Hip Hop Is Dead
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This article documents a current album. Information is likely to change as the album remains on the charts. |
| Hip Hop Is Dead | ||
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| Studio album by Nas | ||
| Released |  December 18, 2006 December 19, 2006 |
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| Genre | East Coast hip hop | |
| Length | 60:24 | |
| Label | Def Jam/Columbia/The Jones Experience | |
| Producer(s) | Nasir Jones L.E.S. Wyldfyer Scott Storch will.i.am Salaam Remi Kanye West Stargate Dr. Dre Mark Batson Chris Webber Devo Springsteen Paul Cho |
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| Professional reviews | ||
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| Nas chronology | ||
| Street's Disciple (2004) |
Hip Hop Is Dead (2006) |
The Lost Tapes 2 (2007) |
Hip Hop Is Dead is a 2006 album by American hip-hop artist Nas that was released on December 19, 2006. The LP is Nas' eighth album of all-original material, and his first album for Def Jam Recordings. Nas' previous label, Columbia Records, co-financed the album with Def Jam. It was Nas' third album to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, selling 355,880 copies in its first week.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Title
Nas announced the album's title after a performance on May 18, 2006.[2][3] In a late September interview with United Kingdom's "Westwood" 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.[4] In another interview Nas said,
| “ | ...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. That's where we are as a country.[5] | ” |
The title has 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.[6] Many other Southern rappers such as Ludacris, Trick Daddy, Lil Wayne and Big Boi (whose fellow Outkast member, Andre 3000, declared hip hop was dying shortly after the release of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below) have also attacked Nas' album title claiming that it is targeted at Southern hip hop.[7] Nas also has a fair share of supporters such as New York rapper KRS-One and Ghostface Killah, another rapper who blames hip hop's death on Snap music.[8]
[edit] Album sales
Selling 355,880 copies in its first week, Hip Hop Is Dead joined It Was Written (1996 in music) and I Am... (1999 in music) as the only Nas albums to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.[1] This was after earlier reports in the week that predicted the album to only sell around 200,000 copies.[9] As of March 2007, the album has sold 672,800 units.[10]
[edit] Critical reception
Overall, the album was received very well by critics, both rap and otherwise. As Steve Juon from RapReviews.com stated, "Nas has made a passionate album to reawaken your love of the art and if your heart isn't thumping in your chest by the end then it's not hip-hop that's dead, it's you."[11] 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."[12]
[edit] Track listing and individual song credits
| # | Title | Writers | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Money Over Bullshit" | N. Jones, L. Lewis, W. Coleman | L.E.S. and Wyldfyer | 4:16 | |
| 2 | "You Can't Kill Me" | N. Jones, L. Lewis, A. West | L.E.S. and Alvin West | 3:13 | |
| 3 | "Carry on Tradition" | N. Jones, S. Storch | Scott Storch | 3:49 | |
| 4 | "Where Are They Now" | N. Jones, S. Gibbs, J. Brown, B. Byrd, R. Lehnhoff | Nas and Salaam Remi | 2:44 | |
| 5 | "Hip Hop Is Dead" | N. Jones, W. Adams, J. Lordan, D. Ingle | will.i.am | will.i.am | 3:45 |
| 6 | "Who Killed It?" | N. Jones, S. Gibbs, W. Adams | Salaam Remi and will.i.am | 3:10 | |
| 7 | "Black Republican" | N. Jones, S. Carter, L. Lewis, W. Coleman | L.E.S. and Wyldfyer | Jay-Z | 3:45 |
| 8 | "Not Going Back" | N. Jones, T. Hermansen, M. Ericksen, K. Rogers-Jones | Stargate | Kelis | 4:09 |
| 9 | "Still Dreaming" | N. Jones, K. West, C. Payne, J. Webb | Kanye West | Kanye West Chrisette Michele |
3:36 |
| 10 | "Hold Down the Block" | N. Jones, M. Batson | Mark Batson | Leroi Moore | 3:58 |
| 11 | "Blunt Ashes" | N. Jones, M. Webber | Chris Webber | 4:03 | |
| 12 | "Let There Be Light" | N. Jones, K. West, T. Williams, D. Harris, P. Cho, S. Miller | Kanye West | Tre Williams | 4:28 |
| 13 | "Play on Playa" | N. Jones, S. Storch, C. Broadus, M. Gaye, L. Ware, A. Ross | Scott Storch | Snoop Dogg | 3:33 |
| 14 | "Can't Forget About You" | N. Jones, W. Adams, C. Payne, I. Gordon | will.i.am | Chrisette Michele | 4:34 |
