Nas - Untitled
[Def Jam]

It's finally here - "Untitled" - the long awaited and much talked about new album from Nas. This will be the ninth by the New York rapper, real name "Nasir Jones", and the second to be released on the Def Jam label. The album, originally to be titled "N****r", was changed due to pressures of third party interferences and is what can only be described as controversial. L.A. Reid (Chairman of Def Jam Records) did confirm that the label fully backed Nas' decision to call it that, along with many others, including Jay-Z, Rev Run, Method Man, Ice Cube, Bishop Lamont and LL Cool J. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) were one of those against the name. Nas changed the title stating that his fans would always know the real name if it was left untitled. He explains his reasons for doing so in "Hero", the album's first official single.

"Hero", featuring Keri Hilson and produced by Polow Da Don, is definitely one of the album's better tracks. The beats are quality and the lyrics in the last verse definitely send home the message as to why the title has been changed. With lyrics such as "It's universal apartheid, I'm hog tied, The corporate side, Blocking y'all from going to stores and buying it" and "Try telling Bob Dylan, Bruce, or Billy Joel, They can't sing what's in their soul! So 'Untitled' it is". This is truly not a track to use your skip button on.

Nas continues the hostility in "Sly Fox"; a blatant attack on Fox News Network, with some disses about Rupert Murdoch and a few others thrown in for good measure. Lines such as "The Fox has a bushy tail and Bush tells lies and Foxtrots, So I don't know what's real" and "Murdoch ... he hate Barack cause he March with the Marchers" are some strong statements indeed. Not only does he diss a few people, he also defends himself too. In the start of the third verse he states that the channel say he is all about murder and killing but hits back with "What about Grindhouse and Kill Bill? What about Cheney and Halliburton? The backdoor deals on oil fields, How's Nas the most violent person?" All in all this is a controversial, political track which people will either love or hate.

"Untitled" was definitely well worth the wait. With each track having its own debate behind it, it's hard to talk about them all. The intro, "Queens Get The Money", gives a small insight in to what the album is about. "You Can't Stop Us Now", featuring Eban Brown of The Stylistics and The Last Poets, is a defence of Hip-Hop and its position in general. "Black President" features the sounds of 2Pac and his famous lyrics "And though it seems heaven sent, we ain't ready to see a black President" and goes in to Barack Obama's chances in the upcoming Presidential Election and the controversy it has stirred up. "Fried Chicken", featuring Busta Rhymes and produced by Mark Ronson, can be taken which way you like. People will either say that it's simply about fried chicken, greasy food and the health consequences that go with it, or will take "Fried Chicken" as another way to describe the female ways of persuasion. Either way it is still a good, solid sounding track.

There are many producers who have worked on "Untitled", including Jay Electronica, Salaam Remi, Stic.man of Dead Prez, Cool & Dre, DJ Green Lantern, J.Myers and Eric Hudson, just to mention a few. There are also a whole host of featured guests, including Busta Rhymes, The Game, Mykel, The Last Poets and Chris Brown - again not mentioning them all.

Each track has a issue or hidden meaning behind it, which I much prefer; the lyrics in Nas' tracks actually mean something and people can have an opinion about these important matters. For me, it is much better than a typical offering from someone like 50 Cent, obsessed with talking about "bitches and hoes". In conclusion, Nas has certainly come up with the goods once again.