Defsounds

In this new age of hip hop, one of the biggest complaints made by fans, as well as people against the genre, is that rappers dont say anything. Their lyrics are pointless and because of that, the artform has turned into a 9-5. Instead of making revolutionary songs like "Fight the power" or attacking the issue of teenage pregnancy with songs like "Brenda's got a baby", artist are telling fans to walk it out, and boasting about how hot they are. But then something happened. Through the depths of the recording studio, and the politics of record execs, Nas decided that he would not only step out of the simplistic category that hip hop has been placed in, he would dive out and leave a bomb of controversy that would have a lasting effect on everyone within reason. He decided to name his next album "Nigger". After much public criticism from neo conservatives and civil rights activist alike, the rapper decided to change the name of the album to "untitled", but although the titled changed the message has stayed the same.

Lyrics 9.5- This is a line that honestly really shouldn't even apply for Nas anymore. He has been consistently one of the best technical rappers for a long time. The lyrical quality rarely changes if ever. He's long ago mastered his flow and delivery on rhymes, despite being out for so many years he still manages to bring a different feel to every track, so as the listener you will never feel like your listening to the same song over and over again. Wordplay and metaphors are present, but it will take more than a modest ear to catch the best lines on this album, so for those who like clever lines and creative concepts be ready because this album is one big conceptual metaphorical art piece. Expansive vocabulary is something that Nas uses in this album as well, but it is not overbearing nor is it bragadocious, as he uses words that are out of normal conversational procedures, but does not batter the brain or cause you to skim through your dictionary for a clearer description.

Production 7 - Nas has never had what one would call the most creative beat selections for his albums. For the casual listeners his music can get to be a little tedious as his beats tend to realm on the low temp, and mellow sphere. But the production on here isnt horrible. If you really listen to every song, the mood and the production go together very well. Songs like "Black President" and "Hero" offer an up-tempo change of pace for what ends up being a pretty mellow introspective production offering from this album. Songs like "You Cant Stop Us Now" cast a jazzy and soulful spell that will bring you back to New Orleans when Jazz and the Blues were the only art forms that mattered. While "Fried Chicken" will hypnotize you into the lyrics that Nas and Busta have spewed over the tracks. The production selection for this album was not made for head nodding, so dont expect to hear a "Project Roach" at the club.

Songs/Content 9.5- Everyone knew what the original name of this album was supposed to be, and despite all of the criticism, name changes, mixtapes, and comments, Nas really did put out an album that can be looked at as very above average, informative, and yet still in a sense disappointing. To rate this album, one, who was listening for the purpose in which Nas made the album for, can come out very satisfied. Its not a gimmick. He stays on topic way more so than he did on Hip Hop Is Dead and despite some of his latest comments, he stays relevant and intelligent on every track. Songs like "Fried Chicken", use metaphors, creative lyrics and emotion to speak about three of the black man's biggest weaknesses. Fried Chicken, Pork, and Women. He then takes a stand against media calling out what many have called for years one of the biggest liars in media, "Fox News" with his song "Sly Fox". He takes chances on this album, and he isn't afraid to call people out, or say what needs to be said. He does have a couple of slip ups though, for one, most of the songs are no longer than two verses. "Make the world go round" featuring Game and Chris brown comes off as annoying and seems more like a failed excuse for a single and "Project Roach" will have listeners begging for more as it is only about a minute and a half long. So instead of over stuffing us with the music he seems to pull back some.

Conclusion 9- For all that he went through to get this album out, Nas should be very proud with what he will give the listeners when this officially releases on the 15th. "Untitled" will offer what not many mainstream albums have offered, it will bring forth knowledge and tackle issues that are still prevalent but swept under the rug. It tackles current issues such as the wrong doings of "Fox News", the possibility of having the next President of the United States be black, and even has a song dedicated to Louis Farrakhan. He comes full circle with this album and real fans of hip hop should definitely appreciate it as it is more than just ryder music or something you can rock out to in the clubs. For everything that this album offers, there is so much more that Nas could have brought up in this conversation, and for whatever reason he did not. A couple of the songs could or should have been longer but they were not. But at the end of the day, he really has brought back the art in art form when it comes to hip hop. This was not an album, it was more so a plain canvas that Nas turned into a depiction of his feelings and the mood of what he thought his people felt, through his music. The "Ni****" or "untitled" album is a great album that any listener can get something from, but as the beat fades out and the lyrics are long gone, you cant help but feel like there should have been so much more said. Maybe what this album is saying is that, we are the ones that have to push the limits.