Life is Good
| Nas
Life is Good
Life Is Good is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on July 13, 2012, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was recorded at various studios in New York and California, with guest appearances from rappers Large Professor and Rick Ross, and singers Mary J. Blige, Miguel, and Amy Winehouse, among others. No I.D. and Salaam Remi's production for the album incorporated orchestral elements and musical references to both contemporary and golden age hip hop, including boom bap beats and old school samples. Nas wanted to draw on 1980s hip hop influences in order to complement the nostalgic tone of the lyrics. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Nas' 10th studio album, featuring production work from NO I.D., Buckwild, Salaam Remi, the late Heavy D, and Swizz Beatz, is his strongest in a few presidential administrations.
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Sputnik Music
Despite the many trials and difficulties that we must overcome on a daily basis, the rap veteran urges us to remember that “Life Is Good”.
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Rolling Stone
Using a leftover Amy Winehouse vocal on "Cherry Wine" was an attention-grabbing move he didn't need: His words alone keep us glued.
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BBC
When Kelis left him, she took everything she owned, except her green wedding dress (which appears on the cover art). But here, he exorcises the turmoil with a focused set of sustained brilliance. So life really is good for Nas. Great, even.
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Hiphop DX
Life Is Good is a dual relief for Nas and his supporters as its title lends itself to interpretation as a reconciled statement to gossip obsessed tabloids. The weight lifted from his shoulders has provided with him a reinvigorated energy unifying the masses, rectifying the ongoing harsh criticism of his poor beat selection and strengthening the case for his importance throughout Hip Hop’s folklore.
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Genius
In conclusion, Life is Good is indeed quite good… But anything from Nas that is less than great is at least mildly disappointing. Life is Good is probably the closest Nas has come to perfection since Illmatic, as the lyrics, the subject matter, and the passion are there – it’s just that the beats are a little soft, even if this is probably the best-produced Nas record since 1996, too.
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Pretty Much Amazing
Either way, he deserves commending for remaining an auteur within mainstream hip-hop who, at the very least, is willing to give that question some thought.
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Slant
Ultimately, what makes Life Is Good stand out is what also made his celebrated debut, Illmatic, so compelling. There’s a sense of narrative unity here, a wide-angle look of the artist as a grown man. And like that debut, it reminds us that there’s still a place in hip-hop for the album as a form.
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Sputnik Music
A notable continuation of a late career resurgence.
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COS
this is Nas’ strongest album in 18 years and three months– yes, since his debut album Illmatic. The applause on No Introduction is there for a reason.
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Rap Reviews
it must be said that Nas has truly delivered.
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No Ripcord
Fuelled by an acrimonious and supposedly high profile break up with Kelis , Nas has partially returned to the late 80’s/early 90’s golden age of hip hop sound that inspired his debut.
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Yo Rapper
If anything this album makes the case that rappers can make albums as they get old so long as they stay true to themselves.
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Beats Per Minute
This album is the most original work one of the greatest MC’s of all time has released in more than a decade.
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The Washington Post
Although Nas laments the work of finding a soul mate on the track, as the gone-too-soon singer backs him up with a soulful hook, the unspoken message is that Nas is just glad he’s still around to continue his search.
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Focus Hiphop
The way he manages to find good in such a difficult situation honestly surprised me. I didn’t think it would be possible. I love this album.
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Prefix
If Life Is Good is anything, it’s a clear juxtaposition of what Nas can do when he trusts himself, and what he inevitably becomes when he insists on forcing the issue.
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Dj Booth
Before Life Is Good, I don’t know if I would have put my money on Nas to win it all, but now he’d be my number one pick. Everyone eventually falls, but only the truly great ones get back up.
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Idolator
Life is Good isn’t just for trapped-in-the-’90s listeners, and it isn’t simply a midlife crisis album. It’s Nas sounding 10 years younger, in an apt reminder of, simply, what works.
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MTV
While drastically different from his 1994 debut, there is something especially majestic about Nasir's 2012 release, and hopefully it grows a little more special with each passing year.
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Nappy Afro
Nas constructed a classic album that may not change the face of music, but will definitely redefine how good someone can be…how good someone should be this late in their career and not rest on the legend title, but strive to prove it. Now where do I mail this Album of the Year vote, I think it’s over.
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Drowned in Sound
To pretend that Life is Good is flawless would be misleading, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable return to form. A slight, but unmistakeable mid-album lull is forgivable considering its lofty heights, with only the party-track misfire ‘Summer on Smash’ and its car horn of a Swizz Beats hook majorly disrupting the album’s momentum.
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All Hiphop
The result of Nas turning his recent pain into progression and piecing it all together positively is Life Is Good, a project that’s almost destined to be a contender for album of the year.
