So lets start talking about the new Nas tracks/album...

Orizio

I'm going to go ahead and presume people have listened to the leaked tracks on the internet(Where Y'All At,Hip-Hop Is Dead,The N,Black Republican Feat. Jay-Z and the track off of the Scorcese film Blood Diamonds).

The good first-the two definite tracks on the new album(the title track and lead single and the Jay-Z track)are both quite good.In fact Black Republican is excellent and the best off of the album,although I think Jay had the best of it,both Nas and Jay excel and the beats very nice.Hip-Hop Is Dead has a very pleasing hook lyrically(Murder the DJ ) but that sample friggin annoys me.Admittedly will.i.am uses it better then Salaam Remi did on Thiefs Theme but it all seems a little lazy.Still a good track.The N..., which had a pretty awful hook probably won't be on the album while Where Y'All At probably will.I find Where Y'All At a respectable track but hardly exciting.As well as this Large Professor isn't on the album, AZ isn't on the album and most importantly Premo has said that he hasn't got a track on the album.

Finally the track off of the Scorcese film is absolutely incredible.I don't know who produced it, but the beat's truly epic and its Nas lyrically and delivery wise more focused then ever.In fact its his best track since Made You Look imo.For those interested...

They dug me out the soil in the mines of the motherland
Now I'm misplaced, one hand to another hand
Illegal smuggling, people struggling
Wish they could just throw me back in the mud again
Yeah, guess that's how we got here
Slave trade then the diamond trade
Every child's afraid
When his mother and father get sprayed
Forced in the army, young killer brigade
Gets a new name and then they give his nose glue
Till his mind can't take what he's going through
Looking in that dirt for that ice so blue
Then the royal family, the ice goes to
And this thing has to change
Feeling half-ashamed
As I rap with my platinum chain
When you shop for a gift for me, you think about the misery?
The same way we made apartheid history
We can do the same thing to the conflict ice
But everybody wanna shine, right?

Everybody wants Heaven but nobody wants dead
Everybody wants diamonds without the bloodshed
Everybody wants Heaven but nobody wants dead
Everybody wants diamonds without the bloodshed
They want the shine on 'em

My VVS glimmers on my chest
200-thou-encrusted watch on my wrist
I wonder how people starve to death
When God bless the land that lacks the harvest
The stone's equality, but they homes are poverty
And the whole world ignores the robbery
Bought my girl pretty rocks when she's mad at me
Tear-drop shapped, uh, perfect clarity
In shock, so many are killed annually
'Cause of greed, lust, and pure vanity
Stop talking and do something about it
Every holiday season, jewelry stores crowded
Kids snatched from their homes, mutilated alive
Husbands seperated from wives, keep a Jesus piece to be fly
But back in the day there was a time when they called us shine

So with the new Nas' looking better then I expected, and Clipse and Monch on the way,I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy Christmas.;)

gamb1or

Premo said he HAD got a track on the album (nas said the same thing)

No way in hell did that will flip that sample better than salaam, thief's theme is a classic track. Hip Hop is dead is a pretty good track as well though...

The N sucks, nas said recently it won't make the album thanks god

I'm waiting for a cdq version of black republicans, that one that leaked is unlistenable.

Where Yall At is greatness, so are the vast majority of nas' guest spots this year

Hip Hop Is Dead will be album of the year

Orizio

From a November interview with DJ Premier, "I don't even have one song on the album."

http://escobartheory.blogspot.com/2006/10/roundup-pt-vi.html

I doubt it will top Game Theory or Food and Liqour.

Orizio

HHID tracklist.

1. Don’t Hate Me Now (produced by Salaam Remi)
2. QB Tru G’s featuring The Game (produced by Dr. Dre)
3. Black Republican featuring Jay-Z (produced by L.E.S.)
4. Where Y’all At (produced by Salaam Remi)
5. Play on Playa featuring Snoop Dogg (produced by Scott Storch)
6. Still Dreaming featuring Kanye West & Chrisette Michelle (produced by Kanye West)
7. White Man’s Paper featuring Damien Marley (produced by Afrikan)
8. Blunt Ashes (produced by Chris Webber)
9. Hip-Hop Is Dead featuring will.i.am.(produced by will.i.am)
10. Where Are They Now (produced by Nas and Salaam Remi)
11.Let There Be Light featuring Tre Williams (produced by Kanye West)
12. Not Going Back featuring Kelis (produced by Star Gate)
13. Can’t Forget About You featuring Chrisette Michelle (produced by will.i.am)
14. Hold Down the Block (produced by Mark Batson)

Too little Kanye/will.i.am, too many nobodies/Remi imo.

