Customer Reviews

Street's Disciple

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2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Two years after the exceptional "God's Son", Nas comes back with the highly anticipated double-disc eighth album "Street's Disciple". Many assume that an artist, ten years into their career wouldn't be able to release a high-quality album, let alone a two-disc album. But evidently, Nasir Jones defies any predetermined accusations. "Street's Disciple" finds Nas experimenting with new sounds as well as diving into a deeper, more poignant realm of lyricism, mixing old with some new. Highlights include the social conscious "American Way", the sentimental "Just a Moment", the introspective "Live Now", the instantly intriguing "Street's Disciple", the in-depth "Unauthorized Biography of Rakim", the Doug E. Fresh inspired "Virgo", the rapidly delivered "Suicide Bounce", the reminiscent "Getting Married", the first single "Bridging The Gap", the "In A Gadda Da Vida"-sampled "Thief's Theme", and the best track, the melancholy "A Message To The Feds, Sincerely, We The People". The only thing that really falters this album is the production; while most of the experimentation works well, some just seem out of place, sounding "awkward" rather than "innovative". But what double disc album doesn't have its flaws? Driven by substantial lyrics and charismatic flow, it easily overshadows any minor flaw. Ultimately, "Street's Disciple" might not be the perfect double-disc album, but it comes close.

I Have been a Nas fan for a long time, While he's certainly one of the most prolific MCs to ever live and start rapping, he wanted to release a double album with I am.. But It was heavily bootlegged so he released it as a single album with few filler songs. With Street's Disciple he gives it his all, this is one of the Nas's most cohesive and tightly structured albums todate, however, it pales in comparison to undeniable Nas classics like Stillmatic, Illmatic, and The Lost tapes.

Disc 1
Starts with an intro about Nas telling us to stay strong and not give up and his voice is full of confidence. The Next track is "A Message to the Feds" which is one of the best Songs on the album with A great beat and a fire Fast flow from Nas on the second Verse. Right after, we have "Nazereth Savage" which is my Personal Favorite on the album, I love the beat Nas drops some of his Best lyrics on Wax to Date. "American Way" and "These are our Heros" are both political songs that Nas uses to spread a message that some big Celebrities are not doing something that lives up to their name, simply a powerful message. "Disciple" is more of a freastyle song Which is pretty tight but He could've used the other beat for it Which is alot Better. "Sekou Story" and "Live Now" are both attached to each other and both tell a story. "Rest of my life" finds Nas rapping slow on a mellow beat, this is not what I expect from Nas, the Flow is rather boring and The beat doesnt do it for me. "Just A Moment" is a great song (You Should check Out the Video if You havnt Done Already) Which Features Quan singing the chorus nicely and it's a pretty great collabo. "Reason" is another flaw, I find the beat weak and Nas's Ryhmes are not there. The Bonus track "You Know my Style" which has a Run-DMC kind-of-beat is a pretty great old school rocker, One of my favorite on this Disc.

Disc 2
Personally, this is my favorite of the 2 Discs. It Kicks off with the energetic "Suicide Bounce" which features Busta Ryhmes on the Hook and Nas delivers Nasty ryhmes over a beat he produced himself. The next Song "Street's Disciple" is hands down, one of the best Song he has done in years. He brings his Nasty Nas Flow over a classic beat with a chorus from his father, an incredible song. "U.B.R" Pays a nice tribute from the God MC of the Golden Age era, Rakim. "Virgo" and "Remember the Times" are Both sex Related Song that Nas speaks from his past Sexual Relationship with Other Women. "Making of a Perfect B***" Is a filler song which Nas Should have Thrown in the Recycle Bin. "Getting Married" is another great personal track in Where Nas talks about The Woman he's soon Marrying, pretty great. "No One Else in the Room" Has a pretty great beat with a nice chorus and It's quite Cathcy but this is not What I expect from Nas, Overall a filler. "Bridging The Gap" is a collabo with his Father, Jazz Musician Olu Dara, and it's one of my favorite Nas songs to Date. "War" and "Me & You" are both Family related Songs in which Nas Raps about the love of his daughter and How he's grown up now. The Disc Closes with the Incredible Street Anthem, "Thief's Theme" which is a great Song with a Nasty Beat.

