More news on Nas' newest.

Orizio

I have no problem with Scott Storch and will.i.am, but do you really want them on a Nas album?As for Webber and L.E.S....:rolleyes:

Okay, but the big news now: Hip-Hop Is Dead. Several media entities with press credentials I wish I could pull recently had a chance to preview songs from Nas' upcoming release. These parties include XXL, MTV, and FADER. From reading their write-ups, and also based on earlier reports, here's what we know thus far:

Carry the Tradition (Prod. Scott Storch): According to his interview on Radio 1, Nas covers the subject of old school rappers who have been left out of much of Hip-Hop's commercial success, now becoming upset at Nas and his generation of MC's for their own good fortune. Fader describes the beat as "pretty."

Blunt Ashes (Prod. Chris Webber): That's right, that Chris Webber. If you've been following the concreteloop part of the world, you'd know that Nas and C-Webb have been friends for quite some time now. However, that the power forward is producing a track on one of the most anticipated albums of the year is still a bit surprising. (Word is Chris might have done some ghostproducing before, coming up under the tutelage of Detroit's Kaos & Mystro.) For his part, Nas is said to go through the high's and low's of a laundry list of varying famous people.

Hip-Hop Is Dead (Prod. Will.i.am): This one's just as Rolling Stone reported back in the summer, where "hard drums and crowd chants rule." Moreover, MTV writes that it incorporates Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Salaam Remi previously used the Incredible Bongo Band cover of that classic for Thief's Theme, so we'll have to wait to see how they compare.

Play on Playa (Feat. Snoop Dogg) (Prod. Scott Storch): If your memory is good enough, the title "Play on Playa" should sound familiar. This is because, in certain Street's Disciple media coverage, Playa was written up, and even quoted, "throw carnations at my tombstone." On the other hand, a Snoop Dogg appearance was not documented in any press, so that appears to be a recent addition.

QB True G (Feat. The Game) (Prod. Dr. Dre): Although no official word has been sent down yet, Nas has hinted that his collaboration could end up as the "street single" look. From the production's side, MTV relays that "the beat has the feel of the dark party track Dre gave 50 Cent for the Outta Control remix, but [with] a bit more bite." FADER too sizes it up as a left turn, in the sense that Nas is enlisting these big name hitmakers but not so much for their instant Billboard-chart qualities.

Still Dreamin' (Feat. Kanye West) (Prod. Kanye West): Having previously used Kanye's production to propel Poppa was a Player, Nas returns with his Chicago brethren, though this time 'Ye handles both rapping and beatmaking duties. Apparently Nas delivers two verses, including a story set on the fast life of a female newscaster caught up in some nasty nasal habits.

Unforgettable (Feat. Chrisette Michele) (Prod. Will.i.am): Based on the Nat King Cole standard of the same name, XXL first reported that "Yvette Michele" was the featured female singer. However, "Chrisette Michele" turns out to be the real "Michele", and also just happens to be a Def Jam artist. MTV makes it out to be a reminisce-type track, which has always been a strength of Nas'.

Where Are They Now (Prod. Nas): While write-ups thus far do not mention it, back on Radio 1, Nas broke down this song and his role behind the boards as well. Nas explained how it focuses on today's young rap music audience and their disconnect from the very artists that once inspired him back in his youth.

Where Y'all At (Prod. Salaam Remi): Although it was let loose this past summer, Where Y'All At also has not been discussed during the preview reports as of yet, but we can probably assume that's because it's already out there.

That makes nine songs we know the titles, guest lists, and production credits for. Others have also been referenced by XXL, MTV, and FADER, although with some of information lacking:

Let Me in the Light (Feat. ???) (Prod. Kanye West): XXL suggested that "one of Nas' homies does a good Anthony Hamilton impersonation on the hook" but didn't have a name to offer. Perhaps that means Ill Will Records signee Tre Williams, who does have a quality similar to Anthony Hamilton. Williams was also featured on several tracks from 2005's Living Legends mixtape, including Jackson Street.

New York Stomp (Prod. ???): If the aforementioned QB True G is not going to be the single release, a Mixtape Monday interview with Nas has the rapper saying that honor could go to a record named, "New York Stomp." No mention of any such title has been made elsewhere however.