Makaveli

Chris Webber the basketball player?

ghostdancer

apparently so.
i can't find any record of him producing anything else though, which is a bit odd given the profile this album....

gamb1or

tracklist is not official

Orizio

gamb1or wrote:

tracklist is not official

What makes you think that?Its on both allhiphop and hiphopdx.

Yes that Chris Webber.Never hrad of Afrikan or Batson.

Orizio

So 'Where Are They Now' is doing the round on the net.I've hear maybe 2/3's of the track,albiet with Kay Slay shouting on it like he does and those retarded gun effects,and its not bad(again nothing special).The beat's different and quite good but Nas' delivery is pretty lazy to me and lyrically he could have name dropped a little less...

. . .
Kwame, King T, or King Sun
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud
Antoinette, Rob Base, never showing up
You seen Black Sheep, Group Home, Busy Bee?
Ask Ill and Al Skratch, "Where My Homiez?"
Leave it to y'all, these niggas left for dead
Last week my man swore he saw Special Ed
Rap is like a ghost town, real mystic
Like these folks never existed
They the reason that rap became addictive
Play the CD or wax and get lifted
I recommend when your kid turn ten
Let him hear Spice 1, made plenty noise
Positive K, Father MC, the Skinny Boys
Where are they now?

See, I remember them forever
The original Spinderella
Lakim Shabazz, Nine Double M, Fu-Schnickens
Buckshot, Finesse and Synquis
Who was the Rappin' Duke?
Dah-hahh, Silk Tymes Leather was cute
Body & Soul was Dee from Pump It Up's group
Oaktown 357, J.J. Fad too
Had pop hits and gold ropes
Where my man Young MC and Tone Loc?
Kriss Kross, the boss, Divine Styler
Def Jef of course, let's break it down to
Mic Geronimo, Pharcyde, and Coolio
I heard Craig Mack back in the studio
Have you seen these lost MC's?
Funky Four Plus One, Force M.D.'s
Miss Melodie, I hope she packing a bankroll
As well as Educated Rapper, Ice, and Kangol
Shante, she from around my way, yo
EPMD, K Solo, where are they now?

I recognise about 15 MC's btw.A 6/10 track so far,that may change when I hear an album version.

Orizio

So three more tracks are out there now.One might not be on the album(its not on the official tracklistings)-its called I Already Know and has a strong R'n'B vibe to it,quite good imo.The second single Cant Forget About You(prod. by will.i.am) is excellent and could be a hit with the right push from Def Jam.QB Tru G Feat Game(prod by Dre) is again quite good,Game puts in a suprisingly good verse.

To me though that Game track should have been the first single with I Already Know coming out second-the title track is good but not touching at least three other leaked tracks.Plus its been heavily edited for radio and the vid for it is very weak.

Still, so far that hasn't been a weak track leaked from the album.:) Whole album should have turned up by mid-week.

By my ratings it goes...

01.Money Over Bull**** (Prod. LES)(9.5/10)
02.You Can't Kill Me (Prod. Salaam Remi)(7/10)
03.Carry the Tradition (Prod. Scott Storch)(8.5/10)
04.Where Are They Now (Prod. Nas & Salaam Remi)(6.5/10)
05.Hip-Hop Is Dead (Prod. Will.I.Am)(7/10)
06.Who Killed It? (Prod. Will.I.Am)(6/10 WTF ??????)
07.Black Republican (Feat. Jay-Z) (Prod. LES)(9/10)
08.Not Going Back (Feat. Kelis) (Prod. StarGate)(7/10)
09.Still Dreaming (Feat. Kanye West) (Prod. Kanye West)(7/10)
10.Hold Down the Block (Prod. Mark Batson)(9/10)
11.Blunt Ashes (Prod. Chris Webber)(7.5/10)
12.Let There Be Light (Feat. Tre Williams) (Prod. Kanye West)(8.5/10)
13.Play on Playa (Feat. Snoop Dogg) (Prod. Scott Storch)(7/10)
14.Can't Forget About You (Feat. Chrisette Michele) (Prod. Will.I.Am)(7/10)
15.Hustlers (Feat. The Game & Marsha Ambrosius) (Prod. Dr. Dre)(7.5/10)
16.Hope (Acapella)(6/10)

gamb1or

I Already kNow is definitely not on the album



2. QB Tru G’s featuring The Game (produced by Dr. Dre)(8/10)
3. Black Republican featuring Jay-Z (produced by L.E.S.)(10/10)
4. Where Y’all At (produced by Salaam Remi)(9/10)
9. Hip-Hop Is Dead featuring will.i.am.(produced by will.i.am)(8/10)
10. Where Are They Now (produced by Nas and Salaam Remi)(/10)
13. Can’t Forget About You featuring Chrisette Michelle (produced by will.i.am) - Not listening to this or any other tracks that leak until the cd is out.