OVERALL: While Not Flawless, It's not as good as B.I.G's "Life After Death" But it's Another Strong Effort From Nas, Recommended For Any Hip-Hop Fan.

Ever since "Illmatic", Nas has proved time and time again why he is considered one of the top rappers in the rap game. I have been a Nas fan ever since I heard "It Ain't Hard To Tell". Some of my all time favorite Nas songs are "NY State Of Mind", "One Love", "Life's A B", " We Will Survive", "Blaze A 50", "Made U Look", etc. Over his rap career, Nas has made a few missteps as well such as his "Nastradamus" CD.

The first song that I heard from "Street's Disciple" was "Thief's Theme". This song sounded like earlier Nas tracks and was definitely in heavy rotation for the summer and fall of 2004. I then heard "You Know My Style" on a mixtape and then I knew that "Street's Disciple" would be right up there with Nas' greatest CDs such as "Illmatic", "Stillmatic" and "The Lost Tapes".

Disc 1

This CD starts off with "A Message To The Feds, Sincerely, We The People". The majority of the time when Nas releases a song, he has a message tied behind what he is saying and that is clearly the case on this song and on the next track, "Nazareth Savage". Nas has always been known as a "rap prophet". Nas always uses moments in his CDs to let the listener know what is on his mind by telling you his opinions on what is going on in the world today. These 2 tracks are two of my favorite tracks on Disc 1. On "Amercian Way", Nas' wife Kelis joins in on the hook to let us know about how they feel about what is going on in America today. Q Tip, from A Tribe Called Quest, who produced "One Love" from Nas' Illmatic CD, samples George Clinton's "Atomic Dog" to use for the beat of this song and that actually hepls you to pay attention to the message that Nas & Kelis are saying in this song. On "These Are Our Heroes", Nas has a special message for the Blacks who he feels aren't doing what they can in the Black community. Kobe Bryant, Taye Diggs, Cuba Gooding Jr. and others feel Nas' wrath in this song. However, Nas makes sense in what he is saying. "Disciple" sounds as if it's a tribute to Kool G Rap as the track will definitely remind you of "Road To Riches". "Sekou Story" and "Live Now" is a 2 part song featuring Scarlett. Nas tells a story about a man who came up by hustlin' and found that the price of fame would cost him his life. Scarlett plays the roll as the woman in Sekou's life. The two songs blend well together, although you will notice alot of Lil Kim & Foxy Brown influences in Scarlett's rap style. Amerie, who joined Nas on Stillmatic's "Rule" and has a banger out right now with "One Thing" joins Nas on my favorite song of Disc 1, "Rest Of My Life". If you are a Nas fan, then this is the Nas that you want to hear 100% of the time as Nas takes the slow L.E.S. and Chucky Thompson beat and tears the track to shreds. "Just A Moment" features Quan on the rap and has him singing the hook as well. When Nas was in DC, I saw him at Dream, and this song was phenominal live. If Quan comes out with the right people nehind him, he can definitely be a force to reckon with in the future.

Disc 2

As with most double CDs, the second CD always fails in comparison with Disc 1. Although, Disc 2 does have its moments, Disc 1 is clearly better. Disc 2 starts out with "Suicide Bounce" featuring Busta Rhymes on the hook. Nas produces the track and while the song is actually pretty good, it won't hold weight to anything on Disc 1. "Street's Disciple" does better justice as Nas joins his father Olu Dara, just as he does on "Bridging The Gap", "Street's Disciple's" current single. On "Bridging The Gap" Nas breaks the trend of what a single should be as there are no club references and The Neptunes, Kanye West and Timbaland aren't producing the track. I am glad that Nas likes to go against what the current trend of what hip hop is during at the current time. On "U.B.R.", Nas creates an unauthorized biography of Rakim. If you do not know who Rakim is then I consider that you seek treatment immediately. "It's been a long time, I shouldn't left you, without a dope rhyme to step to". That's a famous quote from one of the greatest rappers of all time. On "U.B.R", Nas does justice to Rakim as he speaks about how Eric B & Rakim changed hip hop and Nas tells you about Rakim's upbringing as well. On "Virgo", Nas, Ludacris & Doug E Fresh tell the ladies about how the Virgo's do things. (Each rapper's sign is Virgo). Doug E Fresh is on the beat box as Nas & Ludacris have nice rhymes on the Salaam Remmi track. On "Remember The Times", Kelis allows Nas to reminisce on the times that he had with woman before the two of them got together. The track is actaully pretty good and will remind you about Nas' famous songs about women in general like "Oochie Wally", "Black Girl Lost", and "K.I.S.S.I.N.G.".

