Having made himself a household name with his chart topping It Was Written album, and having had all of his dreams realised within the span of just a couple of years (including the dream of releasing an album executively produced by Dr. Dre - that would be The Album, his group project with The Firm, which I'm saving for later), Nasir Jones decided that it was time to take a studied look at his life leading up to this point in time, and decided the best way to do this was to make a conceptual double album that told the full story of his life, from the moment he was conceived to the moment he thought of making this double album. It was to be called I Am... The Autobiography.
And this actually seemed like a rather good idea. In the previous couple of years 2Pac, Wu-Tang Clan and The Notorious B.I.G. had all released double albums, and they were all incredibly well-received. Nas was on a similar level at the time with the two solo artists mentioned there, with two classics already under his belt (I don't know if people had warmed to It Was Written yet at that time, but let's just say they had), and the general public were probably thinking that this conceptual double album was going to be another classic, and if we're being honest, it probably would have been.
Notice how I said "would have been"?
Disastrously, before Nas was able to release this project (slated for early 1999, or perhaps even late '98), the second disc was majorly bootlegged, in what was one of the first major leaking incidents in hip-hop, and Nas was sadly forced to abandon the original concept, as he couldn't just release music everyone had already heard, and record new tracks to make a normal album with, an album he called I Am.... Thankfully, he did at least manage to get this album out, albeit it was not the project that fans were hoping for. Because of the lack of a theme and abundance of tracks that were seemingly rushed into existence, the project was rather negatively received, despite having features from his Belly co-star DMX, as well as Aaliyah and Scarface, and also production from L.E.S., DJ Premier and the now rather popular Timbaland (as well as, admittedly, The Trackmasters). And to make matters worse, Nas would release another album later that same year (notably advertised in the booklet for I Am...) which confirmed the already speculated fact that he had fallen the fuck off. 1999 was truly a disastrous year for Nasir Jones. And to think he literally almost died to make this album! (Specifically the cover - have a look on Genius for the full story)
So, is this record as bad as everyone says it is? Well, let's have a look.
1. Album Intro (no producer credited)
Even though it has exactly the same title as the intro to Nas' previous work It Was Written, this intro is actually very different, and a hell of a lot better as well. The samples taken from previous Nas tracks such as "N.Y. State Of Mind" and "The Message" is the sort of thing that hip-hop nerds like me love, and the music played just before this section is bloody creepy too. I could have done without the overly aggressive dialogue at the end from Nas' Braveheart pals, but still, this is a pretty good way to begin things if you ask me.
2. N.Y. State Of Mind Pt. II (prod. DJ Premier)
DJ Premier takes the original "N.Y. State Of Mind" beat, and turns it into something a little more macabre, in keeping with the creepy sound of the intro. This track is really nice - the piano beat is dark, and Nas' raps are as engaging as ever, with the repetition of numbers in the first verse being particularly impressive. This track definitely doesn't hold up quite as well as the original, and the grim nature of the beat makes it feel longer than it is, but still, this is a pretty damn good song if you ask me.
3. Hate Me Now (feat. Puff Daddy) (prod. Pretty Boy and D. Moet & Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))
4. Small World (prod. Nashiem Myrick & Carlos Broady)
Over an incredibly intense beat from Nashiem Myrick and Carlos Broady (who would go on to produce a few songs on Ghostface's Killah's Supreme Clientele album) of The Hitmen, Nas proves himself to be a very engaging storyteller once again, delivering some interesting street tales that could have easily appeared on a Ghostface or Raekwon album - I wouldn't be surprised if one of them influenced this somehow. The final verse on this one is especially powerful. Definitely a classic Nas song - remind me again: who was it that said this album was bad?
5. Favor For A Favor (feat. Scarface) (prod. L.E.S.)
From the hook of this song, it sounds like Nas and Scarface like the thought of each other having sex with each others preferred women - "I wet who you want wetted, you wet who I want wetted". Weird. All jokes aside, this is very good, although I must say that Scarface stole the show here - "with the ugliest AK, I blow his motherfuckin' mind!". This beat is pretty nice too, if a bit too clean for the subject matter. Big banger right here.
6. We Will Survive (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters) & Jamel Edgerten)
Nas attempts to recreate an Illmatic track for the second time (the first being "N.Y. State Of Mind Pt. II"), with this track clearly attempting to be some kind of continuation of "One Love". If you remember, I did not enjoy that song that much at all, and as such, this is kind of weak to me as well, or at least the overly innocent beat is. Nas' raps about the deaths of The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac are interesting, though, especially the barely subtle diss towards Jay-Z in the first verse. There's no way anyone at the time missed that.
7. Ghetto Prisoners (prod. Grease)
Didn't like this track much at all. The beat from DMX's close friend Dame Grease (credited hilariously as just "Grease") is irritating as hell, although it's nowhere near as bad as the bloody repetitive hook. Nas' verses are technically impressive, but they don't say anything new or particularly interesting. This beat also gives me a hell of a headache, and we can't be doing with that. I'd pass on this one if I were you.
8. You Won't See Me Tonight (feat. Aaliyah) (prod. Timbaland)
The lone Timbaland beat provides easily the most radio-friendly track here, and I think there was actually a promotional radio single released for this one, so the collaboration makes sense. This track also trumps the previous two in my opinion - the verses are interesting, and this beat is pretty fun as well. Aaliyah (RIP) also provides a catchy hook, which is clearly what this was going for. Timbaland's ad-libs can get outta here, but otherwise I find this song to be rather good actually.
