"The illest Henessy black sipper with loaded semis" is back, having lost none of his spark. That is to say, Nasir Jones, hip-hop's esteemed lyricist and purveyor of tapes long thought lost. On his most recent album The Lost Tapes 2, Nas makes sure to keep the nostalgia flowing, though he never sacrifices integrity in favor of chasing a bygone era. The process doesn't come more naturally than on "Lost Freestyle," a title track of sorts, and thus imbued with a special sort of power.
Taking to a beat from Statik Selektah, Nas unleashes his beloved brand of stream-of-consciousness musings, looking down on a game he once ran as a key supporting player. "Tell a story of a prince life and all his glory, it's killin' me softly," raps Nas, ever the poet in his vivid descriptions. "Somber like the buildings in Fort Greene, hood monsters and n***s who walk mean." A victory lap for Nas fans seeking a return to form when form was never quite lost, The Lost Tapes 2 should serve as a worthy dose of thought-provoking and deftly delivered bars. What do you think of this one?
Quotable Lyrics
Amateur Hanna-Barbera characters know they envy
The illest Hennessy Black sipper with loaded semis
You pick of the week, voted-in rappers you go against me
You can't tantalize a call girl with just a roll of pennies
Can’t bait a lion in ya trap without a tranquilizer
You enterin' a boxing ring with no trainer beside ya