I was so close to not putting up an image of R. Kelly; it just seems wrong. But he did release an album that landed in this week’s Top 5 and I guess it’s the right thing to do. Hey, at least I didn’t have to put up a picture of Susan Boyle (I hate but her debut album, I Dreamed A Dream,  sold over 500,000 in the first week!). This is a mean and awkward intro huh? Let’s start…

R. Kelly’s 9th album Untitled landed at #4 this week. I honestly haven’t had any urge to listen to this album. It’s almost like the brilliant R. Kelly is nowhere to be found anymore (Word to Trey Songz!). Maybe y’all can tell me your thoughts. Untitled moved over 114,000 units last week.

Juvenile also made a debut last week with his 8th album Cocky & Confident. This is another victim of the “can’t review all of ‘em” game we sometimes play at nappyafro. Sorry (I also have not heard this album). Juve sold over 20,000 albums and lands at #43. Good job.

And now the numbers:

#4 R. Kelly/Untitled (Last Week: NA) – 114,300; Total: NA [Debut]
#8 Michael Jackson/This Is It [OST] (Last Week: #11) – 75,100; Total: 965,500 (Gold) [6 Weeks]
#14 Rihanna/Rated R (Last Week: #8) – 59,000; Total: 240,400 [2 Weeks]
#20 The Black Eyed Peas/The E.N.D. (Last Week: #21) – 49,600; Total: 1,490,500 (Platinum) [26 Weeks]
#35 50 Cent/Before I Self Destruct (Last Week: #19) – 29,500; Total: 256,500 [3 Weeks]
#38 Jay-Z/The Blueprint 3 (Last Week: #28) – 27,900; Total: 1,365,100 (Platinum) [13 Weeks]
#43 Juvenile/Cocky & Confident (Last Week: NA) – 23,100; Total: NA [Debut]
#45 Beyonce/I Am..Sasha Fierce (Last Week: #41) – 22,700.; Total: 2,556,100 (Platinum) [55 Weeks]

Hip-Hop has always been a reflection of a small segment of the global community. Now Hip-Hop has become a global community. In such a climate, you get a lot of pressure to conform to the instant hit’s now (“ringtone era”) and leave consciousness in the underground circuit. Nas refused to conform and offered us one of the best albums released this year, and one of the best all time.

We have a Black man becoming President, a war that seems to be endless, and an economy that is failing globally. Hip-Hop is the voice of a people and Nas took this opportunity to raise his voice and be heard. I wasn’t on board with the original title of his album at all, but with the name Untitled and the cover (another reason this album is classic) there is no mistaking what is going on with the album. Provocative, edgy and precise are how I would describe this album. The fact that this album hasn’t done numbers isn’t a mistake and proof that numbers DO LIE. I have already declared this album a classic, 5 star album, if you haven’t, listen again.

Before this album, and yea, I heard Illmatic, I was never a Nas fan. I thought he was over hyped. Never have I been more excited to eat my own words. I was wrong. Can one album change my mind? Apparently. Can one album change Hip-Hop? This one should have, problem is, no one album can change the industry. If you are one of the people that gripe about the state of Hip-Hop, go support this album. If you are one of the people that were pissed that Weezy went plat in a week, but better albums haven’t gone gold, buy this album. If you are one of the people that love Hip-Hop, buy this album. I am proud to say, that Untitled by Nas, is the nappyafro.com Album of the Year.

Runners Up:
T.I. – Paper Trail
Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter III

As another year closes on Hip-Hop and the many “Best of 2008” lists get ready to be released, there are many things you can rank: the best songs, the best albums, the best beats, etc. The one I always think about is the best verses. Now to be honest, there is no way to truly say what is 2008’s best verse (There is no possible way to hear them all). But the way a verse sticks out to me is its staying power, creativity, popularity, lyricism, and flow. So here are my Three Most Memorable Verses of 2008 (I only counted verses off actual songs; if I used freestyles it might have been all verses from Cypher #3 at the BET Hip-Hop Awards).

