Controversial album speaks boldly
Pujeh, Momoh
Issue date: 7/11/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
"N.I.G.G.E.R. (Slave and Master)" is Nas at his socio-political best, weaving in and out of what it means to be a n****r, how it is perceived in history, as well as guiding the youth from following his own shortcomings as a human being. Read too deep into Nas' lyrics and you may feel that this is Nietzsche's slave mentality versus master mentality. But that's for you to decide.
"Louis Farrakhan" presents Nas' reasoning as to why so many black leaders immediately hated the idea of what subsequently became Untitled. "Fried Chicken" is Nas and Busta Rhymes cooking up the recipe for the illest food collaboration record ever. "Project Roach" finds Nas rapping from the perspective of a cockroach. The track is a one-verse allusion to how black people are like cockroaches, but we should learn from their vileness and better ourselves. Sounds cockamamie, but it's perfect.
In the home stretch, Nas closes out "Untitled" with "Y'all My N***as," where Nas addresses the history of the notorious "N-word." "We're Not Alone" has Nas pleading with us to love life, and respect it because the world around us lives, oh, and that there might be aliens…
Finally, Nas finishes "Untitled" with "Black President." The track is a clear endorsement for Barack Obama as he even is sampled during the chorus (YES WE CAN!) along with a sample from 2Pac's "I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto?"
Yes, this album is a masterpiece. Nas leaves you feeling like, "Damn, I need to get my life together." But he reassures you that you can make something out of yourself even if it sometime seems impossible. What Nas has done with this album is make a clear statement that the old way of interpreting life and all that comes along with it, needs to change. "Untitled" is a triumph for hip-hop, and for music as a whole. There are seldom artists who can concurrently speak from the heart as well as speak their mind. Nas has managed to do both perfectly.
"Louis Farrakhan" presents Nas' reasoning as to why so many black leaders immediately hated the idea of what subsequently became Untitled. "Fried Chicken" is Nas and Busta Rhymes cooking up the recipe for the illest food collaboration record ever. "Project Roach" finds Nas rapping from the perspective of a cockroach. The track is a one-verse allusion to how black people are like cockroaches, but we should learn from their vileness and better ourselves. Sounds cockamamie, but it's perfect.
In the home stretch, Nas closes out "Untitled" with "Y'all My N***as," where Nas addresses the history of the notorious "N-word." "We're Not Alone" has Nas pleading with us to love life, and respect it because the world around us lives, oh, and that there might be aliens…
Finally, Nas finishes "Untitled" with "Black President." The track is a clear endorsement for Barack Obama as he even is sampled during the chorus (YES WE CAN!) along with a sample from 2Pac's "I Wonder if Heaven Got a Ghetto?"
Yes, this album is a masterpiece. Nas leaves you feeling like, "Damn, I need to get my life together." But he reassures you that you can make something out of yourself even if it sometime seems impossible. What Nas has done with this album is make a clear statement that the old way of interpreting life and all that comes along with it, needs to change. "Untitled" is a triumph for hip-hop, and for music as a whole. There are seldom artists who can concurrently speak from the heart as well as speak their mind. Nas has managed to do both perfectly.
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