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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 13, 2012, on Def Jam Recordings. His last album for the record label, it was recorded at various recording studios and produced 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 orchestral elements and 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 general acclaim from music critics, who praised Nas' lyrics and mature themes. As of September 2, it has sold 281,000 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 a 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] Nas worked with several musicians, including Amy Winehouse, Mary J. Blige, James Poyser, Anthony Hamilton, Miguel, Large Professor, and Hal Ritson, among others.[7]

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 Nas.[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[8]

The album incorporates musical references to both older and contemporary hip hop music.[9] Its production features live instrumentation,[10] orchestral music, R&B, boom bap and elements.[11] 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.[8] Ryan Hamm of Under the Radar views that Remi and No I.D.'s production "tends to lean toward opulent and epic",[12] while Pitchfork Media's Jayson Greene writes that the latter's produced songs "exude the warm TV-fireplace crackle of the best throwback production."[13] 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".[14]

The album's subject matter features nostalgic and adult themes,[11] including aging and maturity,[11] and transparent lyrics addressing moments in Nas' life, including his youth and the recent years leading up to Life Is Good.[9] 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."[9] 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."[15] Brandon Soderberg of Spin asserts that his lyrics "constantly remind nostalgics that the good ol' days were often chaotic and desperate".[11] 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.[8] 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".[16] Both Jeffries and Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic characterize the content as "venomous".[16][17] Conversely, Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone views that Nas "cuts his rhymes with midlife realism and daring empathy".[18] Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe writes that the songs "mix anger, nostalgia, and insight."[10]

Content

"Loco-Motive"
Nas tries to reconcile his growing distance from "the streets",[8] while referencing his financial troubles, on the track.[19]
"Stay"
A modal jazz rap,[20][21] the song features wooly saxophone,[13] somber bass, and venomous lyrics.[22]
Problems playing these files? See media help.

On the opening track "No Introduction", Nas reflects on his impoverished upbringing and maturation into a "graphic, classic song composer".[23] The song's subject matter ranges from lifestyle boats to revolutionary ideals: "Hood forever, I just act like I’m civilized / Really what’s in my mind is organizing a billion Black muthafuckas / To take over JP and Morgan Goldman and Sachs / And teach the world facts and give Saudi they oil back".[19] "Loco-Motive" has an underground vibe and keyboards similar to Nas' 1994 song "N.Y. State of Mind".[24] "A Queens Story" has boom bap and classical elements in its production, including classical piano,[23] orchestral strings and funky drums.[3] Its lyrics pay homage to Nas' native Queens and his creative influences.[3] "Accident Murderers" incorporates pipe organ in its production,[23] and its lyrics addresses senseless violence with a rags-to-riches narrative by Rick Ross.[9][18]

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.[8][13] 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".[25] "Reach Out" features Mary J. Blige and incorporates the piano loop from Isaac Hayes' 1970 song "Ike's Mood".[9] 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.[9] "Back When" has flickering production and mytholigizing lyrics by Nas: "check out the oracle bred by city housing".[13]

The up-tempo "The Don" samples Super Cat's 1982 song "Dance inna New York" and has a 1990s hip hop sound.[9][18] Its lyrics extol both Nas' rapping prowess and New York City.[9][18] According to No Ripcord's James McKenna, "Stay" mixes soul and jazz elements, "bringing to mind Low End Theory era A Tribe Called Quest and Tupac's Me Against the World, and lyrics "questioning the line between love and hate".[26] "Cherry Wine" features vocals by Amy Winehouse and a narrative between ill-fated lovers.[3] The song was titled after Winehouse's guitar, which she called "cherry".[22] Jesal Padania of RapReviews cites it as "quite possibly the best 'ladies number' that Nas has ever delivered, though it is infinitely classier than that label."[22] 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][9]

Release and promotion

Life Is Good was released by Def Jam Recordings; it was Nas' last album for the label.[27] 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]