After "Remember The Times", you will not be to happy with Nas after hearing "The Makings Of A Perfect B", "Getting Married", and "No One Else In The Room" w/Maxwell. Although, "Getting Married" is decent, the other two songs don't sound like anything that you would hear from a "Street's Disciple".

This is pretty much the problem with a double CD. If you are dealing with over 20 songs, then you'll have 15 real tight songs, maybe 4 alright songs and 5 songs that should not have even seen the light of day. However, with Nas still having 21-22 songs that I can listen to out of 25, I still will give him a 5 star review.

"Street's Disciple" is right up there with Nas' best CDs. Salaam Remmi, L.E.S., and Chucky Thompson give Nas phenominal production and Nas does the rest with tight lyrics and limited rap guest appearances on the CD. However, the track "Serious" with AZ should have been on this double disc. That song is "crazy". Overall, Nas has already solidified his standing in the rap game. If you are a Nas fan then "Street's Disciple" has to be in your collection.

James' Top 8 (Disc 1 & Disc 2)

1) Rest Of My Life w/Amerie
2) Nazareth Savage
3) Just A Moment w/Quan
4) Thief's Theme
5) Sekou Story w/Scarlett
6) Live Now w/Scarlett
7) You Know My Style
8) U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim)

First of all, I'm not gonna sit here and dissect every single track on Street's Disciple, nor am I going to sit here and compare this record to every other record in Nas's discography. It just seems that in some cases (especially Nas's) that a classic status album can also be your Achilles heel, simply because everyone seems to use your classic record as your measuring stick, not necessarily applying the new music to today's times.

And with that said, we have "Street's Disciple" The 8th full length opus from Nas (if you want to include "Lost Tapes"). This album is what it is an album for the streets. The true Hip Hop Aficionado's, who can remember Hip Hop's early days, it's glory days of the Golden Era, to the dismal Ice Age era of today. Nas simply doesn't care what the masses think or what the current trends are in this case. He decided to make the music this time the way that he wanted to create it...for himself. This album is also great due to what it will do as a motivitational spark for up and coming emcee's (who don't have access to the underground) seeking inspiration.

Nas is by far one of hip hop's most brilliant/genius MC's to ever grace a mic. On track's such as "Sekou Story" and "Live Now" Nas's brilliance comes to life and will fool about 50% of its listeners. The fore mentioned tracks feature an AIDS stricken female artist by the name of Scarlet. But in actuality Scarlet is Nasty Nas in disguise due to some technical voice engineering. I can't even think of any other artist to ever successfully switch genders the way that Nas did. Sure Biggie altered his voice on "Gimmie the Loot" but come on, we all knew it was him. The only close second to this is when Del fooled his audience on a song called "Worldwide" where he morphed his voice to sound like a pre-teened youngster. Nonetheless there are so many positive points on Street's Disciple verses the low points. So I'll just give you the low points in my opinion on this album.
The track "reason" was missing some flare to the beat, If some will notice the beat for "Reason" is a muffled up De La Soul "Much More". De La's version comes across so much better overall. I still believe that Ludicris should have been left off of the "Virgo" track as well. In my opinion Luda just looks out of place on a track with Nas and Doug E. Fresh. "Serious" a banger that features AZ was cut at the last minute from the project. His tribute to his daughter is entertaining, but I seriously doubt that I'll return to listen to it again. There's a few other flaws production-wise in terms of bland beats, but not much at all.

Nas's lyricism is the true fuel that projects this album to the outer limits. This album offers the audience a broad range of ideas and subject matter. He even takes shots at the current trend of psuedo conscious rappers today on "American Way". This is definitely worth your hard earned money. Street's Disciple is arguably this year's best album thus far. Go get it and get inspired. Make way for the grown-folk rappers.

