Can't Forget About You
This is the second single and the four minutes which Def Jam seems to be betting a lot on. I wonder if Will.I.Am gets an extra check for pulling that off.
Hip-Hop Is Dead . . . December 19th.
[NAS]
There comes a day in your life
When you wanna kick back
Straw hat on the porch
When you old perhaps
Wanna gather your thoughts
Have a cold one, brag
To your grandkids on how life is golden
So I'ma light a cigar in the corridor of the crib
Pictures on the wall of all the things that I did
All the money and fame, 8x10's of the whole Rat Pack inside of a big frame
Colliding with big names that coulda made your career stop
All that, and your man is still here, and I'm still hot
Wow, I need a moment y'all, see I almost felt a tear drop
When was the last time you heard a real anthem?
Nas, the millionaire, the mansion
When was the last time you heard your boy Nas rhyme?
Never on schedule, but always on time
Can't forget about the old school
Bam, Caz, Mele Mel, Flash
Rock Steady spinning on their back
Can't forget when the first rap Grammy went to Jazzy
Fresh Prince - Fat Boys broke up, rap hasn't been the same since
So irregular, how it mess you up when Mr. T became a wrestler
Can't forget about Jordan's retirement
The shot Robert Horry hit to win the game in the finals, kid
Some things are forever, some things are not
It's the things we remember that gave the world shock
They stay in a place in your mind so snug
Like who the person was with whom you first made love
When was the last time you heard a real anthem?
Nas, the millionaire, the mansion
When was the last time you heard your boy Nas rhyme?
Never on schedule, but always on time
Unforgettable, unsubmittable
I go by "N" now, just one syllable
It's the end 'cause the game's tired
It's the same vibe Good Times had right after James died
That's why the gangsta rhymers ain't inspired
Heinous crimes help record sales more than creative lines
And I don't wanna keep bringing up the greater times
But I'm a dreamer, nostalgic with the state of mind
The past the past, enough of it, aight then
But nothing gives me chills like Douglas and Tyson
Or Mike when his talk was live
Or when he first did the moonwalk on Motown 25
When was the last time you heard a real anthem?
Nas, the millionaire, the mansion
When was the last time you heard your boy Nas rhyme?
Never on schedule, but always on time
Nas f/ Chrisette Michele: Can't Forget About You
BONUS: Nas: Can't Forget About You (instrumental)
BONUS: Nat King Cole: Unforgettable
posted by Fletch at 5:45 PM
28 Comments:
Aaaaawwww sh*t!!! Now THAT's what I'm talkin' 'bout homey. Yo FLETCH u gotta' stop postin' this sh*t man lol!!! I don't wanna be tired of all of the joints by the time that album drops!!! I'm not gonna download this one though the temptation is MAJOR.
That joint is fire right 4 real. Did u say Will I. Am did this as well? I knew dude was talented but that piece right there just showcased a whole other level of dudes production capabilities 4 real. Lol at cats criticizing NAS 4 messin' with dude sayin' he's only on some pop sh*t. That song right there touched a nerve. Its laid back and melodic but at the same time raw. Just my humble opinion though. Good look FLETCH.
This will be the last HHID song I post (I know I said that before . . . ha) But it's the second single (Nas said that on MTV reportedly the other day), and is getting a pretty strong Def Jam push (they hyped it up at the listening sessions and gave it to Power 105 specifically). The album will probably leak next Thursday or so, at which point I'm taking another blog vacation until the release date is much closer.
As for the track itself, I don't wanna come with a verdict yet on the sound of it, since it's still a radio rip, but I think it's dope how you have Nat King cole / singing / keys, all of which suggest a mellow vibe, but then you still have percussion that's not shy, the scratching, and horn stabs, all in the vein of "real Hip-Hop", for a lack of a better phase. Will.I.Am is quite the versatile one.
And I don't think the singing is bad, but maybe just a little long (like 40 seconds), but, again, I'm not coming down on either side yet.
As for Nas, no need for radio edits? First verse is more from a personal level, a solid set-up. Second verse again proves that HHID is gonna be a concept(ual) album of sorts. And the third verse has some great pop culture references, "The same vibe Good Times had right after James died . . .like Mike when his talk was live / Or when he first did the moonwalk on Motown 25." (Might be kinda ill if they can work in some old footage of all those refernces in whatever video comes about).
I like it.
"Might be kinda' ill if they can work in some old footage of all those references ..."
SAY WORD ...
LOVIN this shit. props for the lyrics. hoping for more like this on the album.
Sounds like this track is nice. But I'm waiting. The only track I've listened to off the album is "Hip-Hop Is Dead", and it's already top 15 on my iTunes playcount list.
really good track!! thanks
This is absolutely amazing...
reminds me of WAR from SD, but because of the female hook - If I Ruled the World...
this is an ANTHEM! wow.
So I was just out walking a little with this playing on the ol' IRIVER, and excuse me for rambling for a minute. There are certain songs that you wanna dance to, pull a heist to, run to, fight to, sleep to, fuck to . . . but this is a walking song to me. And not some early morning / afternoon power-walking, but some wintertime, sun not completely down but the moon already posted, traces of your breath in front of you, stroll. This song is the soundtrack to that scene for me. Like that quintessential New York image of people moving down the city's streets, past storefront windows, long overcoats, gloves . . . For whatever reason, I get that image of Pacino and Keaton in the first Godfather. Anyway, I'm an embellishing, visual person like that, but that's the mental picture I get in my head.