| 15 | "Hustlers" | N. Jones, J. Taylor, M. Ambosius, A. Young, M. Elizondo | Dr. Dre | The Game Marsha Ambrosius |
4:06 |
| 16 | "Hope" | N. Jones, L. Lewis | Nas and L.E.S. | 3:05 | |
| + | "Shine On" (iTunes pre-order bonus track) |
N. Jones, S. Gibbs, J.N. Howard | Salaam Remi | 2:35 | |
| + | "The N..." (UK bonus track) |
N. Jones, S. Gibbs | Salaam Remi | 2:48 | |
| + | "Where Y'all At" (Best Buy bonus track) |
N. Jones, S. Gibbs | Salaam Remi | 4:09 |
[edit] Samples
Nas uses a wide range of samples from classical to rock to soul to illustrate his sense of history.[13]
- "You Can't Kill Me" contains a sample of "Sly" performed and written by Herbie Hancock
- "Where Are They Now?" contains a sample of "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" performed by James Brown, written by Bobby Byrd, Ron Lenhoff and James Brown
- "Hip Hop Is Dead" contains a sample of "Apache", written by Jeremiah Patrick Lordan, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", written by Doug Ingle, both performed by Michael Viner and the Incredible Bongo Band and "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
- "Who Killed It?" contains a sample of "I Ain't No Joke" performed and written by Eric B. & Rakim
- "Black Republican" contains a sample of "Marcia Religioso" performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic, written by Carmine Coppola
- "Still Dreaming" contains interpolations of "The Interim" performed by Diana Ross, written by Jimmy Webb & contains a sample of "Use Me" performed by Bill Withers
- "Play on Playa" contains a sample of "After the Dance" by Marvin Gaye, written by Marvin Gaye, Leon Ware and Arthur Ross
- "Can't Forget About You" contains a sample of "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole, written by Irving Gordon
- "Let There Be Light" contains a sample of "Take the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band.
[edit] Instrumentation
Live instrumentation is used to create many beats on Hip Hop Is Dead.[14]
- "Hip Hop Is Dead"
- "Who Killed It?"
- Bass: Salaam Remi
- Cello: Patrice Jackson
- Clarinet: Vincent Henry
- Drums: Salaam Remi
- Flugelhorn: Bruce Purse
- Flute: Vincent Henry
- French horn: W. Marshall Sealy
- Keys: Salaam Remi
- Saxophone (soprano): Vincent Henry
- Trumpet: Bruce Purse
- Trumpet (bass): Bruce Purse
- Viola: Adam Hill
- Violin: Naira Underwood
- "Hold Down the Block"
- Bass: Mark Batson
- Drums: Mark Batson
- Keyboards: Mark Batson
- Saxophone: Leroi Moore
- "Let There Be Light"
- Drums: Mark Biondi
- Keyboards: Paul Cho
- "Can't Forget About You"
- Drums: will.i.am
- Keyboards: will.i.am
- "Hustlers"
- Bass: Lionel "LJ" Holoman
- Keyboards: Mike Elizondo, Lionel "LJ" Holoman
[edit] Album singles
The title track "Hip Hop Is Dead" (produced by will.i.am), which contains samples from "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, the cover of "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, and Billy Squier's "The Big Beat". It is the first single of the album. It received airplay on radio stations in Australia (Triple J), the UK, and in United States, notably on Hot 97. [2][3] It recently reached #48 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart[15] 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. Nas has stated that the next singles will be "Black Republican" featuring Jay-Z and "Hustlers" featuring The Game and Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry, though he is not sure which order they will be released in. [16]
| Single cover | Single information |
|---|---|
 |
"Hip Hop Is Dead"
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"Can't Forget About You"
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[edit] Album charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
| United World Chart | 7 |
[edit] Unreleased or unused songs
The following songs failed to make the final track listing, either to time constraints or sample clearances. Prior to the release of this album, many of the listed songs could be found on various mixtapes and receiving some amounts of radio airplay especially in New York, namely Hot 97 and Power 105. "Where Y'all At", was leaked and released to radio during the early parts in the Summer of 2006 only to create a buzz and serve as a street single for Hip Hop Is Dead. It has since been released as the B-Side for the single "Hip Hop Is Dead". "The N" another record that leaked was strictly for promotional purposes and not intended for the final release.
