On day three of The BoomBox countdown to Nas' Life Is Good album release, we have media professional Datwon Thomas talking about the essence of Nas' artistry. Thomas, a Brooklyn native, has been a fan of the rapper long before making waves in hip-hop media. He's been the Editor-in-Chief of XXL magazine and he launched the men's lifestyle magazine King. In recent years, Thomas served as Chief Operating Officer of GlobalGrind.com and currently checks in at Vibe as the magazine's Editorial Director. Having such an extensive history in the culture's documentation, Thomas knows exactly what hip-hop needs next, and according to him, Nas has his finger on the pulse with the release of Life Is Good.
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Datwon Thomas' Countdown
to Nas' Life Is Good Album
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"I would say the difference in anticipation of Life Is Good and his past albums aren't that far apart. I think most of the time when he have an artist like a Jay-Z, Nas or Eminem, they're
highly anticipated just because of their level of talent and the fact that they can tap into emotion -- you can actually think while you're listening to hip-hop and bobbing your head.
You just get to hear what's going on in their head at that moment. With Jay, it's that forward
progression, you're looking at him as the business guy. With Eminem, it's always him
fighting his inner demons and being able to conquer the beast within but then it's a little bit tougher with Nas because he's so unpredictable.
You never know what's gonna happen with him. You never know what
