| Life Is Good | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Standard cover; deluxe cover features a browner background | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 13, 2012 (2012-07-13) | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 58:12 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Nas chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Life Is Good | ||||
| ||||
Life Is Good is the tenth studio album by American rapperNas, released on July 13, 2012, byDef Jam Recordings.[nb 1] The album was recorded at various studios in New York and California, with guest appearances from rappersLarge Professor andRick Ross, and singersMary J. Blige,Miguel, and, posthumously,Amy Winehouse, among others.
ProducersNo I.D. andSalaam Remi incorporated orchestral elements and musical references to both contemporary andgolden age hip hop, includingboom bap beats andold schoolsamples. Nas wanted to draw on 1980ship hop influences in order to complement the nostalgic tone of his lyrics, which he used to vent personal feelings and address moments in his life and rapping career, lending it themes of nostalgia and adulthood.Life Is Good was written after his divorce from singerKelis, whose original green wedding dress was featured in the cover photo, and Nas has compared the album toMarvin Gaye's 1978 divorce-inspired albumHere, My Dear.
Life Is Good received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200, reaching 354,000 copies sold by 2013. It also reached the top 10 ofrecord charts in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Threesingles were released in its promotion – "Nasty", "The Don", and "Daughters" – along with five music videos, while Nas toured in further support of the album from June to December 2012. In 2020, theRecording Industry Association of America awardedLife Is Good aGold certification.
In 2010, Nas released his studio albumDistant Relatives, a collaboration withDamian Marley that reinvigorated the rapper creatively.[3] He soon became distracted by tax problems and an expensive, highly publicized divorce from his wifeKelis months before their son's birth, events that influenced his direction forLife Is Good.[4][5] His songwriting on the album was also influenced by adjusting back to life as a single man.[6] Nas also wanted to write more original subject matter rather than another album "about how you came up in the hood and how you had to make it out of the hood".[6] Although he did not find his album "quite so much about the marriage or the divorce", Nas likenedLife Is Good toMarvin Gaye's 1978 albumHere, My Dear,[4] which was written by Gaye in response to his own deteriorating marriage and released as a financial settlement.[7] ForLife Is Good's album cover, a photo was taken of Nas in a polished white suit, sitting in a night club's VIP lounge, appearing forlorn, and holding over his knee Kelis' actual green wedding dress,[4] which he said was the only item she left him.[7]
When writing the album, Nas also reflected on aging and maturation, fatherhood, and his 20-year experience inhip hop music.[4] Nas discussed the album's personal subject matter in an interview forBillboard:
When I started working on the record, I tried to avoid it. The timing was just calling for me to not avoid all the shit that was going on out there. It was like a 10,000-ton gorilla in the room watching me. This is the way I got it off of my chest. This album talks about life, love and money. It talks about the fact that marriage is expensive.Life Is Good represents the most beautiful, dramatic and heavy moments in my life.[7]
Recording sessions for the album took place at the following recording studios—4220 Studios,Conway Recording Studios, andEastWest Studios in Hollywood, Instrument Zoo Studios in Miami,Jungle City Studios andOven Studios in New York City, Record One in Sherman Oaks, and Westlake Studios in Los Angeles.[8] Nas worked with several musicians, includingAmy Winehouse,Mary J. Blige,James Poyser,Anthony Hamilton,Miguel,Large Professor, and Hal Ritson, among others.[9] For the album, Nas wanted the production to complement his lyrics' nostalgic themes with 1980s hip hop influences.[4] He primarily worked withhip hop producersNo I.D. andSalaam Remi, a frequent collaborator of Nas.[3] Remi said that he wanted his production "to be something that a mumble-mouth rapper can't rap on. You better have something to say and be speaking up."[3] Along with producerSwizz Beatz, No I.D. and Nas related to the latter's lyrics concerning divorce during the recording sessions.[7]
During the sessions, Nas recorded the song "No Such Thing as White Jesus" with singerFrank Ocean and producerHit-Boy, who misplaced the track while sorting through music he had produced forJay-Z andKanye West's albumWatch the Throne (2011). Although he later recovered it, the song was not included onLife Is Good.[10]
Life Is Good leaves Nas in his comfort zone, where the vital music of his youth proves a rousing platform for commenting on matters of middle age.
