They sound exactly the same to me. The concept of the track is different, but the beat is pretty much the same. Who really know who made it first?

Wordsmith got dat!!!!

Wordsmith’s beat is heavier on the drums, though Nas’ loops are much more laid back, much more fitting for such an intro & retrospective track.

Shouts to Wordsmith for rocking the sample first, but I prefer Nasty’s version…

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/2425/naswordsmithbattleofthezf5.jpg

;-D

http://www.zshare.net/audio/411148680fbfba/

MAN PLEASE!!! I rapped over that loop too!!! 3 YEARS AGO!!! Doesnt mean nobody stole it!!! It’s a damn sample!!!

yeah man, this is a sample that has been used a thousend times…for example in 2005 by Bang’em and Domination:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/4113879ab07527/

its called sampling (and hip hop)

i guess nas isnt as “incredebly talented” as so many stans seem to think ……so yer tellin me nas used a sample thats been used 5 times??? what else is new he even recycles his own samples and says someone else produced it (theifs theme)….wake up people nas is whack….yea he can rhyme but hes unorigional as fuck

^
So Nas is supposed to know every song thats been made b4 and every sample thats been used? Some of yall people are corny as hell!

I thought both versions were pretty nice.
I’m giving it to Wordsmith right now, probably because I’ve been listening to the Nas version on repetitive loop all week. (I dont like all of Nasir’s shit like a lot of people so when I find one i like, I stick to it.)

[...] *Rawkus.com/The Rap Up Story (Click) [...]

Yo, technical foul on C. Webb, like he just called a timeout when none left. I think he just stole the beat, C. Webb a producer, I mean really?

I think lyrically, Nas tells a much better story, Words is just shouting out MCs, that’s mad boring and the sample is buzzing, doesn’t sound as good.

Considering the sample is one that’s been used and abused, I’ll kick that from the equation and say I favor NaS’ joint. I’m more interested in the history of one of my favorite artists than in the opinion of an MC I’ve never really heard before. Smith’s skills aren’t in question, though, it’s just how I feel.

@ Ali

Didn’t C-Webb produce Blunt Ashes?

Whoa. Yea this is really suspect to me… I love Nas too, but I know Wordsmith has had this song out for quite some time. Even though a song might have the same sample… c’mon, whats the likelihood of it being the same concept + the same intro.

Just FYI. The original rough cut version of Wordsmith’s “As the Art Fades Away” is available on our Reinvintage Mix CD that comes FREE with any purchase from our online store. Just throwing that out there in case anybody is interested in having it. Will probably be the only place that version can be found.

both tracks are fresh. they got two different feelings to em i dont even compare em. nas is laidback and smooth, wordsmith hits harder and makes you nod ur head alil harder thats all. dope shit from both artists

[...] songs can be heard HERE. Judge for [...]

“Yo, technical foul on C. Webb, like he just called a timeout when none left. I think he just stole the beat, C. Webb a producer, I mean really?”

lol

JUST CHILL WORDSMITH…NAS HAS THE BARS…lol…KEEP CREATING THO BRO

Wordsmith is fake. That cat be stealing tracks from other cats for years. Dude is wrong. Ive heard his music, he is garbage.

I Agree. This dude Wordsmith is FAKE. Dude is biting on NAS, and stealing from Nas. This dude is not for real. This guy has little mans syndrome. Why dont you try making some of your own music, or get a life. Dont be fooled people by imposters.

you all r nuts word had this track n either cwebber did for them to be so well know n u all thinkin word a fake why they steal from a fake id rather be called a fake than a thief word your tracks are hot lookin foward to ur video dec 1st have a blast with ur gunit tour

