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More a wake up call then a cry for 911, Hip-hop Is Dead finds Nas firmly entrenched in the role of elder statesman of hip-hop as he implores fans, artists and wannabe rap stars to remember what hip-hop culture is.

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The teaming up of two New York heavyweights such as Nas and former mortal enemy Jay-Z (on "Black Republican") is historic despite the fact it plays it a little too safe but hey what you are gonna do when your former rival is now your friend/boss?

"Who Killed It," a will.I.am produced track utilizing strange Bugsy Malone-type ramblings, should've been titled "Please Kill This," but at least Nas is still trying to get his noble point across. Money Over Bulls**t"'s dark meaty beats perfectly communicate the difference real and fake while the Nas' acapella mixed with  Marsha Ambrosius' (one half of Floetry) ridiculously sublime vocals ("Hustlers") is a thoughtful way to close out a thought-provoking set.

Obsessive without being pedantic, message-laden without being overly preachy, Hip-hop Is Dead, while neither bland nor brilliant, definitely proves that the genre like Nas, is everlasting.

Download:  “Hip-hop Is Dead” “Where Are They Now” “Money Over Bulls**t” 

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