Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead | ||||
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Studio album by Nas | ||||
Released |
December 19, 2006 (see release history) | |||
Recorded | 2005-2006 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 63:15 | |||
Label | Def Jam, Columbia, The Jones Experience | |||
Producer | will.i.am, Salaam Remi, L.E.S., Wyldfyer, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, Mark Batson, Stargate, Chris Webber, Devo Springsteen | |||
Nas chronology | ||||
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Singles from Hip Hop Is Dead | ||||
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Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 19, 2006 on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam. The album's title was inspired by Nas's view of the music industry and the state of hip hop music at the time.
The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 355,880 copies in its first week. His fourth U.S. number-one album, it had sold 764,000 copies by November 2008, eventually over time it went platinum by the RIAA.[1] Upon its release, Hip Hop Is Dead received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Hip Hop Is Dead was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album,[2] ultimately losing to Kanye West's Graduation at the 50th Grammy Awards[3]
Background
Nas announced the album's title after a performance on May 18, 2006.[4][5] In a late September interview on English DJ Tim Westwood's Radio show, Nas said, "Hip-hop is dead because we as artists no longer have the power." He went on to say, "Could you imagine what 50 Cent could be doing, Nas, Jay, Eminem, if we were the Jimmy Iovines? Could you imagine the power we'd have? I think that's where we're headed." He has described the album as a mixture of "street" records, "political" records and collaborations.[6] In another interview for MTV.com, Nas discussed the concept of the album title and the social atmosphere and condition of the music industry that inspired it, stating:
When I say 'hip-hop is dead', basically America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead ... Our way of thinking is dead, our commerce is dead. Everything in this society has been done. It's like a slingshot, where you throw the muthafucka back and it starts losing speed and is about to fall down. That's where we are as a country ... what I mean by 'hip-hop is dead' is we're at a vulnerable state. If we don't change, we gonna disappear like Rome. I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop ... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say.[7]— Nas
A promo single, "Where Y'all At", was released in June 2006 and produced by Salaam Remi.[8] It contained a sample from Nas' "Made You Look",[9] but it did not make the final cut for Hip Hop Is Dead.[10] It was, however, released as a bonus track on the Japanese import version of the album.[11]
A music video for "Can't Forget About You" premiered on February 5, 2007, the song featuring Chrisette Michele and sampling Nat King Cole's song "Unforgettable".[12] Another video, Hustlers, featuring The Game, followed.[13]
Title controversy
In an interview on the music television show 106 & Park, while promoting his untitled 2008 album, Nas said that he chose "Hip Hop Is Dead" as the title of the album in order to engender excitement and a reaction among hip hop artists. He went on to say that it worked, due to reactions from artists like Lil Wayne and Kanye West (whether West was actually reacting to the title of the album or merely promoting the album is unclear, given that he produced on two of the album's tracks). The title had a major impact in the hip hop world, especially for Southern hip hop, whose artists have been blamed for cheapening the quality of hip-hop with crunk and snap music. Southern rapper Young Jeezy had made statements against the title of Nas' album, and also furthered his comments by questioning Nas' street credibility. They have since reconciled, with Nas appearing on Jeezy's 2008 single, "My President".[14] Many other Southern rappers such as Ludacris, Trick Daddy, and Big Boi (whose fellow Outkast member, Andre 3000, declared hip hop dead on 2001's "Funkin' Around", off Big Boi and Dre Present...Outkast) have also attacked Nas' album title claiming that it is targeted at Southern hip hop.[15] Nas also has a fair share of supporters such as fellow New York rappers KRS-One, DMX, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah.
Reception
Commercial performance
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [16] |
Entertainment Weekly | (B)[17] |
The Guardian | [18] |
MSN Music | A−[19] |
The New York Times | (favorable)[20] |
Pitchfork Media | (7.8/10)[21] |
PopMatters | (8/10)[22] |
Rolling Stone | [23] |
USA Today | [24] |
The Village Voice | (favorable)[25] |
Selling 355,880 copies in its first week, Hip Hop Is Dead joined It Was Written (1996) and I Am… (1999) as Nas's third album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.[26] The title track "Hip Hop Is Dead" (produced by will.i.am), which contains samples from "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, and "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band (which Nas previously on "Made You Look", and Billy Squier's "The Big Beat", was the first single of the album.[27] It received airplay on radio stations in Australia (Triple J), the UK, and in United States, notably on Hot 97.[5][28] The single recently reached #48 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart[29] and #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single from the album Hip Hop Is Dead is "Can't Forget About You" (Featuring Chrisette Michele). It contains a sample from Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable".
