Nas
“Street’s Disciple”
(Sony)
It’s not easy creating a good double CD album, especially in rap. Shit, it’s apparently pretty hard to put out a half way decent single disc album: how many rap albums in 2004 can you name that had at least six good tracks? Exactly. While Nas attracts a few names for guest spots (Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Doug E. Fresh, etc) it’s pretty much him holding his own on “Street’s Disciple”, which does what we wish KRS-1 could do; mix rapping and soap box finger pointing together, minus the heavy religious overtones and repetitive rhetoric rambling that Lawrence always stumbles on. Noticeable tracks off of the first CD are “American Way” (which calls out specific black celebrities, labeling Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kobe Bryant, among others, as “jiggaboos” and “spooks”), “Disciple” and the bonus track “You Know My Style”. The second disc is pretty fucking solid and got no complaints from me. “Street’s Disciple” is not an instant classic, but definitely one for the library.
