2008 Woodie Awards
Nas returns, staves off hip-hop rigor mortis
NYC MC gets the hearse ready, but shows rap isn't dead yet
Robinson Brown
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Arts and Entertainment
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A thick haze of smoke rises steadily from the crowd at New York's Nokia Theater in Times Square on Dec. 23.
As the lights dim, the crowd chants his name.
Finally, the beat drops and Nasir Jones plunges into his set, his diamond-studded chain sparkling as it swings from his neck.
The scene is a hip-hop cliché, yet the genre is the target of his latest album, Hip-Hop is Dead.
The album is classic Nas, a well-produced mix of hard beats, gritty rhymes and social commentary, the main focus of which, as the title suggests, is hip-hop.
The album is Nas' first effort since his 2005 double album, Street's Disciple, and also marks his first release under Def Jam, the label owned by his one-time rival, Jay-Z.
But Hip Hop is Dead echoes little of his boss' newfound "grown and sexy" style, which featured prominently on Jay-Z's latest album, Kingdom Come. Instead, Nas comes out sounding like his old self. His flow is crisp, quick and unremitting. The opening track, "Money Over Bullshit," is a thumping introduction and reflects none of the more spiritual Nas some have grown accustomed to.
"Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn / Money over bullshit, pistols over brawn / Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength," he raps in the chorus.
Nas then begins his attack on the industry. The third track, "Carry On Tradition," criticizes newer rappers for what he says is a lack of morals, lyrical strength and appreciation of older artists.
"I got an exam, let's see if y'all pass it / Let's see who can quote a Daddy Kane line the fastest," he raps in the song's second verse.
It is a refrain that repeats itself on the next three tracks.
"Where Are They Now" samples James Brown's "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" and is an ode to rappers long forgotten by most.
"Rap is like a ghost town, real mystic / Like these folks never existed / They the reason rap became addictive," he rhymes.
As the lights dim, the crowd chants his name.
Finally, the beat drops and Nasir Jones plunges into his set, his diamond-studded chain sparkling as it swings from his neck.
The scene is a hip-hop cliché, yet the genre is the target of his latest album, Hip-Hop is Dead.
The album is classic Nas, a well-produced mix of hard beats, gritty rhymes and social commentary, the main focus of which, as the title suggests, is hip-hop.
The album is Nas' first effort since his 2005 double album, Street's Disciple, and also marks his first release under Def Jam, the label owned by his one-time rival, Jay-Z.
But Hip Hop is Dead echoes little of his boss' newfound "grown and sexy" style, which featured prominently on Jay-Z's latest album, Kingdom Come. Instead, Nas comes out sounding like his old self. His flow is crisp, quick and unremitting. The opening track, "Money Over Bullshit," is a thumping introduction and reflects none of the more spiritual Nas some have grown accustomed to.
"Join me in war, many will live, many will mourn / Money over bullshit, pistols over brawn / Afraid not of none of you cowards but of my own strength," he raps in the chorus.
Nas then begins his attack on the industry. The third track, "Carry On Tradition," criticizes newer rappers for what he says is a lack of morals, lyrical strength and appreciation of older artists.
"I got an exam, let's see if y'all pass it / Let's see who can quote a Daddy Kane line the fastest," he raps in the song's second verse.
It is a refrain that repeats itself on the next three tracks.
"Where Are They Now" samples James Brown's "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" and is an ode to rappers long forgotten by most.
"Rap is like a ghost town, real mystic / Like these folks never existed / They the reason rap became addictive," he rhymes.
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