Nas – Untitled – review

Artist: Nas

Title: Untitled

Label: Def Jam

Rating: 6/10

Corporate line:
Nas is back and more controversial than ever on his new untitled Def Jam release. On this, his 9th studio album, Nas studies and lyrically dissects some of the our most divisive issues: race, inequality, poverty, and power. And who better to stir up debate than the man most consider one of the top five emcees in the history of the game? From his brilliant 1994 debut “Illmatic,” to his mainstream success with It Was Written, to anthems like “Hate Me Now” and “One Mic” and his venomous lyricism on “Ether,” Nas’ ability to tell stories, educate, make you dance–and make you look–is the stuff of rap legend. The outspoken Queensbridge rapper has sold over 15 million albums worldwide over the course of his storied career. Nas’ Def Jam debut, “Hip-Hop Is Dead,” was released in December 2006 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with over 350,000 copies sold in its first week.

The great:
“Sly Fox” – This is the Nas that fans expect. Nas dissects the Fox News with blistering ease. Somewhere Chuck D. is smiling.
“Black President” – The Tupac and John Legend chorus is brilliant. Nas doesn’t let down.

The rest:
“Queens Get The Money” – Nas rains down lyrics like an open faucet–but we always expect more from the king of Queens.
“Fried Chicken” – Is this really Nas? Something is amiss.
“You Can’t Stop Us Now” – The chorus is lacking–which is a shame because Nas kills–just not consistently. Some of the lines are weak while others rip through like a wet paper bag.
“We Make The World Go Round” – Was it Jay-Z who whispered into Nas’ ear that a pop hook will make more money? Someone did because this isn’t signature Nas–its signature Jay-Z without the skills.
“Hero” – This suffers from the same mistakes as “We Make The World Go Round.” It will appeal to a fourteen year-old but its not going to make the hardcore Nas fan happy.

Finally:
Nas doesn’t need commercial success for anything but more money. It’s a shame that a label like Def Jam gets such a great artist and doesn’t understand what made Nas great. They should have left Nas and his style alone instead of trying to make a hardcore rapper into a commercial artist.

Watch the video for “Hero”