Nas - Nastradamus

Some artists take years between CDs, and some just keep spitting them out. Put Nasir Jones in the latter category, as his fourth album is his second of 1999. Judging by the title and the semi-apocalyptic tone of many of the tracks, Nas has millennium tension and then some, but his fears and prophecies are all stuck in the same old--and by now played out--ghetto melodramas that have become the leitmotif of hip-hop. Nearly every track concerns the life on the streets, the Game, the 'hood, the mayhem and murder, and Nas's muse and old stomping grounds, the QB Projects. Not that Nas doesn't have something to offer on any of the above topics. You can, through the often clumsy production, hear fiery glimpses of the young child-poet who burst on the scene in 1994 and was instantly heralded as the successor to Rakim. But as one might expect from a disc that arrives seven months after its predecessor, Nastradamus seems half thought out, with Nas conflicted between glorifying the thug life and trying desperately to issue a cautionary tale. As always, the best cut is when Nas joins forces with DJ Premier, who may be incapable of a bad beat. "Come Get Me" is the nearly perfect marriage of voice and rhythms, and like the equally solid "Some of Us Have Angels" (produced by Dame Grease), shows why Nas--even with his shortcomings and missteps--can never be slept on. Now if he would just take a break and find new inspiration. --Amy Linden Amazon.com

 Nastradamus is a good album
This takes a lot of crap because it's from the same artist that made Illmatic, the greatest rap CD ever made. Nastradamus is still a great album and Nas still brings the dopest rhymes the genre has ever seen. If you're a Nas fan, this is a must have, and if you listen to Dipset, or any other wannabe rap out there, then even Nastradamus will sound like a classic. Even Nas's worst album deserves a 5 because its still a great CD. February 28, 2008

 Good Songs, Incomplete
NaStradamus has a number of good songs, but none are captivating. I do like some like Last Words, Shoot Em Up, Family, and Big Girl, but there isn't enough to qualify this as a good CD.

If you're a fan of NaS you should definitely check this out. His rap is excellent even if the songs aren't always the same.

Solid recommendation though. October 13, 2007

 ok
didnt care for this one has to be the worst one to me. only a few tracks i was feeling. but i say get it anyway September 30, 2007

 Could Nostradamus have predicted this?
This album ranges from awful to boring. You can tell uninspired work when you hear it and this album was as uninspired as they come. Now, I love Nas and its hard to deny his immessurable contribution to hip hop but this album was booty simple and plain. The Good: Project Windows with Ronald Isley is dope but Ronald Isely could have given a better performance. New World has a corny beat but lyrically it's above average. The same thing could be said about Life We Chose. Last Words is Nashawns best performance ever is also a standout. The Bad:His first single Nastradamus is bland and corny. I found myself nodding off to uninspired garbage like Some Of Us Have Angels and God Loves Us. The DJ Premier produced Come Get Me has a dope beat but Nas tries too hard to keep up with the beat.
The Ugly: Family featuring Prodigy is hot garbage plus you know its a problem when both Nas and Prodigy bust some suspect verses(especially back then) on a track. Quiet N****s with The Bravehearts is pure rubbish plus anything with Bravehearts on it is bound for wackness. Shoot Em Up sounds like a Christmas carole on acid and Big Girl could have easily been the worst track on the album until you hear Nas's second single You Owe Me with Ginuwine. Big Girl is pretty much Nas's attempt to rap fast(and he fails miserably) over a sissy love ballad sounding beat. You Owe Me was an awful second single with Nas busting the most dookiest rhymes of his respectable rap career over the worst beat that Timbaland has ever produced(that beat sounds like a disco rehash)! Bottom Line: Nas's Nastradamus is not only Nas's worst album, its one of the worst rap releases of 1999. Nas's heart was not in this album and when you heart is not in it, you will make suspect music. Nas not only went through the motions on this album, he revolutionized the term "going through the motions". Nas is still a great MC and he is entitled to one mistake and boy was this album a mistake. Anybody who tells you different is a Nas fan to an unhealthy degree and a prime example of this is the top 1000 reviewer who says there are no wack songs on here. If you believe that then why give this album 3 stars? Exactly. Now you have all the proof you need that top 500 and 1000 reviewers are nuts! August 15, 2007

 This is NOT a bad album
Attention true NaS fans, do not believe that this album is not good. Nastradamus could take on anything 50 has to offer. The bad hype you're hearing is mostly from people complaining that this wasn't another Illmatic. Well Nas isn't going to make another illmatic, that was a classic never to be matched by anyone. Nastradamus, while it is no classic like illmatic, sure as hell deserves more credit than it gets. If "You owe me" is you're problem than skip over it, the dude was just trying to make some sales. "You owe me" is, in my opinion, not really different from his new tracks produced by Will.I.Am, it appeals to a wider audience but he's no sellout, which is obvious if you listen to the whole album. June 17, 2007

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