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Life Is Good (Nas album)

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Life Is Good is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Nas, released July 17, 2012, on Def Jam Recordings. His last album for the record label, it was recorded at various recording studios and produced by primarily by No I.D. and Salaam Remi. Writing the album after his impactful divorce from recording artist Kelis, Nas wanted to vent personal feelings and address moments in his life with his lyrics. He pursued 1980s hip hop influences for the album's production to complement its nostalgic tone.

Likened by Nas to Marvin Gaye's 1978 album Here, My Dear, Life Is Good features personal subject matter, themes of adulthood and nostalgia, and reflections on Nas' personal life and experience in hip hop. His rapping is characterized by a relaxed flow, internal rhymes, and malicious, nostalgic, and introspective tones. The album's production incorporates musical references to both contemporary and golden age hip hop, including boom bap beats and old school samples.

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 149,000 copies in its first week. It also reached the top 10 of record charts in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It was promoted with three singles and a European tour by Nas during June and July 2012. Upon its release, Life Is Good received generally positive reviews from music critics, who commended Nas' lyrics and mature themes. As of August 12, it has sold 245,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Background

Nas' direction for the album was influenced by his divorce from Kelis.

In 2010, Nas released his tenth studio album Distant Relatives, a collaboration with Damian Marley that reinvigorated Nas creatively.[1] However, he became distracted with tax problems and an expensive, highly publicized divorce from his wife Kelis months before their son's birth, events that influenced his direction for Life Is Good.[2][3] His writing of the album was also influenced by adjusting back to life as a single man.[4] Nas also wanted to write more original subject matter rather than another album "about how you came up in the hood and how you had to make it out of the hood".[4] Although he did not find his album "quite so much about the marriage or the divorce", Nas likened Life Is Good to Marvin Gaye's 1978 album Here, My Dear,[2] which was written by Gaye in response to his own deterioting marriage and released as a financial settlement.[5] Nas said of the album's personal subject matter in an interview for Billboard:

When I started working on the record, I tried to avoid it. The timing was just calling for me to not avoid all the shit that was going on out there. It was like a 10,000-ton gorilla in the room watching me. This is the way I got it off of my chest. This album talks about life, love and money. It talks about the fact that marriage is expensive. Life Is Good represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.[5]

The album's cover depicts a forlorn Nas in an polished white suit, sitting in a night club's VIP lounge, and holding over his knee Kelis' actual green wedding dress,[2] which he said was the only item she left.[5] When writing the album, Nas also reflected on aging and maturation, fatherhood, and his 20-year experience in hip hop music.[2]

Recording

Recording sessions for the album took place at the following recording studios: 4220 Studios, Conway Recording Studios, and East West Studios in Hollywood, Instrument Zoo Studios in Miami, Jungle City Studios, Oven Studios in New York City, Record One in Sherman Oaks, and Westlake Studios in Los Angeles.[6]

For the album, Nas wanted the production to complement his lyrics' nostalgic themes with 1980s hip hop influences.[2] He primarily worked with hip hop producers No I.D. and Salaam Remi, a frequent collaborator of his.[1] Remi said that he wanted his production "to be something that a mumble-mouth rapper can’t rap on. You better have something to say and be speaking up."[1] Along with producer Swizz Beatz, No I.D. and Nas related to the latter's lyrics concerning divorce during the recording sessions.[5]

Composition

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.

— Evan Rytlewski, The A.V. Club[7]

The album incorporates musical references to both older and contemporary hip hop music.[8] Its production features live instrumentation,[9] orchestral music, R&B, boom bap and elements.[10] Music journalist Evan Rytlewski denotes "boom-bap drums, lush keyboards, smooth saxophones, and the occasional Run-D.M.C. and MC Shan sample" to be "tasteful accents" referring to golden age hip hop.[7] Ryan Hamm of Under the Radar views that Remi and No I.D.'s production "tends to lean toward opulent and epic".[11] Anupa Mistry of NOW writes that "boom bap classicists Salaam Remi and No I.D. weave a raw, funky, orchestral lattice customized for Nas's age-appropriate raps about custody battles and fatherhood."[12]

