For those of us hip hop lovers with an ear for good music Nas delivers just that. If you haven't heard the album yet here is a review of what to expect.
The initial track NO INTRODUCTION smoothly welcomes us into the album with a piano solo as the Justice League beat summons in. Nas reflects on his past and how it effects his present and hope for the black nation. He ends the track properly dedicating the album to a few well known people, as well as his ex Kelis and his loyal fans.
The Large professor produced LOCO-MOTIVE gives the fans a taste of the past with a 90s era beat and flow reminiscent of a young 'Illmatic' Nas. As Nas proclaims in the track, "It's for my trapped in the 90s niggaz". A QUEENS STORY has a funky basement beat accompanied by a collection of strings. During this track Nas proclaims his love for his hometown of Queens and pays personal homage to his old stomping ground as he proclaims himself a "real O.G." This record celebrates fallen soldiers from his old hood and a shout out to people from the area who made it out and became successful despite facing many obstacles.
ACCIDENT MURDERERS features The Bawse 'ROZAY' where Nas tells stories almost convicting man who boast about being killers, but truly mistakenly become their self proclaimed title. Nas also honors the innocent bystanders who become victims of these young killers. Nas further stresses how he once embraced these young men as children, but as they became men they've become cold blooded and reckless. As Nas Laments "I want to build with him, but will he change really."
The direction of the album becomes more love influenced with the inception of DAUGHTERS. Nas discusses the hardships of being a father and how his many earlier mistakes led his daughter to question him. We get it Nas, you love your daughter. Nas not only sounds like he is trying to convince his daughter to make better decisions but it also seems to be a PR move to show that he is a good father despite some controversial events surrounding his daughter.
The next few tracks follow a theme of relationships and heartfelt ode's that quite frankly bring down that mood of the album a bit. But that is quickly followed by SUMMER ON SMASH which is quite simply a club song. Ushered in by notorious Anthem beat maker Swizz Beats along with singer Miguel adding vocals. This track is far removed by the intellectual concepts in the previous tracks but all in all it's a song that'll get you bouncing and wake the listeners up some. On THE DON and NASTY Nas flosses on the tracks and asserts himself as a New York Dondada. This is followed by a few soulful tracks that Nas' Jazz father Olu Dara would sure appreciate.
Also, BYE BABY is sure to get a lot of attention based on it's subject matter. Nas speaks on his relationship with his now ex-wife Kelis. Throughout the song Nas reflects on the many problems of the relationship and how even though he loved Kelis, after they were married the relationship began to tumble until the eventual demise. Nas also addresses the naysayers calling him a fool for marrying and failing. As he puts it "Atleast I tried".
In Conclusion, this album starts off very strong with some great production features and enthusiastic rhymes that are reminiscent of a young Nas entering the rap game. In much of the album Nas takes several trips down memory lane often reflecting on past experiences and telling vivid stories that only Nas could masterfully project. The album loses a lot of momentum in the middle following the Daughter's track with Nas seeming to teach more than flow. In the end this album has some incredible beats including the James Bond themed track in the end and a surprise feature from the late Amy Winehouse. Nas has cooked up some good tracks with this album so as the saying goes, Hats go off to the chef!
Subject Matter: 5
Lyrics: 5
Flow: 4
Production: 4
Overall Rating: 4 Mics!
Holla Back
-Achmone
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