Hip Hop Week Continues

I always find it interesting when my ipod gets into moods like this. There are times where it just throws a whole bunch of random stuff at me and that's fine, but when it hits a groove like it has this week that's really when it peaks my interest. What is it right now that has my ipod wanting to play hip hop? I'm starting to think of the Shuffle as the ipods choice. Picture this... when I hit shuffle every morning my ipod is making it's choice of song for the day. This is the number one song on my ipods mind right now. Kind of weird right? I blame this on having to much time to think while driving and years and years of drug abuse (just kidding folks...yes kidding).



This track on paper sounds like it should be really promising. It's Kanye West and Nas on a Kanye produced track, it should be pretty awesome. And I'm not dismissing the coolness of the track because it is pretty chill, but when you put two mega names like this on a track together I want a home run. I want something epic. Picture this. If Elton John and Billy Joel were to write a song together wouldn't you want that song to be a blend of both of their styles as well as something fresh and original? And I'm totally aware of all the artists in the world I could have used here I chose Billy Joel and Elton John. What do you want from me?

Still Dreaming comes off of Nas's first album release on Def Jam records which was a really big deal at the time, now not so much. At the time of this album Jay-Z was the head of Def Jam and he signed Nas to a record deal which was such a huge deal because of the "beef" between the two of them. Although it seems that said "beef" might have been all for money since it was squashed so quickly but I digress.

Any way it just sounded so promising with Nas and Jay-Z working together on an album, so I was quick to scoop it up when it came out. After a few listens I knew I was sort of disappointed but I thought it was a step in the right direction. There were some really good songs on there, and there were some songs that were just there. I for one would have loved if the Roots and Nas had cut a full album together. Maybe one day.

This album was more about the hype of it coming out on Jay-Z's record label then anything else. Still Dreaming has a real smooth beat to it. Very jazz like which is cool (but at times reminds me of the Kanye/Game collaboration Wouldn't Get Far) . I would have liked a better hook here, and believe it or not a little more Kayne. Maybe have the two of them trade viruses off each other or something. There was so much potential here that I felt that kind of got left on the cutting room floor.

Things to check out on this album though, Will.I.Am (yes that one) actually produces a couple of really good tracks here. It makes you almost forget that he sold his soul to the pop gods for money and lame catchy hooks... almost.