It’s hard to believe that it’s 2008, there’s a partially black man running for President, and race tensions seem like they’re only getting worse. Last year when Nas announced his next CD would be titled Nigger he almost immediately caused a hailstorm of media contraversy. Under the pressure of media scrutiny Nas decided to change the name of the album to simply Untitled; I guess in an attempt to ease some of the backlash that would sure come as a result.

Nas opens up with some sick wordplay as he completely opens his mind with an array of conscious, educational, and supposed beef topics on "Queens Get The Money." Producer Salaam Remi laces Nas with a deep bass grooving Stylistics sample on the albums uplifting and heavily racially fueled first single "You Can’t Stop Us Now." "Breathe" definitely turns out to be a standout thanks to its deep connection to some of Nas’ earlier work but the Game and Chris Brown assisted "Make The World Go Round" comes off sounding much too forced.

Nas uses the rock-n-roll infused "Sly Fox" to air out one of the country’s most recognized and obviously deceiving television networks. In my country ass opinion the album hits it’s pinnacle when Nas collaborates with DJ Toomp on the realty check "N.I.G.G.E.R." Nas uses thought provoking metaphors as he and Busta Rhymes spit rhyme for rhyme about black America’s undying love and attraction to the high cholesterol within "Fried Chicken." On the closing "Black President" Nas flips the infamous vocal from 2Pac as he weighs in on the current position of Barack Obama and even goes as far as to have him inaugurated at the song’s end.

Nas manages to crisply speak out on every single racial sentiment he has ever seemed to have throughout Untitled. Honestly this is definitely what the rap game needs right about now. With an abundance of throwaway and meaningless albums coming out left and right it’s nice to know that there are artist like Nas who still take the time to speak provocatively about some of the tireless issues still facing Americans and the black Americans that still don’t seem to be comfortable calling themselves Americans.

VERDICT – 15 / 20
LYRICS: 5
PRODUCTION: 2
DELIVERY: 4
CONSISTENCY: 4