ITS CLEAR THE MAN WORDSMITH IS VERY TALENTED AND EITHER NAS OR WEBBER OR BOTH HEARD HIS TRACK WHEN THE ARTS FADE AWAY N RIPPED IT OFF THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT WHO WOULD CARE BUT YOU SEE THE MAN WORD AND ALL HIS FANS CARE BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT WAS WORDS WHY BECAUSE WORD PUT IT OUT THERE 2 YEARS AGO N ROCKS IT AT CLUBS IN NYC BMORE VA MASS TX U NAME IT HE JUST DID IT AT A SHOW IN DE THAT ROMELLO COMBS HOOKED UP FOR HIM PLEASE WE ALL KNOW SHIT HAPPENS IN THIS BIZ DONT HATE THE KAT WORD FOR CLAIMIN HIS OWN JUST MOVE ON N HEY MOVE ON TO WORDS OTHER TRACKS N SEE THE LYRICS FLOW

HEY I WANT TO SHOUT ALL TO YOU WORD I HAVE MUCH RESPECT FOR YOU AND HOW YOUR HANDLIN THIS CONTROVERSY THIS IS THE BIZ AND YOU ARE A MAN AND A MAN MUST ALWAYS STAND UP FOR WHAT HE CREATES AS WELL AS WHAT HE MAY NOT ITS OBVIOUS TO ALL WHO HAVE LISTENED TO BOTH TRACKS THAT SOMETHIN AINT RIGHT AND FROM WHAT I HEAR THE MAN WORD BEEN SPITTIN THIS TRACK FOR 2 YEARS SO TECH IT IS HIS YEA MY MAN NAS PUT HIS RHYMES DOWN ON IT BUT IT ISNT TOTALLY HIS FAULT NOW WEBBER CANT SAY WHERE HE GOT THE SAME CONCEPT I WONT EVEN BEGIN TO TRY NOW YOU ALL ASK WHY WE DONT GET REPLY FROM NEITHER KAT CRAZY BUT THEY PAY PEEPS TO DO THIER TALKIN AND MOST LIKELY THEY ARE BEIN TOLD SILENCE IS GOLDEN BUT HOMIES YOUR PAYIN FOR SOME BAD ADVICE BUT WE LIVE N LEARN YO MY MAN BRINKS YOU GO DO THE INTERVIEW WITH THE KAT TO RESOLVE SHIT BUT YOU DIDNT KNOW SHIT MAN YOU LOOKED FOOLISH YOU DID NO LOOKIN INTO THE SHIT WOW IT BLEW ME AWAY TO SEE YOU DIDT TALK TO WEBBER PRIOR TO YOUR INTERVIEW WITH WORD YO WHAT YOU GET PAID FOR LOL IM TRYIN TO KEEP IT REAL IM IN THE BIZ N YO MY BOYS YOU KNOW WHO I AM LOL IVE BEEN DISHED SHIT BEFORE TOO YO MY MAN WORD THIS IS THE BIZ WE DEALT SHIT CHEW IT UP SPIT IT OUT N MOVE ON WHEN YOU SITTIN BACK CHILLIN TO MUCH GREEN TO COUNT WHO GOIN TO GIVE A SHIT LOL WORD JUST KNOW WE ALL KNOW AND ILL BE HEARIN YOU I HAVE TO SAY YOU DEF GOIN TO BE BRINGIN US ALL SOME COMPETITION PEACE

[...] Check it out here [...]

I GONNA SAY IT LIKE THIS!!!! ANYONW WHO SPENDS THEIR TIME AND MONEY ON WORDSMITH IS A FOOL. THAT GUY HAS BEEN A CON IN THE GAME FOR YEARS. IT DONT MATTER WHAT HE CLAIMS IS HIS, THE FACT IS HE IS A PUNK…NOT A MAN…. HE SHOULD WEAR A PINK SH=KIRT WHEN HE IS ON STAGE. … NOW WE ALL KNOW NAS AND WE ALL KNOW THE HISTORY. THE FACT IS HE NEEDS ATTENTION…SO GO AHEAD AND CRY WORDSMITH…CRY ABOUT IT LIL BABY….. DO US ALL A FAVOR A JUST SHUT YOUR NON RAPPING…BORING SAME OLD STYLE OVER AND OVER..ASS UP!!! PEOPLE STOP GIVING THIS LIL PUNK ATTENTION. IM ON THE EASTCOAST AND HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. YOU DONT EVEN STAND IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS OUR PIONEERS. PEOPLE THERE IS ENOUGH REAL TALENT OUT HERE TO EVEN BE BOTHERED BY THIS HOMOSEXUAL.

