This is one of the, if not the Greatest Hip Hop album of all time. From top to bottom, the lyrics and beats of each song have significance. This album is so dope that I don't skip the intro when I pop this in my CD player in my car. The album had hype to it because of Nas great verse on “Live at the BBQ” by Main Source on their debut album. On “New York State of Mind” Nas didn’t know who to start the track off. DJ Premier kept yelling to Nas that they were recording. So he started going like it was a freestyle. DJ Premier knew at that moment that Nas was a force to be reckoned with. “New York State of Mind” is about how life was in New York at the time. It has another great artist on the track Rakim. He is on the chorus of the song that is sampled from the song “Mahogany”. The next song features two of the best verses on the album. By AZ and Nas, but AZ is the only other artist featured on Nas album. The two Queensbridge rappers dropped classic verses. The verses are probably the best of the twos careers. “The World Is Yours” is sparked a lot of controversy when Jay-Z sampled Nas voice for his classic track “Dead Presidents”. This track is also a classic by many hip hop fans and critics. This is ranked the 7th greatest rap song of all time by About.com. “Halftime” was the first single off the album when he was known as Nasty Nas. Originally recorded for the soundtrack to the film Zebrahead, but wanted to put it on the album. This track features one on the most underrated punchlies I know. “You couldn't catch me in the streets without a ton of reefer/that’s like Malcolm X, catchin' the Jungle Fever.” Nas kept the lyrics coming on “Memory Lane” and “One Love”. The thing about “One Love” is that’s it’s a letter to one of his friends in prison. The letter includes what his baby’s mother is up to know and what she doing in the street. Also it tells what’s been happening in the street since he’s been gone. “One Time 4 Your Mind”, “Represent” and “It Aint Hard to Tell” are three great tracks that end this masterpiece. Words cant describe how great this album is but I gave it a shot. You should check it out.
By: Ballaboy_rob