Nas' rhymin' skill is near legendary in the hiphopcommunity, drawing in the dope production of Q-Tip, Large Professor, DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Although it typically takes a crew of at least two rappers to carry an album, Nas switches up styles so effec tively from track to track that you'd think he was a posse of six. Nas has been getting hyped like mad, because the kid has been coming up in Queensbridge for years. Now his time has come and he ain't a kid no more. The "in memory of . . . " section of the liner notes is sadly extensive, replete with photos of some lost comrades. The mellow production perfectly complements Nas' styles, and each track is a legitimate single (profanity aside). I do wish that Nas focused a bit more on the "Ill" (intelligent, poetic rhymes and smooth beats) and less on the "matic" (the guns and blunts lowest-common-denominator). Still, as much as I'm inclined to say "Don't believe the hype," this comes highly recommended. (Ted Snyderman)