What's more, that also connects with the idea I have of the aforementioned War from Street's Disciple. Both just ooze this classic wintertime vibe, "Caught a glimpse of myself in the Barney's shop window / Kinda see my father's features creeping' in a little." And the singing (Keon Bryce and Chrisette Michele) again is on the same page, as they have more in common with older jazz vocal stylings than the modern R&B type.
song aint hot...damn.
wow. i didn't know anyone else got that wintertime vibe from war but me. i figured it was just 'cause the album came out during the winter (if i remember correctly) and i was bumping it a lot over xmas vacation that year. there's def something about that line about him and the barney's window that hits me.
i dig the song and production more then the verses here. like a more mainstream doo rags. for my money, doo rags is better.
anonymous, if you'd like to elaborate, please do. I know I and most people who would come to a Nas blog are more then likely gonna side with whatever new material's out there, but I don't mean all the gushing to dissuade anyone from saying the oppsite.
Max, as for the verses, they're not all-time greats, nor are they especially underwhelming; instead, they are just on point. They're cohesive, they say what needs to be said in a concise manner, with a couple memorable lines sprinkled around (third verse is particularly nice). It's a good way to constuct a single: standout hook, solid production, and verses that are easy to follow along with. That's what separates songs from mere raps.
Another ill song from HHID,
the unforgettable sample is worked real well into the beat, complimenting the basic, raw sound of the drums, but the slight burst of the horns Will.I.Am puts in every 4 beats (I think) during the verses destroys the flow of the song for me.
The song reminds me of If I ruled the world a lot(both will be singles, female on hook, mellow vibe),except you can see how Nas has changed in the 10 years tween them. While If i ruled.. was all about how Nas would change the world around and make it better, can't forget about you is a more mature Nas reminising about how it was better when he was younger (a world, which he wanted to change when he was younger)
I'm surprised no one came here and mentioned that Horry didn't hit any shot to win the game in the finals... Nas must be thinking of the Western Conference Finals against Sac
nas isn't a sports fan. i bet he had to go online to find that out or soemthing.
Great song, real laid back, reminds me a you're the man, chill, with a great laid back beat. Oh all the songs that have leaked so far, this is my favorite. My only concern with HHID is that we have not heard a "suicide bounce" type banger yet, a song that gets you pumped aka Made You Look. They all have been sort of chill, or like Fletch said, walking songs. I will take them regardless, they are all good songs, I just want to hear a crazy one, the QB Tru G was upbeat but not up to par with the two songs I mentioned...
So who is the lady that is singing the interlude or chorus after nas hook?
and what is she saying?
Given the theme of the song, I don't think it's relevant if Nas is really a sports fan or not, i.e., the scenes he's descrbing aren't really those you need to be a fan / afficiando to remember. They're the moments that "gave the whole world shock", whether you were following along from the first game or not. Jordan's retirement and the upset against Tyson certainly count as that. As for the Horry line, "Big Shot Bob" did show up in the 2005 finals against the Pistons (the shot in OT to win the Game 5), but, yeah, Nas is most likely referring to the Lakers versus Sac, which was still a finals, albeit a conference finals.
Anyonymous, that's Chrisette Michele, Def Jam's current go-to-hook girl it seems, e.g. she's also featured on Jay-Z's Lost Ones. It appears she's singing, "These streets hold my deepest days / This hood taught me golden ways / Made me (truly this is what made me) / Break me (not a thing's gonna break me) / Oh, I'm that history, I'm that block / I'm that lifestyle, I'm that spot / I'm that kid by the number spot / That's my past that made me hot / Here's my lifelong anthem / Can't Forget About You"
YO this that hot ish heard it on a mix on the radio in the chi and fell in love. Thanks man
Yep best track so far
and i've gotta say suicide bounce was terrible
thats the only track on sd i skip
Thanx Fletch for answering my question. I'm the guy that asked who was singing the hook and what was she saying.
You are truly a great writer. Appreciated.
thanx for the good version of this track... amazing
Just heard about 6 tracks off the new album...gotta say that this is one of my favorite tracks...so far. Nat King Cole's 'Unforgettable' sample in the background and the sleepy Billie Holiday voice of Chrisette Michele voice make it a smash hit...and then the Frank Sinatra outro! Much appreciated, Fletch.
BTW: What happened to White Man's Paper?! Is that going to be recovered?
Thank god they used Chrisette and not Megan Rochelle. It seems like she's ruined the last 20 Def Jam albums.
This is the 1 4 me
Nat King Cole singing at the end is something I was prayin' 4 when I listened 4 the first tyme...
PS
We got the official album aready out here
Just bought the album, this track is already one of my favorites. Its pretty daunting to take on such a well known track but Nas delivered.
Fletch could you re-up the instrumental? Its one of my favs of the album.
This track is BIG! Even at work now when i cant listen to any music. I cant get it out of my head!
dis is da shit hip hop is missin...feelin da track shit iz fire!!
this is what nas does. some of you will love it at 1st, other it might take you a second listen. but it gets to you. Heres another real chill track thanks to nas,this abum COMPLETLY crushes streets D
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