NASIR
The fourth in a series of weekly Kanye West-produced releases to come from the G.O.O.D. Music label head\'s Wyoming compound, Nas\' 11th studio album is one of the most anticipated hip-hop collaborations since West and Jay-Z’s monumental *Watch the Throne*. With *NASIR*, it\'s clear that Nas and Kanye share a similar worldview, one focused on the world their children will inherit: The pair engage America\'s epidemic of police brutality toward people of color on the Slick Rick-sampling \"Cops Shot the Kid,\" while Nas questions the practice of vaccination over the slow-burning guitar loop of \"everything (feat. The-Dream).\" The man who once likened himself to a prophet offers personal truths in abundance on \"Not for Radio,\" but is ever-wary of penance, rapping on \"Adam and Eve,\" \"Pray my sins don\'t get passed to my children/I made a killin\'.\"
No longer able to summon his mythical sense of storytelling, Nas sounds lost on his 11th studio album. Kanye’s production doesn’t help, either.
Note: This review is based on last night’s livestream of Nasir, which hasn’t been officially released at the time of publication. You can watch the stream below.
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