3. Lil’ Wayne – “A Milli” (2nd Verse)

Yeah, this song was by far the most used instrumental of 2008 but what about the original? I may be accused of sometimes being a Weezy hater (10 “Simple” Reasons Why Lil’ Wayne Is NOT The Greatest Rapper Of Alive)  but even I can’t deny that this verse was one of more memorable ones this year. From the “goon to a goblin” line to trying figure out what “smokin the thinest air” exactly meant, this one had all the makings of a 2008 classic. You could have picked either three verses of “A Milli” and been good, but I chose the second.

A million here a million there
Sicilian bitch with long hair with coke in her derriere
Like smokin the thinest air, I open the Lamborghini
Hopin them crackers see me like “look at dat bastard Weezy”
Hes a beast, hes, a dog, he’s a muthfukin problem
Ok you’re a goon but what’s a goon to a goblin?
Nothin, nothing, you ain’t scarin nothin
On some faggot bullshit call em Dennis Rodman
Call me what you want bitch, call me on my Sidekick
Never answer when it’s private damn I hate a shy bitch
Don’t u hate a shy bitch? yea I ate a shy bitch
And she ain’t shy no more, she changed her name to my bitch
Yea nigga that’s my bitch so when she ask for the money when you through don’t be surprised bitch
It ain’t trickin if u got it
But u like a bitch with no ass u ain’t got shit
Muthafuka I’m ill, not sick
And I’m ok but my watch sick
Yea my drop sick
Yea my glock sick
And my knot thick
Im it

Muthafuka I’m ill…

2. Nas – “Proclamation/Nigga Hatred”

A lot of people list Nas’ Untitled album as one of 2008’s best for it’s insightful lyrics about America’s still present racial troubles. This short song shows how that even after all these years, Nas’ perceptive may still be one of his strongest assets (“I get loose like the Jena Six, they put a noose on ‘Pac, now I’m defendin Vick”). It’s a shame this track was reduced to an iTunes bonus track (And even then it was only an acapella version).

This is my openin scripture – I’ve been preparin this album
my whole life, might be uncomfortable for most you listeners
Satin’s bombardin me with propositions, but I decline
I started in the Bridge without a pot to piss in
I overcame all the opposition
My teachers told that I’d a broken mayne on a cot in prison
Cloaked in the finest drapes, not Bathing Apes
But we still filthy, Supreme Court say we still guilty
This is the Genesis, and I don’t even see a worthy arch nemesis
I get loose like the Jena Six, they put a noose on ‘Pac
now I’m defendin Vick, and free that nigger TIP
I’d take the grave or a bid
to let some dirty clan members run up in my crib
and plant cracks on the man that’s goin to church
Plants packs on the man that’s goin to work
and build cases, meanwhile they daddies and they brothers
is recruitin all my brothers and cousins to fill bases
The nerve of y’all to call Escobar racist
Nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger hatred

1. Big Boi feat. Raekwon & Andre 3000 – “Royal  Flush” (Andre 3000’s Verse)

Now, me picking a verse from Andre 3000 may be kinda unfair since he only drops a couple a year anyway, but personally I think this is hands down this year’s finest. It had lyrics and it meant something while still sounding like it could be played at a club. This long verse (It was Big Boi’s song right?) showed that even though Andre may not be into rapping these day, he still has it.

Styles will change
They say change is dang-erous
As a King standing on the terrace
While his partners pointing up at the rifleman
Cowards shoot and never know when your life will end
Then… live like there ain’t no ‘morrow
And if one come then this the motto
Now I put message in bottle
You go to the nearest beach and open your car door
And you walk to the place where the sea meets the land
Yeah it’s easier to run the street than walk in the sand
Hey I’m talking young man
As if chalk in my hand
I will take yo’ little ass to school
It’s cool
When the kids call me Sonny, the hood calls me Stacks
The bees call me honey, Hollywood calls me back
Crack and I have a lot in common
We both come up in the 80s and we keep that bass pumpin’
Now that’s a nega-tive comparison
Embarassin’
Unfortunate that if you come up fortunate
The street considers you lame
I thought the name of the game
Was to have a better life
I guess it ain’t what a shame
I don’t slang, never slung
But I’m one with the slum
That has a name well fitting
Plenty G’s getting
No wonder why they called it the trap
So watch your tail
And I’m not kidding
The rats and mice would give advice
They say that you can paint and draw
Get out of here
Go show them that we’re more than slangin’ raw
That’s when I broke into my Big Rube impression
And I tried to enlighten but that night a learned a lesson
That the morals that you think you got go out the window
When all the other kids are fresh and they got new Nintendo
Wiis
And yo’ child is down on her knees
Praying hard up to God for a Whopper with cheese
Do you b) Hit the street hard with a flare
Or do you a) Go for school for heating and air
Dare making under seven
But make a crooked killing
Or do a bit of both until your holding on a million
Brilliant
You got one foot in and one foot out
You put yo’ left foot back in and then you shake it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey ’til you turn your life around
That’s what it’s all about
3000 out

