Roundup PT IV

Back for more Nas-related news:

• The most recent issue of The Source features a number of lists attempting to detail, year by year, the times of various Hip-Hop acts' reigns or high points of "influence." Nas makes five appearances: 1994, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2002. However, like all things from The Source, there's a lot to question. Nas being ranked over Biggie in 1994, and Jay being three slots over Nas in 1996, for example, are both suspect.

• Nas is scheduled to appear on Puff Daddy's upcoming Press Play album. This will mark the second time Nas has been on a Sean Combs LP, after 1999's Journey Through The Life.

• Ice Cube was maybe the MC whose style and anger mostly clearly represented the cool but bitter edge of Miles Davis, but as far as a single rap artist who has evolved a defining sound over the years, like Miles' trek through many distinct artistic periods, Nas perhaps comes closest. Appropriately enough, Nas will be bringing his lyrics to a "remix" of old Miles Davis recordings for a project to be known as "Evolution of the Groove."

• In today's episode of reading too much into another dude's wardrobe, Nas showed up to the 2006 BET Awards sporting an interesting fashion accessory. Yes, dookie chains are back! With this picture and the Kane linx of '88 in mind, maybe Nas is not saying so much that Hip-Hop Is Dead, but rather Hip-Hop Is In A Coma And Doctors Say It Needs To Hear A Familiar Voice To Snap It Out Of Its Vegetative State, As Would Be Accomplished, In A Manner Of Speaking, By Wearing Old-School Gold Ropes To The 2006 BET Awards. Kind of a wordy title, I know.

• XXL magazine spread: Nas Is Coming. Stu, get on the symbolism ASAP.

• From Nas Daily, according to MTV, Nas drops by for a bit on The Game's sophomore follow-up, The Doctor's Advocate. Cool N Dre produced the track. Hate It Or Love It PT 2?

• An Internet guy named True asked an Internet guy / rapper / record company president named Jay-Z if Jay will indeed be on Nas' next album: "Absolutely."

• Speaking of Def Jam, MF Doom, who was last involved with the label for Ghostface's Fishscale, will be returning, reportedly, to work with Nas. The two have most commonly been linked through the Nastradoomus project, a collection of Nastradamus acapellas fit over Doom beats. This project however was put together by one Mr. Max Bedroom. As far as I know, Doom's only direct relationship with Nas' music came thanks to a Special Blends remix of One Love, where he replaced Q-Tip's paranoid xylophone with an after hours jazz club saxophone.

• Strengthening the promise of at least one Kanye beat on HHIIACADSINTHAFVTSIOOIVSAWBAIAMOSBWOSGRTT2006BETA, last month, Nas was on stage for a special benefit concert that the Chicago MC / producer headlined. Aside from the unaccredited Poppa Was A Player beat, Nas and Kanye, as I'm sure we all know, linked up for last year's We Major, a track whose beat, coincidentally, may owe a little to the aforementioned MF Doom.

• The man who made Nas a name, Large Professor, recently released a series of instrumental tracks on a compilation entitled Beatz Vol. 1. Check 'em out now and try to decide what MC should get his pick of the bunch, if any. Nas? Whomever, I just hope someone real nice scoops up Out All Night. Also, here's a quick interview with Large Pro talking specifically about Out All Night and then why NY is failing, "New York is not standing up for what it invented."

• Every now and again I like to see what the status is of Nas long-delayed book, Slave to a Page. This release has been pending for at least a couple years now, and, despite its current August 30th due date, will likely never materialize on a clearance rack near you. However, what may be most odd is that Amazon lists it at 224 pages. If it's never even apparently been close to hitting bookstores, how do they know how long it will be? Hmm . . . Regan Books, get at me.

• Finally, yours truly wrote a guest blog entry earlier this week, "Keystrokes & Kangols: 10 Tips For The Internet Hip-Hop Head." Oh Word.

Nas: One Love (MF Doom remix)
BONUS: Kanye f/ Nas, Really Doe: We Major
BONUS: Large Professor: Out All Night
BONUS: Puff Daddy f/ Beanie Siegel, Nas: Journey Through The Life