My favorite rapper finally dropped another album.  We have been waiting for quite some time for the Nas album “to really be” done.

In his first studio recording since 2012’s “Life is Good”, Nas releases a project titled after his first government name, “Nasir.”

I cannot front, I was immediately disappointed that there are only 7 songs on Nasir.  Really?  What you recorded one song a year?

Don’t call it an album cause it’s really a EP.   You need at least 10 tracks to call it an album.  Cause I said so.  That’s why.

I read that Kanye West, who executive produced Nasir, has released a series of 7 song projects with various artists, including himself.

Of course, that tid-bit of information made me research this more.

West’s 7 song EP series has been dubbed “the Wyoming Sessions”, because they were recorded at an exclusive Wyoming retreat.

Now, I have to listen to all the projects in the 5 part series which was released in a 5 week succession:

Pusha-T, “Daytona”, released May 25

Kanye, “ye”, released June 1

Kid Cudi, “Kids See Ghosts”, released June 8

Nas, “Nasir”, released June 15

and last but not least, the only female artist included in the series and the only project to have 8 tracks on it,

Teyana Taylor, “K.T.S.E.”, released June 22.

But let’s get back to Nasir right now.

The first song, Not For Radio, is indeed not for radio.

The song features Puff Daddy, whose Instagram feed and #BlackExcellence posts give me life, and is layered with historical and social references relevant to the day.

It directly addresses the white American insecurity permeating the country at this time.  But, how you terrorize folk for centuries then wanna turn around and play scared?

You would be better off owning up to what you can do to make things better at this point then to be running around playing sucka psychology.  Reverse.  Reverse.

And stop being an advocate for the devil.  The devil don’t need your help.

I hear you loud and clear.  Mr. Jones.  Mr. Combs.  Mr. West.  They scared.

“Cops Shot The Kid” – self explanatory.  How you call yourself the authority but don’t have no integrity?

The whole EP, still not an LP, has a jazzy slow groove to it.  I’d like to hear it in the car, ridin’ music.

True to form, Nas is a master storyteller. “White Label” is a walk down memory lane, chronicling his moments since ’93.

“Bonjour” mixes grandiose bragging with jewels of consciousness in that complicated way hip hop displays the paradoxes of life.

“everything’ is classic Kanye from the first beat to the last.  In this haunting collaboration with the Dream the trio of artists remind listeners to stay true to thine own selves.

“Adam and Eve” also features the Dream.  The project is concluded with another motivating theme as Nas encourages us to appreciate the “Simple Things”

That’s all, seven songs.  On repeat since the first spin.  My man has done it again.  Still a life long fan.