@sometimes
you may sit on the eastcoast man but you obviuosly are not in the game i know this why well yo i am and im one of the best pioneers east/west and we in this biz and out know the history about the game and be real this isnt the first time someone stole someones shit and if you were a true pioneer like you call yourself you would respect not hate and not act with immaturity as you have presented in this bogus statement to call a man a homosexual u2 must be one for the only way u have just cause to do that is if he fuckin you and to call him a con well then dont hide behind your words give facts not garbage i seriously doubt you know nas my friend because one thing we dont keep are assholes as you for homies so you go cry and leave this dude alone cry because you have no talent thats what all the negativity stems from you know the man obviously has talent he going on tour wit my boyz gunit are you lol please give it up hater you cant put yourself in the same class as word nas or myself punk this goes out to you word i intend to contact you asap and welcome you to the biz one artist to another and a fyi haters like the dude sometimes wont ever go away just gives us a laugh because hes the same fool who makes us the money buyin our shit lol peace

This was not only stolen by c. webb but also by Strada… My camp produced the exact same track in 03 that you will hear on the NAS record..(NOT JUST THE SAMPLE)the entire drum seq also…. NOW What!! there is a gang of press on this fool wordsmith when we should be gettin some publishing…. We got our lawyers on it though… this shit will come out

X

My love is almost always for the nameless, (those whose stories rarely find their way into the papers or onto the television screens), the real heroes of this Hip hop music who simply take the hand life situations and do the best they can so that everybody else (like Wordsmith’ and them) will have that fair shot (they only need). Nasir bin Oludara Jones is that person in Hip hop world.

nas wins cuz better lyrics and about his life

Nas can’t do such….C’mon, this dude has been in the game for close to 11 years now. Wordsmith’s tryn to get some publicity….I guess?

….on that note – w/ that info on the look back – wordsmith need to leave that alone. like several people have said – ITS A SAMPLE B!
damn C Web b4 i got this info i thought u was crazy nice with it.

YO!!!! FUCK THIS SHIT…I got both these dudes beat, cuz I recorded this track in 2002, released on VARIOUS west coast mixtapes and a compilation album in 2004 by DJ DEMON called “SAN DIEGO COLLEAGUES”. Wordsmith did flip the sample enough and the drums are different enough to be his own track. Rappers have use the same James Brown samples over and over again, I aint trippin. BUT FUCK NAS!!! Holla at me Mr. Jones, I aint even playing Nasir! COME TO MY MYSPACE
RICASSHAY’S OFFICIAL MYSPACE MUSIC PAGE
and listen to my song HOW U FEEL recorded in 2002 (WITH PROOF) and produced by DJ SYKO. PLEASE BE REAL WITH YOURSELVES cuz if ANYONE was biten off of, it was ME!!!

I don’t understand the big deal here. I mean…first off, Nas and Wordsmith both riped this song from the Wiz. Ripping from old songs has happened since the beginning of the Rap era. They both sound good and obviously were not trying to copy one another. Who cares?? They both rock the speakers so stop beatin’ a dead horse and enjoy the music.

Krayzie Bone sampled this back in 99 on his song Power.

I think some of these people are confused. because it isnt “stealing” to use a sample someones used before. a lot of people do ex:

Ive got a story to tell-rhymefest/lalala-lil wayne

a biggie song has the same sample as a big L song, n the list just goes on n on.

n if you had to say someone was “stealing” it wouldnt be nas. it would be weber, n honestly i dont think he stole shit. i mean sure its not the coolest thing someone can do by using a sample used before, but its by no means STEALIN

i like both songs so yeah…

Wouldn’t it bee more useful to post the original sample?