The album's subject matter features nostalgic and adult themes,[10] including aging and maturity,[10] and transparent lyrics addressing moments in Nas' life, including his youth and the recent years leading up to Life Is Good.[8] Erika Ramirez of Billboard comments that "Nas turns his roller-coaster time period into stories of internal and external battles, some of which he won and some he lost."[8] David Dennis of The Village Voice notes "close-to-home perspectives" on the album and writes that Nas' lyrics address hip hop's "golden era" and "the trials and tribulations of adult relationships."[13] Brandon Soderberg of Spin asserts that his lyrics "constantly remind nostalgics that the good ol' days were often chaotic and desperate".[10] Slant Magazine's Manan Desai views Nas' comparison of the album to Gaye's Here, My Dear as beyond the theme of divorce, writing that "like Nas, Gaye was pushing 40 when he recorded his album; he'd cemented his position as one of R&B's greatest, and yet, he never sounded more anguished about where all that fame was leading him. There's something similar going on throughout Life Is Good; the more we hear Nas repeat that titular refrain, the less convincing he sounds."[3]

Nas' rapping is characterized by internal rhymes and a relaxed, plainspoken flow.[7] Allmusic's David Jeffries comments that Nas "prefers swaggering over staying on topic" and characterizes his lyrics about his divorce as "unfiltered carpet bombing of love and marriage".[14] Both Jeffries and Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic characterize the content as "venomous".[14][15] Conversely, Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone views that Nas "cuts his rhymes with midlife realism and daring empathy".[16] Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe writes that the songs "mix anger, nostalgia, and insight."[9]

Content

"A Queens Story" features orchestral strings, funky drums, and lyrics paying homage to Nas' native Queens and his creative influences.[3] "Accident Murderers" addresses senseless violence and features a rags-to-riches narrative by Rick Ross.[8][16] On "Daughters", Nas is bewildered at the responsibilities of fatherhood, as he addresses his daughter's social networking activity and worries about his past undermining his parental authority.[7][17] Killian Fox of The Observer writes that Nas' observations on his ex-wife's "hefty childcare payments" and his 18-year old daughter "dating unsuitable men" are resonated by his "recollections of his early years as a Queensbridge hustler – just the kind of unsuitable young man he's warning his daughter about these days".[18]

"Reach Out" features Mary J. Blige and incorporates the piano loop from Isaac Hayes' 1970 song "Ike's Mood".[8] Its lyrics address Nas' feeling displaced "when you're too hood to be in the Hollywood circles, you're too rich to be in the hood that birthed you".[4] "You Wouldn't Understand" addresses life struggles and features a mellow production and neo soul influences.[8] The up-tempo "The Don" samples Super Cat's 1982 song "Dance Inna New York" and has a 1990s hip hop sound.[8][16] Its lyrics extol both Nas' rapping prowess and New York City.[8][16] "Cherry Wine" features vocals by Amy Winehouse and a narrative between ill-fated lovers.[3] On "Bye Baby", Nas' lyrics address his ex-wife and recount their marriage in a narrative that follows the wedding, counseling sessions, marriage counseling, and the legal process of their divorce.[3][8]

Release and promotion

Life Is Good was released by Def Jam Recordings; it was Nas' last album for the label.[19] Three singles were released in promotion of the album: "Nasty" on August 9, 2011, "The Don" on April 3, 2012, and "Daughters" on May 1.[20] Nas promoted the album with television appearances and performances on The Colbert Report, Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and 106 & Park.[5] He also headlined the Rock the Bells music festival and emarked on a three-week European tour during June and July.[5]

Reception

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[14]
The A.V. ClubA–[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB–[21]
The Independent[19]
NME8/10[22]
The Observer[18]
Pitchfork Media8.3/10[17]
Rolling Stone[16]
Slant Magazine[3]
Spin7/10[10]

