This is Nas' fourth classic album (following Illmatic, It Was Written, and Stillmatic). The title makes a bold statement, but what I like about the content is that it doesn't attack current music as much as it recognizes and pays homage to what came before ("Carry on Tradition" and "Where Are They Now"). The collaboration with Jay-Z is solid [but I wish they both spit more than 1 verse]. The sample of music from The Godfather Pt. II for the beat to that song made it epic which is of course very fitting. Other highlights on the album include "Let There Be Light," Blunt Ashes," and "Hustlers." The final part of the album's final cut, "Hope," is Nas rhyming accappella. It is very powerful how Nas brought hip hop back to the essence with that. Hip Hop is Dead reaffirms that Nas is one of the most brilliant minds music has ever seen. And his skills on the mic prove that hip hop is something worth saving.
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