10 Years Too Late

I read today that Nas and DJ Premier will begin collaborating on an album together. At first I was genuinely excited; then I remembered that Nas hasn't made a great album since his first, 1994's Illmatic, and that Primo hasn't crafted a great beat since before -- perhaps -- the new millenium. Nas's last 3 albums range from "almost there" to "ugh, what a mess"; and anyone who has listened to Gangstarr's last (and apparently final) album knows that Primo these days makes beats like Gary Payton plays basketball.

I think it was announced a year or so ago that Chuck D and KRS ONE were going to make an album together. My reaction at the time was why the fuck didn't you two decide to do so when you were at the height of your powers/relevant? Even though that album never came to be, if it did I'm confident that I wouldn't have bought it. Because there's a 99% probability it would have sucked. That's how I feel about this recent Nas/Primo news. Nas's voice, much like Chuck D's, is wrecked; and his once poetic lyrics are watered down and have been for a long time (ever since It Was Written, in fact); and Primo, although I'm sure he can cook up a good beat in a pinch -- better than most of these knuckleheads currently ruining my ears, to be sure -- hasn't produced an entire, classic record since Gangstarr's Moment of Truth, and that was nearly 8 years ago.

In a perfect world, this proposed album will usher in a 2nd Renaissance -- one in which groups such as the Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and De La Soul all create groundbreaking new albums. But, lamentably, that's just not going to happen. Sadly, the reason I keep my hopes up that it will is because there aren't many new faces helping to reinvigorate hip-hop.