Nas’ controversial “Hip Hop Is Dead” release came out in 2006, and came at a time when he declared the ‘death’ of the genre, as he considered it’s true origins to have been diluted to a point beyond recognition when compared to its form in the seventies and eighties. It was the New Yorker’s eight album to that point, and saw him make another big statement to change the way all music of that time was seen.
1. “Money Over Bulls**t”
To get things going on this album you have him dropping a dark one where he chooses to take on all of those who really disagree with the statement which he comes out with. Just as he had done with the last few albums prior to this, you get him taking on classic samples which have been extensive used in Hip Hop (especially in the eighties).
**Four Stars**
2. “You Can’t Kill Me”
As his statement obviously means he is essentially killing off himself and many other people who he doesn’t want to say fit in with this trend, he exempts himself from it with this one, and affirms it in the true Gangsta Rap way by setting a scene where people are there attempting to get him in a kind of Mafioso scene, but he obviously prevails in the scenario.
**Four Stars**
3. “Carry On Tradition”
On this one you find that on some fly beats from Scott Storch you have him
speak on the residual respect which people have form the ‘veterans’ of the genre, and how the majority of those from ‘back in the day’ are just washed-up entertainers who are bound to complain about the direction of the music today, with musky they can’t possibly relate to. It is a thought-provoking work form him, and shows that he understands how the game works, and he can’t take sides on this issue with the older generation and those who are on the rise
**Five Stars**
4. “Where Are They Now”
Although not nearly as exciting as the remixes, this track has im ask where all the big names of the eighties and nineties have gone. In the later version he got to work with a few of the people who he lists here as he goes back into the history of Hip Hop and speaks on top of some funky James Brown samples, and how excited it made him as he heard all that he came up with.
**Five Stars**
5. “Hip Hop Is Dead”
The titular track here had a big impact at the time as it really represented what Nas meant by the statement and made people reconsider what they see ‘real Hip Hop’ to truly be, and whether they have actually encountered it recently form the act which performed then. He take son classic breaks such as “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” and “Apache”, it is a hardcore tune and is a perfect showing of what he wants Hip hop to be again.
In what was a highly hyped recording, you have Jay-Z and Nas unite after years of battling over the crown as the ‘King of New York’. Personally, I wouldn’t have said that this particular track is all tha special, but to those who really got caught up in the issue when it was at its height in around 2001, this one finds them flowing to their best ability, just showing that such an event had to have them come with he most complex lyrics they could possibly come up with.
Kelis, his wife comes to sing on this one with him and it seems to bring out the darker side of him as he decides that it is appropriate to turn things into a Gangsta Rap track on top of typically soft beats from Stargate. It has lots of sharp contrasts within it, and I found that it overcomplicated things here, and so the standard seems to stay as it was in the track prior to it.
**Three Stars**
9. “Still Dreaming”
On this one you get Kanye doing some fresh beats for this one, and even rapping on top of it too, and I found that it made for one of the biggest tunes on the thing, and although it seems to go completely off-topic when you compare it to where we came from with the earlier tracks on the record, the standard of what is done here is too good to simply dismiss as it isn’t quite fitting in with expectations.
**Five Stars**
10. “Hold Down The Block”
Mark Batson is behind this one and as he hadn’t worked with Nas before, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from it, but as I saw it, he chose to really take the title of the collection into consideration as he constructed a tune which appears to et right down to the true, East Coast, head-bopping, underground stuff which made it such an exciting time in music.
**Five Stars**
11. “Blunt Ashes”
This one has him choosing to take things back to their roots as he chooses to explain how much of the urban music scene has been constructed on straight-forward inspirations from one artists passed down to another, all making for class acts which have defined it, and here he questions whether he fits this too, or whether he still needs to more to reach this stage.
**Four Stars**
12. “Let There Be Light”
Kanye West is one of a few who come together to provide the production of the track as you get Nas getting deep as he chooses to take a short break from his concept and deal with something which approaches much boarder issues, in a way which seems to take it back to the ‘message raps’ of the eighties.
**Four Stars**
13. “Play On Playa”
With Long Beach’s Snoop Dogg on his side, you have a banger of a track here as Scott Storch chooses to show how he can drop the West Coast-styled beats just as good as anyone else. This is a big track for the collaboration and the overall quality of things which you find with it as you have a rare teaming of some of the best in the industry.
**Five Stars**
14. “Can’t Forget About You”
This was one of the singles from the album and so it immediately stands out as Nas does things in a way which allows him to appeal to a mainstream crowd, and away from the underground stuff which only the purist can get down to. You have more beats from Black Eyed Peas will.i.am here, and it makes sure that we stay grounded as Nas flows about highlights in his life.
**Four Stars**
15. “Hustlers”
Coming directly off a big collaboration from his second album, Nas and The Game team up once again on this one, a track which I would have to consider their best time where the two hooked up and did things together. Not only do you find this but you also get Dre doing the beats, and together it makes for one of the biggest tunes to show that there is still life in Hip Hop.
**Five Stars**
16. “Hope” (Outro)
Although it suffers from being inconsistent at times, this one finds that Nas explores the statement, and is able to really show that we have perhaps gone too far in such a short period of time and it could be drawing towards a time where the excessive diversification will mean that Hip Hop does just fall apart.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
A good review, but I'm not so enamoured with this album as your are, it's too inconsistent in comparison to his best albums, I dont really rate some of the track's as highly as you and I found that there were only about 4 or 5 really good tracks. The album title track is clearly the best one by far.
Money Over BullSh*t You Can't Kill Me Carry on Tradition Hip Hop Is Dead featuring ... more
Will.I.Am Who Killed It Black Republican featuring Jay-Z Not Going Back featuring Kelis Still Dreaming featuring Kanye West and Chrisette Michele Hold Down The Block Blu...
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Jun 24th, 2009
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