Skyrocketed to fame in 1994 by his epic release Illmatic, Nasir “Nas” Jones has been regarded as one of hip-hop’s premier producers. Most recently, his July 15, 2008 release Untitled has proven to be a fan-pleaser, but has not stood out as an album worth of special critical acclaim.

Not unexpectedly, Nas’s album first became the object of much controversy in October, 2007 when he announced that it would be named “Ni**er.” Heading the attack were Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the Fox News Network. Jackson asserted that, “The title using the ‘N’ word is morally offensive and socially distasteful… Nas has the right to degrade and denigrate in the name of free speech, but there is no honor in it.” On MTV, Nas responded, “I think Jesse Jackson’s the biggest player hater. His time is up… It’s a new voice. I’m here now. We don’t need Jesse; I’m here. I got this.” Def Jam and Colombia Records added that they were concerned that retailers such as Walmart—a major source of distribution revenue for the labels—would refuse to carry the album if Nas followed through with the album’s original name. Eventually, Nas conceded to naming the album “Untitled.”

This controversy did not dissuade consumers. The album sold nearly 187,000 copies and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 in the first week alone. Guest appearances on the record include Chris Brown, The Game, and Busta Rhymes, along with many others.

“Hero” stands out as one of the album’s highlights. The track exemplifies many of the distinctively “Eastern” hip-hop characteristics that Nas has become famous for: an attention to high quality production and an emphasis on independent beat mixing. The full-bodied bass of this track coupled with Keri Hilson’s complementing vocals make this track a “must-play-at-20-decibels-in-the-car” listen. “Fried Chicken,”featuring Busta Rhymes is another high point, for it nicely balances Nas’s political agenda with an appealing funk drum and bass line.

Low points of the album include “Make the World Go Round,” which features Chris Brown (enough said) and “Sly Fox,” a vitriolic attack on the Fox News Network that “keeps feeding us toxic.” The track is reminiscent of the highly acerbic political dialogue that characterized the lyrics of “N.W.A” and “Public Enemy” in the 1980’s and 90’s, except that Nas’s rendition makes him seem like he is trying too hard.

Keep an eye out for another Nas release (or two) during the second half of 2009. He recently speculated on MTV that he might be featured on two simultaneous releases: one produced by DJ Premier, and one produced by Dr. Dre. Nas will also be featured on Dre’s 2009 release Detox and on Young Jeezy’s The Recession

Jackson and Nas quotes from http://www.hiphop-elements.com/article/read/4/7532/1/