As great as Nas is, he never really had that year, like Jay Z in 1998, DMX in 1999, 50 Cent in 2003, etc., where he really owned the game. A lot of pressure was on Nas by 2011. The release of Life Is Good finally gave Nas his moment.
Definitely, 2012 was a time when the game was changing, it was the last year before current trends took hold. Some say Kendrick Lamar owned 2012, but his year is looking like this year. Meanwhile, Nas is coming back strong, after DJ Khaled gave him a spotlight, last year.
The two are back working together, this year, and Nas has his own album coming. With that album coming, Nas revealed he has some music coming. He told his fans he is currently writing four new songs.
