Nas is finally ready to welcome all of his fans to the good life. It's been four years since the Nasty One released his last solo album Untitled, but on July 17, the Queensbridge rap great will drop Life Is Good, his 10th solo shot.
"It's been a long time; it's been years since I released a solo studio album, so this record is everything," Nas told MTV News in March at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas. "This is everything that I've got to say — I guess you've got to live a little and you put that in your music, so it's coming from my life."
Since his classic 1994 debut Illmatic, Nas has stood as one of rap's premier artists. Though he has grown from a local New York prospect to a global icon, God's Son has managed to stay true to his Big Apple hip-hop roots. On last summer's single "Nasty," the much-revered MC rode atop a break-beat-inspired rap production that was reminiscent of rap's golden era of the late 1980s. The album's second official release, "The Don," follows a similar path and even features production from the late Heavy D, as well as Salaam Remi and Da Internz.
Earlier this month, Nas was the subject of VH1's "Behind the Music" series, and it was there that the usually private rap star opened up about some pretty personal subjects. Esco and those close to him gave backstory to Nas' epic battle with one-time rap foe Jay-Z and spoke on the death of the rapper's mother and his messy divorce from R&B singer Kelis.
One thing that Nas didn't expound on, however, is his recent tax trouble with the I.R.S. It has been reported that the rapper owes more than $6 million in back taxes. He will wait until his album is released to address that subject. "My side of the story is on the record and I speak about it on the record," he said when he appeared on "RapFix Live" in late March.
Before his July 17 release, Nas will drop another single. The No I.D-produced "Daughters" will drop on May 1, while the video for "The Don" is scheduled to premiere April 27.
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