Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead
Label: Def Jam
Grade: B+
Dopeness Percentage: 69%
Highlight: Can’t Forget About You
Also Download: Still Dreamin’, Hip Hop Is Dead, Blunt Ashes
Overview: First off, let me say that this review comes from a promo copy of Hip Hop Is Dead and may not be identical to the retail version due to drop next week. Hip hop fans in dire need of a modern classic have anxiously been awaiting this record. With new releases from Jay, Snoop and the Game, the “N” now has his opportunity to separate himself from the pack. Lyrically, nobody is touching Nas right now. With respect to Lupe Fiasco and Black Thought, Nas is on his own private island. He is one of the few emcees that leave us on edge trying to process line after line. While I’m about to give this album a lot of props, my primary issue with this joint is that the beats are very average, making many of the songs forgettable or too similar in nature. We’ve all dreamed of a day when Nas and Premier would make a full album together where every song would be distinctly Nas, and yet have their own individual identity. In short, Nas’ verses sprinkled over some more head-nodding beats would seriously elevate this record.
Let’s start with the good: The first single, “Hip Hop Is Dead,” is crafted by Will.I.Am, who might be hip hop’s hottest producer right now. The track is hot and the video is even better with Nas rhyming, “If hip hop should die before I wake, I’ll load an extended clip and body ‘em all day.” “Still Dreamin’” featuring Kanye on the mic and the boards, is another dope song with Nas and Kanye exchanging solid verses over a laid back drum track. “Play on Playa,” produced by Scott Storch is an easygoing, Marvin Gaye inspired track, which should be in the clubs right about now. Snoop continues to step his lyrical game up, more than holding his own with Nas spittin’ a solid 12 bars. “Where Are They Now?” is another hot track, featuring a familiar James Brown/Big Daddy Kane sample, where Nas shouts out emcees of the past from Redhead Kingpin to Rob Base and Kwame. Nas, if you want to know where they are, all you gotta do is read Halftime’s Lost & Found Section. We’ll tell you what these cats are up to! The issue I have with the song is the whack hook. This Salaam Remi produced song should have used a clever old school sample, not the ridiculous crooning that sadly made the cut. On “Blunt Ashes,” Nas plays conspiracy theorist, rhyming about controversies involving Sam Cooke, Diana Ross and Zapp among others. The trance-like beat is concocted by the 76er’s Chris Webber. Too bad he wasn’t around to produce that old A.I. record! “Hustlers,” has Nas and Game shouting out Compton and Queensbridge over a standard Dre track. Game takes us back to ’95 when he was debating whether to cop Illmatic or The Chronic off the record store shelf (he stole both).
“Black Republicans” might be the most highly anticipated track as it pairs Hova and Nas together, proving that beef is no more. The song is tight as L.E.S. did his thing, but what I don’t like is that it seems like Nas rhymes over a Jay-Z track, as opposed to the other way around. Jay takes control of the entire minute-long intro, making it seem like he owns the song. Then again, he is the boss so I suppose he does. The crown jewel of the album is “Can’t Forget About You” produced by Will.I.Am featuring Chrisette Michelle (a much cooler Macy Gray). The track is a classy blend of neo-soul and intelligent hip hop and features a perfectly fitting Nat King Cole outro. Who knew a line about a Robert Horry jump shot could sound so good? After her appearances on Jay-Z and Nas’ new albums, the 21-year old Michelle is definitely one to watch in ’07. Other highlights include “Money Over Bullshit” and “Let There Be Light” featuring hot vocals from Tre Williams. As I said earlier, the album has it pitfalls. “Not Going Back” featuring Kelis is boring, as is “Carry On Tradition,” “Hold Down The Block” and “You Can’t Kill Me.” On the latter, Nas employs a bizarre Bugsy Siegel accent to tell a story of cops and robbers over a Rakim “I Ain’t No Joke” sample. Props for trying something different, but the track seems oddly out of place. All of these tracks would have new life if they had more inspiring beats. Danger Mouse? 9th Wonder? Are you reading this? So I apologize to hip hop historians as I’m not calling this one a classic. However, it is one of the best releases of the year and Nas remains at the top of hip hop’s pecking order. The QB True G is most definitely still on his game.
Dopeness Percentage - Takes into account how many dope songs there are compared to tracks on the album. For example, if an album had 14 tracks and 5 of them were dope, you have a Dopeness of 36%.
