T.O.S. vs. Nigger
July 1st
The business savvy folks at both camps will probably turn this thing into a SoundScan battle (a la Graduation vs Curtis), so I thought we’d get the party started early. Both Nas and G-Unit are signed to Universal. Go figure.
Nas - Be a N*gger Too
Produced By: Salaam Remi and Big Jack
I’ll need a moment to fully digest this one, but I can safely say that it’s sounding better than “What It Is.” At least, we now know that the N*gger album is for real.
Nas - Nas Will Prevail
Nas - Life’s a Bitch Freestyle (f/ AZ)
How about two pre-Illmatic Nas joints to jumpstart your week? I’m an admitted Nas disciple and I’ve never heard that “Life’s a Bitch” freestyle. You can tell he was high outta his mind on that freestyle. He goes in on “Nas Will Prevail” though, which was actually the demo version of what we would come to know as “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.”
So, I flip open the latest issue of Rolling Stone and what do I see? More Niggermania:
“This record is a lot more serious than hip-hop,” says Nas, who tackles race and American history on his new album. Polow da Don, Stargate, and Cool and Dre contribute beats to the disc, which includes “Be a Nigga Too” (a play on the Dr. Pepper jingle), the Fox News-slamming “Sly Fox,” and “This Is Not America,” on which he raps about sexism and racism in the U.S. “This album is like talking to your child about sex,” says Nas. “It’s uncomfortable, but it’s important.”
I’m going to file this under “niggermania” because Nas’ album is gradually going the way of Detox. All talk and no music.
Esco says he’s still on the fence, but would love an Obama presidency:
“I’d love to see Barack Obama become the president. He’s the face of America, hands down,” the rapper said. “There’s no two ways to look at it, man. The man’s got what it takes. He’s serious. As a kid, you always think, ‘We’ll never see a black president,’ you know? ‘There’ll never be a black president.’ And you always feel that way. Everybody’s always grew up that way, black and white. So I think now, with Obama having a great chance of winning, I think [with] black and white, there’s been something lifted off their shoulders. It’s like, ‘This can happen. This can be great.’ And it’s about time.” …
Here’s Nas’ “What It Is,” sporting a new beat from Khalil. The beat is incredible. The rhymes are OK. But the combination isn’t working. Nas needs to take this beat to the studio and rap over it with a different approach.
Head on over to Che Sing The Cool for the downloadable version and backstory.
Nas keeps finding an excuse to shift his release date. First it was December (”You know I’m a fourth quarter artist), then it was February (”I decided to take my time because it’s appropriate for Black History Month”), and now it’s scheduled for April 22 (”I’m over black history month”). Which one is it, Nasir?
“I think we are part of American history and we should have it all year round. You check out some shit on our history –you’d be so surprise. We need to learn about ourselves more.” [Source: Defsounds]
Hopefully, that means a buzz single is on its way. *Fingers crossed*
A CNN reporter cornered Esco at the Grammys and asked him about the Nigger t-shirt.
[via: Icedotcom]
Nas and his cowboy sunglasses grace the cover of The Source’s January 08 issue. His much-talked about Nigger album arrives in February (Black History Month).
|
|
