 Life Is Good features personal subject matter , themes of adulthood and nostalgia , and reflections on Nas ' personal life and experience in hip hop . His rapping is characterized by a relaxed , plainspoken flow , internal rhymes , and a tone that veers from malicious to nostalgic and introspective . The album 's production incorporates orchestral elements and musical references to both contemporary and golden age hip hop , including boom bap beats and old school samples . 