- "The N" (Included in the UK version as a bonus track) (Produced by Salaam Remi)
- "I Already Know" (Produced by Tim & Bob)
- "New York Stomp"
- "White Man's Paper" (featuring Damian Marley) (Produced by Afrykan)
- "You Mean the World To Me" (w/sample of Billy Paul's Me and Mrs. Jones) (Produced by Kanye West)
- "Where Y'all At" (Is a bonus track in CD's sold at Best Buy) (Street/Buzz Single For Hip Hop Is Dead) (Produced by Salaam Remi)
- "The Whole World Is Ghetto" (Produced by will.i.am.) as confirmed by will.i.am on Scratch Magazine.
[edit] Personnel
- Executive producer: Nasir Jones
- A&R: Jay Brown
- A&R for Ill Will Music Group: Mike Brinkley
- A&R Administration: Terese Joseph
- A&R Coordination: Fabienne Leys
- Marketing: Tracey Waples
- Marketing coordination: Shari Bryant
- Management: Michael "Blue" Williams for Family Tree Entertainment
- Mastering: Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound, NYC
- Photography: Afshin Shahidi
- Creative direction: Andy West
- Cover design: Tavon Sampson
- Wardrobe: Mike Bogard for The B Lynn Group
- Photo and art coordination: Nichell Delavaille
- Package production: Doug Joswick
- Legal representation: Kenny Meiselas, Esq. and Paul Rothenberg, Esq.
- Sample clearance agent: Deborah Mannis-Gardner for DMG Clearances, Inc.
- Business Affairs: Michael Seltzer, Antoinette Trotman, Ian Allen
[edit] References
- ^ a b Hasty, Katie. Nas Scores Third No. 1 Album With 'Hip-Hop Is Dead' Billboard. December 27, 2006.
- ^ a b Bolden, Janeé. Nas Drops New LP In September, Declares Hip-Hop Dead Sohh.com. Retrieved on June 19, 2006.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ Nas: Hip Hop Is Dead!!!. RWDmag.com. Retrieved on December 20, 2006.
- ^ 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
- ^ Thomas, Chris "Milan." Feature: KRS-One. Allhiphop.com. Retrieved on December 29, 2006
- ^ Chery, Carl. Nas Week: "Hip-Hop Is Dead" Predicted To Do 200K In First Week Sohh.com. December 20, 2006.
- ^ Hip-Hop Charts: The Notorious B.I.G. Resurrects Hip-Hop, Akon Continues His Reign, Young Jeezy Keeps Gettin' It
- ^ Juon, Steve. RapReview of the Week: Hip Hop Is Dead RapReviews.com. December 19, 2006.
- ^ Rosen, Jody. Music Review: Hip Hop Is Dead Entertainment Weekly. December 8, 2006.
- ^ Marino, Nick. Nas becomes a grumpy traditionalist Staff and News Services - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 19, 2006.
- ^ Hip Hop Is Dead entry at discogs.com February 11, 2006.
- ^ Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard. Retrieved on December 6, 2006.
- ^ Jason. Nas Shrugs Off Kelis Arrest, Goes On Tour. Rapbasement.com. Retrieved on March 12, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Nas official website @ defjam.com
- Street's Disciple at Columbia Records
- Nas at MySpace
[edit] Single reviews
- Column about the larger musical/cultural context that informs "Hip-Hop is Dead"
- About.com Review of "Black Republican"
- About.com Review of "Hip-Hop Is Dead"
- Pitchfork Media Review of "Black Republican"
| Nas |
|---|
| Discography |
| Albums |
| Illmatic • It Was Written • The Firm • I Am... • Nastradamus • QB's Finest • Stillmatic • Best of Nas • The Lost Tapes • From Illmatic to STillmatic • God's Son • Street's Disciple • Hip Hop Is Dead • The Lost Tapes 2 |
| Singles |
| Solo singles: "Halftime" • "It Ain't Hard to Tell" • "The World Is Yours" • "Life's a Bitch" • "One Love" • "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" • "Street Dreams" • "Escobar '97" • "Nas Is Like" • "Hate Me Now" • "Nastradamus" • "Analyze This • "You Owe Me" • "Got Ur Self A..." • "One Mic" • "Made You Look" • "I Can" • "Get Down" • "Thief's Theme" • "Bridging the Gap" • "Just a Moment" • "Hip Hop Is Dead" • "Can't Forget About You" • "Better Than I've Ever Been" |
| Other songs: "Ether" • "Supa Ugly" |
| Related articles |
| Columbia • Def Jam • Ill Will • Belly • Nas vs. Jay-Z feud • Jay-Z • Memphis Bleek • AZ • Bravehearts • Cormega • Kelis • Foxy Brown • Nature • Salaam Remi • Wu-Tang Clan |
| Preceded by The Inspiration by Young Jeezy |
Billboard 200 number-one album January 6, 2007 - January 12, 2007 |
Succeeded by 21 by Omarion |
