Trailers are usually the best part of the movie going
experience. They play like a highlight
reel for the films they advertise. They sometimes
even function as a more economical mode of storytelling than the main feature
itself. That’s the one thing that both mainstream
rap albums and summer blockbusters have in common. Both are preceded by tons
of advance hype. These marketing campaigns
are often more engaging and entertaining than the final product. If one rapper has consistently tried to be the
rare exception to that unfortunate rule over the years, it’s been Nas. His tenth studio album, Life is Good, is rightfully one of this year’s most anticipated
releases. The cover art for it was finally released today. It shows a rather pensive Nas sitting in a
club with a green dress draped across his lap.
It’s a rather curious image that would’ve surely been the
source of much debate, if not for the trailer that accompanies it. The clip is a montage of film footage compiled
from various music videos, newscasts, documentaries, and concerts. The unifying theme is, as expected, Nas
himself. There is a strong emphasis on
his financial and personal troubles as of late.
It ends with a snippet from his “VH1 Behind the Music” episode, where he
explains the mystery of the green dress. This suggests that his divorce from
Kelis will loom large over the album. It
also suggests that the title might be a touch ironic and/or sarcastic. Could Life
is Good wind up being Nas’s version of Here
My Dear? If only we could be so
lucky. I don’t envy the troubles Nas has
had to face over the past few years, but personal pain often yields great music
from gifted artists.
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