Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 110 Best Albums of the 2010s, representing a varied cross-section of artists, genres, and styles. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.
NAS | Life Is Good
Def Jam (2012) | Buy
Selected by Marcus Willis
One of hip-hop’s biggest frustrations has been watching Nas continually contribute underachieving efforts to his catalog. Even ignoring the eternal shadow cast by Illmatic (1994), Nas often fails to live up to his potential, simultaneously possessing one of the genre’s best pens and spottiest discographies. The secret to Life Is Good’s consistent excellence is the executive production by long-time collaborator Salaam Remi and true-school veteran No I.D. The emcee paints his usual vivid images over beats that both recall and renew the best of rap’s second golden era. Even if he never releases another album of this caliber (Lord knows 2018’s Nasir wasn’t it), Nas at least proved that with the right ship steerers, he could still make a classic without leaning too hard upon his past glories.
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