Street Disciple

Uncle Blak's

So I’m listening to my burned copy of “Street Disciple”, right. Ok…first, I’d by the actual CD(s) if funds were…

Being that it’s a burnt copy I don’t have a track listing. Yet the cohesiveness of it makes up for it. For example on the first disk, a story is told throughout 3 tracks. It tells of the rise and fall of a repudiated drug lord Sekou. First track as told by Nas on a weekend excursion spent in Coconut Grove, Florida (all my beat junkies…you’ll remember this Jungle Brother’s freaking that loop back in 89). By the end of the song Sekou is gunned down. Segue’s into Sekou’s wife Scarlet and her bereavement (which if listen, you can tell it’s a voice filtered Nas). Be it brief, the track than leads you to the conclusion where Nas laments we should “Live Now”. Over a classic Earth, Wind and Fire loop, Nas lets us know to enjoy our time while we’re here on earth. Scarlet says the same, though she won’t be here long since she’s laid up in the hospital due to HIV. She spits a verse speaking on her admiration and love for Nas. For being a good dude while going through the tough times with her.

There are standard Nas rhetoric abounds but it’s not relied upon as the collective strength of this latest offering. You have your “fallen soldier” track, which in it’s ernest sounds a bit disjointed. There’s the controversial “Coon’s Picnic” track where Nas puts the likes of Kobe Bryant, Taye Diggs and Tiger Woods on blast for being some sort of sell-outs. My question is…who are they being sell outs to? They’ve held themselves accordingly for the most part. I won’t excuse Kobe though…I guess I have to be in his shoes to fully understand that situation.

On the second CD, it deals with a more mature man…a family man now. Again, it’s in the cohesiveness where in which he has his woman now (sup, Kelis). She asks Nas if he could have a “pass” with any girl from his past, would he do it. Nas would address it in the following song. On a breezy track that still bumps he recounts all those chicks and episode (one chick try to eat his excrement?) but none of it is worth what he has now. Couple of tracks later he celebrates this with assistance from Maxwell. Before we go to the Reception we get a re-cap of the Wedding day on the proceeding track. We continue this family affair with “Bridging the Gap”, a mashing of musical cultures with Dad (Jazz-trumpeter Olu Dara). It’s lovely mess of music that still works because they weren’t taking themselves too serious. It sounds fun, like who wouldn’t want to act a fool with their old man, necessary no homo. Or a day out and about shopping for his lady. It’s small things like mentioning looking at his reflection through a shopping wall window seeing his father’s features. It makes him want to be a good father to his own child. Nas is not known for smiling but again it’s about not taking yourself so serious. He croons to his daughter about loving his occupation; I know you’re at home waiting.” Professing he’ll give her the world. It’s as if he’s goofing off with his little girl Destiny in the play room while time permits.

Nas is truly leading HipHop into a new day. Showing a thug or anybody who spits. Your craft should grow and still sound good, smart and still relevant. He ends the double CD with “Street Disciple”. It’s as if he’s saying don’t forget, though this is not the center point of this outing. Just want yall to know who’s still the realest to do it. It’s a great song but I feel it could’ve been placed anywhere but the end. Nas could’ve had a bit more faith in his listeners. We know your not out there in Queensbridge, you’re grown man now and you could’ve walked off the set with some Crown Royal. Yet he decided to grab a 40.oz and put his mean mug on one last time which I guess. It made him feel safe after opening up so much on the last few cuts.