Life is Good received generally positive reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[23] Kevin EG Perry of NME found the album to be "Nas doing exactly what he does best", calling it "a grimy, back-to-basics return to form".[22] Jayson Greene of Pitchfork Media commented that "You can't recapture lightning in a bottle, or age backwards, but you can settle gracefully into strengths. Nas isn't back; he's just here."[17] Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe viewed the album as an improvement over Nas' past work, which he said occasionally "went off the rails when it became more about ego than hip-hop."[9] Slant Magazine's Manan Desai found Nas to sound "inspired" on the album and praised its "narrative unity", which he characterized as "a wide-angle look of the artist as a grown man."[3] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club found the lyrics to be "beautifully expressed" by Nas and called the album's beats "as thoughtful as his prose".[7]

Although he observed "a couple of duds", Chris Schulz of The New Zealand Herald praised the songs for "hip-hop purists" and cited the album as "Nas' most mature, most complete album since his classic 1994 debut, Illmatic".[24] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times called the album a "thoughtful, fierce, honest and — most important — heavy-duty work" and stated, "Nas has gotten better at rolling with the punches — and you can hear it in every verse".[25] Erika Ramirez of Billboard commented that, "In a time where hip-hop lyricism is dominated by luxury rhymes, it's refreshing for one of the genre's most influential artists to explore himself and his life before us."[8] Carl Chery of XXL gave the album an "XXL" rating, the publication's maximum rating, and dubbed it "arguably Nas' best LP since Stillmatic", writing that "At this juncture—21 years and 10 solo albums in—no other MC has ever rhymed at such a high level this deep into their career. Not Rakim. Not Kool G Rap. Not Slick Rick. Not Big Daddy Kane. Not LL Cool J. No One."[26]

However, Matthew Fiander of PopMatters viewed its production as "uneven" and calculated "as product", and commented that the album is also "full of half-done ideas—things that could be compelling, but either don’t quite get there or take too long to get to the point."[27] Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly was critical of its nostalgic theme, writing that "too many tracks here recount his salad days in the era 'before Air Jordans.'"[21] Allmusic editor David Jeffries called the album a "puff-chested bitch session" and found its sound to be radio-oriented, writing that "Nas needed to get [this album] out of his system, acting as a clearing house for all venom and bile, plus some gloss that doesn't fit but needed to go as well."[14] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times found Nas' narratives "sometimes distractingly fanciful" and his lyrics occasionally "overstuff[ed]", but commended its theme of "nostalgia" and called the album "a simulacrum of the sound that made him legendary, capturing Nas in his vintage prime without coming off as anachronistic."[28]

Commercial performance

First released in Germany on July 13, 2012,[29] Life Is Good charted at number 24 on the Media Control Charts.[30] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart.[31] The album also debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart and sold 5,700 copies in its first week in Canada.[32]

