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| Nas | 
 enlarge | Artist: Nas
Label: Def Jam
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy Used: $4.45
You Save: $9.53 (68%)
New (61) Used (37) from $4.45
Avg. Customer Rating:  139 reviews
Sales Rank: 1359
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
UPC: 602517752764
EAN: 0602517752764
ASIN: B001A5074S
Release Date: July 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Queens Get The Money | | • | You Can't Stop Us Now featuring Eban Thomas of the Stylistics and The Last Poets | | • | Breathe | | • | Make The World Go Round featuring Chris Brown and The Game | | • | Hero featuring Keri Hilson | | • | America | | • | Sly Fox | | • | Testify | | • | N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master) | | • | Untitled | | • | Fried Chicken featuring Busta Rhymes | | • | Project Roach featuring The Last Poets | | • | Y'all My Ni**as | | • | We're Not Alone featuring Mykel | | • | Black President |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
Nas is back and more controversial than ever on his new untitled Def Jam release. On this, his 9th studio album, Nas studies and lyrically dissects some of the our most divisive issues: race, inequality, poverty, and power. And who better to stir up debate than the man most consider one of the top five emcees in the history of the game? From his brilliant 1994 debut Illmatic, to his mainstream success with It Was Written, to anthems like "Hate Me Now" and "One Mic" and his venomous lyricism on "Ether," Nas' ability to tell stories, educate, make you dance--and make you look--is the stuff of rap legend. The outspoken Queensbridge rapper has sold over 15 million albums worldwide over the course of his storied career. Nas' Def Jam debut, Hip-Hop Is Dead, was released in December 2006 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with over 350,000 copies sold in its first week. Preparing now for the 2nd Def Jam release, Nas is ready to release his untitled album on July 15th.
Album Description
Explicit Version. NAS is back and more controversial than ever on his 2008 release, his 9th studio album. Nas studies and lyrically dissects some of the our most divisive issues: race, inequality, poverty, and power. And who better to stir up debate than the man most consider one of the top five emcees in the history of the game? From his brilliant 1994 debut to his mainstream success with It Was Written, to anthems like 'Hate Me Now' and 'One Mic' and his venomous lyricism on 'Ether,' Nas' ability to tell stories, educate, make you dance and make you look is the stuff of Rap legend. The outspoken Queensbridge rapper has sold over 15 million albums worldwide over the course of his storied career. Nas' Def Jam debut, Hip-Hop Is Dead, was released in December 2006 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with over 350,000 copies sold in its first week.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 134 more reviews...
 "No matter what the CD called, I'm unbeatable y'all" July 15, 2008
36 out of 40 found this review helpful
Legendary Queensbridge rapper Nas created a sizable buzz for his ninth studio album by planning a provocative title, finally deciding to leave the project untitled mere weeks before its release. However, the agenda and content remained, and the LP is equally ambitious even without the epithet. The record focuses on blackness in America.
Nas' winding career has taken him from a humble street observer to Puffy-era hustler to apocalyptic philosopher to ghetto savior to persecuted representative (and probably a few stops in between) since his 1994 debut Illmatic, frequently regarded as hip hop's greatest album. In recent years, his detractors have pointed to an oversized ego, overambitious concepts, and corniness as flaws to his music. Yet with each passing album, Nas continues to provide exactly what made him my favorite rapper before I had even hit puberty: mind-numbingly complex rhyme schemes, ingenious references and allusions that are probably lost on all but his most attentive listeners, beautifully poetic artistry, vivid imagery, impeccable delivery and style, and the inexplicably uplifting, inspirational quality he brings to any track. His latest effort is no exception.
Nas' buddy AZ is praised for the way he has updated his successful formula throughout his career on each album since his classic debut Doe or Die. Nas albums have no formula, and no two are conceptually similar. Of his discography, "Untitled" most resembles his two most recent efforts Street's Disciple and Hip Hop Is Dead structurally. Unlike its predecessors, it remains focused and true to the concept throughout the tracklist. In a decade where terrorism has snatched America's collective attention after the race-fueled 1990s, Nas finds his subject matter timely as the country's first black president has become a real possibility. He explores the nation's perceptions of the African-American existence and how they have changed over time, dating back to slavery, and looks forward.