Three singles were released in promotion of the album: "Nasty" on August 9, 2011, "The Don" on April 3, 2012, and "Daughters" on July 17.[28] The latter single charted at number 78 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[29] A music video for "Nasty" was filmed by director Jason Goldwatch in Queensbridge, Nas' hometown in New York,[30] and released virally on October 11, 2011.[31] A video for "Daughters" was directed by Chris Robinson and premiered May 27, 2012, on MTV Jams.[32] Its storyline chronicles the relationship between Nas and his daughter through her point of view.[32] On April 27, Nas released the Aristotle-directed video for "The Don", which featured lavish images of Nas' lifestyle.[33] On August 21, he released a trailer for a video for the song "Bye Baby".[34] Released on August 30, the video features scenes of Nas in an empty home, at his divorce proceedings, and in a setting that revisits the cover image of Life Is Good.[35] It also features singer Aaron Hall of Guy, whose 1988 song "Goodbye Love" is sampled on "Bye Baby".[35]

Reception

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[16]
The A.V. ClubA–[8]
Entertainment WeeklyB–[36]
The Independent[27]
NME8/10[37]
The Observer[25]
Pitchfork Media8.3/10[13]
Rolling Stone[18]
Slant Magazine[3]
Spin7/10[11]

Life is Good received general acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 81, based on 30 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[38] Kevin Perry of NME found it to be "Nas doing exactly what he does best" and "a grimy, back-to-basics return to form".[37] Nate Santos of The Source complimented Nas' "dark and flashy narratives" and commented that the album "turns to a pivotal new chapter" in his career.[23] 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."[13] 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."[10] Slant Magazine's Manan Desai called Nas "inspired" and praised the album's "narrative unity" 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".[8]

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".[39] 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".[40] 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."[9] 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."[19]

However, Matthew Fiander of PopMatters called its production "uneven" and calculated "as product", adding that the album is "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."[41] Ray Rahman of Entertainment Weekly criticized its nostalgic themes, writing that "too many tracks here recount his salad days in the era 'before Air Jordans.'"[36] 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."[16] 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."[42] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honorable mention ((3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)),[43] indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure."[44] He cited "Daughters" and "Accident Murderers" as highlights and quipped, "Reflections of a bigshot who, as he mentions several times, is damn big".[43]

Commercial performance

First released in Germany on July 13, 2012,[45] Life Is Good charted at number 24 on the Media Control Charts.[46] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart.[47] The album also debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart and sold 5,700 copies in its first week in Canada.[48] Life Is Good charted for four weeks and peaked at number 33 in France, and in Switzerland, it charted for five weeks and peaked at number eight.[49]

