There are two good Nas records, “Untitled” and “Illmatic”. That’s it. From his extensive catalogue he’s managed two good records. To be fair, they’re both masterpieces of hiphop and either would satisfy the creative expectations of any MC.
Illmatic is flawless and timeless, it’s the “Kind Of Blue” of hiphop. Ten tracks and an instantly recognisable babyfaced cover. “Untitled” is a little more pragmatic, to say the least. I wasn’t a fan at first. Releasing a record dealing with racism/slavery the impending election of the first black president is not a situation we’ll ever see again. Compounding the righteous intentions was the leaked artwork (Nas showing his whipped scarred back) and fact that the proposed title of “Nigger” had been given the spanish archer (El-bow) from Wal-Mart, and would now be referred to as “Unititled”. I mean, what kind of artist caves in to Wal-Mart? Fuck.
Anyway, the record came out and it was great – brilliant in fact. It’s one of the few pieces of modern hiphop to 1) Say something interesting (the writing in “Queens Get The Money” is outstanding, without doubt the greatest few verses in hiphop) and 2) not sound like utter dog shit. And that, is what this is all about really. The production, the mixing are all top-notch. It’s an excellent sounding record considering within what genre it lay.
Here’s the thing though, until now I’d only ever listened to the CD. The vinyl is mastered
Nas – “Untitled” Vinyl Master
Nas – “Untitled” CD Master
This CD/Vinyl master comparison thing will be something I do until I get bored or forget it was ever a “feature”.