Leading by Example

A minute and 50 seconds into his latest album, Nas diagnoses all that is wrong with contemporary hip-hop, his words ripping into their targets like they were fashioned from barbed wire.

"All these false prophets is not messiahs," he booms on the album-opening "Queens Get the Money," questioning the mental fortitude of some of his fellow MCs. "You don't know how high the sky is, the square mileage of the Earth or what pi is."

Nas has been branded a hater for taking some of his peers to task by doubting the efficacy of their rhymes, an old-timer begrudging the next generation of MCs and their success like some street-hardened Grinch out to steal everyone's fun.

But he's not out of line in questioning the merits of much of contemporary hip-hop, which, in too many instances, has become all about the beat, with the lyrics often feeling like an afterthought in favor of chant-along catchphrases meant to be bellowed out in dingy strip clubs.

And so Nas is trying to lead by example on his newest release, "Untitled," a raw, turbulent look at modern race relations that spares no feelings and brings the social consciousness that once defined much of the genre back to the forefront.

It's a decidedly un-P.C. affair -- not that you'd expect one from this steely MC -- that doesn't just skewer the usual targets or blindly toss verbal hand grenades at the powers that be.

Black leaders are taken to task for not adequately representing or inspiring their constituency, while the very motives and aspirations of the black community also are questioned at times.

"The whole race dichotomy/Too many rappers, athletes and actors, but not enough niggas at NASA," he rhymes on the gritty, galvanized "America," a hard-hitting centerpiece of an album sure to raise some hackles.

"I know that racism is not the biggest that we have to deal with, it's just one of the problems," Nas says. "It's something that I have to deal with all the time, and so I just spit it back at the world, just give my opinion on it. I'm not a specialist in that category. I'm just speaking from experience."

And he speaks with the intent of provoking a reaction.

In the wake of Michael Richards' racial tirade a few years back and some public figures in New York calling for a ban on the use of the n-word in popular music and in films and on TV shows, Nas originally had intended to title his latest album "Nigger."

"It's a horrible word, but we use it just as a joke, as a (term of) endearment, as a brotherhood, as fun," Nas explains. "It's what we know. But the horrific history behind it is something that's always going to linger around it. That's why it's not good."

Still, the move provoked outrage, with black leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton denouncing the proposed album title and Fox News hammering the rapper.

Things quickly reached a fever pitch, with tensions reportedly simmering between Nas and his label, Def Jam, whose parent company, Universal/Vivendi, feared boycotts if the title stood. A Brooklyn assemblyman even went so far as to ask the New York comptroller to remove $84 million from the state pension fund that was invested in the company.

And then there was Bill O'Reilly, who jumped into the fray with both feet aimed squarely at Nas' backside.

"I'm totally honored," Nas says of provoking the ire of O'Reilly and the news organization he works for. "The thing is, ignorant people choose ignorance as a lifestyle, that's their comfort zone. That's where they want to be, you know? It's nothing new. It's like not anybody's surprised at his behavior or their behavior."

Eventually, Nas relented and did away with the controversial title (though a song of the same name still appears on the album).

To hear him tell it, he's not necessarily out to be some self-appointed firebrand, nor does he really talk like one, speaking in the calm, patient tones of a kindergarten teacher attempting to lead a class of particularly unruly students.

He's provoked plenty of outrage, but he doesn't want it to define him.

Instead, he wants to leave that up to himself.

"I just do what I do," he says matter-of-factly. "I let people know that this is not me saying, 'Everybody's gotta do what Nas does' or 'Everybody should start saying what Nas (is) saying.' This is about what I'm sayin'," he adds flatly. "I just do what I'm feelin'."

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.