Nas – Hip-Hop Is Dead
(Def Jam)
Since the release of his classic debut Illmatic, all of Nas’s following albums have been criticized unfairly. But on Hip-Hop Is Dead, an album that has been heavily anticipated since early 2005, Nas goes on the offensive, putting hip-hop on notice in a controversial and well-done album.
Hip-Hop Is Dead shows off a rejuvenated Nasir Jones, as his Def Jam debut is a skilled compilation of street tales and self-conscious narratives, matching Nas’s sharp rhyming with equally effective production from some of the game’s best beat-makers. Sonically and vocally, Hip-Hop Is Dead is an intriguing piece of work, and Nas displays a sense of urgency early on through “Carry On Tradition,” where Nas blasts attention-seeking rappers. The album’s first single “Hip-Hop Is Dead” is a reworked version of Street’s Disciple’s “Thief’s Theme,” but it still manages to work as an effective title track. “Black Republican,” the long-awaited collabo between Nas and Jay-Z, shows off the influence of the two best rappers of our time, and long-time Nas producer L.E.S. does an incredible job backing the historic joint. Kanye West puts haters in their place on “Let There Be Light,” as Ye adds another classic single to his resume, with Nas and Tre Williams collaborating for one of the best rap/r&b collabos of 2006. Nas even gets The Game and Dr. Dre together for the speaker-splitting “Hustlers,” another solid track off an album packed full of them.
Hip-Hop Is Dead is an excellent album from front to back, with the Snoop-assisted “Play On Playa” being the only forgettable song on what is easily one of the best albums of year. Nas’s latest offering is irony at its best, because let’s face it: Hip-Hop Is Dead marks the awakening of hip-hop with a standout effort from arguably the most consistent lyricist of our era.
-Samir Siddiqui
