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Unlike its predecessor STREET'S DISCIPLE, HIP HOP IS DEAD harkens back to Nas' commercial pop-crossover albums as well as the poetic glory days of ILLMATIC. The New York hip-hop legend returns to the thoughtful, introspective philosophy that turned heads early in his recording career (with a little help from rap legend Rakim, the ever rambunctious Busta Rhymes, and former foe Jay-Z). Indeed there are some attempts at fancy, hook-laden production (thanks to Pharrell, Kelis and a newly invigorated Michael Jackson)--but most of the tracks go out of their way to be workaday, subservient frameworks to the lyrics. Sampling records (Louis Armstrong's "The Skokiaan", The Doors "Hello I Love You") that have never been used by other rappers, Nas makes it clear that his focus here is not only on the message but also on the sound. Lyrically, Nas addresses weighty topics as mortality, true love, religion, politics, family, personal responsibility and, of course, the currently “deceased” state of hip-hop. Those themes might seem far from the thug-life reveries of many of his contemporaries, but for Nas it's business as usual. Ironically the record proves that rap music is far from dead.
BULLSHIT.. here's the proof.Quote from: dameons on July 10, 2006, 12:19:08 PMUnlike its predecessor STREET'S DISCIPLE, HIP HOP IS DEAD harkens back to Nas' commercial pop-crossover albums as well as the poetic glory days of ILLMATIC. The New York hip-hop legend returns to the thoughtful, introspective philosophy that turned heads early in his recording career (with a little help from rap legend Rakim, the ever rambunctious Busta Rhymes, and former foe Jay-Z). Indeed there are some attempts at fancy, hook-laden production (thanks to Pharrell, Kelis and a newly invigorated Michael Jackson)--but most of the tracks go out of their way to be workaday, subservient frameworks to the lyrics. Sampling records (Louis Armstrong's "The Skokiaan", The Doors "Hello I Love You") that have never been used by other rappers, Nas makes it clear that his focus here is not only on the message but also on the sound. Lyrically, Nas addresses weighty topics as mortality, true love, religion, politics, family, personal responsibility and, of course, the currently “deceased” state of hip-hop. Those themes might seem far from the thug-life reveries of many of his contemporaries, but for Nas it's business as usual. Ironically the record proves that rap music is far from dead. from http://musicdownloads.walmart.com/catalog/servlet/AlbumServlet;jsessionid=?id=51067In the tradition of its predecessor STILLMATIC, GOD'S SON seeks to erase the memory of Nas's commercial pop-crossover albums, instead hearkening back to the poetic glory days of STILLMATIC. The New York hip-hop legend returns to the thoughtful, introspective philosophy that turned heads early in his recording career. There are no attempts at fancy, hook-laden production here--quite the opposite in fact, as the tracks almost seem to go out of their way to be workaday, subservient frameworks to the lyrics. Sampling records (James Brown's "Funky Drummer," Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache") that have already been used by a jillion other rappers, Nas makes it clear that his focus here is strictly on the message. Nas's mother died during the making of this album, and the experience moved him to address such weighty topics as mortality, religion, family, and personal responsibility. Those themes might seem far from the thug-life reveries of many of his contemporaries, but for Nas it's business as usual.i put it BOLD everything copied into what dameons posted.
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