Life Is Good [Deluxe Edition]

Nas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 17, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Def Jam
• ASIN: B008645YQ2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,942 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Always controversial and uncompromising in his role as hiphop s most influential MC, and often its most severe critic, Nas has completed his first new studio album in four years, LIFE IS GOOD, scheduled to arrive in stores July 17th on Def Jam Recordings. The album s new advance track, The Don, produced by Da Internz, Salaam Remi and the late Heavy D, made its premiere earlier last month on New York DJ Funkmaster Flex s Hot 97 radio show. Response to The Don has been nothing short of rapturous. Rolling Stone raves on his new single, the Queens rap godfather spits vicious rhymes over a rugged, island-flavored beat...if Nas keeps up this level of quality, his new album is going to be like Illmatic all over again.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 68 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Long Hot Summer. July 17, 2012

By DMichael

Format:Audio CD

Gather Round Kid's. ..that's it, ..ok sit down. Let me tell you the story of master story teller Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, and the tale he cooked up and released in Summer 2012. The Summer had wreaked blazing temperatures, all points in the united states saw record numbers recorded on the thermometers. People were going through all sorts of personal crisis, still reeling from the 2008 financial meltdown, and so on. Nas himself having been through a divorce and demanded to cut half his earnings to his former spouse, in which she gladly waltzed to the bank and sat back to watch her account balance grow. Decided in the fashion of Marvin Gaye whom in the late 1970's released an album titled "Here, My Dear." after his tumultuous divorce from Anna Gordy, That he too would sing the blues away, by confessing the truth and the tale of heart ache and struggle but what remains important in between the heartaches and remind his listeners that Life is still Good. Clad in a designer suit, perched in a smokey jook joint in the belly of NYC, draped across his knee, the green dress his former wife had worn on their wedding day, The Ny Mc told the tale

No Introduction: Nas hits hard on this dark, dramatic song that kicks the album off

Loco-Motive: A grimey offering with the style reminiscent of the 90's era without sounding too dated, Nas tells the tale that he is still moving, still living.
A Queens Story: Theatrical stirring violins bring in this track then the beat knocks and Nas begins tellin the tale of his home borough of Queens.

Accident Murderers: A heavy track with the sound of a 90's sample in the kicks and drums a theatrical track feat Ricky Rozay.... they together spin the tale of youth without education, or a sense of direction killing hoping to be idolized like Gangsters.

Daughters: A ballad with a melody that is warm and the kicks thump, feat the vocals of a young female that sticks like honey, the message here is to do right by your daughters not forgetting the importance of raisng our sons right neither.

Reach Out: Samples an old school cut that Mary herself sampled for her critically acclaimed My Life, Reach Out delivers an old school feel with Mary herself crooning about Love she has for a man, Nas delivers a slick rhyme over the hard kicks ,

World's An Addiction: A melodramatic track feat the vocals of Anthony Hamilton that echo's in your soul Nas bring a strong message to your consciousness telling a tale of drugs violence lust selfishness and other sins that plague men.

Summer On Smash: A Summer anthem, of woman and booze, Leaving behind the cuts the sound dated to the 90's or even late 80's hip hop, swiss beats provides the hook along with Miguel who gets a few extra seconds to showcase his vocals when he delivers a hot vocal performance on the bridge in Spanish.

You Wouldn't Understand: A beat a little different then the others almost sounds like an 80's track with hip hop and pop elements, Nas rides this beat slick like a nickel and the vocals from singer Victoria are smooth and cool on such a hot summer track.

Back When: Throw back...an 80s sounding track almost similar to an Mc Lyte track of that era with Nas rapping about New York in the 80s

The Don: The second single, produced by the late Heavy D, an ode to hip hop and reggae the hard hitting track feats vocals from Super Cat and Nas delivering some hard rhymes

Stay: A jazzy, bluesy track sounding like its borrowed from Sam Cooke or Mr Marvin Gaye with Nas rapping about a Woman

Cherry Wine: A sweet ballad feat the late Amy Whinehouse is the Gem on the album (in my opinion) Amy delivers deep haunting vocals asking where is the man that is like her. for her, Nas delivers a wonderful performance on this asking where is the woman that shares his interests that he can share life with as well.