White Man's Paper (War) (Feat. Damian Marley) (Prod. ???): The reggae-scented duet between Nas and Marley, in part, concerns "the politics of warfare", as Rolling Stone detailed earlier. The question marks regarding the producer are there because we only know from FADER that "some new African dude" put the work in. Who is that? It's anyone's guess, Africa is kinda big.

Title Unknown??? (Prod. Salaam Remi): As the first outlet to hit on this one, FADER reports of the song's stadium-like strings and drums. With Nas striking a bit venomous, apparently the stadium setting takes on an especially Roman coliseum feel. New York Stomp?

Title Unknown??? (Feat. Jay-Z) (Prod. L.E.S.): According to XXL, Jay-Z and Nas "knocked out three songs in one night, and one is making [Hip-Hop Is Dead]." This doesn't necessarily mean that all important first collaboration will appear on HHID, but, during the Westwood interview, Nas seemed to imply that much. And lucky LES gets the honor (see: pressure).

http://escobartheory.blogspot.com/

Kold

Sounds pretty poppy, don't you think? Will be keeping an eye on this.. Don't like the direction he's been going in since the Jay Z patch-up..

phenomenon

hmm...I don't like the sound of this. Whats with all the guest appearances? Lets not forget that Nas' finest album to date, Illmatic, barely had any guest rappers. (Off the top of my head I think Life's a Bitch was the only one)

Then again Hate Me Now feat mr hip-pop himself, P Diddy was pretty cool. Lets hope Nas knows what hes doing.....

(Will.I.Am and Snoop Dogg....? *shivers*)

Makaveli

I really am not that fond of albums that have a guest appearance on almost every track, it's usually a cop out. That said it could turn out alright.

Snoop tends to be quite good when he is a featuring artist on tracks as opposed to them being his tracks, so I wouldn't dismiss that yet and Will.I.Am, well old BEP were good so again I won't be too quick to dismiss his tracks without hearing them first anyway.

I'm not really all that excited about this album anyway. Nas is very hit and miss, for every Illmatic there's a Nastradamus.

Orizio

Lets not forget, Snoop was once one of the best MC's from the west.Check out Hollywood Divorce as well, which was an excellent track.He tends to do guests spots very well.

Storch and will.i.am are good producers in their own right(it could be worse,he could have lil' Jon and Jazzy Phe on the album).Whats far more worrying is the lack of Premo/Just Blaze/Large Professor beats on the album.Although apparently Nas has said he wants his second Def Jam album to be produced completely by Premier.

Just as long as he hasn't dumbed down his lyrics I think this will be good.

I'm not really all that excited about this album anyway. Nas is very hit and miss, for every Illmatic there's a Nastradamus.

I respectfully disagree.IWW and The Lost Tapes were both classics imo,and besides that he has been consistently average throughout his career(SD,Gods Son,Stillmatic,I Am,The Firm,QB's Finest).He never made another album as bad as Nostradamus,not even close.

Makaveli

I would consider a lot of the tracks on SD to be in the Nastradamus league. Lost Tapes was certainly a great album, IWW I would not consider a classic.

Consistently average perhaps, on the flip side of that consistently mediocre considering what he can do.

phenomenon

I agree that "Nastradamus" was his careers lowest point. But kudos to Nas as he climbed back to the top. I quote from the "Stillmatic" intro:

I crawled up out that grave/ wiping the dirt/ cleaning my shirt
They thought I'd make another Illmatic
But it's always forward I'm moving
Never backwards stupid/ here's another classic

And of course he KILLED Jay-Z on that album!! Whoa, just talking about Nas makes me wanna pump his music!! "Streets Disciple" also ruled so I trust Nas can come out on top yet again.

As for Snoop I still maintain he is a shallow one-liner rapper. He is still living off the success of "Doggystyle" which was great due to Dr Dre's production rather than snoop's rapping

Makaveli

He only needs to be a one-liner rapper when he is featuring on a track though, which is why I wouldn't dismiss him here.

Orizio

Has everyone else been listening to a different SD then me?Nas' rhmyes may have been typically strong and inventive, but that counts for nothing when the production awful.

Orizio

Makaveli wrote:

He only needs to be a one-liner rapper when he is featuring on a track though, which is why I wouldn't dismiss him here.

Ahh he's got 32 bars on the track.

I am actually less worried about the Snoop track then any listed above.Check out 'Hollywood Divorce' if people till think Snoop isn't good at guestspots.