 Life Is Good features nostalgic and adult themes , including aging and maturity . Nas ' rapping is characterized by internal rhymes , a relaxed , plainspoken flow , and transparent lyrics addressing moments in his life , including his youth and the personal events leading up to the album . Erika Ramirez of Billboard observes " stories of internal and external battles , some of which he won and some he lost . " David Dennis of The Village Voice writes that his lyrics address hip hop 's " golden era " and " the trials and tribulations of adult relationships " . Brandon Soderberg from Spin asserts that his lyrics " constantly remind <unk> that the good ol ' days were often chaotic and desperate " . Slant Magazine 's Manan Desai finds Nas ' comparison of his album to Gaye 's Here , My Dear apropos . " Like Nas , Gaye was pushing 40 when he recorded his album " , Desai wrote . " He 'd cemented his position as one of R & B 's greatest , and yet , he never sounded more anguished about where all that fame was leading him . There 's something similar going on throughout Life Is Good ; the more we hear Nas repeat that titular refrain , the less convincing he sounds . " AllMusic 's David Jeffries said the lyrics about his divorce were " unfiltered carpet bombing of love and marriage " ; both Jeffries and Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic characterize the content as " venomous " . Conversely , Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone views that Nas " cuts his rhymes with midlife realism and daring empathy " . Ken Capobianco of The Boston Globe writes that the songs " mix anger , nostalgia , and insight . " 