Bye Baby: Another throwback, sampling an 80s hit song Nas rapping about a failed relationship.
This is a Summer Album, This album does what many dont, It Delivers! no filler tracks on this offering from Nas. This album even released six singles which is almost unheard of today where many artists just keep remixing their first or second singles to push their project. This album is THE NEW CLASSIC! the album also has bonus material i decided not to detail leaving that as a gift to your ears from Nas, I am telling you to cop this album it is a must for the Summer. Bonus Tracks Include: Nasty, the black bond, Roses, wheres the love, Trust, The Don (Don Dada Remix). yes Nas Life Is Good:) Thank You Read more ›

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic album... what we've all been waiting for! July 17, 2012

By Tupac Shakur

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just listened to this album last night and I bought it this morning. After listening, I could not describe how amazed I was by a fantastic album put together by Nas. Every single song was just fantastic and fit well with the album (except Summer on Smash which was pretty bad and had no place on this album). Outside of Summer on Smash, I wouldn't hesitate to call every song on this album great.

The thing that's really great about this album is that it's exactly what rap fans have been waiting for: Nas returning to his old self. It isn't quite Illmatic, or even Stillmatic for that matter, but in my opinion it comes pretty close. Lyrically he is a monster once again, his flow is so on point in basically every song, and the production is great. The concept of the album is great idea and you know Nas will keep it lyrically relevant. The fact that he has been in the game for 18 years but he can still come up with the stuff in this album is pretty amazing. Obviously once you blow up and get famous like he did, it's pretty hard to remain true to yourself, but that's exactly what Nas did with this album. I fully feel like it is a successful attempt at a return to his old days when he was one of the guys that dominated rap.

If you have the money and you like rap, definitely get this album. It's fantastic throughout and I can't stress enough how great Nas is in every single song. I definitely think the $14 I paid for it were well worth it for the Deluxe Edition, which includes the single Nasty along with 3 other great songs. Bottom line is, if you enjoy rap, you won't be disappointed by this terrific effort from Nas. Get the album.

Memorable songs from album: Accident Murderers, Daughters, World's an Addiction, You Wouldn't Understand

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Grown up Hip-Hop July 24, 2012

By Darryn M. Briggs

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you ever wondered what it would sound like if an acknowleged hip-hop great had lived until today AND produced an album from a grown up's perspective... well here it is.

Nas provides you an opus here that is dope - but not trendy. It is an album for hip-hop heads
that isn't trying to PRETEND that it was made by a 20 year old.

"Daughters" alone brought me in... because I too am 40 with a with a daughter and my concerns and perspectives
have changed since I was a teenaged hip-hop head. That said, "Cherry Wine" has been on CONSTANT replay
since I first heard it. Foregoing "Illmatic," that song would have been in place on "Midnight Marauders."
I can't give any higher praise.

Meanwhile, songs like "Bye, Baby" (aimed squarely at ex-wife Kelis) and "Stay" are poignant and give a perspective
that only someone who has been in relationships and/or entertainment as long as Nas could deliver.

Long story short: If you're looking for paint-by-the-numbers usual offerings, you might be disappointed.
If you too are a long-time lover of hip-hop who has lived long enough to have a change in perspective - and APPRECIATE those changes, then you like me will LOVE this album.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Call Me Crazy... July 23, 2012

By Me

Format:Audio CD

...but I will go out on a limb and say this is Nas' best album. I've been a fan since I heard The World is Yours. I've purchased every Nas album and call me crazy but my favorite one up to this point was It was Written and not illmatic. Don't get me wrong, Illmatic was raw, ill and deserving of 5 mics but I thought It was Written was kind of slept on. Lyrically it was so far ahead of its time with songs like I Gave You Power, Suspect Witness, If I Ruled the World amongst others. That album changed the way I viewed rap. I pretty much have liked all of Nas' albums, some more than others. Life is Good is like taking snapshots of the best off each of the previous albums and putting them together in a photo album. Simply beautiful.