Nas, 'Untitled'

Backstory: After releasing “Illmatic” in 1994, Nasir Jones catapulted to the top of the hip-hop heap. And his associations with Kelis (his wife) and Jay-Z (a former rival who signed Nas up for this much-delayed Def Jam effort) have kept him in the spotlight. Or is that crosshairs? Rap fans love Nas’ brain-teasing rhymes and ceaseless flow, while drama queens love the fact that he’s a magnet for controversy; his original title for this album was “Nigger.”

Why you should care: Nas has gifts to spare, as far as cultural insight and bravery goes. Some have rightfully compared him to Rakim, the smoothest rapper alive, while others have struggled to meet his diverse lyricism. He’s been working the sidelines of hip-hop greatness for over a decade; the world is waiting for his knockout blow.

Verdict: This may not be that haymaker, but it still packs some needed punch. The angry crunch of “Sly Fox” is a warning against trash media and political corruption: “Watch what you watchin’/Fox keeps feeding us toxins/Stop sleeping and start thinking outside the box.” Meanwhile, “America” is the wake-up call bling-hop has needed for years, as is the sublime and conscientious “Queens Get the Money.” But other tracks bury Nas’ silver tongue beneath synthetic programming shot through with overdone backing vocals. He’s incapably supported on “Make the World Go Round” and the otherwise stellar “You Can’t Stop Us,” but it’s a small (albeit annoying) price to pay for one of the sharpest minds in the hip-hop game.
 
X-Factor: Nas knows how to get attention. He was reportedly contacted by a concerned Congress over his previous title for “Untitled.”

Add a comment