Street's Disciple

Infobox Album
Name = Street's Disciple
Type = Album
Artist = Nas


Released = November 30, 2004
Recorded = 2004
Genre = East Coast hip hop, Hardcore hip hop, Alternative hip hop, Political hip hop
Length = 1:27:36
Label = Ill Will Records/Columbia Records
Producer = Nas
Chucky Thompson
Salaam Remi
L.E.S.
Q-Tip
Buckwild
Bernardo "Nardo" Williams
Nut
T. Black
Herb Middleton
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kz6ktr3yklmx link]
*"The Guardian" Rating|4|5 [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,11712,1364857,00.html link]
*IGN rating|7.5|10 [http://music.ign.com/articles/569/569696p1.html 11/30/04]
*Pitchfork (7.2/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/20304/Nas_Streets_Disciple 12/6/04]
*RapReviews.com rating|9|10 [http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2004_11F_disciple.html link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Nas link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/6634185/nas?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscography&pageregion=triple1 12/15/04]
*"Slant Magazine" Rating|3|5 [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=535 link]
*"Stylus" (B) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=2545 link]
*"Village Voice" (A-) [http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0502,christgau,59930,22.html link]
*HipHopDX.com Rating|4|5 [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.491/title.nas-streets-disciple link]
Last album = "God's Son"
(2002)
This album = "Street's Disciple"
(2004)
Next album = "Hip Hop Is Dead"
(2006)
Misc = Singles
Name = Street's Disciple
Type = studio
single 1 = Thief's Theme
single 1 date = June 29 2004
single 2 = Bridging the Gap
single 2 date = October 5 2004
single 3 = Just a Moment
single 3 date = February 22 2005

"Street's Disciple" is a double album by rapper Nas that was released on November 30, 2004 by Columbia Records. The album title was taken from Nas' first lyric in the Main Source track "Live at the Barbeque". As of November 18, 2005, "Street's Disciple" was certified platinum by the RIAA making it Nas' seventh consecutive platinum album. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002539452 Nas Declares 'Hip Hop Is Dead' ] ]

Cover art

The album cover is a digitally created image which uses several photos of Nas to create an adaptation of "The Last Supper".

Music

Content

"Street's Disciple" features multiple socio-conscious and political songs, such as "A Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We the People", "American Way" and "These Are Our Heroes". The latter (originally titled "Coon's Picnic") contained attacks directed toward multiple black celebrites including: O.J. Simpson and NBA superstar Kobe Bryant.

Another topic adressed by Nas were important women in his life or females in general. "Getting Married" is dedicated to his then-newlywed wife Kelis Rogers-Jones, "Me & You (Dedicated to Destiny)" is, aptly titled, directed toward Nas' daughter and "Makings of a Perfect Bitch" describes most men's idea of the ideal woman.

Death and appreciating life are the subject to several songs as well such as "Live Now", "Rest of My Life" and "Just a Moment".

Guests

Aside from Ludacris ("Virgo") and Quan ("Just a Moment") no other MC's actually deliver a verse on "Street's Disciple". Busta Rhymes plays hypeman to "Suicide Bounce" and Doug E. Fresh beatboxes on "Virgo". Kelis (Nas' wife) helps sing the chorus along with the bridge on "American Way". The album does feature many singers though, including: Amerie ("Rest of My Life"), Emily ("Reason"), Maxwell ("No One Else in the Room") and Keon Bryce ("War").

"Street's Disciple" also marks the first collaboration between Nas and his father Olu Dara since Dara's appearance on "Life's a Bitch" from 1994's Illmatic. Olu Dara is featured on the title track "Street's Disciple" and lead single "Bridging the Gap".

Production

The lion's share of the album's production was handled between Salaam Remi, L.E.S. and Chucky Thompson of Sean Combs' production team The Hitmen. Remi contributed production on eleven tracks, L.E.S. produced on eight and Chucky Thompson helped on six. Salaam Remi (who collaborated with Nas on his previous LPs "Stillmatic" and "God's Son") led all with nine solo productions. L.E.S. only produced three solo outings, but one included the single "Just a Moment". Thompson, on the other hand, had one solo production credit ("Getting Married").

Other notable producers from the album include legendary A Tribe Called Quest member Q-Tip (who had last worked with Nas on "Illmatic"'s "One Love") and D.I.T.C. producer Buckwild ("The Are Our Heroes"). Nas himself produced "Suicide Bounce" and "U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim)", both from the second disc. L.E.S. also brought on baggage for his productions. T. Black and Nut assisted the legendary producer on "The Makings of a Perfect Bitch" and Herb Middleton helped with the beat on "Me &You (Dedicated to Destiny)". Chucky Thompson, too, brought in extra help for "Live Now" (Barnardo "Nardo" Williams).

Reception

Critical

Upon its release, Street's Disciple was met with mostly good reviews. Some fans and critics state that the album's unique concepts and tone is a flashback to Nas's classic Illmatic.

Track listing

Disc one

Disc two

Credits

* Executive Producers: Nasir Jones, Salaam Remi, L.E.S.
* Associate Producers: Nasir Jones, Chucky Thompson, Mike Brinkley
* Mastering: Chris Gehringer
* A&R Direction: Mike Brinkley, Timothy "Gov" Ballard
* Album Coordination for Sony Urban Music: Nikki Martin
* Marketing: David Belgrave
* Management: Sara Newkirk
* Legal Representation: Peter Paterno ESQ, Michelle Jubelirer
* Art Direction & Design: Chris Feldmann
* Photography: Danny Clinch
* Imaging: Justin Cohen
* Graphic Artist: Patrick Cahalan
* Prop Stylist: Debora Francis
* Stylist: Tiffany Hassbourne

Unreleased/unused/discarded songs

# "Good Morning" (Contains sample of The Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You Pts. 1 & 2")¹
# "Serious" (featuring AZ)¹
# "Anybody Test"¹
# "I Am Somebody" (featuring Diddy)² Talk Of New York Death Anniversary
*¹: Indicates song has leaked
*²: Indicates song has not leaked

References