Tha Carter III may be hogging all of the spotlight as the "IT" rap album of '08 (if for no reason than people aren't widely aware that Andre 3000 is putting out a disc in the fall), but that doesn't mean it necessarily IS the "IT" album of the year. My smart money for that is on Nas' new controversial release, Nigger.
Yeah, yeah. I know. He "changed the title" so Wal-Mart would carry it and shit, but its the Nigger album. I wanted to get a job at a record store just to hear PC-people struggle to ask for it. Who the fuck is actually going to be referring to it as Untitled? Besides, I kind of like the new "edited" album cover. It looks a helluva lot more powerful than Nas in a rocking chair under the infamous N-word.
Judging on the strength of the Polow Da Don-produced single "Hero" (yes, Polow, you are forgiven for "Love In This Club") I think this album might have a strong chance at instant classic status. That, or at least Nas will accomplish being entertaining and expressing his own controversial views while selling records. That'd be nice. A top selling hip hop album unencumbered by a club banging radio-hit. Be Illmatic Or Die Tryin.
The real clincher for me is the new Rik Cordero-directed short film video for "Be A Nigger Too." It smacks of "99 Problems" and some of the work Anthony Mandler has done for Common and leans a little on the side of pretension, but I love the song. Keep an eye out for cameos from The Wire's Andre Royo and Harold And Kumar's John Cho.
Now, I'll leave you with a nice salvo for the actual release, which I think is scheduled for mid-July. DJ Green Lantern and Nas just released this fire mixtape and it features a nice, bangable preview of what to expect.
Nas & DJ Green Lantern present - The Nigger Tape
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