What could possibly live up to this crowning in these times? These times that we live in where commercialism has pushed once vaulted hardcore hip hop to appease far flung places as suburban Minneapolis? These times that have forced the underground alternate hip hop to create formulas and duos to attract sales? These times that has Atlanta/South as the major force driving mainstream hip hop in all it's crunkness? The answer in my current humble opinion is Nas' latest...Streets Disciple.

This was actually the album I was looking from Nas since Illmatic. Where Illmatic was raw and unbridled, Street's Disciple is raw yet refined and focused. This is a very mature album and Nas touches on many different subjects - political, introspective, generational, historical, familial, personal, and more. He uses his verbal mastery to spew content over dope tracks out of the typical beats you would hear today. I can't recognize a Timbaland or Neptunes or Jazze Pha beat anywhere. R. Kelly is not on this album; neither is Missy Elliot. He even flows over some old school beats as a change up. In fact, a major convention he breaks is that many of these songs don't have that standard radio format: 16 bars, 8 bar hook, repeat.

The only albums I can compare Streets Disciple to are Illmatic and The Black Album. Jay-Z's last album was a very mature and creative album as well. But what it lacked was synergy between the songs; they did not flow well together. Part of that may have been by design in having different heavy weight producers. But that took away from the full greatness the Black Album could have been to be an album full of ready made hit singles.

An album is more than that as Illmatic proved over 10 years ago. It was brash and gritty and to the point. What was said needed to be said and no more. Nas has had very notable recent albums in Stillmatic and God's Son but while they are stand outs, they are next generation Illmatic wannabees; nearly reaching the pinnacle he set in 94. Streets Disciple does exactly what Illmatic did in that it channels Nas' current insights with verbal cinematics.

The danger in being a street griot is that once you make millions and are no longer on the street, what are you going to talk about (this will be a forthcoming problem for 50 Cent). When you are a poet and can better use your talents to floss and make more millions, why bother with real topics (this in my opinion is a failing of Jay-Z). But what his other albums have not done, Streets Disciple actually surpasses Illmatic. It is better. It is simply better than what I always thought was one of the best 3 hip hop albums of all time (Illmatic enjoys status with 36 Chambers and Ready to Die on my list).

A drawback could be that it's a long album, but like a 3 hour movie that has focus it does not drag on at all. No tracks are retreads of earlier tracks. I have not mentioned the tracks or the specific subject matter, just like a movie, so as not to spoil it for those who have not yet heard it.

This is simply the most lyrical, creatively bold, musical, mature, ambitiously clever, well executive-produced hip hop album I have ever heard. So where does it rank for me right now? Does it displace my top 3? The answer is no...Nas created a new category with this album.

From Illmatic to Stillmatic, The True King of Hip Hop Is Back!
Move over 50, outta the way Jigga, no more Diddy. The king has reclaimed his crown. If you had any doubts about who the true king of hip hop is, look no further. NaS is back with the Streets Disciple! NaS once again has rallied his forces together and dropped yet another classic. Only for true fans of the game, Street's Disciple is a must have. NaS has kept his promise not to commercialize hip hop music. This is much needed in light of much of today's so-called "hip-hop". It's official, NaS is indeed "The last real MC alive". No dissing or call-outs on this album. Just true classics that can be bumped on your system over and over again. Nas collaborates with such stars as Kelis, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and his father. Nas has had hip hop locked since 1991 and we hope he ain't goin' nowhere. We have seen the star evolve in his flow over the years and the best just keeps gettin' better. If you like the hardcore side of Nas, he lays down a most emphatic verse on "Disciple". I can honestly say that I haven't heard a fiery verse since "Ether" or "Got Ur Self a..." If you like the lighter side of Nas, I recommend "WAR" or "Me and You". Whatever your style, Street's Disciple has got it for you.

Also recommended: Illmatic, Stillmatic, God's Son

I deleted my first review for this album because I realized later it was unfair.
I'm trying to turn a new leaf. I want to express my opinions, but to express them with a little less venom and a little more respect.