I remember when Nas used be called possibly the greatest MC of all time: Illmatic was classic, It Was Written was classic, Stillmatic was classic, and God’s Son was nearly there. Then he dropped Hip Hop Is Dead and that debate STILL goes on 2 years after the fact. I’m not going to lie, Nas has messed up several times in his career: he dropped Nastradamus, failed to make Ill Will stand out as a record label, and who could forget that song “Who Killed it” off Hip Hop Is Dead? However, no matter what, you still liked Nas because of all he had done in the game and more importantly how real he was.

Now, it seems like Nas’ album Untitled has stalled in sales, and didn’t even go Gold, making it his least selling album to date, even though it’s one of his best without any doubt. Now, the QB veteran himself has released the second single from the album, “Make the World Go Round”. Though B-Easy said that this was probably the weakest track off the album, I gotta say I’m liking it. Should be a hot single, so watch out for it on your airwaves.

Below this post is the music video for it; Nas is pretty much chillin’ in the background while rapping; pretty ill video. Game’s verse is hot, and Chris Breezy’s singing is pretty infectious. I’m also really feeling the beat; it’s something I feel like I could just chill to. What do you think? Check it out, and don’t forget you got this video straight from The Stoop!

Okay, of course we all expected Nasir to grab the top spot from Weezy on the Billboard 200. I’m still suprised that after all that publicity Nigger/Untitled recieved from main media outlets, that it only pulled in around 180,000. I guess everybody can’t leak 2 weeks before the official release date and still sale a million copies. In other chart news, Tha Carter III continues to do crazy numbers, David Banner cracks the Top 10, and the rest is the whatever….

#1 Nas/Untitled (Last Week: NA) – 187,078; Total: NA [Debut]
#2 Lil’ Wayne/Tha Carter III (Last Week: #1) – 105,490; Total: 1,912,053 (Platinum) [6 Weeks]
#8 David Banner/The Greatest Story Ever Told (Last Week: NA) – 51,902; Total: NA [Debut]
#10 Rhianna/Good Girl Gone Bad (Last Week: #8) – 41,269; Total: 1,482,574 (Platinum) [59 Weeks]
#19 Usher/Here I Stand (Last Week: #11) – 26,071; Total: 906,641 (Gold) [7 Weeks]
#24 G-Unit/T.O.S. (Terminate On Sight) (Last Week: #9) – 21,219; Total: 159,369 [3 Weeks]
#26 Plies/Definition Of Real (Last Week: #17) – 20,522; Total: 400,789 [6 Weeks]
#29 Three 6 Mafia/Last 2 Walk (Last Week: #16) – 18,431; Total: 156,835 [4 Weeks]

Ever since his debut, Nas has always been known as one of the premier lyricists in Hip-Hop. The public may have sometimes overlooked with “Who’s the Hottest” lists and what not, but for most, Nasir Jones has always kept a spot on a large amount of “Greatest of All Time” lists (Come on, we all have our Top 5). His last album, Hip Hop Is Dead, Nas had the whole Hip-Hop community debating on the whether the art form has met its demise or not (2 years later, we still are).  Well, not to be outdone by him self, Nas releases the originally titled Nigger (Now known as Untitled). Once again, the title (or even the thought of the title) caused a firestorm of controversy not just with the Hip-Hop community but with the national/international media and caused even more debate. Even with all of the attention, at the end of the day it’s all about the music. After changing the title supposedly so it could be sold in places like Wal-Mart, the bad thing for Nas is that the album has been leaked for almost 2 weeks now. The good thing for us is… the album has been leaked for almost 2 weeks now. What’s the verdict? Let’s find out…