"The N" might be on the album (some rumoured tracklists list "don't hate me now" which is obviously the same track") tha track is a 0/10

Orizio

By this stage the only tracklist I am believing is the one on the back of my official "Hip-Hop Is Dead" album.

gamb1or

The real track list, according to Itunes (a reliable source)

01.Money Over Bull**** (Prod. LES)
02.You Can't Kill Me (Prod. Salaam Remi)
03.Carry the Tradition (Prod. Scott Storch)
04.Where Are They Now (Prod. Nas & Salaam Remi)
05.Hip-Hop Is Dead (Prod. Will.I.Am)
06.Who Killed It? (Prod. Will.I.Am)
07.Black Republican (Feat. Jay-Z) (Prod. LES)
08.Not Going Back (Feat. Kelis) (Prod. StarGate)
09.Still Dreaming (Feat. Kanye West) (Prod. Kanye West)
10.Hold Down the Block (Prod. Mark Batson)
11.Blunt Ashes (Prod. Chris Webber)
12.Let There Be Light (Feat. Tre Williams) (Prod. Kanye West)
13.Play on Playa (Feat. Snoop Dogg) (Prod. Scott Storch)
14.Can't Forget About You (Feat. Chrisette Michele) (Prod. Will.I.Am)
15.Hustlers (Feat. The Game & Marsha Ambrosius) (Prod. Dr. Dre)
16.Hope (Acapella)

Orizio

I'm predicting the Kelis,Batson and Webber tracks to be rubbish.Supposedly the whole thing dips a little midway through.

Looks like I'll be dropping the trash and putting Where Y'All At,Music For Life and the Blood Diamonds track in instead.

Orizio

Money Over Bull**** is crazy.It could have come straight out of It Was Written, its that good.

The album seems to be getting a good reception.Blunt Ashes is supposed to be quite good, while Who Killed It?and Still Dreamin' are supposed to be other highlights.

Anyone posting links to the album will be getting a nice suspension courtesy of me btw.

Makaveli

Liking it so far, only 5 tracks in though.

Hip-Hop Is Dead is clean and there's no Damian Marley track, so there are still questions over whether it's official yet. There's also another reason it might not be legit but we're not going to get into that.

Orizio

'White Man's Paper' is probably not on the album because its called 'White Man's Paper';) Def Jam wouldn't approve, just like they didn't approve of the title tracks hook.Sounded interesting though, especially considering how good 'Road To Zion' was.I'd be shocked if this wasn't official tbh.

Really feeling 'Hold Down The Block'.Great soulful hook, nice piano driven beat and Nas' flow is perfect.'Still Dreamin' seems a little over hyped, its good but it all seems a little standard from Kanye beatwise.Nas is very disapointing on 'Blunt Ashes',while I like the subject matter he doesn't seem to be trying.Hook's excellent though, really strange beat.

Looks like a solid 4 mic album so far.

Orizio

I'll give a proper review when I get the retail version, but I generally believe this is Nas' best album since Stillmatic.It is certainly a lot better then the terrible Street's Disciple and more consistent then God's Son.Money Over Bull****, Hold Down The Block and Carry The Tradition are Nas at his very best, while Black Republicans(and yes Jay does outdo him on it),Hustlers and Let There Be Light are all very nice done.

Even the weak tracks have clear positives-Where Are They Now and Who Killed It? are good ideas poorly executed while the title track's explicit version packs a real punch.

Production wise the album proves that LES can actually produce, and that right now will.i.am and Kanye are the very best in Hip-Hop.Certainly better then Just Blaze and 9th right now.

The one huge problem with the album is the lead single.Not only was it toned down for TV, but also the video for it is trash.One of the Kanye West tracks or Can't Forget About You should have been chosen as the lead single.4 mic album imo, unlikely to creep into my top ten for the year.

fatal

To be honest I dont like the album at all.....I would give it 4/10
Maybe if i listen to it a bit more I may like it more but as of right now I think that it is a major letdown

Orizio

Ans you say this why exactly?

There must be some reason you don't like it.