Simonne Sknerski: Nas Says Life Is Good Will Be Music For 'Survivors'

'It's crazy how a phrase like that can change somebody's mentality,' Esco says about album title's good vibes.
By Rob Markman

Nas
Photo: MTV

Nas is living the good life. After the Queensbridge MC revealed the title of his 10th studio album over the weekend, he caught up with DJ Envy of MTV's Sucker Free and dropped more details about Life Is Good.

"Life is also good; the moment you think it ain't good, it's over," Nas said.

With his 1994 debut album, titled Illmatic, Nas introduced new slang; he sparked debate with his 2006 album title, Hip Hop Is Dead; and then he started a whirlwind of controversy when he first proposed to name his 2008 LP N-----. And for this upcoming project, Nas said the title has meaning too, a reflection of his positive outlook on life.

"Look at the life we're in, look at the world we're in — I just think people need to realize the blessings. Let's stop worrying about the dark side," he said. "The end result is life is good, and it's crazy how a phrase like that can change somebody's mentality."

Nas even revealed the name of the album's first single, "Nasty," which is a play on his original moniker, Nasty Nas. Still, even though he's giving a nod to his lyrical beginnings, the rapper promises that the track will fit the times. "We ain't going backwards, we're staying forward though," he said.

Life Is Good isn't finished (Nas said it's "almost there"), but it will be a very personal work. Nas insisted he won't shy away from addressing what he's been through in the past few years, including his divorce from singer Kelis.

"This album is just a piece of my blood, flesh and bones. This album right here is like — this is the one. They all are the ones, I love all my joints, but this one right here is, 'Life is good.' I'm letting a lot go on this. I'm happy that I'm here, man. I'm just a survivor and I look at a lot of us as survivors," he said. "Everything is addressed; it's all life. No matter what, at the end of the day, everything is a blessing. I'm a learner, I learn from my experiences."

And it's all good.

Are you excited to hear new music from Nas? Tell us in the comments!

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