In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 149,000 copies in its first week.[33] It was his sixth number-one album in the US.[33] In its second week on the Billboard 200, the album sold 45,000 copies.[34] As of August 12, it has sold 245,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[35]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."No Introduction"N. Jones, E. Ortiz, K. Crowe, K. BartolomeiJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League4:15
2."Loco-Motive" (featuring Large Professor)N. Jones, E. Wilson, W. MitchellNo I.D.3:41
3."A Queens Story"N. Jones, S. Remi, J. Simmons, D. McDanielsSalaam Remi4:35
4."Accident Murderers" (featuring Rick Ross)N. Jones, W. Roberts, N. Solomon, C. DeGarmo, M. WilliamsNo I.D.4:38
5."Daughters"N. Jones, E. Wilson, P. Adams, G. DeCarlo, D. Frashuer, P. LekaNo I.D.3:20
6."Reach Out" (featuring Mary J. Blige)N. Jones, M. Blige, D. Franklin, S. Remi, R. Jerkins, I. Hayes, F. Perren, C. Perren, R. WyattSalaam Remi, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Hot Day, Nas3:47
7."World's an Addiction" (featuring Anthony Hamilton)N. Jones, S. Remi, A. HamiltonSalaam Remi5:01
8."Summer on Smash" (featuring Miguel & Swizz Beatz)N. Jones, K. DeanSwizz Beatz4:20
9."You Wouldn't Understand" (featuring Victoria Monet)N. Jones, A. Best, M. Claxton, E. Barrier, W. Griffin, T. Brown, V. McCantsBuckwild4:36
10."Back When"N. Jones, E. Wilson, B. Forgie, S. Moltke, M. Williams, C. DeGarmoNo I.D.3:22
11."The Don"N. Jones, D. Myers, S. Remi, M. Palacios, E. Clark, W. Maragh, N. ThomasSalaam Remi, Heavy D, Da Internz3:02
12."Stay"N. Jones, E. Wilson, L. AbramsNo I.D.3:45
13."Cherry Wine" (featuring Amy Winehouse)N. Jones, S. Remi, A. WinehouseSalaam Remi5:56
14."Bye Baby"N. Jones, S. Remi, N. Shebib, T. Gatling, G. Griffin, A. Hall, T. RileySalaam Remi, Noah "40" Shebib3:59
Total length:57:53
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Nasty"N. Jones, GibbsSalaam Remi3:04
16."The Black Bond"N. Jones, S. RemiSalaam Remi2:23
17."Roses"N. Jones, A. Shuckburgh, D. Wilson, S. Fenton, N. FloresAl Shux, Dan Wilson3:32
18."Where's the Love" (featuring Cocaine 80s)N. Jones, E. Wilson, J. Fauntleroy II, M. Berrin, P. Nash, P. HustonNo I.D.4:27
Total length:71:17
iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
19."Trust"N. Jones, M. Samuels, M. Burnett, J. Evans, J. SublettBoi-1da, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans4:34
Japan bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
20."The Don (Don Dada Remix)"N. JonesSalaam Remi, Heavy D4:09
Samples
  • "No Introduction" contains a sample from "Don't Cry" by Kirk Franklin
  • "Loco-Motive" contains a sample from "L'Illustration Musicale"
  • "Accident Murderers" contains a sample from "They Said It Couldn't Be Done" by Norman Feels, "The Bridge" by MC Shan
  • "A Queens Story" contains a sample of "Étude Op. 10, No. 12" by Frédéric Chopin, "Peter Piper" by Run-DMC
  • "Daughters" contains a sample of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Wayne McGhie & The Sounds of Joy, "Dust to Dust" by Cloud One
  • "Reach Out" contains a sample of "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes, "Once In A Lifetime Groove" by New Edition
  • "World's An Addiction" contains a sample of "Something's Missing" by The Five Stairsteps,"The World" by Salaam Remi
  • "You Wouldn't Understand" contains a sample of "Let's Start Love Over Again" by Miles Jaye, "Eric B is President" by Eric B & Rakim
  • "Back When" contains a sample of "The Bridge" by MC Shan, "Double Agent Jones" by Barry Moore Combo, "Live Routine" by MC Shan, "Raptivity" by Ronnie Gee
  • "The Don" contains a sample of "Dance Inna New York" by Super Cat
  • "Stay" contains a sample of "Seven Steps to Nowhere" as performed by L.A. Carnival
  • "Bye Baby" contains a sample of "Goodbye Love" as performed by Guy
  • "The Black Bond" contains a sample from "Paguenosis" as performed by Salaam Remi
  • "Where's the Love" contains a sample from "Brooklyn-Queens" as performed by 3rd Bass

Personnel

Credits for Life Is Good adapted from Allmusic.[37]

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[38] 27
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[38] 44
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[38] 72
Canadian Albums Chart[39] 2
Danish Albums Chart[38] 24
Dutch Albums Chart[38] 27
French Albums Chart[38] 33
German Albums Chart[30] 24
Irish Albums Chart[40] 55
New Zealand Albums Chart[38] 38
Norwegian Albums Chart[38] 16
Swiss Albums Chart[38] 8
UK Albums Chart[39] 8
UK R&B Albums[41] 2
US Billboard 200[39] 1
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[39] 1
US Billboard Top Rap Albums[39] 1

Release history

Region Date Label
Germany[29] July 13, 2012 Def Jam Recordings
United Kingdom[27] July 16, 2012
United States[27] July 17, 2012

