Nas: I Am...

Posted on 04.6.1999

Nas
Album: I Am
Release Date: April 6, 1999
Label: Sony

Review:

Reviewed by: Justice
The album starts off nicely. The intro is a timeline collection of Nas’ material, from his first appearance on "Live at the BBQ," leading up to It Was Written. The first song is the Premier produced "NY State of Mind Part 2," a sequel to the Illmatic classic. Few will agree that this song lives up to the original, but it does provide a vivid picture of New York life. Unlike the original, it manages to stay on topic, instead of fading off into Nas’ description of his rhyme style. From there, Nas bangs us on the head with "Hate Me Now," featuring hip-hop’s answer to the Lucifer, Puff Daddy. Don’t turn the CD player off just yet. This is one of the album’s highlights, as Nas flips an ominous, Victory-like sample, addressing all of his "haters." In essence, its genius to make a song of this nature and have Puffy doing the hook. He explains everything from jealousy to his own status, and hits the track with a vocal fury that we’ve never heard from the laid back emcee.
From there, the album takes a few steps down. "Favor for a Favor" pairs Escobar with one his favorite rappers, Scarface. Though the two flow over a pretty nice beat, they fail to bring any lyrical surprises. "We Will Survive" is a heartfelt cut, where Nas talks to BIG and Pac, similar to how he spoke to an incarcerated Cormega, on Illmatic’s "One Love." This song isn’t a masterpiece, but its evident that Nas had a lot he needed to get off his chest on the subject, and it came out tight. During the middle of the project, the album takes a strange turn. On "Big Things," Nas flips that Crucial Conflict/fast rap style that far too many East Coast artists have been using as a gimmick lately. The song’s production and lyrics are exceptional, but Nas could have used some serious assistance with his speed-rap technique.
On a brighter note, the album closes as nicely as it begins. "Undying Love" is a masterpiece narration, where Nas comes home after a gambling trip to receive a breath-taking surprise. The woman he had just bought an engagement ring for was up in his bed, with some Spanish Rico-Suave freak. The climax (of the story, not the affair) leads up to an end I won’t spoil for you, but Nas’ unparalleled storytelling is sure to keep you captivated.
There are over a dozen songs floating around, that were recorded around the time of I AM. Many ended up on a promo, and later on the album. But lost gems like "Find ya Wealth," "Drunk by Myself," and Project Window" didn’t make the final cut.

Track Listings:
1. Album Intro
2. N.Y. State of Mind, Pt. 2
3. Hate Me Now
4. Small World
5. Favor for a Favor
6. We Will Survive
7. Ghetto Prisoners
8. You Won’t See Me Tonight
9. I Want to Talk to You
10. Dr. Knockboot
11. Life Is What You Make It - DMX
12. Big Things
13. Nas Is Like
14. K-I-S-S-I-N-G
15. Money Is My Bitch
16. Undying Love