01/25/07 - While not as good as the legendary Illmatic (what could be?), Hip Hop Is Dead proves why Nas is one of the premier MCs in the rap game today. Like the work on his best albums, Illmatic and Stillmatic, Nas seamlessly blends incredible lyrics with solid beats and production values to make a "must have" record.

The controversial title comes from Nas' belief that hip hop has neglected its social responsibility. The rise of Southern rap has shunned the roots of the genre, which was founded upon illustrating by song the life of the inner city. It's hard to argue this point with Nas, given the emphasis on crunk crap on mainstream lately.

Nas saves the best venom for his last track, "Hope." The three-minute song is a cappella, with only slight background vocals from Chrisette Michelle. This format gives it a gritty, raw feel. He raps, "If you a hustler, you ain't a rapper, so get your paper man, but this rap shit is real." It's a direct shot against what Nas sees as the watering down of the genre by "money, cash, hoes" obsessed rappers.

The highlight of the album is the first single and title track, "Hip Hop Is Dead." Prominently featuring a sample of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, Nas effortlessly dissects the lack of originality in the current hip hop scene. The chorus seamlessly flows from Nas' verses, and the track is hypnotically addicting.

The other standout track on Hip Hop Is Dead features an other rap legend, Jay-Z. "Black Republican" chronicles the problem of having money flowing in while still trying to live normally in the hood. There is a tension that the money creates; it is hard to simultaneously uphold an image of a street thug while you're busy buying Hummers.

Jay-Z and Nas split the lyrics on "Black Republican" equally, each spitting out a different verse and a chorus. The collaboration by the two rap legends is carried out well, as opposed to the same muddled attempts on other recent noteworthy releases, such as Tha Blue Carpet Treatment by Snoop Dogg.

In fact, all of the collaboration on Hip Hop Is Dead is carried out quite effectively. Nas shares time on nine tracks, with the other artists ranging from Jay-Z to the Game to Kelis. On these tracks, Nas is balanced nicely against whom he is singing with. Also, in a godsend for my ears, there are no friggin' skits.

Hip Hop Is Dead came out in mid-December of 2006, but the wait was worth it. It is clearly one of the best hip hop albums of 2006. Nas possesses deft lyrical ability that simply can't be imitated by any other popular rapper.