Nas

Reviewed by TenTillDeath:

After several albums that fans had considered let downs leading up to this point, Life Is Good sees Nas at his most honest, vulnerable, and most mature self.

Life is Good features themes such as self reflection, reminiscing on the past, addressing relationships, etc. This album follows Nas after his 2010 divorce from his then wife Kelis; whose wedding dress is supposedly featured on the cover art of this album. There are also several tracks in which Nas reflects on his relationship with Kelis such as in Stay and Bye Baby.

This album starts strong with the first track No Introduction. This song is accompanied by what appears to be an orchestra/symphony which also appears on multiple songs on this album. By utilizing what appears to be an orchestra for the production, it makes the Nas album feel grand and at times as if he’s a character in a stage play. Look no further than the opening track which sees Nas reflecting on his past, but still letting listeners know that even though he’s grown, he’s still “hood”.

The instrumentals and beat selection still sound great over a decade later, with only Summer on Smash sounding dated. Well known hip hop producer No ID produced this album so it only figures that the instrumentals sound so good. No ID not only utilizes a Sinatra sounding New York sound throughout this album, but manages to include elements of soul, jazz, and blues like on the song Stay. No ID’s production makes every song feel not only emotionally tantalizing, but also as if they all belong together.

Nas’ lyricism and cadence is even more strong than ever, and at times feels like a more polished version of his 90s cadence! Nas’ song writing skills take a more mature approach as he focuses on subjects such as fatherhood, his relationship issues with Kelis, and reflection on friends he grew up with that seemingly disappeared. In one song, Nas asks “what happened to those that I shouted out on my first album?” Nas is not only reflecting on the past with people he used to hold prestigious, but also recognizes the passing of time and wonders where everyone had gone. In another song, Nas talks about addiction and even the most simplest addictions can lead to unfortunate outcomes. Nas’ song writing skills and stories on this album feels like a coming of age story; it’s like we are seeing Nas grow up in real time.

Life Is Good is Nas at his most mature yet vulnerable self. If Illmatic was a kid that grew up, it would be Life is Good.

We here at the Record Ranters give this album a 4.5 out of 5 rating!

Our video review on this album is below: