Hip Hop Is Dead (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Hip Hop Is Dead
Type = studio
Artist = Nas


Released = December 15 2006 (see release history)
Recorded = 2006
Genre = East Coast hip hop, Hardcore hip hop, Alternative hip hop
Length = 60:24
Label = Def Jam/Columbia/The Jones Experience
Producer = will.i.am, Salaam Remi, L.E.S., Wyldfyer, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, Mark Batson, Stargate, Chris Webber, Devo Springsteen
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:jq8zefbkbgf8 2006]
*"The A.V. Club" (A-) [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/57363 2007]
*"The Guardian" Rating|4|5 [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1982578,00.html 2007]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (A-) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1567755,00.html 2006]
*PopMatters rating-10|8 [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/9213/nas-hip-hop-is-dead/ 2006]
*Rap Reviews rating-10|10 [http://rapreviews.com/archive/2006_12F_hiphopisdead.html 2006]
*Review-Christgau|A-|name=Nas
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/12750153/review/13121095/hip_hop_is_dead 2006]
*"Village Voice" (favorable) [http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0651,spies,75322,22.html 2006]
*"XXL" Rating|4|5 (XL) [http://xxlmag.com/online/?p=7293 2006]
Last album = "Street's Disciple" (2004)
This album = "Hip Hop Is Dead" (2006)
Next album = "Untitled" (2008)
Misc = Singles
Name = Hip Hop Is Dead
Type = studio
single 1 = Hip Hop Is Dead
single 1 date = November 2006
single 2 = Can't Forget About You
single 2 date = January 23 2007

"Hip Hop Is Dead" is a 2006 album by American hip-hop artist Nas that was released on December 19, 2006. The LP is Nas' eighth album of all-original material, and his first album for Def Jam Recordings. Nas' previous label, Columbia Records, co-financed the album with Def Jam (which was once distributed by Columbia). It was Nas' third album to debut at #1 on the "Billboard" 200, selling 355,880 copies in its first week.Hasty, Katie. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003525355 Nas Scores Third No. 1 Album With 'Hip-Hop Is Dead'] "Billboard". December 27 2006.] The album was nominated for Best Rap Album for the 50th Grammy Awards.

Title

Nas announced the albums title after a performance on May 18, 2006 [Bolden Janeé [http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/9018 Nas Drops New LP In September, Declares Hip-Hop Dead] Sohh.com. Retrieved on June 19 2006.] [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10357006/latest_news_bmariahb_bbilly_corganb_bwutangb_and_more Latest News: Mariah, Billy Corgan, Wu-Tang and More] "Rolling Stone". Retrieved on July 30 2006] In a late September interview on English DJ Tim Westwood's Radio show, Nas said, "Hip-hop is dead because we as artists no longer have the power." He went on to say, "Could you imagine what 50 Cent could be doing, Nas, Jay, Eminem, if we were the Jimmy Iovines? Could you imagine the power we'd have? I think that's where we're headed." He has described the album as a mixture of "street" records, "political" records and collaborations. [http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape_monday/100206/ Mixtape Monday: Nas Wants To Join Jay-Z In Africa; Snoop, Dre Reunite] . MTV News. Retrieved on October 9 2006.] In another interview Nas said,

In an interview on 106 & Park, promoting his untitled 2008 album, he said he named this album "Hip Hop is Dead" to get people excited about doing hip hop. He went on to say that it worked, due to reactions from artists like Lil Wayne and Kanye West.

The title had a major impact in the hip hop world, especially for Southern hip hop, whose artists have been blamed for cheapening the quality of hip-hop with crunk and snap music. Southern rapper Young Jeezy had made statements against the title of Nas' album, and also furthered his comments by questioning Nas' street credibility. They have since reconciled.Shake. [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.4702/title.young-jeezy-says-nas-has-no-street-credibility Young Jeezy Says Nas Has No Street Credibility] . Hiphopdx.com. Retrieved on December 20 2006.] Many other Southern rappers such as Ludacris, Trick Daddy, and Big Boi (whose fellow Outkast member, Andre 3000, declared hip hop was dying shortly after the release of "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below") have also attacked Nas' album title claiming that it is targeted at Southern hip hop. [http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape_monday/121806/ Mixtape Monday: Is Hip-Hop Dead? Luda, Big Boi Disagree With Nas] . MTV.com. Retrieved on December 29, 2006] Nas also has a fair share of supporters such as New York rappers KRS-One, DMX and Ghostface Killah. Another rapper who blames hip hop's death on Snap music is prominent rapper Lil Wayne who blames its death on the artist's laziness.

Reviews

The album was received well by critics, both rap and otherwise. Many critics belonging to many magazines and other popular media of criticism have labeled "Hip Hop Is Dead" as one of the best of 2006Fact|date=November 2007. Nas is hip-hop's "grumpiest man", according to Jody Rosen for "Entertainment Weekly", and the album "is a lot like Nas himself: impossible not to admire, but hard to love".Rosen, Jody. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/review/music/0,6115,1567755_4_0_,00.html Music Review: Hip Hop Is Dead] "Entertainment Weekly". December 8 2006.]

ales

Selling 355,880 copies in its first week, "Hip Hop Is Dead" joined "It Was Written" (1996) and "I Am…" (1999) as another Nas albums to debut at #1 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. His 2008 album, " Untitled" (2008), also debuted at #1 on the "Billboard" 200 chart.

Track listing

ingles Chart Positions

Release history

Personnel

*Executive producer: Nasir Jones
*A&R: Jay Brown
*A&R for Ill Will Music Group: Mike Brinkley
*A&R Administration: Terese Joseph
*A&R Coordination: Fabienne Leys
*Marketing: Tracey Waples
*Marketing coordination: Shari Bryant
*Management: Michael "Blue" Williams for Family Tree Entertainment
*Mastering: Chris Gehringer at Sterling Sound, NYC
*Photography: Afshin Shahidi
*Creative direction: Andy West
*Cover design: Tavon Sampson
*Wardrobe: Mike Bogard for The B Lynn Group
*Photo and art coordination: Nichell Delavaille
*Package production: Doug Joswick
*Legal representation: Kenny Meiselas, Esq. and Paul Rothenberg, Esq.
*Sample clearance agent: Deborah Mannis-Gardner for DMG Clearances, Inc.
*Business Affairs: Michael Seltzer, Antoinette Trotman, Ian Allen

Unreleased or unused songs

The following songs failed to make the final track listing, either to time constraints or sample clearances. Prior to the release of this album, many of the listed songs could be found on various mixtapes and receiving some amounts of radio airplay especially in New York, namely Hot 97 and Power 105. "Where Y'all At", was leaked and released to radio during the early parts in the Summer of 2006 only to create a buzz and serve as a street single for "Hip Hop Is Dead". It has since been released as the B-Side for the single "Hip Hop Is Dead". "The N" is another record that was leaked strictly for promotional purposes and not intended for the final release.

*"Hope (Original Version)" (Produced by Wyldfyer)
*"Life's Gone Low"
*"I Already Know" (Produced by Tim & Bob)
*"New York Stomp" (Produced by Just Blaze) [ [http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/mixtape_monday/100206/ MTVNews.com - Mixtape Monday: Nas Wants To Join Jay-Z In Africa; Snoop, Dre Reunite ] ]
*"White Man's Paper" (featuring Damian Marley) (Produced by Afrykan)
*"You Mean the World to Me" (Produced by Kanye West)
*"The Whole World Is Ghetto" (Produced by will.i.am.) (As confirmed by will.i.am in a 2007 issue of Scratch Magazine)

References

External links

* [http://www.defjam.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=608 Nas] at DefJam
* [http://www.streetsdisciple.com Street's Disciple] at Columbia Records
* [http://www.laweekly.com/music/psychic-hipster/hip-hop-is-dead/15525/ Column about the larger musical/cultural context that informs "Hip-Hop is Dead"]
* [http://rap.about.com/od/songreviews/gr/BlackRepublican.htm About.com Review of "Black Republican"]
* [http://rap.about.com/od/songreviews/gr/NasHipHopIsDead.htm About.com Review of "Hip-Hop Is Dead"]
* [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/track_review/39763 Pitchfork Media Review of "Black Republican"]