Is Nas the current savior of Hip Hop? For those who believe that the genre is dead, and has been over saturated with average artists, then the answer may be yes. On his latest, Hip Hop Is Dead (Def Jam), Nas shows other emcees how to stay focused after a long career.
From the first lyric until the last, his flow and rhymes prove that he is still in his prime. On the first half of the record, Nas goes for the jugular — ripping emcees, remembering the forgotten ones, and commenting on the street hustle. He focuses on societal and personal introspection on the second half. The song with Jay-Z, “Black Republican,” lives up to the hype.
Nas holds down the whole album beautifully, proving his versatility, and sonically the album fits his style. There are plenty of notable producers — Salaam Remi, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, LE.S, Scott Storch, and Will I Am — that give Hip Hop Is Dead a suitable background. This album should be playing well into 2007.