Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead Review

Nas Hip Hop Is Dead

dig it

full review

Tracklist:
1. Money Over Bullsh*t
2. You Can't Kill Me
3. Carry on Tradition
4. Where Are They Now
5. Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas, will.i.am,
6. Who Killed It?
7. Black Republican - Jay-Z, , Nas
8. Not Going Back
9. Still Dreaming - Nas, Kanye West
10. Hold Down the Block
11. Blunt Ashes
12. Let There Be Light - Nas,
13. Play on Playa - Nas, Snoop Dogg
14. Can't Forget About You
15. Hustlers - Marsha Ambrosius, , Nas
16. Hope

Release Date: 2006

user rating

3.4
great

Chart.

related

Nastradamus

Greatest Hits

I Am...The Autobiography

members also liked

Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP
Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Jay-Z The Black Album
Eminem The Slim Shady LP
Jay-Z The Blueprint
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
Eminem The Eminem Show
The Notorious B.I.G. Ready To Die

On 1 Lists

2.5
average

Jared W. Dillon STAFF (110 Reviews)

2006-12-30 | 33 comments | 4,285 views

Summary: Nas attempts to conceptually present his audience with a reason of why "hip hop is dead", but fails.

"Illmatic" is kind of like the "OK Computer" of the rap world. A ridiculously respected, near completely heralded album that is considered to be one of the finest ever created. Similar to Radiohead, Nas is always going to live under the shadow of what many consider to be his and rap's greatest achievement. What made "Illmatic" so great was the fact that it was so believable and honest. In a genre that is saturated with over-indulgent brags and ridiculous claims of self worth, "Illmatic" is just a realistic look at a black teen in the mid '90s living in New York. Since that release, however, Nas' ego has grown and his work has suffered. Where "Illmatic" represented someone that was new to the scene but completely sure of himself (it features only one guest spot, a rarity in hip-hop), his later work makes it seem as if Nas is worried that his work will never reach the level of "Illmatic". "Hip Hop Is Dead" is an overstuffed album that features upwards of eight guest rappers and numerous high-profile producers. Where "Illmatic" was a simple, short endeavor, "Hip Hop Is Dead" is like an overblown epic in comparison.

I'm going to list the good aspects of this album before I rip it apart, so first let's address the two very original tracks on the album: Who Killed It? and Hope. Who Killed It? is probably the album's most controversial track because of Nas' change in voice. Basically, he attempts to tell the story of hip-hop's decline by using an allusion of the mob era of the '20s and '30s. Nas cops the dialect of the track and also accents his voice accordingly. While it certainly isn't the best track on the album, it is really interesting to see a rapper (especially one associated with the mainstream) take such a big risk on being original. Perhaps had Nas streamlined the originality in Who Killed It? to the rest of the album, it would've been a much better release. Alas, we are stuck with typical post-"Illimatic" tracks like You Can't Kill Me and Hustlers. Hope, the other impressively original track on the album, is almost completely a cappella besides some very tasteful female singing. The track is probably one of Nas' best and certainly the highlight of "Hip Hop Is Dead". Other positives are the Kanye-assisted Still Dreaming, which comes off almost as Nas' version of Drive Slow and Blunt Ashes, a reflective look on the worth of entertainer's careers. Also, Black Republican, while not being the most best-sounding track on the album, shows off that Jay-Z and Nas are both aware of their impact on the supposed "death of hip hop".

Hip Hop Is Dead has its good amount of highlights, but then it has the tracks that are completely horrendous, the titled track being the main one. First off, you have Will.I.Am once again being the worst digger ever, pulling out a beat from Iron Butterfly and just a point that has already been proven by countless MCs lyrically by Nas. I'm not sure if Nas thinks he's covering new ground with the track Hip Hop Is Dead, but to anyone that is even semi-aware of the underground movement of hip-hop in any era, it's just copping more than a few lines. Basically the first five tracks of the album are lyrically and production-wise some of the weakest things in Nas's career. While they do seem to be the more edgy in terms of lyrics work on the album, tracks like Blunt Ashes are far more successful in their simplicity.

And there, in fact, lies what is truly dead with hip-hop. The simplicity of early artists such as Rakim, Wu-Tang and A Tribe Called Quest required them to be much more versed when it came to the lyrical attacks they unleashed. Even "Illmatic" sounds under-produced and ancient when compared to the glitz and glam of "Hip Hop is Dead". Had Nas actually attempted to do something different and not claim hip-hop is dead, but still use the same kind of music he's criticizing, than perhaps he may have released a much more successful attempt of an album. Instead, we are left with a shoddy impression of a formerly great MC that has let down his scene again and again. I for one am going to put on my copy of Illmatic and hope that I don't have to hear Ghostface, or any of my other current favorite rappers, talk about how hip hop is dead next year.

Share: Facebook Stumble Digg Twitter Del.icio.us