Jay-Z & Beyonce versus Nas & Kelis

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which pair weighs in heavier, music-wise? which is the cooler couple? it's not big, deep, or clever, but it is a topic on my mind...
jump in.

― paulhw (paulhw), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Who the fuck are these people? There's not a proper name between them.

― Sasha (sgh), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahahahaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Sasha, do you live in Athens, GA?

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Or is it Norway?

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

or perhaps MARS?

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Nas is basically his real name, though.

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

but it's not a PROPER name!!!

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Kelis and Beyonce are THEIR names, too! the only pseudonym is Jay-Z, which, ironically enough, sounds PROPER minus the dash and the initial; plus them it sounds like a nickname

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

And Nasir is even less proper!

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Proper name... okay... how about Toby?

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

heathens!

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Jones" is proper enough, I bet.

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, a quick search reveals that they all seem pretty talentless, so y'all can help me finish my joke:

"Rap music?
If I wanted to hear black people talking fast over cheesy beats I'd..."

― Sasha (sgh), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

drop dead"

― M Matos (M Matos), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Colleges in Australia have much to answer for.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheesy?

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

release the hounds

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

In the Complex interview with Kelis, Nas sounded sort of way different than I imagined him, different than I imagined they would be together. Soon after she began dating Nas, he effectively moved in, preferring the comfy, homey spot to this flavorless apartment in Manhattan's tony Sutton Place. "His apartment is a total bachelor pad," she says with a laugh. "Beige walls, the TV, the couch, and that's it. We'll both be sitting on the couch and I'll say, 'I hate it here,' and he's like, 'Me, too.' And we'll just turn the TV up louder. See? "So instead, he would come uptown and hang out with me, and we would have a great time. But I'd be like, 'Yo, can you go to the store and get some milk?' And it would take an hour with all the people stopping him. I would make him walk to Peter Pan, this really ghetto spot for soul food-- no security, no car, no nothing. No one made him do that, ever."

I doubt Beyonce and Jay have ever even met. Maybe once or twice, at awards shows and stuff. But they've never been alone together. They talk through their representation and assistants and try to keep their stories straight. They're stupid.

― d k (d k), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:53 (twenty-two years ago)

hey! i went to an australian college!

― gaz (gaz), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Where does Jay-Z's moniker come from? Isn't his name actually Sean or something? This is a serious question and not a piss-take.

For what it's worth, I find Nas' raps (what I've heard of them) much more inventive and with....I can't believe I'm actually saying this...much more actual "flow" than Jay-Z's rather staccato delivery. I think Beyonce is one of the most overrated performers in the history of entertainment. All I really know about Kelis is "Caught Out There" and her bajillion cameos. But, she's gotta better voice than Beyonce...and seems much cooler.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 2 December 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

His name is Shawn Carter.

Jay-Z was once the protege of Jaz (also Big Jaz and Jaz-O) so I always assumed the Jay-Z was an offshoot of metaphorical big brother Jaz-O's moniker.....although I'm prob. totally wrong, which would make this a pretty useless post!

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I too am a protoge of Jaz!

http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/images/jaz/jaz80mike.JPG

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always wondered that too, Alex! I think the Jaz-O connection comes close to the real answer, though. Apparently Jay-Z is going to be writing an autobiography so maybe that'll clear it up.

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

hahaha!

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry Gaz, that was a bit broad. Monash University has much to answer for.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

someone told me it was from the bit of the brooklyn metro map where the J & Z lines run together--it reads "JZ" and that seemed right to me

― s1utsky (slutsky), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

i pick nas and kelis. thats mostly because I am starting to loathe Beyonce (it's ok though; look in her eyes - she hates me (and you) too). a few years ago, i would be more sure i my choice, but i dont like the new nas singles that much (excepting "one mic"). OTOH, "milkshake" is superlative.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

sex in public is awful though

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

i read that jay-z chose the name cos his friends nicknamed him 'jazzy', a comment on the clothes he wore.

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Colleges in Australia have much to answer for.

He doesn't often attend, though.

― Andrew (enneff), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, i was about to say what Mitch said, also that after he met Jaz-O, "Jazzy" became "Jay-Z".

as for the taking sides, I would say Jay and B based on music, but i think it's cute how Nas makes a cameo as a frycook in the "Milkshake" video so I'll go with them.

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Yep, I held out that Nas was brilliant for many disappointed years based on my love of Illmatic, but I think it would be pretty hard now to contend that Jay is not the superior artist. Better albums (exception of Illmatic), better singles, more consistent, changed up his flow over the years, way way way better production and choice of producers in general.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 01:01 (twenty-two years ago)

He doesn't often attend, though.

Somehow this is not a revelation.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 01:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Andy K completely owned this thread, for those keeping score.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I go to Monash too - I wonder if I know this guy.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 02:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Nas' rap on Sex In Public is dirrrty but not that good I think.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i go with nas, because ethan said he would beat me up when i interview kelis. i think he will too!

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:10 (twenty-two years ago)

omg yr interviewing her! cool!