I think Nas is a great rapper, and contrary to what Jay-Z says, Nas is probably the greatest rapper alive. However, I do take issue with some things he harps on in his music. I applaud the love Nas seems to have for black women (that is when he's not calling us bitches, but I guess it depends on how you want to take it); but he seems to have a problem with blacks who don't fit his design on what blackness should be. And this is what I have a problem with; especially with his lyrics on the Street's Disciple cd. What does he mean by the "cooning" and "UPN and WB" thing? Is he insulting the black actors on those networks because of their comedy? My definition of "cooning" is degrading or embarrassing yourself for the sole purpose of appealing to a particular group. You could look at anything blacks do today as "cooning": especially blacks who are falsely acting like thugs or tramps to appeal to the buying public which is predominately white.

What about his comments about Condi Rice? Is she not a real black woman just because she's a Republican? Is she an Uncle Tom? Well, my definition of an Uncle Tom is a black person who sells out their own for the advantage of another. Can't black men and women selling drugs to their own and subsequently having a role in the destruction of their neighborhoods be an example of Uncle Tom behavior? Doesn't that mean 90% of today's rappers, including Nas, apply?

Our skin color makes us black, not our attitudes, behavior, or even political views. He doesn't seem to understand that. He tries to define blackness. Now what if white people tried to define blackness for us? Would we tolerate that? So why do we have a right to define it for others?

I'm not against interracial dating, but as a black woman I certainly understand the frustration with the "trend" of black men disproportionately choosing other races for companionship than other men of other races. But there is a difference between solely dating a certain race because you find disfavor with your own, and just happening to find a person of another race attractive. Does Nas discern the difference or is he against dating whites altogether? Well you see, I don't know what he feels, only what he says in his music. That's the only source I have to judge his mentality. And his mentality seems to need a little work with its open-mindedness, or lack thereof.

Nas is without a doubt the most talented rapper alive, and is definately up there with the greatest hiphop artists ever. That's why so much hype surrounded this album, and it's without a doubt worth the wait.
It's a double album, with each disc having it's own individual feel to it. CD One is quite political, and on tracks like the Kelis assisted 'American Way' he says exactly what he feels about the government. 'Nazareth Savage' contains some of the tightest lyrics ever spoken by Nas on record, and no Nas album would be complete without a dig at someone, and Kobe Bryant gets his treatment on 'These Are Our Heroes'. Nas also teams up with a brilliant female rapper Scarlett on tracks 'Sekhou Story' and 'Live Now'- two excellent tracks that link together.

CD Two has a more personal feel to it. It starts with a blast-'Suicide Bounce' featuring Busta Rhymes, and later he teams up with Ludacris for the brilliant 'Virgo'. Despite these high-profile guest rappers, none can match up to the flow that Nas shows on the album. This CD also contains the two singles 'Thieves Theme' and 'Bridging the Gap', and the highlight of the album 'War'- a very personal track with a strong chorus from Keon Brice.

CD One is Nas at his absolute lyrical best, and Nas fans will slightly prefer this CD to the second one for the lyrical skill shown. CD Two is still excellent and more emphasis is placed on the beats, even thought the lyrics are still amazing. The only two let-down tracks feature on CD2, which are 'No-one else in the room' and 'Me and You', but they're not awful and do not in any way damage an absolutely superb album.

Definately the greatest hiphop album brought out in recent years, and an absolute must-have for any hiphop fan!