The album incorporates musical references to both older and contemporary hip hop.[12] Its production features live instrumentation,[13] orchestral music,R&B, andboom bap elements.[14] Music journalist Evan Rytlewski denotes "boom-bap drums, lush keyboards, smooth saxophones, and the occasional Run-D.M.C. and MC Shan sample" to be "tasteful accents" fromgolden age hip hop.[11] Ryan Hamm ofUnder the Radar views that Remi and No I.D.'s production "lean[s] toward opulent and epic",[15] whilePitchfork's Jayson Greene writes that the latter's produced songs "exude the warm TV-fireplace crackle of ... throwback production."[16] Anupa Mistry ofNow writes that "boom bap classicists Salaam Remi and No I.D. weave a raw, funky, orchestral lattice customized for Nas's age-appropriate raps".[17]
Life Is Good features nostalgic and adult themes,[14] including aging and maturity.[14] Nas' rapping is characterized byinternal rhymes, a relaxed, plainspokenflow,[11] andtransparent lyrics addressing moments in his life, including his youth and the personal events leading up to the album.[12] Erika Ramirez ofBillboard observes "stories of internal and external battles, some of which he won and some he lost."[12] David Dennis ofThe Village Voice writes that his lyrics address hip hop's "golden era" and "the trials and tribulations of adult relationships".[18] Brandon Soderberg fromSpin asserts that his lyrics "constantly remind nostalgics that the good ol' days were often chaotic and desperate".[14]
Nas' comparison of this album to Gaye'sHere, My Dear is appropriate, according toSlant Magazine's Manan Desai: "Like Nas, Gaye was pushing 40 when he recorded his album", Desai wrote. "He'd cemented his position as one of R&B's greatest, and yet, he never sounded more anguished about where all that fame was leading him. There's something similar going on throughoutLife Is Good; the more we hear Nas repeat that titular refrain, the less convincing he sounds."[5]AllMusic's David Jeffries said the lyrics about his divorce were "unfiltered carpet bombing of love and marriage";[19] both Jeffries and Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic characterize the content as "venomous".[19][20] Conversely, Jon Dolan ofRolling Stone views that Nas "cuts his rhymes with midlife realism and daring empathy".[21] Ken Capobianco ofThe Boston Globe writes that the songs "mix anger, nostalgia, and insight."[13]
On the opening track "No Introduction", Nas reflects on his impoverished upbringing and maturation into a "graphic, classic song composer".[26] The song's subject matter ranges from lifestyle boats to revolutionary ideals: "Hood forever, I just act like I’m civilized / Really what’s in my mind is organizing a billion Black muthafuckas / To take overJP and MorganGoldman and Sachs / And teach the world facts and giveSaudi they oil back".[22] "Loco-Motive" has an underground vibe and keyboards similar to Nas' 1994 song "N.Y. State of Mind".[27] "A Queens Story" has boom bap and classical elements in its production, including classical piano,[26] orchestral strings and funky drums.[5] Its lyrics pay homage to Nas' native Queens and his creative influences.[5] "Accident Murderers" incorporatespipe organ in its production,[26] and its lyrics addresses senseless violence with arags to riches narrative byRick Ross.[12][21]
On "Daughters", Nas is bewildered at the responsibilities of fatherhood, as he addresses his daughter's social networking activity and worries about his past undermining his parental authority.[11][16] Killian Fox ofThe Observer writes that Nas' observations on his ex-wife's "hefty childcare payments" and his 18-year-old daughter "dating unsuitable men" are resonated by his "recollections of his early years as aQueensbridge hustler – just the kind of unsuitable young man he's warning his daughter about these days".[28] "Reach Out" features Mary J. Blige and incorporates the piano loop fromIsaac Hayes' 1970 song "Ike's Mood".[12] Its lyrics address Nas' feeling displaced "when you're too hood to be in the Hollywood circles, you're too rich to be in the hood that birthed you".[6] "You Wouldn't Understand" addresses life struggles and features a mellow production andneo soul influences.[12] "Back When" has flickering production and mytholigizing lyrics by Nas: "check out theoracle bred bycity housing".[16]