Critical response
Hip Hop Is Dead received generally positive reviews from most music critics.[30] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 22 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[30] Nas is hip-hop's "grumpiest man", according to Jody Rosen for Entertainment Weekly, and the album "is a lot like Nas himself: impossible not to admire, but hard to love".[31] Among those music writers and critics that reviewed Hip Hop Is Dead favorably was Jason Rubin of The A.V. Club, which gave the album an A- rating. Rubin praised the album's production quality and lyrical concept, and stated "Hip Hop is unsparing in its diagnosis of rap's ills, but ultimately, it's hopeful. It contains a smart, tight, cohesive analysis of where rap went astray, but also the seeds of the genre's rebirth and renewal."[32]
Despite perceiving its sound and musical quality as weaknesses, Los Angeles Times writer Soren Baker gave it 3 out of 4 stars and wrote "Nas demonstrates why he remains one of rap's most revered artists, as his defense of hip-hop culture is impassioned and informed, if not fully realized".[33] Sean Fennessey of Vibe called the album "disorienting and sometimes brilliant" and complimented its "bold, startling production and a renewed lyrical vigor".[34] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, losing to Kanye West's Graduation (2007), at the 50th Grammy Awards in February 2008.[35]
Track listing
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Money Over Bullshit" | L.E.S., Wyldfyer | 4:16 |
2. | "You Can't Kill Me" | L.E.S., Al West | 3:14 |
3. | "Carry on Tradition" | Scott Storch | 3:49 |
4. | "Where Are They Now" | Nas, Salaam Remi | 2:44 |
5. | "Hip Hop Is Dead" (featuring will.i.am) | will.i.am | 3:45 |
6. | "Who Killed It?" | Salaam Remi, will.i.am | 3:10 |
7. | "Black Republican" (featuring Jay-Z) | L.E.S., Wyldfyer | 3:45 |
8. | "Not Going Back" (featuring Kelis) | Stargate | 4:09 |
9. | "Still Dreaming" (featuring Kanye West & Chrisette Michele) | Kanye West | 3:37 |
10. | "Hold Down the Block" | Mark Batson | 3:58 |
11. | "Blunt Ashes" | Chris Webber | 4:03 |
12. | "Let There Be Light" (featuring Tre Williams) | Kanye West, Devo Springsteen*, Paul Cho* | 4:28 |
13. | "Play on Playa" (featuring Snoop Dogg) | Scott Storch | 3:33 |
14. | "Can't Forget About You" (featuring Chrisette Michele) | will.i.am | 4:34 |
15. | "Hustlers" (featuring Game & Marsha Ambrosius) | Dr. Dre | 4:06 |
16. | "Hope" (featuring Chrisette Michele) | L.E.S., Nas, Alexander "Spanador" Mosely | 3:05 |
Bonus tracks | |||
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No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
17. | "Shine on 'Em" (iTunes pre-order) | Salaam Remi | 2:42 |
18. | "The N (Don't Hate Me Now)" (UK & Circuit City) | Salaam Remi | 2:48 |
19. | "Where Y'all At" (Best Buy) | Salaam Remi | 4:09 |
*Co-producer
Personnel
# | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
Hip Hop Is Dead |
Executive producer: Nasir Jones | |
1 | "Money Over Bullshit" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, L. Lewis, W. Coleman |
2 | "You Can't Kill Me" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, L. Lewis, A. West |
3 | "Carry on Tradition" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Storch |
4 | "Where Are They Now" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Gibbs, J. Brown, B. Byrd, R. Lehnhoff |
5 | "Hip Hop Is Dead" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, W. Adams, J. Lordan, D. Ingle |
6 | "Who Killed It?" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Gibbs, W. Adams |
7 | "Black Republican" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Carter, L. Lewis, W. Coleman, C. Coppala |
8 | "Not Going Back" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, T. Hermansen, M. Ericksen, K. Roger-Jones |
9 | "Still Dreaming" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, K. West, C. Payne, C. Ernst-Wells |
10 | "Hold Down the Block" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, M. Batson |
11 | "Blunt Ashes" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, M. Webber |
12 | "Let There Be Light" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, K. West, T. Williams, D. Harris, P. Cho |
13 | "Play on Playa" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Storch, C. Broadus, M. Gaye, L. Ware, A. Ross |
14 | "Can't Forget About You" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, W. Adams, C. Payne, I. Gordon |
15 | "Hustlers" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, J. Taylor, M. Ambrosius, A. Young, M. Elizondo |
16 | "Hope" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, L. Lewis |
* | "Shine on 'Em" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Gibbs |
* | "The N (Don't Hate Me Now)" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Gibbs |
* | "Where Y'all At" |
Songwriters: N. Jones, S. Gibbs, C. Stepney, R. Rudolph |
Charts
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Preceded by The Inspiration by Young Jeezy |
US Billboard 200 number-one album January 6, 2007 |
Succeeded by 21 by Omarion |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] | Silver | 60,000 |
United States (RIAA)[41] | {{{award}}} | Expression error: Missing operand for *. |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
Release history
Region | Date |
---|---|
Ireland | December 15, 2006 |
United Kingdom | December 18, 2006 |
United States | December 19, 2006 |
References
- ↑ Grein, Paul. "Chart Watch Extra: What A Turkey! The 25 Worst-Selling #1 Albums". Yahoo! Music. November 21, 2008.