1. Queens Get The Money
Produced by Jay Electronica
Even though it was once believed that Jay Electronica would contribute a verse to this album, his sole involvement was production of the intro track. Over a chopped piano sample, Nas sounds poignant while effortless as he rhymes about his hood, fatherless children, government back dealing, and even his wife  (“My queen used her milkshake to bring y’all to my slaughterhouses”). Nasir even drops a 50 Cent diss so intricate, Curtis Jackson might have a hard time catching it.

2. You Can’t Stop Us Now
Featuring Eban Brown & The Last Poets; Produced by Salaam Remi
This song could be taken as a national anthem for the Black downtrodden. On the first verse he goes over our persecution, our history, and the overlooking of such (“Betsy Ross sold the American flag/Bet she had a nigger with her to help her old ass”). King Jerm was quick to point out to me that the RZA recently used this same sample/hook on his latest album. Nas easily trumps that’s version with this when you add The Stylistics’ Eban Brown blessing the hook and the superior production from Salaam Remi (If this is the song that supposedly replaced “Be A Nigger Too”, I prefer this one).

3. Breathe
Produced by J. Myers & Dustin Moore
“In America you’ll never be free/Middle finger up, fuck the police”. Even though the hook may sound aggressive, the beat and tone is completely opposite from that. This is a lay back and smoke out song (If I actually did smoke). Nas just speaks on just being able to relax instead of worrying about being arrested, poor, or shot. Even with it’s sleepy guitar, the song works because that’s the attitude.

4. Make The World Go Round
Featuring Chris Brown & The Game; Produced by Cool & Dre/Co-Produced by The Game
Well, you can’t like everything. Other than scratching my head about the Chris Brown feature, this song has other problems. The beat provided by Cool & Dre (And I guess The Game) can get kinda annoying with the background sample. Nas sounds more like his 1996 Escobar version with all the flossing in his rhymes. The Game comes with his C game (No pun intended) and spend too many bars rapping about Tony Romo, Jessica Simpson, and Nick Lachey. This is not the revolutionary music we was promised and I pray that this won’t be a single.

5. Hero
Featuring Keri Hilson, Produced Polow Da Don
The official first single off the album. The weird paring of Polow and Nas surprisingly produces gold. Some people have complained that the hook and title of the track was kind of corny. But when you think about it, couldn’t Nas’ collaboration with Alicia Keys on “Warrior” be taken the same way? From the production stand point, Polow Da Don provides a complicated track on an album that more or less musically simple. The beautiful Keri Hilson does her thing also. I surprised with all the superhero movies coming out this summer, not one of them legitimately used this as a theme song.

6. America
Produced by Stargate
Here, Nas goes in more about the thievery and backhandedness of some American tactics. Over a Stargate produced track (Who previously has worked with mostly R&B/Pop acts), Nasir evokes some pretty powerful imagery; “Lipstick from Marilyn Monroe/Blow a death kiss to Fidel Castro”. It’s basic message is that to foreigners, America is not what you think it is.

7. Sly Fox
Produced by stic.man
Nas does what a lot of rappers are scared to do, goes straight at Bill O’Reilly’s home, Fox News and the whole Fox monopoly. Over a heavy metal riff, Nas breaks done and analyzes the longs tentacles of the Fox Corporation be it the George W. Bush favoritism, their racist and bias owned newspapers, or their heavy internet presence. It’s fitting that stic.man of dead prez produced this track since that this is exactly the kind og thing dead prez normally does.

8. Testify
Produced by Mark Batson
When the first line of a song is “I just burnt my American flag/And sent three cracker Nazi to hell and I’m sad”, you know immediately that Nas is shooting from the hip. The production here is intimate; almost like you watching Nas perform this is a sparse café or blue’s club. Nas asks the question; If you believe my music, would you really stand with me and ride what you believe in? After a few listen, it’s a prevailing song.