The up-tempo "The Don" samplesSuper Cat's 1982 song "Dance inna New York" and has a 1990s hip hop sound.[12][21] Its lyrics extol both Nas' rapping prowess and New York City.[12][21] According to No Ripcord's James McKenna, "Stay" mixessoul andjazz elements, "bringing to mindLow End Theory eraA Tribe Called Quest andTupac'sMe Against the World, and lyrics "questioning the line between love and hate".[29] "Cherry Wine" features vocals by Amy Winehouse and a narrative between ill-fated lovers.[5] The song was titled after Winehouse's guitar, which she called "cherry".[25] Jesal Padania ofRapReviews cites it as "quite possibly the best 'ladies number' that Nas has ever delivered, though it is infinitely classier than that label."[25] On "Bye Baby", Nas' lyrics address his ex-wife and recount their marriage in a narrative that follows the wedding, counseling sessions,marriage counseling, and the legal process of their divorce.[5][12]
The album was promoted by Nas' concert performances and television appearances onThe Colbert Report,Late Show with David Letterman,Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and106 & Park.[7] He headlined theRock the Bells music festival and embarked on a three-week European tour during June and July 2012.[7] With singerLauryn Hill, the rapper co-headlined the "Life Is Good/Black Rage" tour from October 29 to December 31.[30] The tour finale was an exclusive show atRadio City Music Hall in New York City withElle Varner as the supporting act.[31]
Threesingles were also released in promotion of the album—"Nasty" on August 9, 2011, "The Don" on April 3, 2012, and "Daughters" on July 17.[32] A music video for "Nasty" was filmed by directorJason Goldwatch in Queensbridge, Nas' hometown in New York,[33] and releasedvirally on October 11, 2011.[34] A video for "Daughters" was directed byChris Robinson and premiered May 27 onMTV Jams.[35] Its storyline chronicles the relationship between Nas and his daughter through herpoint of view.[35] On April 27, Nas released the Aristotle-directed video for "The Don", which featured lavish images of Nas' lifestyle.[36] A video promoting "Bye Baby" was released on August 20, 2012, featuring scenes of Nas in an empty home, at his divorce proceedings, and in a setting that revisits the cover image ofLife Is Good.[37] It also featured singerAaron Hall ofGuy, whose 1988 song "Goodbye Love" is sampled on "Bye Baby".[37] A video for "Cherry Wine" was also released on October 2.[38] The video was dedicated to guest vocalist Amy Winehouse,[39] who is featured as a projection on a wall in the video's scenes.[38] On September 19, "Cherry Wine" wassent to radio in the United Kingdom.[40]
Life Is Good was released byDef Jam Recordings,[41] first on July 13, 2012, in Germany,[1] where it reached number 24 on theMedia Control Charts.[1] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number eight on theOfficial Albums Chart,[42] the album also debuted at number two in Canada and sold 5,000 copies in its first week there.[43] In the United States, the album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 and sold 149,000 copies in its first week.[44] It was his sixth number-one album in the United States.[44] In its second week on theBillboard 200, the album sold 45,000 copies.[45] By February 10, 2013, the album had sold 354,000 copies, according toNielsen SoundScan.[46] The album charted for 15 weeks on theBillboard 200.[47] On April 21, 2020, the album was certifiedgold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping at least 500,000 units to retailers in the US.[48]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[49] |
| Metacritic | 81/100[50] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [19] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[11] |
| Financial Times | [51] |
| The Independent | [41] |
| NME | 8/10[52] |
| The Observer | [28] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10[16] |
| Rolling Stone | [21] |
| Spin | 7/10[14] |
| USA Today | [53] |
Life is Good was met with widespread critical acclaim. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 81, based on 30 reviews.[50] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album 7.8 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[49]
