10 Artists Who Never Managed To Top Their First Album
9. Nas
Nas burst on the hip hop scene in 1994 to much fanfare. Influenced by legends such as Rakim, he was considered one of the top prospects the genre had ever seen and an MC with few peers. Illmatic, his debut album, set the stage for what would become a legendary career. The record was a breath of fresh air that had rap fans astounded. Nas blended vivid lyricism and street poetry with production from the best beatmakers in the game. Hip hop luminaries such as Pete Rock, Large Professor and the incomparable DJ Premier provided the sonic backdrop for this groundbreaking work of art - any self-respecting hip-hop fan instantly had Illmatic in their collection. Nas would continue to release albums, with his most recent effort being 2012's Life Is Good, but was never able to deliver the undisputed classic that he did in his first time out. He would come close several times, with It Was Written, I Am and Stillmatic all being tremendous in their own right. In truth Nas has only truly released two subpar efforts (Streets Disciple and Untitled) over the course of his impressive nearly 20 year career. Hes an MC known for consistency in his ability to provide thought-provoking content with a commercial appeal, highly respected by fans, critics and peers.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