Nasir Bin Old Dara Jones has officially gone against the grain on this new project...the brotha has simply evolved from his earlier works such as illmatic/IWW/ stillmatic/to god son...and now our reigning chart topping debut STREET'S DISICPLE!!!! this album is the ultimate break through for the year 2004... it is THEE most diverse/creative/and daring album from GOD's SON...he's spat political arsony against the Bush administration.. to fake emcees in the game.... on down to the COON's of entertainment...Cuba,Tiger,Taye and TOBE..ooops KOBE...NAS has definitley mastered his already ridiculous lyrical content...he's penned some of the most....out of this world lyrics over the past decade....including this album.... he slices it up just the same...my solid 5 rating of this GENIUS album are as followed.... as well as a little break down for those who are without the doble disc CD.....u need to cop this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DISK 1
1.INTRO...it's dope .... NAS is building with his comrade.... and forewarning him of the evil that lurks
2.A MESSAGE to the feds (one of my favorite tracks on this album)..pleading for the FEDS to let us LIVE...BREATHE and Co-EXIST...definitley a powerful message
3.Nazareth Savage..this is for all the bubble gum rappers out there.... THIS is how you spit!
4.American Way....definitley one of the most important songs on the album...Kelis chops it up with hubby...spittin "THAT's thee american way shyyyyyyyyyt"cool duet...Nas assasinates characters such as *Condasleezer Rice*...asking does she even care about the poor conditions in our hoods/schools???
5.These are our heroes....WOOOOOOOOAH!!!!!!!!!!! what can I say this song says everything I've been thinking about the media and the propaganda that's intentionally spread throughout the lil youths to keep em stagnant...the hook is so powerful...just check it out for yourself... "let's hear it 1 for the coon's on UPN 9 and WB... who yes MASSA on t.v whatever happened to WEEZY the RED FOX'S never got EMMY's but we're real to me"....POWERFUL!!!!
6.Disciple...this is the streets anthem right here..I luv the energy NAS displays on this track... with lines like "I'm not a dictator I'm the righteous inviting you haters"
7.Sekou....once again brotha NASIR has mastered the gift of penning a supreme amount of creativity on the mic...this story had the whole NAS BBS create a google search to find out who "SEKOU" and "SCARLETT" was....NAS equals master EMCEE<<<TRULY!
8.Live now....this is a hearfelt...melancholy joint which features Scarlett aka NASIR who spat Je-Wels on this reminiscent track forewarning the listners of the seriousness of AIDS and the deadly virus H.I.V
9.Rest of my life featuring Amerie...very mellow joint beginning lines spit LIFE.... Amerie does a nice job on the hook as well
10.Just a moment featuring Quan...man this song is beautiful this brotha Quan not only spits... but sings the hook too...not to mention he held his ground in the booth with the God EMCEE all should appreciate this track from kids to wo/men!
11.Reason featuring Emily...man oh man this track is definitley one that makes you look at the state of the world.... and wonder why is there so much hate sprewing and no love rotating....Emily does a beautiful job at singing this hearfelt hook...easily one of my favorites on the album!
12.Bonus....hot to death...it can't get any better than a RUN DMC track...NAS even puts you in the mind of one of them old skool rappers the way he's delivering this one...HOT way to end the first cd

Disk2
1.Suicide bounce featuring Busta Rymes...dope beat...dope hook...dope lyrics!
2.Street's disciple...the title track is just plain ridiculous.... this production sounds like some ole blacks ploitation theme music for a superfly flic or something OLU DARA completes this track by stamping his approval with his soulful spill throughout the track..this has to be one of the most dopest productions on the entire album..(after thiefs theme)
3.U.B.R...this is a dope track.....Nas is paying homage to one of the forefathers of the game (RAKIM) and spitting it like he remembers and somewhat how it was told to him...definitley dig when the VETS are remember and respected and most importantly APPRECIATED!!
4.VIRGO featuring Luda and Dougie Fresh...being a 70's baby I must say this took me back..with the beatboxing....the hook.... the energy the brothers have on this track it's all fun....luv this joint...
5.Remember the times feat Kelis...this was cool Kelis asks hubby if she gave him a free pass would he take her up on it...NAS simply says NAH...and follows it up with
6.Remember the times...I luv this cause as much dirt he talks about all the bodies he bent backwards...and forwards he insists none of them could touch K...RESPECT for this track!
7.The making of a perfect B.I.T.C.H...again Nas is at his best with the lyrical content...he chopped this up dopely by describing his ultimate femme fatale...
8.Getting Married.....This is Brilliance man...NAS is professing his luv to which true luv leaves the listerner baffled...of course at the end he quickly deads any misconception as to who he's truly talking about....
9.No one else in the room featuring Maxwell....Grown folks music...nice tribute to the lady friend
10.Briding the gap featuring OLU DARA....I luv this track...because of the importance it displays to all hip hop lovers....our music has evolved from so many different forms of music....NAS collabing with his father for the 2nd time proves that he too has prepared himself to be a responsible artist...and chose to do things HIS way....not according to last years formula....
11.WAR featuring Keon Bryce...I digs this track.... especially the horns..the brother singing makes you feel like your in a time capsule it has that feel like you've heard this before but not quite like your hearing this....dope!
12.Me and You dedicated to DESTINY...this is a dedication to none other than lil Des...I respect any brother that includes the ladies of his life on his most critically acclaimed joint...LIL DES should appreciate this from her father...something that she will have whenever she needs to hear some encouraging/loving words....nicely done
13.Thief's Theme...this track it the epitome of HARD...NAS is a savage on this track and breaks down barriers for all those who constantly try to box him up and label em'...on this track NAS spits unstoppable darts...and drops jewels for the real gritty grimey nuccas out there!...dope way to end the cd

