Nas: Nastradamus

Is there a bigger underachiever in hip hop than Queensbridge's Nasir Jones After an ecstatically received debut (Illmatic), Nas has stumbled artistically, if not commercially, with glossy pap like his album as part of The Firm (It Was Written) and this year's erratic I Am. The title song and first single off the new Nastradamus sums up exactly what's wrong in four succinct minutes. With its idiotic nursery-rhyme hook, shallow materialism, and obligatory shout-out to fallen homies, "Nastradamus" is sadly indicative of Nas' willingness to trade artistry for commercial success. But it's also something of an anomaly on an album that otherwise marks a promising return to the eerie street-corner minimalism of Illmatic. Nastradamus features work by many of the producers who provided I Am's muddled kitchen-sink eclecticism, but the overall sound is far more consistent and grounded. Which is not to say Nas has entirely shed the shackles of Puffyism, as evidenced by the sample of Toto's "Africa" that powers the loopy life-in-the-future epic "New World." Furthermore, Nas' lyrical prowess is well-documented, but his choice of subject matter leaves much to be desired. Rarely straying from things-are-real-in-the-'hood posturing and familiar cries of Queensbridge pride, Nas could use a little help in the inspiration department. Though it's rarely as embarrassing as most of I Am, Nastradamus doesn't do much to match Illmatic, even if it brings Nas a little closer to fulfilling the promise of his debut.