With the modern day gods all packing double LP’s to their name, it was time for Nas to include one in his catalogue. It’s unfortunate that Nas didn’t learn a lesson from the likes of Pac, Big and Jay; the double album was really good, a single would have been classic. Streets Disciple is no different, too much bread, not enough butter. Similarly, Nas has always battled two major criticisms; (questionable or hypocritical), content, and poor beat selection. Once again, Streets Disciple is no different.
From the jump of disc one though, neither of these shortcomings are evident at all. Nas lets loose out the gate, ripping into the government (Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We The People), Uncle Toms and Kobe Bryant (Coon Picnic), and multiple plagues in America over Q-Tip‘s Atomic Dog selection on American Way. He even dissects himself in a manner of speaking as he splits Nazareth Savage between Nas Escobar and Nasty Nas. By the time the sleepy Live Now and Rest of My Life hit, Nasir is certainly sounding like an elder statesman, all grown up and shit.
Unfortunately, the second disk doesn’t fair nearly as well in terms of content. When he can write songs like Reason, why is he wasting his time with trash like Makings of a Perfect Bitch. I’ll try and ignore songs like Remember the Times and horrific No One Else in The Room for incredible tracks such as Virgo and Bridging The Gaps. While it could have been executed better, his Rakim tribute U.B.R. is just pure class.
In the end it is inconsistency in production that largely holds this album back from greatness. For every banger like You Know My Style (check those 808’s!), there are bland productions like Reason or Live Now. I have to wonder why he didn’t take more responsibilities behind the boards when he hooked up one of the album’s best songs in Suicide Bounce.
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But at the end of the day, I listen to a Nas album for Nas. For his part, he gives yet another incredible performance here; lyrically and stylistically. If he would have put quality control over keeping up with the Jones‘s, we’d have his best album since Illmatic.
