep in mind that this is my opinion you're entitled to your own. What do you think is the best Nas album?


Twitter- @Gatensjack

The City Kid: A Member of the New Wave of Hip Hop

In a world full of Mc's who rap so incoherently that they have become their own sub-category of hip-hop know as mumble rap there are few who break away from this trend of mumble rap and speak with meaning and about struggles whether it is their own or societies. I believe that Lucas Rabenau who is also known as The City Kid is one of those Mc's. Lucas started his rap career with his single "Strangers" which now has over 24 thousand streams. Unfortunately, his other music hasn't gotten the same amount of love which is really disappointing. In a world where people like Lil Pump and Tekashi 6ix9ine can blow up and become superstars with music that means nothing why is it that the people who put their heart and soul into the music don't get the recognition they deserve. Some haters may try to point out how Lucas never really had a struggle he lives in a wealthy town goes to a great school and will more than likely go to college. It's a common misconception that rappers have to come up from nothing and will then rap about how they made it from the hood but hip-hop is more than that hip hop is about struggles of any kind, sure it can be monetary struggles but it can also be about mental struggles and that's what Lucas talks about in his music. For example in "Strangers" Lucas talks about an ex-girlfriend and the mental toll that she took on him once they broke up since it seems to happen for no reason. While this song isn't about a struggle with money it's still about a struggle the struggle of a boy who fell in love with a girl but at the end of their relationship he didn't recognize who she was anymore. Lucas is a part of a group of Mc's who follow a 2014 Cambridge study on "Hip Hop Psych" a new wave of rappers who don't just rap about the rags to riches story but also about the mental toll life has taken on them who rap about their feelings it's a wave that will hopefully conquer the wave of mumble rap because it actually means something and I hope that Lucas will be a forefront in that change.

Lucas's social media
Soundcloud: Souncloud.com/thecitykid
Instagram: @Lucas_rabs @thecitykidmusic

-Jack