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*Disclaimer: This article is not meant to be read by sensitive individuals. The purpose of this article is an attempt to explain the popularity of the given rapper from a marketing and psychological perspective. Every once in a while two contrasting elements will compound in an unlikely medium and form a hybrid stronger than either of its parents would be alone. If a gangster had a child with a philosopher, Nasir Jones would be the outcome. Equipped with the mentality of a Scarface or a Nicky Barnes, Mr. Illmatic manages to speak with insight and clarity granted only to the great thinkers on the level of Socrates and Mark Twain. Let’s take a look at why this hybrid was so successful. Mixed Appeal Nasty Nas came into the game during a time where gangsta rap was at its prime. NWA, Scarface, Gangstarr and Kool G. Rap where thriving with tales from the streets and Nas will not be one to fuck tradition up. Not only did he tell stories, Nas armed himself with a vocabulary and organization in his raps that enabled him to paint precise pictures, taking you through every moment with him. Comparing Nas to modern television, I would say Nas was the high definition version of what people were used to watching. Not only did he tell clearer stories, every so often he would insert point of views that acted like slow motion cameras. He pointed out action that you would have otherwise missed and provided expert analysis in his play by plays. In this respect Nas was able to appeal to both the core hip hop audience thirsty for ghetto stories as well as those who might have originally shied away from tales of hand to hand sales without accompanying insight. Knowledge Without Preaching Rappers often walk a thin line between a villain and a priest and in hip hop, villains are usually rooted for. Nas was one of the few mainstream successes that found a comfort zone between these two extremes. He was able to tell listeners to look at issues without sounding like a teacher. Instead of saying “Get off your ass and do something positive with your life”, he chose to say “That buck that bought the bottle coulda struck the lotto”. Instead of saying “Money is only a material good”, he chose to say “No matter how much cash I sit with, still gotta ask the lord for forgiveness”. Up until his most recent efforts, Nas was able to provoke our intellectual responses without coming across as condescending. After all, I am not hear to listen to you how tell me how to live my life, I can go to the church for that. Beef With Jay-Z Hate it or love it, Jay-Z did not lie when he claims to have resurrected Escobar’s career. His most recent album was critically panned and his original fans had felt betrayed as Nas went the commercial route. At the same time, the newer generation had never heard Illmatic and considers him a B class rapper in the mainstream. His credibility was also taking shots as well as childhood friend Cormega provided evidence of personal betrayal while Jay-Z was having an affair with his baby mother. Nas responded with some chemical warfare and released Ether to the masses. Nas was heard on the radio with a confidence that was opposite of his quiet, reserved nature. “Hova is ova…The Dynasty is dying nasty”. By playing the underdog good guy, Nas found himself a new fan base in the younger generation, many of who would visit his prior works for the first time and become loyal fans for years to come. The intelligent gangster appealed to intellects and thugs alike. Despite dropping out of middle school, his knowledge and word choice was leaps and bounds beyond his peers. Nas became successful as he satisfied the need for hardcore street hop yet bought in a dimension of scholarly knowledge that even a Harvard graduate would appreciate.
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