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Marriott, Rob (May 21, 2012). "Nas: Return of the Don (2012 Cover Story)". Complex. Complex Media. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hancox, Dan (July 5, 2012). "Nas: 'Hip-hop belongs to all of us now'". The Guardian. London: Guardian News and Media Limited. section G2, p. 10. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Desai, Manan (July 18, 2012). "Nas: Life Is Good". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  4. ^ a b c "Nas On Marvin Gaye's Marriage, Parenting And Rap Genius". NPR. July 22, 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Murphy, Keith (June 29, 2012). "Nas Opens Up About Personal Moments On 'Life Is Good' Album". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  6. ^ "Nas - Life Is Good CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Rytlewski, Evan (July 24, 2012). "Nas: Life Is Good". The A.V. Club. Chicago: The Onion. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ramirez, Tyler; McDermott (July 17, 2012). "Nas, 'Life is Good': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. New York: Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-07-26. {{cite journal}}: More than one of |first1= and |first= specified (help)
  9. ^ a b c Capobianco, Ken (July 17, 2012). "Nas, 'Life Is Good'". The Boston Globe. Boston: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  10. ^ a b c d e Soderberg, Brandon (July 17, 2012). "Nas, 'Life Is Good' (Def Jam)". Spin. New York: Spin Media. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  11. ^ Hamm, Ryan (July 30, 2012). "Nas: Life Is Good (Def Jam)". Under the Radar. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  12. ^ Mistry, Anupa (July 19, 2012). "Nas - Life Is Good". NOW. 31 (47). NOW Communications. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  13. ^ Dennis, David (July 17, 2012). "Does Nas's New Album Prove That Life Is Good For Older Rappers?". The Village Voice Blogs. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  14. ^ a b c d Jeffries, David. "Life Is Good - Nas". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  15. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Nas - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  16. ^ a b c d e Dolan, Jon (July 17, 2012). "Life Is Good". Rolling Stone. Jann S. Wenner. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  17. ^ a b c Greene, Jayson. "Nas: Life Is Good". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  18. ^ a b Fox, Killian (July 14, 2012). "Nas: Life Is Good – review". The Observer. London: Guardian News and Media Limited. The New Review section, p. 30. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  19. ^ a b Price, Simon (July 15, 2012). "Album: Nas, Life is Good (Def Jam)". The Independent. London: Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  20. ^ "Nas". Island Def Jam. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  21. ^ a b Rahman, Ray (July 20, 2012). "Life is Good - review - Nas Review". Entertainment Weekly (1216). Time Inc. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  22. ^ a b Perry, Kevin EG (July 15, 2012). "Nas - 'Life Is Good'". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  23. ^ "Life Is Good Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  24. ^ Schulz, Chris (July 20, 2012). "Album review: Life Is Good - Nas". The New Zealand Herald. Auckland: APN News & Media. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
  25. ^ Roberts, Randall (July 17, 2012). "Pop album review: In 'Life Is Good,' Nas rolls with the punches". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles: Tribune Company. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  26. ^ Chery, Carl (July 18, 2012). "Nas, Life Is Good". XXL. Harris Publications. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  27. ^ a b c Fiander, Matthew (July 12, 2012). "Nas: Life Is Good (take one)". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  28. ^ Caramanica, Jon (July 19, 2012). "New Nas Welcomes The Nas Of Old". The New York Times. New York: The New York Times Company. p. C1. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  29. ^ a b "Nas - Life Is Good - CD" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  30. ^ a b "Nas – Longplay-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  31. ^ "2012-07-28 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  32. ^ Dowling, Marianna (July 25, 2012). "Flo Rida climbs back to No. 1". Jam!. Canoe.ca. Québecor Média. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  33. ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (July 25, 2012). "Nas Bows at No. 1 with 'Life is Good'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  34. ^ Caulfield, Keith (August 1, 2012). "Zac Brown Band Reclaims Top Spot on Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  35. ^ Paine, Jake (August 15, 2012). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/12/2012". HipHop DX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  36. ^ "OFFICIAL: Nas Life is Good Album Tracklist | Rap Genius Blog". Rapgenius.com. 2012-06-22. Retrieved 2012-07-03.
  37. ^ "Life Is Good - Nas : Credits : AllMusic:". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Nas - Life Is Good" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  39. ^ a b c d e "Life Is Good - Nas". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  40. ^ "Irish Charts - Singles, Albums & Compilations". Irish Recording Music Association. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  41. ^ "2012-07-28 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
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