9. N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave & The Master)
Produced by DJ Toomp
This is perhaps my favorite track off the album is probably started my whole excitement about this album. DJ Toomp continues his frequency of collaborating with Hip-Hop greats (Jay-Z and now Nas) and totally delivers a banger. Even though Toomp is a southern producer, Nas sounds comfortable and at home here of Toomp signature sound. Spelling out the original name of the album and continuing it’s theme, Nas goes in; “They say we N-I/Double G E-R/We are much more/But still we choose to ignore the obvious/Man this history don’t acknowledge us/We was scholars way before colleges “. Without the title, I swear this song would have gotten major play on radios and television. It’s just that good.

10. Louis Farrakhan
Produced by stic.man
At first I thought this was one of Nas “biography” song like the ones he did for Rakim (from Street’s Disciple) and Mike Tyson (from The Nigger Tape). But actually, it more like homage and uses a sample of Farrakhan’s name. Nas goes in about being the tribulations of being a revolutionary. It’s crazy, but being a dead prez fan, I still surprised at the great production provided by stic.man.

11. Fried Chicken
Featuring Busta Rhymes; Produced by Mark Ronson
I have to applaud Nas for taking this approach on this subject. In an ironic but serious way, Nas and Busta verse about the stereotypically favorite meats of African Americans: Pork and Chicken. Instead of just preaching about health ricks and such, they take it and flip it giving these foods the personification of women they lust for. Busta Rhymes surprised me because lately I have started growing weary of his features. The beat takes this from average lyrical album track to banger.

12. Project Roach
Featuring The Last Poets; Produced by Eric Hudson
This could be taken as an interlude since it clocks at around a minute and a half. Just like Nas did on other classic like “I Gave You Power” (Where he takes the role of a gun), Nas rhymes here form the perspective of a project roach. Well, maybe not. This song is a double edged sword of meaning that is helped by the poetry of the legendary Last Poets. I’ll let you be the judge. Satisfying song.

13. Ya’ll My Niggas
Produced by J. Myers
Nas continues pushing the subject about the “N word” and the commercialization of Black culture as a whole. J. Myers production gives Nas room to talk about these issues; “Controversy surrounds/Who can say it and when/Some niggas is full time/Some playing pretend/So fuck that no apologies on the issue/If it offends you, it meant to/It’s that simple”. This is a easy listen but packs a punch by way of content.

14. We’re Not Alone
Featuring Mykel; Produced by stic.man
The hook here provided by Mykel, is soulful and thought out. Nas finds a way cover subjects like alien abduction, conspiracy theories, and racial unity in the same song. Nas then surprises us when he goes spoken word at the end when he explains and states that he actually has loves America and all nationalities and that a new day is approaching (This is the same thing he did with “Hope” on Hip Hop Is Dead). This would be a great way to end the album, but it opens the door for…

15. Black President
Featuring Johnny Polygon; Produced by DJ Green Lantern
This song was at first thought to be an exclusive to the DJ Green Lantern hosted The Nigger Tape mixtape. I guess this song seemed fitting to add the official album seeing the current situation with the United States. I like this song but it seems to come off clichéd when you add the Obama sound bites and the R&B hook. Don’t get me wrong, like I said, I like the song. Nas spits some heavy knowledge about the problems and pluses of a Black Commander In Chief while the 2Pac sample from “Changes” is well placed.

Bottom Line:
When I first heard this album in its entirety, I called King Jerm and put out what I called a “5 Star Watch” (I only do this when I think an album is a classic; I don’t do this very much). We here at nappyafro have never given a 5 rating to any album we have reviewed and it seems as if that streak will continue. Nas has created arguably the best album (so far) of 2008. Untitled (I still prefer to call it Nigger but what do you do) is exactly what we need in today’s Hip-Hop climate of excess and “making it rain”. It calls back to the days when Hip-Hop could make you think about your way of life and even inspire you to make it better. The album had a cohesive feel with only one slip up; without it the rating might have been higher. Even if Nas doesn’t break the bank when the album’s sale numbers are released next week, he should be proud of the art and hope Untitled has produced. Nasir Jones should also be proud that he brought up the topic of racism and inequality and made people who normally wouldn’t talk such things do just that; and at the end of the day, wasn’t that his main objective?

nappyPicks: We really need to go and support album like this. I’ll have a better chance telling which one wasn’t notable.

