We made it! One day late but oh well, this album deserves even more consideration than I've given it, but I'm not running away from it anytime soon. Cop it and sit with it! Also, go check out Batman - I never thought Nicholson could be topped, but Ledger paid him his respect and made it his own at the same time. RIP.

What's people's thoughts on this cover?

What did Nas do now? Well I'm just getting into it myself but as I'm sitting with it I'm feeling inspired and in awe. The project seemed destined to fail. No one seemed to think Nas had it in him to deliver a project with the title of "N*gger" and then he flipped and changed the name. I was mad, but to hear him on "Hero" you know that he doesn't care and we shouldn't either:

Newsweek article startled big wigs
They said Nas why is you trying it
My lawyers only see the billboard charts as winning
Forgetting Nas the only true rebel since the beginning
Still in musical prison in jail for the flow
Try telling Bob Dylan, Bruce or Billy Joel they can't sing what's in they soul
So untitled it is
I never changed nothing

While almost a decade ago Nas sounded awkward and misplaced on a beat tailor made for the clubs here he rocks the sparkling Polow Da Don beat perfectly all the while maintaining a level of content that will provoke your mind as well as your hips.

This upbeat feel is present throughout the record, even on the serious cuts when he is speaking directly to the issue of racism and how it has shaped our country. Cool & Dre link up with Nas, Game and Chris Brown for "Make the World go Round" where they celebrate people of all walks of life as equals. The Nas and Game pairing continues to impress and I think Games hunger has inspired Nas - you hear it not just on this track, but throughout his voice and flow across the album.

Salaam Remi gives Nas a touch of that classic Hip Hop sound he's so nice over on "You Can't Stop Us Now" with Eben Thomas of the Stylistics crooning the hook over a mesmerizing bass line and guitar loop. Nas brings in the Last Poets here who challenge conceptions and ask you to open your mind.

That, it seems, is the number one goal of this project. It isn't to brainwash you into any particular train of thought or to make everyone start saying "n*gger." Over the last several records we have seen Nas develop himself into an artist who can't be challenged. He is rap royalty and he doesn't even need it. He isn't out for the status anymore, he is trying to speak to the people and push some change into our lives.

Along with the intensity of the lyrics, we see Nas join forces with a number of new producers, including a trifecta of beats from dead prez's own stic.man. Regardless of how you feel about dead prez, stic knows what he is doing behind the boards giving Nas some of the most powerful music he has here. The rock inspired guitars on "Sly Fox" give Nas the space he needed to address the network we all love to hate and a certain personality who needs to learn to leave that which he doesn't understand alone.

"We're Not Alone" demonstrates a whole other side to stic's production with a slow moving track filled with live piano, drums and a great singer in Mykel. Nas gets on his conspiracy theory game, talking about his own sighting of a UFO and the government's desire to hide the truth from us. While it may sound a little silly, Nas keeps it all together questioning the existence of god or evolution and considers that which seems impossible: How can we be alone in this universe?

Don't be scared though, Nas didn't get all X-Files on us. Busta Rhymes comes through on the Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse's producer) laced "Fried Chicken." As America continues to see issues of obesity and poor health decisions plague our population Nas and Busta create a great tribute to one of the best (tastiest) meals that should be eaten as little as possible all the while declaring their own love for it and the challenge they face to keep away from it.

This record gives you a lot to think about, which could very well keep it in rotation for a long time. But beyond the edutainment found here, Nas delivered a project that is socially relevant and at the same time sounds good. The music is great, the lyrics are as on point as ever and it's still Nas doing his own thing. If you have rode this long for Nas, there won't be anything here to disappoint, you might actually be impressed. I am, and I've already prepared myself to come back to it so as to see how it ages, cause after all the only test of a classic is time.