I went into this Nas and DJ Premier project with medium expectations, hoping to be proven wrong and surprised by its greatness. I have to be honest; the first third of the album is a tough listen. It’s just not hitting and I have to consciously ignore what happened with “Part 3.”… similar to Godfather 3. ‘Welcome to the Underground’ and ‘Madman’ are growing on me, though.
‘Pause Tapes’ changes the complexion of the entire album for me. The simplistic funk of the beat and Nas just effortlessly in his gem-dropping storytelling mode… it’s just special man. I just wish it was longer, like, much longer. Just keep going… tell the entire autobiography! This one isn’t for everybody, but the people like me who it is for are grateful and salute with a “Namaste.”
‘Writers’ is dope and the beat and scratches are top-tier. Just a Hip Hop love song at the end of the day. ‘Sons’ is a jewel of a song and Preemo went absolutely bonkers on ‘It’s Time.’ ‘Nasty Esco Nasir’ is phenomenal both conceptually and in its execution. The second fifth of this album features a five-track run that stands up to any five-track run in Nas’s discog.
The run continues into the final third of the album with ‘My Story Your Story’ feat. AZ. Unlike “Part 3” this sequel does not disappoint. Just a fun and flossy listen. And they spittin’. ‘Bouquet’ is a good effort. A solid shout-out to women MCs that feels genuine. ‘Junkie’ is special, man. Nas just goes to another place on this track and DJ Premier’s contributions are beyond complimentary, they enhance the listening experience and allow the theme to be felt at a deeper level. I can’t help but think about the spirit and legacy of Black music as African retentions; a theme that was expressed so well in “Sinners.”
There is a noticeable drop from there. ‘Shine Together’ is a-ight. It just seems to go too long, and this is exemplified in discussions of ‘injecting worms’ and “if you made it this far.” 3rd Childhood is solid, but it’s a little too hard to connect it to 2nd Childhood, one of my favorite Nas songs ever. Preemo tried to make the connection more obvious, but we’re not fooled, my brother.
Overall, given the height of the highs, I’ll give it 4/5 stars. My sense at this early stage is that this is one of those albums that will grow on us over time. I think this is a project that is akin to the ‘Magic’ Trilogy, which true Nas fans can appreciate, but the first third of the album could’ve definitely used some ‘King’s Disease’ energy. At the same time, King’s Disease I comes to mind as an album that simply doesn’t compare to King’s Disease II, so if given the chance, what could happen after a solid re-group?
This release has a lot of folk in their feelings across the board. Like many “comebacks” (if you will) after decades, die hard fans are looking for that timeframe as a resurgence, but with things changing, from industry aspects to personal growth to other things, often times that doesn’t happen (i.e. Andre 3000). Good post.