Silhouette

Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Lifestyles

The greatest rapper to ever come out of Queens, New York, and in my opinion, one of the top five rappers of all time, is back with his first album since he signed to legendary hip-hop label Def-Jam. This time he's here with a message: hip-hop is dead.

Nas's 7th album, titled "Hip-hop Is Dead," is the best all around hip-hop album I've heard since Eminem's "The Marshal Mathers LP." Nas keeps his vividly poetic lyrical style and uses a variety of samples ranging from Marvin Gaye, to Iron Butterfly.

The album has a real old-school feel about it, which is the feel Nas wanted for the album.

The message of the album is that hip-hop has lost its way. That it is commercialized too much and that it has lost its rawness.

This is a notion that I must agree with. The brand of hip-hop that we hear today is bland, with no substance. The object is not to make art, but instead to make money, with the exception of a few artists.

I recall my first exposure to hip-hop, it made me feel the pain, the struggle and the drive of the artist. There was an urgency to it. Songs like Tupac's "Brenda's Got A Baby," "Thugs Mansion," or Nas's, "The World Is Yours." It is something that hip-hop has lost for a long time. Those songs that could stand beside any poetry ever written, have been replaced by songs about wearing white T's. Listeners will be able to hear what makes hip-hop beautiful on this record. It is a breath of fresh air for those of us who had just about given up on hip-hop.

This record is almost a call from Nas to fellow rappers to forget about shoe endorsements, and iPod commercials, and go back to what's real.

"Everybody sound the same, commercialize the game reminiscin' when it wasn't all business. It forget where it started so we all gather here for the dearly departed."

That is one of the lyrics from the song, "Hip-hop Is Dead." The last song on the record titled "Hope," provides just that. Hope for the future. With a rich orchestra intro followed by a 45 second freestyle, followed by the words, "hip-hop will never die."

A very optimistic ending for a very unoptimistic record. Only time will tell if hip-hop will eventually consume itself, as a result of its own corporate domination or survive. This record is definitely another classic from the self proclaimed "Street Disciple," we can't help but admire, Nas.

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