10 Ways Nas Could Make Another Classic

A new Nas album is coming. The Queens vet announced a summer project at a show in Orlando over the weekend. His last album, Life Is Good, was dope, and it was his last great, all-around record since God's Son. Nasty has three classics under his belt: Illmatic, It Was Written, and Stillmatic (don't hate on my opinion). He also proved that a rapper pushing 40 can make a quality project with the aforementioned Life Is Good.

But, at 41, does he have it in him to make another classic? He got people excited when he released "The Season" late last year. Hearing Nas talk slick over Dilla production was like a dream come true for some. He sounded sharp and on top of his game.

So with the announcement we thought about 10 Ways Nas Could Make Another Classic. Teaser: He needs to bring Escobar back and stay away from trying to make pop records because he sucks at those.

Angel Diaz is a staff writer for Complex Media. Follow him @ADiaz456.

No psuedo-intellectual bullshit. I beg of you, Nasir. Rap about what you know. “I Know I Can” would've been great for the kids had it not been for all those historical inaccuracies.

Nas can't do pop. He's proven that over and over again. If he's going for the charts, he should think It Was Written, not The Firm album or Nastradamus or every other album he ruined with wack pop records. See: the Nastradamus title track.

When I first noticed the #SeasonofNasir hashtag, my subconscious read it as #EscobarSeason. I love Illmatic​, but It Was Written is by far my favorite Nas album. I could care less if you lived that life or not. The game needs more grandiose gangster stories. More shit like “Film” and “Blaze a 50,” por favor.

I can't speak for women, because I know a lot of homegirls who would give Nas da goodz. But, personally, Nas' raps about sex are cringe-worthy. “Dr. Knockboot” and “No One Else in the Room” were both horrible. Leave the awk behind closed doors, Nas.

“Summer on Smash,” “The G.O.D.,” and “Warrior Song” were all different degrees of trash. Say no to the Beatzs. Please, Nas. Just. Say. No. They'll live. That family is rich.

Nas' ear for beats sucks. Mostly every album after It Was Written suffered due to corny beats. No I.D. and Salaam Remi handled the bulk of Life Is Good's production, which was a well-rounded project. No I.D. has shown that he keeps his ear to the streets when he signed Vince Staples and oversaw Vince's last couple projects, which featured extraordinary production.

We've all wanted a Nas/DJ Premier album for years now. As the time passes, though, we're willing to accept that it may never happen. The next best thing is to have Primo contribute a beat. Also, Nasty hasn't rapped over a Large Pro beat since Stillmatic. The veteran producer played a major role in Nas' early career, basically getting the game's best producers for Illmatic. The streets need this to happen.

There are a bunch of up-and-coming producers he could work with. Maybe a producer from TDE's impressive stable, see if Metro Boomin' can give Nas a heater, or maybe holla at Tyler. He could also try to find new talent like he did with “Film.” Take some chances, Nas.

And please don't rap in another voice. “Who Killed It?” sucked, man. I fucks with “I Gave You Power” and “Rewind,” even though I know a bunch of people who don't. Concept songs are a little too risky and seem extremely corny when not executed well.

Street's Disciple should've been one disc, and Life Is Good should've been capped at 12 tracks. The longer the album the more an artist runs the risk of ruining it with throwaway songs. Short and sweet is the best way to go.