Almost all rappers have big egos.  It's damn near a rule.  However, very few people's self-image is quite as outstanding as that of Nasir Jones.  This is a man who has claimed he could carry the cross if Jesus Christ had not existed.  This is the same man who has mentioned he could end hip-hop numerous times.  This is the man who earned the right to say whatever with his Holy Grail of hip-hop debut in 1994, Illmatic.  However, he has also been forced to stand in that album's shadow for the rest of both his career and life.  Nas refuses to pale in comparison to that classic, and he plans to build a new peak with his double-disc magnum opus, Street's Disciple.

The man with a fetish for the epic is begins his own with a dark, forboding intro which features the man speaking in a somber tone, a false sign as the first disc is an angry hip-hopera.  "A Message To The Feds, Sincerely, We The People" is a powerful statement aimed towards those who he feels are trapping his pro-black movement.  His rapping abilities have not been so sharp since at least his 1996 classic It Was Written.  "Nazareth Savage" is a title which invokes religious symbolism, yet his lyrics are downright vicious.  His fiery attacks on everyone are just a foreshadowing of what's to follow.  "American Way" is a collaboration between Nas and his fiancee Kelis, as he displays his disgu st with the American political structure which is made to quash any rebellion.  The funky Parliament-sampling bounce of a beat helps Nas evoke a feeling of a time when minority artists were not afraid to speak ill of a system built to keep them down.  He reaches an amazing peak on "Coon Picnic (These Are Our Heroes)", where he calls out current celebrities, including Kobe Bryant and Cuba Gooding Jr., as "spooks" and "jiggaboos".  His searing exposure of those he sees as fake is amazingly funny and truthful at the same time.  He brings the mixtape heater "Disciple" with a new beat, and it still is as passionate and powerful as it was originally.  "Sekou Story" is a narative which makes sure the listener remembers that Nas is still the reigning storyteller of hip-hop (although even he would admit that all-time belongs to MC Ricky D).  He even trades verses with an amazingly skilled female MC named Scarlett.  She also appears on the heartwrenching "Live Now", a tale of a woman dying.  She makes sure Nas knows, with her dying breath, not to waste his limited time on Earth.  "Rest of My Life" is the immediate follow-up, and is beautifully sequenced.  "Just A Moment" is a gorgeous tribute to Nas' and Quan's fallen family, whether they be blood related or people they were raised with.  The first disc ends with the Jay Dilla-esque "Reason", a song which stands as an inspiring track where Nas tells numerous tales of tragedy, which all allow in a glimmer of hope.

The second album is a new story, as Nas evolves from a young player to a grown-ass man, in the words of Cedric the Entertainer.  "Suicide Bounce" is a sure-to-be second single, as Busta Rhymes helps God's Son explode over the Scott Storch soundscape.  The frenticness of this track perfectly leads into the more reflective, yet equally explosive "Street's Disciple".  The violin-powered track and the beautiful storytelling make this another shining star among a cluster.  "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim)" is one of the weaker tracks, yet it still is an excellent tribute to his favorite rapper of all-time.  Perfection is reached on the funky "Virgo", as Ludacris and Nas trade breathtaking bragadocious verses over the legendary Doug E. Fresh's brilliant beatboxing.  Lines like "Could be a little pop-lockin/ if ya girl's tops droppin/ but watch for cock blockin/ on my coochie stock options" make this an ode to a time when "Lodi Dodi/ We like to party" could be a culture's motto.  "Remember The Times" is a vulgar, yet disgustingly funny recount of his past sexual experiences and how they don't account to anything compared to Kelis' love.  "The Makings Of A Perfect Bitch" is perhaps the funniest track Nas has ever made outside of "Ether".  It's almost made in a 2Pac tone, and it's just as ironically serious.  "Getting Married" is utterly gorgeous, and his love of Kelis is obviously as inspiring as Ill Will's death was 10 years ago.  The music may not be as good, but it is as passionate.  "No One Else In The Room" is a 80's pop concoction which makes perfect sense on this honeymoon track; Maxwell's breezy falsetto adds a sweetness to the track.  Next is the first single, the mud stomping "Briding the Gap", which features Nas' jazz virtuoso father Olu Dara; it's a good song, but it sounds alm ost average on this album.  "War" is a New Yorker's New York song.  The Sinatra-impersonating hook makes this feel like a Christmas in Queensbridge, which for some reason feels outstanding.  The album ends on the sappy, sugary "Me & You (Dedicated To Destiny)".  If only I had something bad to say about this one.

Street's Disciple was looking two fates in the face: it could either be the Lebron James or Micheal Olokwandi.  It could substantiate the hype and even surpass it, or fall to the wayside.  Nas refused to do the latter, and much like his former rival, he would not lose.  This may just be the greatest hip-hop double album ever, making Nas accomplish what those other three MCs always mentioned in the same breath as he is never could: he made a double album with no filler.  Jesus H. Christ.

iPod Worthy:  "Coon Picnic (These Are Our Heroes)", "War", "Me & You (Dedicated To Destiny)", "Live Now", "Virgo"

Skippable: Not a single track

Overall: 6 Out of Six Shots