Pitchfork

Jay-Z continues his run of either completely selfish or completely misguided decisions as president of Def Jam with the December 19 release of Nas' debut for the label, Hip-Hop Is Dead. So now both Ghostface and Nas get to experience the joy of having their albums buried at a time when shopping for the biggest holiday of the year is winding down.

Questionable business plan on the part of his label head aside, Nas' album looks promising. It's tracklist-less at the moment, but-- as you should know (if you don't, listen below)-- first leak "Where Y'all At" was a good sign of the MC being in top form on the LP.

He's certainly not lacking star power on the "featuring" side of the equation. Kanye produced and provided the hook for "Still Dreamin'"; Snoop Dogg appears on "Play on Player"; the Game guests on "Q.B. True G", which Dr. Dre produced; Damian Marley appears on "White Man's Paper (War)", which samples Marley's father; Scott Storch produced "Carry on Tradition"; surprise Midas will.i.am produced both the title track and the Sam Cooke-sampling "Unforgettable"; and Nas himself flipped a James Brown sample in producing "Where Are They Now".

Considering Def Jam's recent approach to promoting their non-Jay artists, this might be the last time you hear about Hip-Hop Is Dead, so mark your calendars. One month is probably enough time for you to forget all about the disappointment that Kingdom Come is sure to be.