"Untitled" does not have any anthems or instant jaw-droppers as his past efforts have, but these are not without tradeoffs (this is Nas after all). Overall the album is a cohesive and effective effort. Production is tastefully polished with a mature, cutting-edge, and even majestic sound and guests are impressive. "Breathe" is a refreshing track anchored by soulful horns and punctuated by Nas' enthusiastic performance. "Make the World Go Round" with the Game and Chris Brown and "America" feel a bit too familiar, but the rich Polow da Don-produced single "Hero" and rock-tinged "Sly Fox" are strong, the latter dripping with angry paranoia and lyrical gems. Nas and Busta Rhymes rip the clever "Fried Chicken," and "We're Not Alone" is excellent, an eerily prophetic profile with smooth soul from guest singer Mykel. I like the production on "Y'all My Ns," and the closer "Black President" is a well-constructed ode to Barack Obama.
"Untitled" is not perfect, and undoubtedly his critics will fault it as they have every album since his debut because it is not Illmatic. But as Nas does not strive to recreate that album, he continues his constant creative progression with an interesting conceptual effort that sounds great. Whether or not one sympathizes or agrees with his sentiments, listening to Nas argue his plight is always a joy. As with all of his albums, I know I will continue to discover and appreciate new complexities of the piece with each listen. Nas again proves that he is among the most gifted artists in hip hop and a master of his genre.
 Instant Classic July 16, 2008
15 out of 37 found this review helpful
The most important Hip Hop CD to come out since Public Enemy's Fear of a Black Planet.
Nas is Hip Hop's Hero!!!! July 15, 2008
14 out of 18 found this review helpful
Aside from Nas being my favorite rapper, I can honestly say that this album is a milestone for Hip-Hop and for Nas is general. Like Public Enemy and Dead Prez (among other countless groups) Nas shows us why Hip-Hop is still the black or underground CNN, where important issues can be brought up and discussed diligently. Nas artistically rhymes about the minorities especially African Americans plight and ultimate survival in a biased and sometimes over oppressing America. Nas truly shines on this album and proves that he is the closest thing that we have for a mainstream artist that has an underground message and a civil rights consciousness. Seriously what rapper do you know can call an album N***** and intelligently explain it? These rappers play it safe and talk about stuff the average person does not live, rappers are telling us about glamor that we help provide, and we suck it up each time. Nas does not, the hours he spent reading at the library paid off, becuase he has the history and personal reflection to prove it. He literally is the Malcolm X of hip hop. Tracks like, You cant stop us now, Fried Chicken, Y'all My N*****, Project Roach, all of them are good, cop this album if not for hip hop, or the revolution, for yourself. Listen up Nas is teaching!!!!
Definitely a hero!!!!! (4.5 stars) July 16, 2008
13 out of 19 found this review helpful
Even though the album name was changed, the outcome of the album is still great. Nas is a great lyricist and he shows that he is still growing year by year with the display of rhyme power in this release. You can really tell that he spent some quality time putting the rhymes together, and doing research on the different topics to make sure they make sense. This is not numbskull music that will make your IQ sink as soon as you pop it in the deck. Th e tracks that stand out for me amongst all of them are HERO, SLY FOX, and MAKE THE WORLD GO ROUND. The subject matter, beats, and the rhymes are dope. The album fell short of 5 stars for me due to I didn't care for the hooks on a few songs. Other than that this is a good release and needs to be purchased by all hip hop heads.
 Nas comes out left field on this one July 17, 2008
10 out of 57 found this review helpful
How can you call this a classic is beyond me. Anyone who starts a song with "In America you'll never be free" just doesn't get it. It is as if he went to a liberal blog, read a few posts and then turned them into songs. They offer no insight into the rapper and what he goes through (or in his case what he went through). He tries to be influential like 2Pac or Public Enemy or Common but comes across with no ideas only complaints. Glad I only listened to it from a friend and didn't purchase it
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