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Rolling Out
Nas reminds you of what hip-hop used to be. From the production to the lyricism, Life Is Good romanticizes the ’90s hip-hop era and brings heads to a halt as you stop to actually listen to the lyrics.
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Daily News
As bangin' as the music may be, it's Nas' honesty that draws us close. Refusing to hide behind a character or even a persona, the rapper lays himself bare, detailing his problems and perceptions with such confidence and grace, it's guaranteed that "Life Is Good" will make fans feel great.
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G Style Magazine
Life is Good is more than a solid contribution, it’s a big “I’m still that MC you catz dream to be.” If this album had an alternative name it would be “Man Up” because NaS doesn’t shy away from his publicized divorce with his ex-wife pop artist Kelis.
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YPOIW
So unfortunately, I have almost nothing but complaints on this new Nas album. I came away liking very, very few tracks and being very displeased, to take it lightly, with the rest.
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NOW Magazine
It's a solid album anchored by The Don, his best single since 2003's Made You Look and so raucous it belongs in raves and on runways.
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Rukus
Over low-key tracks where the music is secondary, Nas keeps you enthralled and into the song with his poignant lyricism. If the album has a misstep, it is the Swizz Beatz-produced “Summer on Smash.” While not a bad song, and far better than some of Nas’s past attempts to make a party/club song, it just does not fit amongst the other songs.
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Pop Matters
Hip-hop is vibrant as ever in 2012, and Life Is Good proves to be a major example of why.
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Under the Radar
Life Is Good stands as Nas' best album in years, and one of the best hip-hop releases of 2012.
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Exclaim
Life is Good is a well-crafted entry from a seasoned veteran that displays his vitality and vintage flow 20-plus years into his career in a genre where many MCs don't age gracefully. Thankfully, Life is Good isn't just good. Just like the real thing, it demands your attention and unapologetically embraces complexity.
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Treble
Nas demands your attention. And he proves he’s still worth it, you just have to fight through the bombast to witness it.
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AV Club
Life Is Good leaves Nas in his comfort zone, where the vital music of his youth proves a rousing platform for commenting on matters of middle age.
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Vice
Easily his best album since the last time someone said one of his albums was his best album since 'Illmatic.'
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Bond
“Life Is Good”, perhaps it is setting the bar this high that leaves me feeling only slighty satisfied with this release, although crucially always wanting to hear more.
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Soul in Stereo
This album isn’t the usual collection of random tracks. It’s Nas’ story and, most importantly, the story of the art form we all love.
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Day & A Dream
While it’s no Illmatic, by album’s end, listeners are left feeling more than satisfied and Nas himself seems to declare that, even when times are tough, Life is Good and the music couldn’t be better.
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Da Shelter
Smash, I can’t recall one really bad song on here as the whole album flowed cohesive. I believe we have a CLASSIC(Yes I said Classic) album on our hands.
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XXL
Still, Life Is Good is arguably Nas’ best LP since Stillmatic. In a climate where substance is scarce, the album is necessary. It’s potent from the excellent cover art to Nas’s sharp bars. It’s balanced. The Queens MC is open, but not emo. Hard, but also thought-provoking.
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CNN
Still, "Life Is Good's" better moments, like the languid Amy Winehouse collab ''Cherry Wine,'' manage to give his classics a run for their money — even if that money's going straight to the IRS anyway.
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Hard Knock TV
Now, 20 years later, Nas tenth studio album Life is Good demonstrates Nas’s ability to vent; giving fans a mature lyrical tone. Coming from an artist whose lyrics address streetlife and struggle growing up, Nas transforms from “Life’s a B*tch” in Illmatic to Life is Good.
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Cypher Avenue
You’ll be hard pressed to find a better album to come out this year than Nas’ “Life Is Good.” We’re only halfway through 2012 but I’ll go out on a limb and say this will be the best Hip Hop album of the year.
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Cool Black Media
I've always liked Nas' mic skills, and liked some of his records, but I wouldn't call myself a "fan", but dude is the truth and so is this album. I usually break down what are the best tracks, but that's fruitless this album is a classic and you should just listen to the whole thing.
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HuffPost
At the end of the day, Nas doesn't need to assume a persona to demonstrate his talent. He simply need embrace the street poet that lives within him.
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Spin
On Life Is Good, an album about change and trying hard to feel comfortable in your own increasingly wrinkly skin, he’s finally reached an age he’s capable of acting.
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DJ Rahdu
The storytelling is vivid and is reminiscent of Slick Rick’s influence of course with that unparalleled poetic aptitude and delivery that only Nas possesses.
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The Essence of Rap and Hip Hop
The beats, which are usually hit-or-miss on Nas albums, are consistently dope and blend old school boom-bap beats with modern day sounds. This is definitely one of Nas's best albums in years and I highly recommend it for any hip-hop head.
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The Gentleman's Report
If you love good music, this album is an essential to own.
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