Spot on. Was giving this another front to back listen the other day now that some of the unavoidable “This is the best/worst thing ever!” hype has died down and have to say, Premier really lived up to his end of the bargain. The beats are incredibly solid throughout and him still finding ways to breathe new life in to well-worn samples is a nice reminder of what sets him apart. Honestly not sure what the barometer is for people these days (Daily Operation is not walking through that door, people) but I will gladly take this level of production from the man at this point in his career.

Nas is what makes this album inconsistent. As you pointed out, when he’s on, he’s can still deliver the goods but he really needs somebody to check the corniness from time to time. There always seems to be an OOF-worthy line right around the corner. And while some of the subject matter does feel contrived, he at least does a good job with it. On the other hand, he never came across as believable or confident as somebody like Jay or BIG with the Big Willie/Esco shit even back then, so I definitely don’t need him to be trotting that shit out in 2026. The wise veteran role suits him much better.