- ↑ List of Grammy Award Nominess. Retrieved on 2011-5-10.
- ↑ Grammy Award Winner 2008. Retrieved on 2011-5-10.
- ↑ Bolden Janeé Nas Drops New LP In September, Declares Hip-Hop Dead Sohh.com. Retrieved on June 19, 2006.
- 1 2 Latest News: Mariah, Billy Corgan, Wu-Tang and More Rolling Stone. Retrieved on July 30, 2006
- ↑ Mixtape Monday: Nas Wants To Join Jay-Z In Africa; Snoop, Dre Reunite. MTV News. Retrieved on October 9, 2006.
- ↑ MTV News Exclusive: Nas Previews New LP. MTV.com. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
- ↑ Sunkara, Bhasakar. "Nas - "Where Y'all At"". About.com. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
- ↑ Dombal, Ryan (June 28, 2006). "Nas: "Where Y'all At" [Track Review]". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
- ↑ "Radiohead Reveal Tour Plans – Enigmatically; Plus Jordin Sparks, Ashley Tisdale, Amy Winehouse, Deerhunter & More, In For The Record". MTV News. November 29, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
- ↑ "Hip Hop Is Dead [Limited Pressing] NAS CD Album". CDJapan. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ↑ Reid, Shaheem (January 9, 2007). "'Nas King Cole' Shoots 'Unforgettable' Clip, Preps New Album For '07". MTV News. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
- ↑ Reid, Shaheem (April 9, 2007). "Game Says He's 'Good' With Buck But Has Disdain For G-Unit; Unleashes New Mixtape". MTV News. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
- ↑ Shake. Young Jeezy Says Nas Has No Street Credibility. Hiphopdx.com. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
- ↑ Mixtape Monday: Is Hip-Hop Dead? Luda, Big Boi Disagree With Nas. MTV.com. Retrieved on December 29, 2006
- ↑ Brown, Marisa. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Rosen, Jody. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Lynskey, Dorian. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2010-10-16.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Hip Hop Is Dead". MSN Music: April 2007. Archived from the original on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Sanneh, Kelefa. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Macia, Peter (15 December 2006). "Nas: Hip Hop Is Dead". Album Reviews. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ↑ Frauenhofer, Michael. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Serpick, Evan. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Gardner, Elysa. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. USA Today. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Spies, Michael. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Hasty, Katie. Nas Scores Third No. 1 Album With 'Hip-Hop Is Dead' Billboard. December 27, 2006.
- ↑ Collins, Roger. "The Big Beat". Iomusic News. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
- ↑ Bolden, Janeé. Nas Drops New LP In September, Declares Hip-Hop Dead. Sohh.com. Retrieved on July 19, 2006.
- ↑ Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
- 1 2 Hip Hop Is Dead (2007): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Rosen, Jody. Music Review: Hip Hop Is Dead Entertainment Weekly. December 8, 2006.
- ↑ AV Club - Hip Hop Is Dead review. AVClub.com. Retrieved on November 15, 2008
- ↑ Baker, Soren. Review: Hip Hop Is Dead. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 2009-10-27.
- ↑ Fennessey, Sean. "Review: Hip Hop Is Dead". Vibe: 109–110. January 2007.
- ↑ 2008 Grammy Awards - Hip-Hop Nominees & Winners - 50th Annual Grammy Awards Nominations. About.com. Retrieved on November 15, 2008
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
- ↑ "Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead". Oricon. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
- ↑ "Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead". The Official Charts Company. Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- 1 2 3 "Hip Hop Is Dead – Nas". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Hip Hop Is Dead in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "American album certifications – Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
External links
- Nas at DefJam
- Street's Disciple at Columbia Records
- Column about the larger musical/cultural context that informs "Hip-Hop is Dead"
- About.com Review of Hip Hop Is Dead
- About.com Review of "Black Republican"
- About.com Review of "Hip-Hop Is Dead"
- Deep Review of "Black Republican"
- Hip Hop Is Dead concert review at UKEvents.net
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