God's Son
Do we have to compare Nas toJay-Z? Probably not, but skirmishes between New York’s premier MCs make it difficult for us to stop. Nas’sGod’s Sonmay fall victim to Jay Z’s more polishedBlueprint 2on the battlefront, but as far as Nas releases go, this one's not that bad at all. In fact, there are some striking stand-out selections. "Made You Look" and "Last Real Nigga Alive" (Nas’s inevitable "why Jigga is wack" track) are white hot for the streets, and the Alchemist-produced "Book of Rhymes" showcases the type of witty yet introspective rhymes that Nas fans crave. Still, one can't escape the impression that the album suffers from a bloated track listing and quite a few unnecessary guest appearances, including yet another "collaboration" with the long-dead2Pac. We also could have done without the tired misogyny of the limited-edition bonus track, "P***y Kills." Oh, and Salaam Remi’s beat on "Zone Out" deserves a doper rhyme than the one it supports. But for the most part, Nas’s flow is on point.--Rebecca Levine