Listening to It Ain't Hard to Tell and Thrift Shop I can unequivocally hear a difference in the style and flow, where I could understand why you'd say Nas has m

Listening to It Ain't Hard to Tell and Thrift Shop I can unequivocally hear a difference in the style and flow, where I could understand why you'd say Nas has more talent as a rapper. However, I find the Macklemore song more enjoyable precisely for the reasons that make him a bad rapper stylistically. Looking at the lines from each you've quoted, other than the 3rd line from Macklemore I immediately get exactly what he's communicating in the song. Nas's song is much more like a poem, I understand the metaphors and get the general gist of the song after reading your lyrics, but on a quick listen I wouldn't have much of an idea of what the song is even about. Maybe it's just a storytelling vs. poem artistic difference. Or maybe Macklemore is just more approachable for casual listeners who aren't really that connected to hip hop.