Nas - What Goes Around

"Companies is making money off us. Fast food, cola, soda, skull & bone crosses."

Album: Stillmatic [5th album]
Recorded: Manhattan, New York
Genre: Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop
Album Release: December 18th 2001
Length: 4.59
Producer: Salaam Remi
Vocalist: Nas [age 27] & Keon Bryce
Label: Columbia

Official Audio

Charts, Streams & Sales

Spotify: Over 3 million
YouTube Music: Over 4.5 million

Credits

Bass, drums, guitar, organ, percussion, rhodes piano

Details

• 'What Goes Around' is one of my favourite Nas tracks. It has everything he does best: rhyming, flows, and social commentary, told in a broad sweep that captures the relevance of history in the present day. When Nas makes music like this I could listen to it all day. It's a shame when he starts chasing money and commercialising his sound by using weak hooks from tired, old pop songs (see 'Sweet Dreams').
  
  There are two different versions of Nas: the streetwise philsopher from Illmatic and the exaggerated gangster from Nastradamus. The two fight for control in a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Bruce Banner & the Hulk situation. I don't blame Nas for wanting money, but at the same time I want to him to make quality music. When he waters his work down for commercial appeal, my interest falls through the floor. Nas could have been the single greatest rapper to ever live but he went for dollars instead... at times.
  
  On certain tracks, like 'What Goes Around', Nas is everything I want him to be, he tells women they are gorgeous without plastic surgery, reminds people that drugs are poison when many rappers glorify dealing, and shows awareness of social issues that affect poor people trying to survive, "I'm from poverty neglected by the wealthy".
  
  Then I play a track like 'The Flyest', from the same album, and Nas replies "no doubt" when AZ says "you know we brought the hoes, clothes and money rolls to the table". The duality in his music is exhausting., although I suppose its possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. Nas has described himself as a thug poet, a phrase that highlights the contrast (see 'Nas Is Like').
  
  However, on 'What Goes Around' he warns people that fast food and drugs are poison, as well as chastising emcees for the poor example they set for kids. While on 'The Flyest' he'll nod alone to bars about money and hoes and that set the same terrible example.
  
  Crucially, as if in admittance, on the same song Nas says 'all of my words to enemies, is all poison'. Perhaps an honest portrayal of a flawed man is preferable to a dishonest portrayal of a perfect hero because it presents reality instead of a far-fetched, glorious ideal.
  
  

Artwork