NAS - Untitled | Review By: Conan Milne


Release Date: July 15th, 2008

Label: Def Jam

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Dub Quotable: Whilst Untitled certainly has Nas’ cocksure alter-ego Escobar seeping through it’s brashest moments, Nasir Jones’ refined wit and depth of knowledge remains unrivaled.

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Hip-Hop can breathe a sigh of relief. When one of the genre's most prolific MC's, Nas, decided to drop Nigger as the title of his ninth studio album, curious followers started to grow concerned. Loyal listeners began to question whether or not the record would still confront taboo topics regarding race in its new, Untitled state. These lingering doubts can be dispelled, since Nasir Jones' latest offering is an intelligent and compelling LP that remains intent on exploring the intricacies of Black life. Beyond that, it is a highlight of Nas' tenure as one of the most important voices for the Hip-Hop culture.

The power of this voice is optimized over Jay Electronica's minimalist, morose keys on opener "Queens Get The Money." This sparse backdrop heightening the impact of the MC's words, Nas wastes no time developing his plight as a Hip-Hop counselor: "Pregnant teens give birth to intelligent gangsters, their daddy's faceless / Play this by your stomach, let my words massage it and rub it / I'll be his daddy if there's nobody there to love it." First single "Hero," meanwhile, reaches even further and targets the entire Hip-Hop nation as opposed to merely its troubled youth. After famously declaring the culture dead, Nas now confidently portrays himself as its saviour. Over Polow Da Don's complex mesh of twinkling sound effects and shuddering bass, a triumphant chorus chimes, “In God’s Son we trust / ‘Cause they know I’ma give ‘em what they want / They’re looking for a hero / I guess that makes me a hero.”

If tracks like “Hero” and the similarly entertaining, though notably carefree, “Make The World Go Round” hint at a content Nas, the remainder of the opus compensates with its impassioned speech. “N.I.G.G.E.R.” perfectly embeds the overall tone of the project in one four-minute jaunt. Both contemplative and controversial, it sees Nas touch on the African-American races struggle to define itself. “They say we N-I-Double G-E-R, we are much more / But still we choose to ignore the obvious / We are the slave and the master,” raps a somber Nas over plush orchestral strings. “America” is equally outspoken, making transparent references to racist beliefs held by some citizens of the United States. “Looked at my Benz and called that a Nazi sled,” spews a justifiably angered MC, adding, “With a face like he wondering where I got my bread.”

As complex as ever, Nas withstands as Hip-Hop’s fascinating contradiction. One minute “the Alife tag-popper” conforms to stereotypical materialism, the next he is breaking barriers and announcing to the whole world, “Y’all My Niggas.” Whilst Untitled certainly has Nas’ cocksure alter-ego Escobar seeping through it’s brashest moments, Nasir Jones’ refined wit and depth of knowledge remains unrivaled. It is disappointing that the album's original title was sacrificed, but, as Nas himself states, "No matter what the CD called, I'm unbeatable, y'all!" On this form, who are we to disagree?
 

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