9. I Want To Talk To You (prod. L.E.S. & Alvin West)
Unlike this crap. This song would be fine, if it wasn't for the fact that it contains THE worst chorus of Nas' entire career (yes, I'm standing by that statement). The conscious rhymes are all well and good, but they don't really say anything that stands out - the most memorable bar here is the one that alludes to his next album, Nastradamus. I'm sorry, guys, I just can't handle that fucking hook. Let's move swiftly onwards.
10. Dr. Knockboot (prod. Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))
A lot of people regard this as one of the worst songs and song concepts of Nas' career, and for what it's worth, I completely disagree. This song is actually fun, with Nas discussing the "do's" and "don'ts" of sexual intercourse, which makes for a pretty funny and short track with a chilled out beat that always reminds me of something that would have gone on one of Jay-Z's earlier albums. "If you a virgin with blue balls or you tear down walls" is one of the most hilarious things Nas has ever said. The idea that the only reason to not rape someone is that you'll lose your public image is rather disgusting, but overall, I don't think this song is anywhere near as bad as a lot of people say. It's a hell of a lot better than the last one, that's for sure.
11. Life Is What You Make It (feat. DMX) (prod. L.E.S.)
A collaboration that does make quite a bit of sense, since X had appeared alongside Nas in the classic hip-hop film Belly just the previous year. If you would like to picture the production, imagine that on "Ghetto Prisoners" if it wasn't fucking shit, and you'll get this beat, which is brilliant. X's ad-libbing during the hook is pretty hilarious, and his verse is actually very entertaining. Meanwhile, Nas sounds more engaged than on a few of the previous songs, and his flow works very well. Definitely one of the best tracks here.
12. Big Things (prod. Alvin West)
Nas attempts a speedy chopper flow, with some rather strange and disjointed results. Tech N9ne, Nas is definitely not, especially since he literally fumbles a lot of the lines here, making this track obviously one of the ones recorded in a hurry after the second disc of the original album leaked, since they didn't even have time to get Nas to record his verses properly. This production is great, but probably should have gone to someone else if we're being honest.
13. Nas Is Like (prod. DJ Premier)
14. K-I-SS-I-N-G (prod. L.E.S. & Alvin West)
Well, this isn't beating "Nas Is Like", that's for sure, mainly because it's shit. "Picture us married, you and me, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, I remember the first time, girl, you and me, F-U-C-K-I-N-G". Really, Nas? That's your hook? I'm a massive Nas fan, and even I can't possibly condone that. It's still better than the hook on "I Want To Talk To You", but that's really not saying much. This song is also very boring overall, and just generally quite terrible. Moving on...
15. Money Is My Bitch (prod. Alvin West & Poke and Tone (aka The Trackmasters))
Nas flips the concept of Common's classic "I Used To Love H.E.R.", only instead of hip-hop, he personifies his money as a woman, with actually not bad results. The verses on here are entertaining and creative, and the hook is actually catchy. The beat is crap, but we can look past that, can't we? I still like this song, but if you didn't, then I would find that perfectly understandable.
16. Undying Love (prod. L.E.S.)
So, remember when I said that "Nas Is Like" was the best song on the album "so far..."? Well, it no longer possesses that title. Because, well... bloody hell. This song is INCREDIBLE. Nas tells one of the most harrowing tales ever recounted in the history of hip-hop, and the fact that his girlfriend at the time was known to be cheating on him makes this song even more shocking - perhaps this was some kind of dream he had one night? I won't explain the tale here, but for me it is one of the most powerful and shocking I've ever heard, and the beat from L.E.S. creates the perfect atmosphere for it. I get goosebumps from this one every single time. It's easily one of the best hip-hop songs of all time, and closes the album on one of the best notes EVER. Incredible.
In conclusion, I Am... is one of the most inconsistent albums that I have in my entire expansive collection. On the one hand, it contains two of the best hip-hop songs of all time ("Nas Is Like" and "Undying Love"), and on the other hand, it has some of the worst Nas songs to ever make it onto a shiny disc. The main problem with these bad songs is always the production and hooks, though, and I find Nas to be as brilliant an MC as ever throughout this hour long album. However, I can't look past the amount of songs on here that I dislike, even if about half of the tracks are incredible. Songs such as "I Want To Talk To You" and "K-I-SS-I-N-G" contain some of the worst hooks of Nas' discography, and the beats on here are also rather inconsistent, if less so than the choruses. Ironically, the only song where Nas' verses didn't work was "Big Things", a song that actually had a really good beat in my opinion. I'm debating on whether or not to recommend this one as a full listen, but I guess I will - the final song is well worth making it through the more painful moments of this LP, and there are a lot of songs I legitimately love that I think make this album worth listening to in full. Just don't use headphones, and find a place to play it out loud - I don't want to accidentally give my readers headaches, now, do I? (And "Ghetto Prisoners" is sure to induce a migraine in even the strongest of skulls)
Best Tracks: N.Y. State Of Mind Pt. II, Hate Me Now, Small World, Favor For A Favor, Life Is What You Make It, Nas Is Like, Undying Love
Worst Tracks: Ghetto Prisoners, I Want To Talk To You, K-I-SS-I-N-G
For other Nas reviews, make sure to click here
Image for "Hate Me Now" single taken from Discogs
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