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:10 (twenty-two years ago)

haha yeah if the ~~fuckers~~nice people at ~~arista~~record company ever stop ~~fucking me around~~uh losing my emails.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I take God's Son over The Black Album and Illmatic over anything Jay's done, but on the whole, I prefer Jay to Nas. I'll take Kelis over Beyonce, though.

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:12 (twenty-two years ago)

but mitch said that when nas talks about his erection he sounds like he wants to hit you over the head with it and i cant decide if thats a point in his favor or not

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not a point in his favour, it's game set and match in his favour.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:18 (twenty-two years ago)

admittedly jay sounds like he uses his dick like a weapon too.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I go to Monash too - I wonder if I know this guy.

Look for Harry Potter/Edward Furlong in a Fall/Ramones/Joy Div/Union Jack T-shirt/leather jacket.

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Keith that's hardly narrowing it down!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Besides Keith he DOESN'T attend class a lot/

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:21 (twenty-two years ago)

i'd better not give out more details. some ILM nutter might kidnap him and force him listen to hiphop

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:49 (twenty-two years ago)

And that ILX nutter is me.

Tim, you actually went to school with him.

― Andrew (enneff), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Hip hop is the music by the black people who talk fast with the funny names, right?

― Sasha Not (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:52 (twenty-two years ago)

no, that's soukous.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh. I don't think I like that either.

― Sasha Not (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 05:56 (twenty-two years ago)

it's generally percieved that Kelis is bigger in the UK than she is in the states.

ie she's accepted by the Q/NMERadio 1 types as an "A-list" interesting r&b singer in the UK, whereas she's no way A-list in the US.

does anyone in the US on this list agree/disagree?

― martin (martin), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Kelis seems practically invisible in the States (certainly in comparison to Beyonce, anyway), meanwhile she seems to be a household name in the UK.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:39 (twenty-two years ago)

we treasure your garbage

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

'Popular Thug' is the worst thing she has been involved with tho

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Milkshake gets played on M2 all the time, so her ah exposure has increased somewhat in the US.

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"Milkshake" has cracked the top 40!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i didn't understand "popular thug" coming out on Star Track - it was on the second Kelis LP.

but then i heard it didnt come out in the US...

― martin (martin), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Nas is on the Clones version of Popular Thug instead of Pusha T. I like both versions.

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah Milkshake is blowing up on the radio and BET (much to my chagrin), her album might be doing big things.

― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Hold on a minute, Alex in NYC discussing 'flow' is great to see.

"Milkshake" is on the verge of being ubiquitous. I hope it happens.

― scott m (mcd), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)

in a world of marketing-lead "relationships" ie Bonce and Jhazee's, NellynKellys etc the fact that Kelis is unknown in the US makes their relationship seem faintly genuine to me...

― martin (martin), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Popular Thug is great!

I like Tasty too. Initially it didn't sound like much, but it has this nice, easygoing glossiness that's quite addictive. (ha, that sounds like a bad ad.)

― bugged out, Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Is Kelis *really* bigger/better known in the UK than the US? If so... weird.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah i think she is. when her first album came out, i found out about it through mixmag. i thought she was from the UK.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Can I just say? "Milkshake" is flawless.

― scott m (mcd), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 18:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"'Popular Thug' is the worst thing she has been involved with tho"

?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 4 December 2003 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm smiling because I can imagine a look of baffled bewilderment on Tim's face.

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 4 December 2003 04:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Woah! Yet another Monash student here! I can confirm that it's relatively easy to avoid knowing anything about Kelis et al in these parts.

However, "Milkshake" has made me into an instant Kelis convert! Extraordinary stuff! "Popular Thug" is almost as great. Sasha is clearly of unsound mind.

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Monday, 8 December 2003 09:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Kelis is best; except for 'Crazy in Love' Beyonce's for shit, and the inner rockist in me just finds her a bit vacant; Kelis seems to have some artistic identity. But there are like 40000 threads comparing Nas with Jay-Z (I thought he called himself that cos it's close to Jesus, same way J-Hova is close to Jehova -- both rappers have a God complex, no?) and I'd go with Jizzle any day.

What's wrong with 'Popular Thug'?

― Nu-Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 8 December 2003 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't understand the "Popular Thug" love, it's great but nowhere near Kelis's best. "Milkshake", however, is - it's the most insanely addictive song of the year and even better than "Crazy In Love". So Kelis > Beyoncé, and Nas > Jay-Z too.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 8 December 2003 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

As far as video moments of the year are concerned, Kelis' baker's crack is up there with Bone Crusher peeling the car off his shoe (in "Neva Scared") and the James Cromwell-looking flute twirler in "Indian Flute."

― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 8 December 2003 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

(Although nothing tops "WITHOUT A ARM I SPIT!!!")

― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 8 December 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Kelis' baker's crack ....

Is this simillar to Plumber's Crack? Workman's Cleavage?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 8 December 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Indeed

― Andy K (Andy K), Monday, 8 December 2003 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

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