Manny King John
Listen to NASIR, Nas’ new album produced by Kanye West below.
Last night, Mass Appeal captured the historical moments. Have a look at the event that happened under the Queensboro Bridge below. We think it is poetic when an artist makes it from the bottom and can come back to their hometown to celebrate. Above all, it says: Dreams come true.
Just so we’re clear, we are well-informed that Kelis, Nas’ former wife, said that he physically abused her when they were together. Aptly, Nas decided to take the high road by not addressing it. We do not know the details of their relationship. Domestic violence is serious. We understand how it affects the victim, their family, and the abuser. We do not take it lightly, but as with anything else that we cover, our purpose is to acknowledge and document people’s journeys—empirically.
We were at the listening event last night. Aside from Nas’ personal/marital life, we would like to point out a few things. He comes from an era, where that sort of behaviour was/is acceptable in our communities. It is not to say that Nas is excusable. It is to state that there is a problem in our communities that we have ignored for a very long time. Unfortunately, domestic violence is common and coequal to (some sick form of) love in most households. We have witnessed it firsthand. The album’s producer is also under scrutiny—rightfully—based on what he has uttered in a society that does not see the world the way he (suddenly) does. We think it is time to address and correct how we all—not just celebrities/imperfect beings—treat one another. What’s good for Nas and Kanye should also apply to the men and women in your life. Be fair in your assessments.
In conclusion, we believe it is the most cohesive (lyrically and production wise) album Kanye has released this year. Nonetheless, we are in love with Kids See Ghosts. We think Kanye’s vocal appearance should have been tighter on the album—keeping time constraints in mind. Why? It’s because we know what peak Ye sounds like, for real.
We had a great time last night, and we’ll do it again. Let’s try to remember that artists are not creators. They aren’t government officials or publicly/religiously acknowledged deities. We all have our demons, make mistakes, are fucked up in the head, and addicts. What would you do if your life was on front street? Whatever your answer is, use social media to share it with top-level influencers who can spark the conversation. Otherwise, the opinions are useless.