all of the above are my thoughts but please believe once you tune in...you will agree!

Ambitious, progressive and experimental are a few words that come to my mind when describing Nas (AKA Nasir Jones) latest effort, the new double album "Street's Disciple" (2004). Running in at a total of twenty-five tracks, this has easily been one of the year's most anticipated Rap albums.

Disc 1:

Nas follows a strong intro up with "A Message to The Feds, Sincerely We The People", backed by a banging beat Nas rhymes with hunger addressing the Feds, while paying tribute to the streets, incarcerated and the oppressed. Nas reps himself with a fast flow on "Nazareth Savage", then hooks up with wife to be Kelis on the political "American Way" dropping some strong opinions. The beat to "These Are Our Heroes" is mellow, but the content is not, Nas rips up Kobe Bryant, fake rappers, snitches, bad role models while giving praise to people he thinks are good role models, the track ends on a humorous note. Nas rhymes with attitude on "Disciple". Nas then gives relatively unknown female MC Scarlett a chance to shine on "Sekou Story" and "Live Now". The first track of these is decent, while the later is outstanding, Nas pictures his last days, and reminds people to live for the moment. Nas then reflects on some of his life events with "Rest of My Life". Another excellent track and one of my favorites off this album is "Just A Moment", Nas & singer/rapper Quan deliver a very memorable collaboration. Emily provides a smooth chorus for "Reason" a track where Nas goes deep telling real life stories. Nas then closes off the first disc with "You Know My Style".

Disc 2:

The second disc opens up with the powerful "Suicide Bounce", Nas delivers some memorable lyrics while Busta Rhymes laces the track with an impressive chorus. This disc features a introspective maturing Nas, who is sharing more of himself then on past releases. In this sense its experimental to me, past fans may or may not like it, I enjoy the majority of it though. Nas collaborates with his father Olu Dara on two tracks on this disc the first of these is the title track "Streets Disciple". A whole generation of Rap listeners have grown up and missed one of the rap games greatest MCs- Rakim, Nas pays tribute to Rakim on "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)". Ludacris and Doug E. Fresh drop in for the throwback like "Virgo". An intro with Kelis leads up to the explicit "Remember the Times" a track where Nas reflects on the past woman in his life, followed up "The Makings of A Perfect B****". Nas then talks about being happy about his upcoming marriage to Kelis on "Getting Married". "No One Else in The Room" is upbeat dance track, which features R & B singer Maxwell, a track for Kelis. The single "Bridging the Gap" follows, its sort of groundbreaking in that its the first time a rapper and his father have hooked up to deliver a commercial single, while Olu Dara has had presence since Illmatic, the two of them have never collaborated like this. This track has grown on me. On "War" Nas reflects on his growth and family while Keon Bryce sings a soulful chorus. "Me & You (Dedicated to Destiny)" is a real deep track, which Nas created for his daughter, the genuine love he has as a parent shines through. The bonus track and banging single "Thief's Theme" finishes the album on a good note.

Nas has lived up to this reviewer's expectations with "Street's Disciple" delivering an album to remember. Nas got innovative with this album, and more personal. Collectively the album flows well. The young man, who released the classic "Illmatic" ten+ years ago, is a grown man now progressing in life and music. Whether people will give him the credit he deserves remains to be seen. Highly recommend "Street's Disciple" for the collection.