NAS HAS ARRIVED. BOW DOWN TO THE KING.

NAS HAS ARRIVED. BOW DOWN TO THE KING.

Here is the review of the soon to be legally released Nas album from my good man at www.album-a-day.com.     I just got the album myself, but I'm posting his review before I give my own.  It sounds as though this will live up to the excitement I've built up...

"Untitled"- Nas (2008)

***Alert***
I'm going to use the "n-word" in this review. A lot. If that bothers you, too bad.
***Alert***

A lot of controversy has surrounded Nas' latest album. Initially, Mr. Jones announced that he would entitle the album "Nigger". This began my initial reservations with the album. I simply hoped that if he was going to pull something that daring, he would do so responsibly and with full awareness of the precedent it would set. During the recording of the album, there were various sources saying that Def Jam wouldn't allow the "Nigger" title to fly, while Nas continued to push for his vision to be realized. Many people stood up to his aide, including former rival, turned former boss Jay-Z. Many also came out against him, including known hater Jesse Jackson. Eventually, Nas conceded and agreed to calling the album "Untitled", much to the chagrin of hip-hop purists and comedians alike. However, the move was the only way to get the album sold everywhere.

Historically, I'm not really a Nas "fan". I of course think that "Illmatic" was a classic, and "God's Son" and "Stillmatic" were enjoyable, but outside of that, I was never really one to listen to him. I respect his talent and recognized his contributions to the game, but I was always on the Jay-Z side of the feud. However, after listening to "Nigger" (Nas has gone on record as saying that people will always know what the real title of this album is, and I agree with him), I think I've really come to appreciate what Nas brings to hip-hop. My main knock on him through his career is that I think he's the most talented lyricist that has no ear whatsoever for production. I mean, this is the man that rose to prominence over DJ Premier classics but has chosen later in life to get beats from Philly pariah Chris Webber. Thats right, the basketball player. "Nigger" however, is in my opinion, Nas' most consistent album, production-wise, since "Illmatic". With production from Mark Ronson, DJ Green Lantern, Polow da Don, Cool & Dre and DJ Toomp, Nas creates a soundscape that allows him to weave his tight political and social commentary over an enjoyable 54 minutes.

Instead of breaking this album down track by track, I'm going to address is as a body of work, because that is truly what this album is. Nas' statement of his feelings on political and race relations in America, as well as his thoughts on the word "nigger" are fully on display. Despite being an 8th grade dropout, Nas is a very intelligent man. No one is safe from his scathing attacks on the state of America, not even himself. He stands up for Black America, women and poor folks and denounces cooperate greed, specifically Rupert Murdoch and his lap-dog Bill O'Reilly over at Fox. John Lennon famously called women the nigger of the world and Nas takes that sentiment one step further. It's not a race issue. It's not a gender issue. It's a class issue. Those who aren't part of the upper crust of American society are all niggers. Of course Nas mainly addresses Black America and the struggles that we have to overcome in order for us to overcome. He speaks of acquiring and acknowledging our history, recognizing our faults, not accepting our current station in life and moving forward intelligently and healthily as a people. He does this with vivid language and intricate rhyme schemes, all while possessing that classic Nas swagger that we've all come to enjoy. And of course...he shows some love to our favorite candidate here at "Album-A-Day", Barack Obama.

What sets this album apart is that it is more than simply a hip-hop album. I mean, at its core, it is classic hip-hop, something that has been missing from the game lately. However, this album is larger than that. This is a) a strong showing for the maturation of Nas' career and b) a social statement showing what hip-hop can be: fresh, intelligent, relevant, and outspoken. What Nas has done with this album should inspire the heavyweights in hip-hop (yes Jay, I'm talking to you) to really examine exactly what it is they're trying to do with this genre. This work will stand the test of time. A bit of my excitement here might be simply because there hasn't been a hip-hop work this good and this substantive in some time, but I stand by it. When it's all said and done, this could be a classic. Please go out and get this album. It's so good...I might even BUY it.