Nastradamus [PA]

Performer: Nas
Artist: Ronald Isley; Mobb Deep; Ginuwine; Millennium Thug; Nashawn; Bravehearts
Engineer: Jason Goldstein; Eddie Sancho; Jimmy Douglass; Kevin Crouse; Rick Travali
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Nas, Ron Isley, Ginuwine, Neshawn, Jessica Care Moore (vocals); Dame Grease (keyboards, programming); DJ Premier (keyboards, scratches); Rich Nice (keyboards, background vocals); Squiddly (vibraphone); Delroy "Chris" Cooper (bass); Rudy Bird (percussion); L.E.S. (programming). Mobb Deep: Havoc (vocals, programming); Prodigy (vocals). Bravehearts: Wiz, Horse, Jungle (vocals). Producers include: L.E.S., Dame Grease, Nashiem Myrick, Track Masters, Timbaland. Personnel: Rich Nice (vocals, keyboards); Jessica Care Moore (vocals); Dame Grease (keyboards, programming, drum programming); Timbaland (keyboards, programming); Squidlly (vibraphone); Kevin Scott, Jerry Barnes (bass guitar); Rudy Bird (percussion); DJ Premier (programming, scratches); Havoc, L.E.S. (programming); Lenesha Randolph, Tara Watkins, Candace Anderson (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Norty Cotto; DJ Premier; Dame Grease; Jim Caruso; Jimmy Douglass; Kevin Crouse; L.E.S.; Nas; Poke; Rich Nice; Richard Travali; Timbaland; Tone. Recording information: Chung King Studios, NY; D&D Studios; Manhattan Center Studios, NY; Right Track Studios; Soundtrack Studios, NY; South; The Hit Factory, New York, NY. Photographer: Kwaku Alston. From boy to man to king to prophet, Nas re-emerged six months after his third album with Nastradamus, a pre-millennial statement touching on the future, spirituality, and family -- issues that Nas has broached before, though never with this much devotion. It could have been an intriguing concept album, but Nastradamus is continually compromised by tracks that don't contribute to the theme. For every emotional track like "Some of Us Have Angels" or "God Love Us," there are the same old street-life anthems you'd expect to hear, like "Shoot 'Em Up," "Come Get Me," or "You Owe Me." They sound OK (thanks to production from L.E.S., DJ Premier, and Timbaland), but the result is yet another drawn-out hip-hop album that wanders aimlessly and never really says anything. Nas' rapping is superb as usual, but for the most part it's a wasted effort. ~ Keith Farley With his fourth release, NASTRADAMUS, this lyrically inclined street poet further stands his ground in hip-hop. Though his previous two albums surpassed the commercial success of his first album, neither was as critically acclaimed. But on NASTRADAMUS, Nas comes close to the feel of his classic debut, ILLMATIC. Though there are hype party cuts like "Nastradamus" and "You Owe Me," it's the underground tracks where Nas kicks street-inspired rhymes that make NASTRADAMUS a hip-hop necessity. On tracks like "Life We Choose" and "Project Windows," Nas stays true to his original audience with picture-painted rhymes and theme-inspired production. He is joined by Mobb Deep, Ginuwine, and Ron Isley for a handful of memorable collaborations. An extremely talented lyricist, Nas manages to never run out of rhymes. His music transcends every last category of hip-hop and, thus, balances the scales of hip-hop.

Entertainment Weekly (11/26/99, p.98) - "...balances apocalyptic boho poetry and roughneck gun talk with a sniper's precision and a philosopher's depth....Nas raps tales of betrayal, paranoia, honor, and redemption that would give Scarface pause." - Rating: A- Alternative Press (4/00, p.94) - 3 out of 5 - "...a testament to the intelligence and imagination that poverty and racism have not destroyed, that springs up out of ghettos like plants from cracks in the sidewalk..." CMJ (12/20/99, p.26) - "Nas shows off his soulful side....continuing to explore the realms outside and within the Queensbridge projects..." The Source (1/00, p.188) - 3 mics out of 5 - "...Nas expands, attempting to be all things to all folks....Yeah, it bops..."

With charged poetic lyrics spit in an almost impossibly smooth flow, Nas turned the rap world on its ear in 1994 when the Queens MC unleashed the instantly immortal ILLMATIC. The immaculate record contained few frills, no skits, no celebrity cameos, just the rapper's deceptively complex rhymes, words that lounged in the listener's psyche for days after, layered over beats by some of the best producers of the day. While the following years would find Nas hard-pressed to live up to his supernova debut, he quietly released solid records. In 2001, his spirit revived by a beef with Jay-Z (they would reunite on stage years later), he released the acerbic STILLMATIC, which was followed by a string of critically praised records, but no shortage of controversy.

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