Comments on: LA Times Review: Nas-Untitled

By: General JuN

General JuN — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:43:38 +0000

I agree to an extent that NaS’s strength is more as an observateur and not as a teacher in the KRS ONE sense of edutainment. But to an extent from ILLMATIC to UNTITLED Nas has always been a teacher of sorts.
All the way back to Illmatic there always was the ‘teacher/prophet in the making dynamic to NaS’s music. It’s sort of disheartening to hear a review that doesn’t commend an artist of Nas’s stature for taking the ultimate risk in this now apolitical, amoral decadent Hip Hop and entertainment culture by releasing an album that could put his career in harms way with his LABel MASTERS. This album to me represents the burgeoning of a genius mind who wants to channel genius storytelling into political commentary doused with lyricism. This is more a movement in the making than an LP it goes wayy deeper than rap music. It’s admirable and a BOB MARLEY, BOB DYLANESQUE undertaking, and this growth period will take time, and NaS has put himself in the position as Hip Hop’s gatekeeper, its arrogant but necessary in a culture and Media that dubs LIL WAYNE the “Greatest Rapper Alive”. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Thank the stars for Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones.

OH and further more to put the Black Panther Party and this eight year administration in the same sentence lends to your ignorance as to exactly what the BP were really about. Don’t look at the whitewashed news clippings and step out of the whitebread white led paranoia that led to the BP’s demise and you might have a clue as to their intentions. If you want the true history and not HIS-Story on the Panthers I can point you in the right direction. Your review was appreciated J.W. whether you agree with NAS or not, at least you listened to it. Oh and on the song UNTITLED NAS didn’t say that he was the King of Jewels and Bentleys what he said was that’s what the establishment will try to paint him as and use some of his lines against him to discredit his message… (LISTEN CLOSE HOMIE)

Peace, Love, and Nappiness.
General JuN

By: liferaw

liferaw — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:43:17 +0000

how did u get a job reviewing ablums u sayed the beats were corny rap and the best 2 beat where queens get the money and fried chicken this man should lose his job nas don’t need fly beats to get his point across he’s not trying too make u dance this is thinking music if u wanna dance listen 2 soldier boy this is a real hip-hop ablum not bs

By: Juan BonJovi

Juan BonJovi — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 02:31:41 +0000

This album is overhyped…mainly because it’s so “controversial.” I was disapptd at the quality — songs/choruses are pretty lame overall…there are about 3 good songs…black president has a stupid chorus, sounds like an Obama campaign song…and the glorifying Farrakhan is over the top…Nas comes across as “preachy,” forcing his views on the listener rather than, as was stated in the review, giving us his observations. Jay Z’s American Gangster had way better beats…

By: Marlon J

Marlon J — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:52:07 +0000

Nas has the most loyal, dedicated, git yer guns ready fans in the world. It stuns me how this rapper gets constantly forgiven for a consistent mediocrity that we would never tolerate in another rapper.I haven’t seen such boisterous fanlove since Pretenders II and I’m old enough. I’m also old enough to have been born before Kool herc hit upon the idea of playing the breakbeats and I’m old enough to remember when hip-hop split between hardcore and “alternative” a schism that ultimately left the whole music worse off. I’m even old enough to remember a little record called Live @ The Barbecue where a rapper names Nasty Nas in one verse made all hip-hop seem black and white and him, the dude coming with technicolor. So I know what I’m saying when I say that he is rap’s single greatest disappointment. It stuns me when people forgive albums like It Was Written or even praise records like Illmatic (yeah I’m going there) when if you pick any record produced at the same time by the same people, it sounds pretty much the same (sure go pick up that Akinyele album, I’ll wait.) Some of you will think I’m just another old fart bitchin about how things were great in 88, but how about 91? 94? Untitled is Nas’ worst work in a career not lacking in bad records. In this case the bad quality stings because the N***ER mix tape had us expecting SO MUCH. I just have few questions for his fans. Do you have the slightest idea what hip-hop has done? Do you have the slightest idea what this music can do? It’s a pity there is no such thing as classic rap radio, or maybe that’s a good thing because I’m not sure rap fans today are ready to know just how immortal this music once was and how lacking it is today. Yeah you can hate me now, because I stopped a long time ago.

By: Tray

Tray — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:55:48 +0000

Of course this is a horrible album. I would say, though, that, while I’m a right-wingnut myself, I can’t agree that Obama’s made old-guard radicalism obsolete. There’s still a place for a radical Left in American politics - I just don’t think that Nas is anywhere near being a decent spokesman for it. As for Hip-Hop Is Dead, I think it’s pretty underrated, at least among critics. Granted, no progressive ideas, but it’s not as if it’s a tired exercise in retro true-schoolism, like, say, The Minstrel Show, or Street’s Disciple. It’s as close to a successful marriage of Nas and a more contemporary sound as we’ll ever get, and with the exception of one or two songs it’s never out-and-out bad, like this album is on nearly every track. Was the concept an annoying publicity stunt that didn’t quite gel, yes, but he does actually bring some genuine insight to bear on the subject, whereas with politics he’s just hopelessly lost. If you insist on holding it to the standard that the title sets, I guess you have to call it a failure, but if you just take it for what it is, 16 (mostly) very solid songs, it’s pretty good.

By: Howard Falconer

Howard Falconer — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:50:45 +0000

You actually gave this album 2 stars. I believe you are bias to your own belief system and were probably offended by the album’s stance, therefore unfit to judge it (my opinion of course). After listening to the Album for 4 days straight, I am even more perplexed by your review. Are you sure you were listening to the New Nas Album, because it seems the work was lost on you entirely. I am not saying this is an 5 mic type album, but it is absolutely a soild album. Why do you think Nas’ is responsible for offering solutions…What are your solutions? I would love to read your take on it. This ablum simply went over your head. It’s cool, you’ll be ok, you can’t be right 100% of the time. This time around your review deserves 2 stars. Better luck next time.

By: Trey Stone

Trey Stone — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:33:30 +0000

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…um.

first guy: ha ha?

Doc: i’ll get back to you after i hear that, but forgive me for being a little skeptical. i mean you crazy contrarian bloggers tried to convince me that the Wale tape was the Greatest Mixtape Ever Made…BY HUMANS too, and that didn’t exactly turn out well.

still, i have liked every song Mike’s done with ‘Kast, so seeing if he could hold down a whole album’d be interesting.

By: DocZeus

DocZeus — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:59:23 +0000

but yeah, definitely not the mindbending classic/Weezy corrective Nastans want. people’re gonna have to fess up that “C3’s” easily the best rap album of the year so far eventually”

Umm, hate to burst your C3 delusions but Killer Mike’s new album is the best of the year…

Pretty much wrecks both Untitled and C3 in it’s place.

By: Ray Jackson

Ray Jackson — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:30:00 +0000

“definitely not the mindbending classic/Weezy corrective Nastans want. people’re gonna have to fess up that “C3’s” easily the best rap album of the year so far eventually.”

Ummm…yeah…okay.

I’ll fess up that C3 is the year’s best hip hop record after you fess up that George Bush should win the Nobel Peace Prize.

…you first.

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