Life IS the Party and…Life Is Good: Just ask Nas

In a fortunate series of events, this past weekend Hubby and I found ourselves sans kiddos – their cousin had a weekend-long sleepover to celebrate her birthday.  That meant that he and I had TWO WHOLE DAYS to ourselves.  A huge deal for a family that lives thousands of miles away from any grandparents.  We decided to take advantage of the time and head to Rehoboth Beach for a day trip.

After tapas and drinks on Friday night once we dropped off the kids, we hit the road Saturday with the sun shining, the wind in our hair and…

Nasty Nas on the MP3 player.

I was excited because I hadn’t yet heard his new album and he has always been one of my absolute favorite rappers of all time.  After all, I’m a child of 90′s Hip Hop – a golden era that’s been unmatched to date  - and so albums like Illmatic and Stillmatic are forever in etched in my mind.  I’ve ridden with Nas through his series of albums, the ups and the not-so-ups, and have been waiting for him to impress us again. And with his latest album, Life Is Good, he has.

Forgive my gushing, but listening to the album was like a breath of fresh air.  It’s a nod to what 90′s rap was and what rap today should be: seamless tracks, intense musicality, raw lyrics and evoking of emotion.

You know how on Project Runway, when the finalists get to show at NY Fashion Week, and the judges remark that a particular collection is cohesive and makes aesthetic and intellectual sense? I totally felt like his album was that collection.

In an interview with Vibe magazine, Nas said that: “[t]his record took on a feeling of an era that’s been gone for a while.”

Well. It’s back.

And life is good.