DMX and Scarface also offer solid cameos. 2,” “Nas Is Like,” and “Undying Love” showcase his remarkable storytelling and bar work, and the Diddy-assisted “Hate Me Now” is still one of his most energetic songs ever. The resulting album wasn’t as perfect, but it was still damn good: “N.Y. But Untitled is still a quality release from Nas that has aged well with current times of increased tension, a predecessor for newer racial ruminations like Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. Conceptual songs like “Project Roach” and “Fried Chicken” may have been a little out there, and some of the best songs from these sessions ended up on The N-r Tape, a pre-album release with DJ Green Lantern. Meanwhile, the rapper teams with Eban Thomas and The Last Poets to exalt black resilience on “You Can’t Stop Us Now,” and “Testify” fantasizes retribution to make America pay for its sins of oppression. Louis Farrakhan and President-elect Barack Obama are treated with equal respect on “Untitled” and “Black President,” while “Sly Fox” critiques of propoganda-spreading conservative media. The intended title never made it to stores, but Nas still used the album to uniquely chronicle the black experience. When it came time to follow up his assertion that hip hop was dead, Nas delivered an even more controversial message. Nas originally planned to name his ninth album the written-out N-word, with him and his then-wife Kelis wearing clothing that showed the word in bedazzled letters at that year’s Grammy Awards to promote the message. Nas also enlisted Kanye West production for the first time on one of his solo albums here (aside from The Lost Tapes), and the results are flawless: “Still Dreaming” sees both artists floating over a soulful sample, and “Let There Be Light” beams with the hope that hip-hop may have a shot at survival after all. “Black Republicans” doesn’t disappoint as the long-awaited collab with JAY-Z, and “Hustlers” makes magic with a Dr. Dre beat and cameo by The Game. Nas dedicates the first third of the album to paying homage to the greats of yesteryear (“Where Are They Now”) and lamenting the state of the industry (“Carry On Tradition”), and he spends the rest of his time leading by example with artists who are up to the challenge. The title of Nas’ eighth solo album started more conversations than the music did itself, with his “Hip Hop Is Dead” assertion jumpstarting industry-wide debates about the genre’s vitality in the mid-2000s. The album has concepts like “The Makings of a Perfect Bitch” and “Remember the Times” that come across as contrived and awkward, and its sprawling nature of more than 87 minutes is a lot to sift through. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim),” but it’s largely an album that hurts from a lack of restraint. Street’s Disciple has highlights like “Thief’s Theme” and “U.B.R. It seems like every rap great eventually gives in to their whims to make a double album, and Nas is no different. Nas’ fourth album suffers from identity crisis, with thoughtful songs like “Project Windows” and “Last Words” being offset by trite, predictable records like “You Owe Me” and “Big Girl.” It seemed like Nas was still appearing to discover himself here, and while he would redeem himself a couple years later with Stillmatic, Nastradamus lives as a blemish on an otherwise godly resume. “Is it Oochie Wally, or is it One Mic? Is it Black Girl Lost, or shorty owes you for ice?” JAY-Z’s later barbs at Nas on his song “Blueprint 2” held true for Nastradamus, Nas’ second album in 1999, after releasing I Am… months earlier. Jay-Z and Kanye West's full-length collaboration features the ruthless flaunting of material wealth, plenty of political content, and input from dozens of collaborators.Nas Lights Up Queensbridge Park for 'Nasir' Album Listening Party: Recap The stark ballad 'Made in America' provides fascinating glimpses into Kanye’s past, coupled with his trademark wordplay.", Ranked #2 in Rolling Stone's '50 Best Albums Of 2011' - "THRONE testifies to Kanye West's genius for beats both iconoclastic and pop-savvy.", Ranked #40 in Spin's 'The Top 40 Albums Of 2011' - "They segue into dubstep and '70s art rock." BEST JAY Z ALBUMS RANKED FULLIsland/Def Jam / Jay-Z / Roc Nation / Roc-A-Fella / Universalģ.5 stars out of 5 - "This is an album that takes aim at the history books.It has a sound to match those grand pretensions.", "Jay sounds generally reinvigorated: good-humored, full of nimble, intricate wit and atypically emotionally revealing.", "It’s no surprise that the finest tracks here are those in which the duo take a break guarding their invisible thrones.
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