Download: Nas – “Like Me” (UK Bonus Track)

Damn, it’s kinda quiet on the Hip-Hop front huh? No review going up today, so I guess it’s as good as time as any to do another iPod Hustle. This is where I pick some songs off my ever present iPod and explain to you what I’m currently listening to. Sometimes it’s new stuff; sometimes it’s old stuff, but all the time its good stuff. In this edition I‘m going all Nas. Yep, in anticipation of the “official” release of Untitled/Nigger, I looking at the Nas songs on my iPod I’m currently listening to. Not saying that these are the best or even the hottest Nas songs, just a few that I currently playing (That’s not on the new album).

Download: Nas – “Nigger Hatred” (2008)

I’m sure you’ve seen this one online (It was also played in the intro of “Be A Nigger Too” music video). But since all the links seem to be taken down, why not put it here. While “Queens Get The Money” is a worthy intro, I still hope this ends up on the official album (It may be a bonus track). It’s just piano and Nas spitting some revolutionary shit; “This is the genesis/I don’t even see a worthy arch nemesis/I get loose like the Jena 6/They put a noose on Pac/Now I’m defending Vick/And free that nigga Tip”.

Download: Diddy feat. Nas & Cee-Lo – “Everything I Love” (2006)

A lot of people hate on Diddy (including me) and I admit he does some cornball ass stuff. But that last album, Press Play, wasn’t half bad. One track that was a standout was the Cee-Lo/Nas featured and Kanye produced “Everything I Love”. Of course Nas outshines Diddy; “Think fast before I blast holes/Like grassy knolls/Went from scraggly old clothes to the illest fashion/The realest rappin’”(There’s also a remix featuring Jadakiss, but this isn’t about Jada).

Download: Nas – “Where Y’all At” (2006)

I’m still mad that this song wasn’t on the original album (Best Buy bonus tracks don’t count). It was this song that that initially got me hyped for Hip Hop Is Dead. I remember even the self proclaimed “Kufi Smacker” Jim Jones even said that the song was hot and good for New York. Nas channels his former ’94 self over Salaam Remi production; “Eat with my elbows top of the table/Street etiquette with speech impediments/And still see presidents, no matter who paid/Cause you ain’t take the last dollar made/Long as they keep printing it, there’s chances of getting it/Money’s my bitch, and we stay intimate”.

Another day, another new song by Nasir Jones. Damn Nas, you might wanna put a hold on some of these leaks homie. After a while, I’ll just start assemblying the album myself for what I have (Like I wasn’t anyway or already haven’t). Well, all bullshit aside, I’m still loving what I’m hearing so far. In today’s leak, we have the Jay Electronica produced “Queens Get The Money”, the Salaam Remi produced “You Can’t Stop Us Now”, the stic.man produced “We’re Not Alone”, as well as the track “Breathe” (4 songs people!). I wasn’t gonna post this at first, but what the hell (Shouts out to Tha Carter Cartel). Enjoy.

Download: Nas – “Breathe”

Download: Nas feat. Eban Thomas – “You Can’t Stop Us Now”

Download: Nas – “Queens Get The Money”

Download: Nas feat. Mykel – “We’re Not Alone”

*Update: More songs have came out, but you know…

*Update: “Drip, drip”

If you heard any of my statements about the new Nas album, you know that I’m really excited about it. Whether it’s called Nigger or Untitled doesn’t matter to me; I just know that what I’ve heard so far is good. Well, a couple of Nas tracks “leaked” today to my much delight and it’s more of the same. The first track is the stic.man produced “Sly Fox” and as the saying goes, Nas goes in (On the Fox News Network too no doubt). The second track is “Fried Chicken” featuring Busta Rhymes and produced by Mark Ronson (This track was originally released a few weeks ago but it was the radio rip). I love shit like this! This the God’s Son version of Nas; meaningful music. People may hate me saying this, but even though Wayne may have sold a million, I think Nas will have the better album. Enjoy.

Download: Nas – “Sly Fox”

Download: Nas feat. Busta Rhymes – “Fried Chicken”