Nas

Street's Disciple

Most brilliant hip hop album...ever?

Review Score:

(10/10)
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.

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