Street's Disciple [PA]

Performer: Nas
Artist: Ludacris; Busta Rhymes; Maxwell; Olu Dara
Producer: Nas; Salaam Remi; L.E.S.; Chucky Thompson; Buck Wild
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Nas (rap vocals, various instruments); Olu Dara (vocals, guitar, harmonica, trumpet); Emily, Kelis, Keon Bryce, Maxwell , Scarlett , Quan (vocals); Ludacris, Busta Rhymes (rap vocals); Vincent Henry (guitar, strings, harmonica, saxophone); Chucky Thompson (guitar, piano, bass guitar, drums); Salaam Remi (guitar, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, bass guitar, drums); L.E.S. (drums); Doug E. Fresh (sound effects). Ten years deep in the rap game, Nas unveiled Street's Disciple, an indulgent album that sprawls across two discs, freewheeling through a dizzying array of ace productions and thoughtful raps. The album is very much a continuation of its predecessor, God's Son: both helmed primarily by producers Salaam Remi and Chucky Thompson, both uncompromising personal statements that make few concessions to the pop market, and both undoubtedly fascinating, if overindulgent. The difference is, Street's Disciple goes a step further, indulging all the more in the creative whims of Nas. And, with the exception of some first-disc throwaways, the result is nothing short of astounding, especially if you've followed Nas over the course of his first decade. Catchy hooks are few and far between here, granted, with most of the songs crafted as if they were freestyle raps. This works, though, because Nas benefits from outstanding productions, a peerless rap style, and an interesting back-story. The 25 productions here are all courtesy of longtime Nas collaborators Salaam Remi, Chucky Thompson, and L.E.S., with only a couple exceptions (Nas produces a couple himself). These guys know Nas better than anyone, and they deliver the goods: hardcore beats for the streets, usually laced with an inventive sample for a hook effect. These riffs offer Nas ample room to let loose, and he does precisely that on one track after another, often touching upon a specific theme yet doing so in a loose, free-associative manner that highlights his talent for wordplay and storytelling. Within his raps, Nas often mines his own past, present, and future: for instance, he touches upon his heritage ("Bridging the Gap"), his impending marriage ("Getting Married"), his eventual death ("Live Now"), his influences ("U.B.R."), his most memorable female conquests ("Remember the Times"). All of this amounts to a lavish album sure to dazzle true hip-hop heads, who will find much to admire and study here, from the especially deep and twisted raps to the sample-rich productions. On the other hand, all of this also amounts to an album that might prove somewhat impenetrable to those who aren't already attuned to the legacy of Nas. Either way, Street's Disciple is another key album in that ongoing legacy, further evidence that Nas is back on track after falling off during the late '90s with I Am and Nastradamus. It's not a perfect album -- it's far too indulgent for that -- and would have been stronger as a single disc, but its ambitious sprawl makes for a powerful statement that Nas disciples will surely savor. ~ Jason Birchmeier While Nas has never been one for false modesty, it must be quite the rush to include his father, jazz trumpeter Olu Dara, on his single "Bridging the Gap" to speak of his son becoming "the greatest man alive." While that's a tall order, Nas is indisputably among the premier lyricists and provocative thinkers in hip-hop history. The Queens, New York native's seventh record, STREET'S DISCIPLE, is his most ambitious to date, a double album consisting of more than an hour of continual flow, encompassing many corners of the musical map with style. Without need for filler or skits, the ultra-focused Nas has more than enough on his mind and in his rhyme arsenal to fill the two discs. He opens by raising Cain on false idols, first indicting both sides of the political spectrum on "Nazareth Savage," then scathingly tearing into Kobe Bryant and Puff Daddy (among others) on "These Are Our Heroes." Nas does a double shot of old-school rap, chronicling the life of Rakim on "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)" before nodding to Doug E. Fresh on "Virgo." Tying together this potent outing, Nas closes with a flurry of classic rhymes, on the grimy-yet-melodic bonus track, "Thief's Theme."

Rolling Stone (p.157) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "DISCIPLE is the rare instance of hip-hop old and wise enough to look backward without forgetting what it was like to look ahead with awe and wonder." Entertainment Weekly (p.84) - "The set's nostalgic production - old soul samples, '80s-era breakbeats, bluesy guest appearances from his jazz-player pops - nicely underscores Nas' reconciliation with his roots and responsibilities." - Grade: A-

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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