A Queens Story: Nas & Salaam Remi’s 10 Greatest Collaborations

You already know Nas. Top five dead or alive on just about everyone’s list, unless you get a kick out of being a contrarian. If you don’t know Salaam Remi, is a world renowned producer du jour whose Hip-Hop cred goes all the way back to producing Zhigge’s self-titled debut album in ’92 (even further if you count playing piano on Kurtis Blow’s Kingdom Blow in ’86). If not, then you certainly know his beats. There was the remix to the Fugees’ “Nappy Heads” that gave them a spark when their Blunted On Reality debut was dead in the water, or production for the late Amy Winehouse that includes half the Back To Black album. 

So when people make a fuss about where are these mythical albums Nas has in the works with DJ Premier or more recently, Jay Electronica, God’s Son has been well taken care of in the beats department lately. It’s no coincidence that the “Bye Baby” rapper’s latest, critically acclaimed work, Life Is Good, has Salaam Remi’s MPC’prints all over it. Here are are 10 of Nas and Salaam’s greatest collaborations. The beats are good.

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• The Curious Case Of Joseline Hernandez: A Visual Timeline Of Success [PHOTOS]

• 8 Things You Need To Know About 2 Chainz’s Based On A T.R.U. Story

• T.I.’s New “Go Get It” Video Features Big A$$ Mansion, Very Small Bikinis [PHOTOS]

• Dallas Mavericks Star Dirk Nowitzki Marries Wife In Traditional Kenyan Ceremony [PHOTOS]

• Rosenberg’s Night Of Real Hip-Hop With Odd Future & More [PHOTOS]

• Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte Banned From Wearing Custom Grill On Medal Stand [PHOTOS]

• 15 People Who Merged Rapping With Singing (Before Drake) [GALLERY]

• 5 Reasons Why The Jackson Family Is Bat Sh-t Crazy

—

Photo: MySpace

“Be a Ni–er Too”

Back  when the Untitled album was going to be titled the N-word, “Be A Ni–er Too” was one of its lead tracks. It didn’t make the album’s final cut, but is still a powerful song. A shame, this politically charged rumbler is tough. Rik Cordero directed the short-film styled video.

“What Goes Around”

The first record Salaam and Nas did together, and the bass line on this is just mean. You hear Nas kicking righteous bars in storytelling mode on this standout album cut from Stillmatic; the project that helped him get his mojo back after Jay-Z’s verbal slander and that damn Nastradamus album.

http://www.springboardplatform.com/jsapi/embed

//
http://www.google.com/jsapi//

“I Can” 

Salaam’s first production credit was playing keys on a Kurtis Blow record. So utilizing Beethoven’s “Für Elise” made complete sense, even on a rap record. Those “Impeach The President” drums kept it rugged, though. Nas is for the children.

http://www.springboardplatform.com/jsapi/embed

//
http://www.google.com/jsapi//

“Get Down”

The opener to the superb God’s Son album features Nas over a blatant James Brown sample? More please.

“Thief’s Theme”

will.i.am used the same sample (Iron Butterfly’s “In “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”) for the title track to Nas’ 2006 Hip-Hop Is Dead. Sorry, but that version was weak sauce compared to “Thief’s Theme,” from 2004’s Street’s Disciple. Nas takes you back to jux kids and the season of the vic over this brooding heat rock. Summer beef, for suspect rappers.

“Made You Look”

Back to God’s Son, and this one is an easy pick. Salaam Remi laces Nas with a sick re-working of the OG “Apache” break beat. Nas over break beats is an easy win.

http://www.springboardplatform.com/jsapi/embed

//
http://www.google.com/jsapi//

“Nasty”

Y’all snoozed on this. This was the first single from Nas’ current It Was Good winner of an album. Yep, the kid’s wordplay is top notch (“I’m so high I never land like Michael Jackson’s crib,” he spits.) over this break beat inspired track.

“Cherry Wine” ft. Amy Winehouse

This joint should make you miss Amy Winehouse that much more. Nas raps about the eternal quest for his female “a-alike” over a jazzy number. A standout cut on a overall great Life Is Good album.

“A Queens Story”

From name checking spots like the Colosseum or mentioning names the ring local bells like the late Randy “Stretch” Walker, Nas delivered the Q-Boro a new anthem with this one. The beat holds its weight thanks to string orchestration reminiscent of Marvin Gaye’s “T Plays It Cool.”

http://www.springboardplatform.com/jsapi/embed

//
http://www.google.com/jsapi//

“The Don”

We weren’t going to include “The Don” since Da Internz also have a production credit on this one (as well as the late Heavy D). But in an interview with Complex, Salaam explains how he chopped up that Supercat sample to make it sound like “Nas.” Yeah, “The Don” is pure unfiltered Hip-Hop.

This is a bonus because I, the writer (and I hate using first person), clearly had a brain fart by not including “War” from Street’s Disciple and the white label “Talk of New York.” They’re both below and are more evidence that Salaam Remi is a beast.

Talk Of New York

War