In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 149,000 copies in its first week.[50] It was his sixth number-one album in the US.[50] In its second week on the Billboard 200, the album sold 45,000 copies.[51] As of September 2, it has sold 281,000 copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[52] The album has charted for six weeks on the Billboard 200.[53]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."No Introduction"Kenny Bartolomei, Kevin Crowe, Nasir Jones, Erik OrtizJ.U.S.T.I.C.E. League4:15
2."Loco-Motive" (featuring Large Professor)Jones, Ernest WilsonNo I.D.3:41
3."A Queens Story"Jones, Darryl McDaniels, Salaam Remi, Joseph SimmonsSalaam Remi4:35
4."Accident Murderers" (featuring Rick Ross)Chris DeGarmo, Jones, William Roberts, Norman Solomon, Marlon WilliamsNo I.D.4:38
5."Daughters"Patrick Adams, Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Jones, Paul Leka, WilsonNo I.D.3:20
6."Reach Out" (featuring Mary J. Blige)Dante Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Rodney Jerkins, Jones, Christine Perren, Freddie Perren, Remi, Richard WyattSalaam Remi, Rodney Jerkins, DJ Hot Day, Nas3:47
7."World's an Addiction" (featuring Anthony Hamilton)Anthony Hamilton, Jones, RemiSalaam Remi5:01
8."Summer On Smash" (featuring Miguel and Swizz Beatz)Kasseem Dean, JonesSwizz Beatz4:20
9."You Wouldn't Understand" (featuring Victoria Monet)Eric Barrier, Anthony Best, Tommy Brown, Michael Claxton, William Griffin, Jones, Victoria McCantsBuckwild4:36
10."Back When"DeGarmo, Barry Forgie, Jones, Shawn Moltke, Williams, WilsonNo I.D.3:22
11."The Don"Earnest Clark, Jones, William Maragh, Dwight Myers, Marcos Palacios, Remi, Nkrumah Jah ThomasHeavy D, Salaam Remi, Da Internz3:02
12."Stay"Lester Abrams, Jones, WilsonNo I.D.3:45
13."Cherry Wine" (featuring Amy Winehouse)Jones, Remi, Amy WinehouseSalaam Remi5:56
14."Bye Baby"Tim Gatling, Gene Griffin, Aaron Hall, Jones, Remi, Teddy Riley, Noah ShebibSalaam Remi, Noah "40" Shebib3:59
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Nasty"Jones, RemiSalaam Remi3:04
16."The Black Bond"Jones, RemiSalaam Remi2:23
17."Roses"Sean Fenton, Nikki Flores, Jones, Alexander Shuckburgh, Dan WilsonAl Shux, Dan Wilson3:32
18."Where's the Love" (featuring Cocaine 80s)Michael Berrin, James Fauntleroy II, Paul Huston, Jones, Peter Nash, WilsonNo I.D.4:27
Total length:71:17
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
19."Trust"Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, Jones, Matthew Samuels, Jamal SublettBoi-1da, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans4:34
Japan bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
20."The Don" (Don Dada Remix)JonesSalaam Remi, Heavy D4:09
Samples:[7]
  • "A Queens Story" contains samples of "Peter Piper" by Run–D.M.C. and "Queen's Story" by Salaam Remi.
  • "Accident Murderers" contains samples of "They Said It Couldn't Be Done" by Norman Feels and "The Bridge" by MC Shan.
  • "Daughters" contains samples of "Dust to Dust" by Cloud One and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" by Wayne McGhie and the Sounds of Joy.
  • "Reach Out" contains samples of "Ike's Mood" by Isaac Hayes and an interpolation of "Once in a Lifetime Groove" by New Edition.
  • "World's an Addiction" contains a sample of "The World" by Salaam Remi.
  • "You Wouldn't Understand" contains samples of "Let's Start Start Love Over Again" by Miles Jaye and "Eric B. Is President" by Eric B. & Rakim.
  • "Back When" contains samples of "Double Agent Jones" by Barry Moore Combo, "Live Routine" by MC Shan, and "The Bridge" by MC Shan.
  • "The Don" contains elements of "Dance inna New York" by Super Cat.
  • "Stay" contains samples of "Seven Steps to Nowhere" by L.A. Carnival.
  • "Bye Baby" contains samples of "Goodbye Love" by Guy.
  • "The Black Bond" contains samples of "Praguenosis" by Salaam Remi.
  • "Where's the Love" contains samples of Brooklyn-Queens" by 3rd Bass.

Personnel

Credits for Life Is Good adapted from liner notes.[7]

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[49] 27
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[49] 44
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[49] 72
Canadian Albums Chart[53] 2
Danish Albums Chart[49] 24
Dutch Albums Chart[49] 27
French Albums Chart[49] 33
German Albums Chart[46] 24
Irish Albums Chart[54] 55
New Zealand Albums Chart[49] 38
Norwegian Albums Chart[49] 16
Swiss Albums Chart[49] 8
UK Albums Chart[53] 8
UK R&B Albums[55] 2
US Billboard 200[53] 1
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[53] 1
US Billboard Top Rap Albums[53] 1

Release history

Region Date Label
Germany[45] July 13, 2012 Def Jam Recordings
United Kingdom[41] July 16, 2012
United States[41] July 17, 2012

See also

References

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  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Desai, Manan (July 18, 2012). "Nas: Life Is Good". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
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  54. ^ "Irish Charts - Singles, Albums & Compilations". Irish Recording Music Association. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
  55. ^ "2012-07-28 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
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