For me, I think Jay Z always delivers on the beats side.
So I'd break it down like this...

Lyrics - Nas
Flow - Jay Z
Rhyme Style - Jay Z
Beats - Jay Z
Consistency - Nas
Replayability - Nas
Delivery - Jay Z

Both are great, but I feel that Jay DOES get some unwarranted hate for being such a businness man even though he remains a great MC and has a great ear for music.

And for the record, imo, Takeover is 10X the song Ether will ever be. Better beats, better disses, funnier, AND a Morrison sample.

No chance lol. Ether completely destroys Takeover.

Jay-Z has some catchy stuff but easily Nas for me.

It's brought down for me because he throws out childish stuff like Gay Z, Cockafella Records, and calls Jay a D-riding faggot. If Nas didn't do this, Ether probably would be better.

Nas has far better delivery and MC skills, and is easily the best lyricist in hip-hop history. Jay-Z on the other hand is more consistent and his beats are better than Nas's. Illmatic is the best rap album ever but Reasonable Doubt is a classic as well

agreed.

Nas.
 

Nuff said.

Flow, delivery and rhyme style you think Jay-Z is superior to Nas? You are entitled to your opinion but you have basically picked three of the things Nas is considered to be one of the greats at and said Jay-Z is better. Jay-Z has a very sluggish flow anyways in my opinion.

Jay isn't more consistent, he has made some God awful albums. And RD cannot be called a classic when it didn't stand up the albums of a similar vein when it came out. Doe or Die, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and Nas' own It Was Written are far superior. I honestly believe RD is only regarded as a classic now because Jay-Z has said it is so many times people just believe him.

Nas's flow and delivery are often lazy and boring. The dude is a great lyricist, but his flow his very drab.

RD is a classic because it focused on what drug dealing and project living can do to the MIND of a person instead of promoting and glorifying it.