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Nas - Hip-Hop Is Dead printer friendly version Send this story to a friend!
Record Label: Def Jam
Featured Artists: will.i.am, Jay-Z, Kelis, Kanye West, The Game, Snoop Dogg, Chrisette Michele, Marsha Ambrosius, Tre Williams
Article by: HaZe_

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.

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From : givens m
HOPE.
I played the song Hope more the five dozen times and tried to imitate it so that i could get the sense of it , it sounds quite vicious but i think it is song that he could have done in his earlier days , all the same Nas is the best of the best, what can i say???????????

From : BAY SLAYA 415

NAS is the best rapper ever n like da guy under me fuck lil wayne, how can people say he`s good. i bet u he doesn`t understand what nas`s song hope was about, it should be directed specially for him.

From : GraphicBum

People sleep on nas ALOT. He's mad good with his lyrics not only that but i think he is the best MC alive. Fuck weezy kiss baby ass

From : tedhiga
sixshot is a piece of shit
what happened to foxxys weeklies mother fuckers slackin its been like a year you drop a lame ass column that no one cares about and one album review a year, everyone move to www.xxlmag.com thats where the fuckin update their shit n are ontop and ww.mtv.com mixtape mondays sixshot step your web game up FUCKERS!

From : T.O.A
Pretty straight
Actually That was a Good reveiw , Pretty decent info , N dude was trinna talk proper LMAO


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