Controversial Nas LP Bumped
November 29, 2007

The controversial new joint from legendary rapper Nas has been delayed to February, which also happens to be Black History Month. That's going to make the fact that the new album by Nas is called N**ger (without the asterisks) that much more controversial, which seems to be clearly what the singer is looking for. No one's actually heard anything of N**ger but it's title has caused a near riot in the hip-hop community with some defending his controversial choice and some, including Reverend Al Sharpton, coming out against it. N**ger will now drop sometime in February with the first single landing sometime in January.

A bit of a new recording by Nas, "What It Is", leaked to the net over the past weekend, getting fans excited about new material, although that track won't be on the new album. MTV quotes the track, in which Nas raps, "Racist neighbors flinchin'/ They don't know if I'mma rob them/ Or if I'm Russell Simmons/ They thought it was me, just like Mike Bivens/ They pray for my downfall like the mom of Robin Givens."

Nas clarified the track, saying that it was definitely him rhyming but that his vocals were leaked and added on to another track. He claims he never rhymed to that beat. The new recording will feature Nas rhyming to beats by D.J. Toomp and longtime collaborator Salaam Remi. Diddy and his new Hitmen are also scheduled to work with Nas on the new joint sometime in the next week, according to MTV.

Nas, also known as Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, broke through with his landmark 1994 joint Illmatic. That was followed by 1996's It Was Written, 1999's I Am..., 1999's Nastradamus, 2001's Stillmatic, 2002's God's Son, 2004's Street's Disciple, and Nas' first joint not to go platinum, 2006's Hip Hop is Dead.