Reviewing the album inNME, Kevin EG Perry called it "a grimy, back-to-basics return to form",[52] whilePitchfork's Jayson Greene said Nas had "settled gracefully into strengths".[16] Evan Rytlewski ofThe A.V. Club deemed Nas' lyrics "beautifully expressed" and the music just "as thoughtful",[11] whileSlant Magazine's Manan Desai believed the rapper sounded "inspired" and praised the album's "narrative unity" as "a wide-angle look of the artist as a grown man."[5] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney, arts critic for theFinancial Times, said Nas draws on his "insider-outsider perspective" as a successful rapper to create "a richly varied album that goes from old-fashioned East Coast bangers to boldly worked orchestral and jazz samples, all held together by Nas's fluent rap technique."[51] In the opinion of Randall Roberts from theLos Angeles Times, the "thoughtful, fierce, honest and – most important – heavy-duty work" showed "Nas has gotten better at rolling with the punches – and you can hear it in every verse".[54] Carl Chery fromXXL hailed it as "arguably Nas' best LP sinceStillmatic" and proof that "at this juncture—21 years and 10 solo albums in—no other MC has ever rhymed at such a high level this deep into their career."[22]
Some reviewers were less enthusiastic.Robert Christgau gaveLife Is Good a three-star honorable mention (
) in his "Consumer Guide" column forMSN Music, citing "Daughters" and "Accident Murderers" as highlights while deeming the record "reflections of a bigshot who, as he mentions several times, is damn big".[55] AllMusic's David Jeffries regarded the album as an inevitably "puff-chested bitch session", "acting as a clearing house for all venom and bile, plus some gloss that doesn't fit but needed to go as well."[19] According toNew York Times criticJon Caramanica, the narratives were "sometimes distractingly fanciful" and Nas' lyrics occasionally "overstuffed", even though the record possessed "a simulacrum of the sound that made him legendary".[56] Matthew Fiander fromPopMatters was more critical, finding the production "uneven" and calculated "as product", with "half-done ideas".[2]
At the end of 2012,Life Is Good appeared on several critics' top album lists. It was named the best album of 2012 byThe Source andOkayplayer.[57] The album was also ranked number 18 byRolling Stone,[58] number 12 byComplex,[59] number 16 by James Montgomery ofMTV,[60] number six by Martin Caballero ofThe Boston Globe, and number seven by Jon Caramanica ofThe New York Times.[57]Life Is Good received aGrammy Award nomination in the category ofBest Rap Album for the2013 Grammy Awards.[61] It was also nominated for Album of the Year at the2013 BET Hip Hop Awards, while "Daughters" won the Impact Track award at the2012 BET Hip Hop Awards.[62]
Information is taken from the album credits.[63]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No Introduction" | J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League | 4:15 | |
| 2. | "Loco-Motive" (featuringLarge Professor) |
| No I.D. | 3:40 |
| 3. | "A Queens Story" | Remi | 4:35 | |
| 4. | "Accident Murderers" (featuringRick Ross) |
| No I.D. | 4:37 |
| 5. | "Daughters" |
| No I.D. | 3:20 |
| 6. | "Reach Out" (featuringMary J. Blige) |
|
| 3:46 |
| 7. | "World's an Addiction" (featuringAnthony Hamilton) |
| Remi | 5:01 |
| 8. | "Summer on Smash" (featuringMiguel andSwizz Beatz) |
| Swizz Beatz | 4:19 |
| 9. | "You Wouldn't Understand" (featuringVictoria Monét) |
| Buckwild | 4:35 |
| 10. | "Back When" |
| No I.D. | 3:22 |
| 11. | "The Don" |
| 3:02 | |
| 12. | "Stay" |
| No I.D. | 3:45 |
| 13. | "Cherry Wine" (featuringAmy Winehouse) |
| Remi | 5:56 |
| 14. | "Bye Baby" |
|
| 3:59 |
| Total length: | 58:12 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Nasty" |
| Remi | 3:04 |
| 16. | "The Black Bond" |
| Remi | 2:22 |
| 17. | "Roses" |
|
| 3:31 |
| 18. | "Where's the Love" (featuringCocaine 80s) | No I.D. | 4:28 | |
| Total length: | 71:37 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19. | "Trust" |
| 4:34 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20. | "The Don" (Don Dada Remix) | Jones |
| 4:09 |
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[9]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[48] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | July 13, 2012 | Def Jam Recordings | [1] |
| United Kingdom | July 16, 2012 | [2] | |
| United States | July 17, 2012 |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)