The rapper Nas is the kind of artist who's talented enough to single-handedly raise the stakes of the rap game. Though only 22-years-old, Nasir Jones possesses the depth and intelligence of a seasoned poet or social commentator. His second Columbia album "It Was Written" is poised to inject the rap world with refreshing rugged quality, a return to the fundamentals of hip-hop. Featuring fourteen cuts by a variety of producers including a groundbreaking collaboration with West Coast superstar Dr. Dre It Was Written spills over with Nas's highly-advanced rhyme style. Fans expecting the best will not be disappointed.
Nas's understanding of urban politics and social pressures make him the ultimate street journalist, and his impeccable musical standards (he's extra-picky when it comes to his beats) leave room for only the true head-nodders. The man who claimed "I never sleep, 'cause sleep is the cousin of death" is back to make the rap world his once again.
The hot Brooklyn-based duo known as the Trackmasterz produced the majority of the songs on the new album, including "If I Ruled The World," the breakout debut single featuring the sweet voice of Lauryn Hill from the Fugees and "Affirmative Action," which contains rhymes from Nas's crew of top-notch MCs known as The Firm. Nas traveled out to Los Angeles to the home of Dr. Dre to create the cut called "Nas Is Coming" a landmark blend of East Coast skills and West Coast beats on which Dre proclaims the end to all the East vs. West nonsense. Underground hero DJ Premier checks in with "I Gave You Power," a brilliant song where Nas assumes the identity of a gun and narrates the song from its perspective. Havoc from Mobb Deep produced two cuts, including "Live Niggas Rap" which features rhymes from Havoc and his partner Prodigy, Nas's lyrical neighbors. Another Queens native, L.E.S., created two tracks from the LP, including "Black Girl Lost," which boasts the vocal talents of Jo Jo from Jodeci. One track from the Live Squad, "Take It In Blood," rounds out the collection.
Make no mistake, this new record has some very high standards to live up to. It's no easy task to match the poetic and musical intensity evident on Nas's unforgettable debut album, Illmatic, which was called a "hip-hop classic" by The Source magazine and for good reason: the album stood as a perfect hip-hop document, ten tight songs created by the best New York producers in the rap game. The record surpassed the gold mark in sales and sparked a rap renaissance in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects in Long Island City where Nas was raised. Always a fertile ground for hip-hop creativity, the neighborhood that Marley Marl and MC Shan immortalized on wax on the 1986 release The Bridge now serves as the foundation for Nas's universe of realness. Artists such as Mobb Deep, Tragedy, Capone, Noreaga and Nas's protege AZ are continuing to represent Queens to the fullest, inspired by the success of the young visionary many regard as the next Rakim.
It took another Queens native, producer Large Professor, to give Nas his earliest exposure and guidance in the rap game. "We was working together for a while," Nas recalls, "back in '89, at his crib. That was 'round the time Large was producing for Eric B and Rakim and Kool G Rap. I was right there. Sometimes I had my little session in there on their studio time."
Nas's debut on wax came in the form of "Live At the BBQ," an all-star posse cut from Large Professor's former group Main Source's debut album. As Urb magazine noted, "unlike the usual bragging and boasting of new MCs, Nas's rhymes walked that thin line between genius and insanity."
Shopping his demo in an effort to get a deal, Nas hooked up with former 3rd Bass rapper MC Serch, who was impressed by the remarkable young talent. Serch included Nas on another posse cut, "Back To The Grill," and then tapped the young talent to create "Halftime" for the Zebrahead movie soundtrack that Serch executive-produced. It was this cut that established Nas as an independent talent and landed him a record deal with Columbia.
The brilliance of Illmatic did not go unnoticed in the mainstream or the underground. The New York Times noted that Nas "imbues his chronicle with humanity and humor, not just hardness. . . [He] reports violence without celebrating it, dwelling on the way life triumphs over grim circumstances rather than the other way around." Time magazine praised the "submerged emotion" on Illmatic, calling it a "wake-up call to his listeners." Rap Pages credited Nas's "deeply-etched rhymes [that] live and breathe the tough East Coast city streets. . . Nas definitely represents the gifted select few born to wreck mics with absolute ease."
Looking to be like the cream and rise to the top (plus get the "C.R.E.A.M." in the process) Nas has assembled a crew of talented rappers known as The Firm. Consisting of sassy, sexy female Foxy Brown (currently the hottest female rapper on the scene based on her collaborations with Jay-Z and Case), AZ (who has a solo deal on EMI) and Cormega (the formerly incarcerated MC who was the inspiration for the brilliant "One Love" on Illmatic), The Firm is set to release an album of its own.
No matter how much you slice it, hype it or package it, the bottom line in hip-hop is beats and lyrics. These are the fundamental building blocks of a quality rap record. Listeners are no longer thrilled by a dance-happy video or a blood-soaked tale of urban violence claiming to "keep it real." A solid album is rare enough, and true talent the kind of visionary creativity that gets into the listener's heads and affects change upon the art form is damn near nonexistent. It's time for Nas to shine.
