Life Is Good (Nas album)

Lore & Background

In 2010, Nas released his studio album Distant Relatives, a collaboration with Damian Marley that reinvigorated the rapper creatively. He soon became distracted by tax problems and an expensive, highly publicized divorce from his wife Kelis months before their son's birth, events that influenced his direction for Life Is Good. His songwriting on the album was also influenced by adjusting back to life as a single man. Nas also wanted to write more original subject matter rather than another album 'about how you came up in the hood and how you had to make it out of the hood'. Although he did not find his album 'quite so much about the marriage or the divorce', Nas likened Life Is Good to Marvin Gaye's 1978 album Here, My Dear, which was written by Gaye in response to his own deteriorating marriage and released as a financial settlement. For Life Is Good's album cover, a photo was taken of Nas in a polished white suit, sitting in a night club's VIP lounge, appearing forlorn, and holding over his knee Kelis' actual green wedding dress, which he said was the only item she left him.

Recording sessions for the album took place at several studios in Hollywood, Miami, New York City, Sherman Oaks, and Los Angeles. Nas worked with several musicians, including Amy Winehouse, Mary J. Blige, James Poyser, Anthony Hamilton, Miguel, Large Professor, and Hal Ritson, among others. For the album, Nas wanted the production to complement his lyrics' nostalgic themes with 1980s hip-hop influences. He primarily worked with hip-hop producers No I.D. and Salaam Remi, a frequent collaborator of Nas. Remi said that he wanted his production 'to be something that a mumble-mouth rapper can't rap on. You better have something to say and be speaking up.' Along with producer Swizz Beatz, No I.D. and Nas related to the latter's lyrics concerning divorce during the recording sessions. During the sessions, Nas recorded the song 'No Such Thing as White Jesus' with singer Frank Ocean and producer Hit-Boy, who misplaced the track while sorting through music he had produced for Jay-Z and Kanye West's album Watch the Throne (2011). Although he later recovered it, the song was not included on Life Is Good.

Reader's Guide

Life Is Good received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, reaching 354,000 copies sold by 2013. It also reached the top 10 of record charts in Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Three singles were released in its promotion – 'Nasty', 'The Don', and 'Daughters' – along with five music videos, while Nas toured in further support of the album from June to December 2012. In 2020, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded Life Is Good a gold certification. The album's significance lies in its deeply personal subject matter, addressing Nas's divorce, fatherhood, and aging, while its production by No I.D. and Salaam Remi blended orchestral elements with boom bap beats and golden age hip-hop samples. Critics noted the album's nostalgic and adult themes, with some comparing it to Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear. The album's cover, featuring Nas holding Kelis's green wedding dress, became an iconic image. Its legacy is as a mature, introspective work that marked a creative high point in Nas's later career, resonating with audiences for its honesty and musical craftsmanship.

Did You Know?

• The album cover features Nas holding the actual green wedding dress of his ex-wife, singer Kelis, which he said was the only item she left him.
• Nas compared Life Is Good to Marvin Gaye's 1978 divorce-inspired album Here, My Dear.
• The song 'No Such Thing as White Jesus' with Frank Ocean was recorded but not included on the album after producer Hit-Boy misplaced the track.
• Amy Winehouse appears posthumously on the song 'Cherry Wine'.