Posted 8 years ago by dantana 49 comments

Audio: Nas “Hero”

The official 1st Single of Nas’ upcoming Untitled album (July 15th on Def Jam). Props to Steve-0.

Nas “Hero” feat. Keri Hilson produced by Polow Da Don

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dantana "The artist’s task is to save the soul of mankind; and anything less is a dithering while Rome burns. If artists cannot find the way, then the way cannot be found.” — Terence McKenna

Comments

Jahi

This is why I didn’t trip with the title situation and all the drama. When you check the substance of what Nasir Jones is saying, it’s undeniable and honest. Nas is very intelligent, and now that he has everyone’s attention, he didn’t disappoint on this first single Hero. And Polow Da Don producing it? What an unlikely combination, but it works. Thanks Nas for being consistent and dope.
Tha Architect

Nas is timeless, like LL, Rakim or G Rap.
The Boss

pretty sick man
Black Sunn

damn this track is dope…I can’t wait for the album

http://www.myspace.com/theblacksunn1
Acapulco

Let’s get the acapella to dj/producers asap ESPECIALLY Memory Man
KLC

This song is illmatic, Just like The Architect said Nas Is Timeless.
Frologic

I wasn’t really feeling it. It just didn’t click for me.
jeffartist

the beat’s kinda cheese but nas’ flow sounds sharper than it has in years.
Bwano

this beat is intense!!
Daeniel

I’m feeelin’ it
TopBananas48

Nas went off, especially in the 3rd verse. Beat is proper but I don’t know if i’m feeling the combination of the 2. I feel like they’re reaching. I just don’t trust Polow after that whole apple loop Luv In This Club beat. Not saying you can’t use them loops but flip or chop that b^tch. I could say more but I don’t wanna come off as anal (pause for you insecure/immature mofos).
SteadieRoc from the elevated HiphopExperience

http://www.myspace.com/theelevatedhiphopexperience
The lyrics were hot like always that beat was garbage that producer needs to go back to the drawing board for real any way Summertime in the City in jacksonville florida Hip Hop August 2nd look it up
Delgodo

This one will have the radio rotations for sure.

http://www.myspace.com/outabodies
http://www.youtube.com/outabodies
youngceo

wack…Polow ain’t been hot since Rich Boy.
Nile: THE SOAPBOX KILLER

The flow is what I have been waiting for. A long time coming this NaS has been. The beat is what it is, it’s current with “what’s hot” but not overbearing and doesn’t drown out the feel of the content…THIS SHIT IS PLASMA!!
CriticalBEATdown

That Nasty Nas flow was trying to show up on the 1st Verse but reverted back to Nastradamus. Polow’s beat is mediocre. Dude is still hungover from the success of Rich Boy. Radio friendly for sure.
ggenesis

i liked it, lyrics come hard

beat it pretty cheesy but at least it dosent put you to sleep like most of his. I wouldn’t want multiple tracks with these types of beats though

i agree on whoever said send the accapella to DJ’s/producers
amachiyaminah

the beat takes away from the lyrics…

you have to do too much work to get past the wack ass beat…
ArianaLi

love the lyrics and delivery. don’t mind the singer. but the beat sounds like noise to me for most of the song. eh, i’m getting old. but, i hope the 19 year olds like it enough to keep this song on rotation for him.
skeptic NYC

War is necessary, war brings peace – while the little ones war over the nonessentials Nasir guides the movement. Lookin for a Hero in all truth- Mr. Jones is emblematic, the Illmatic yet to be deposed and fluid with the flow.
Ali 5x

this beat doesn’t do the lyrics any justice. it’d be cool with another song, not this one.
Rhymin ape

Nas is sick.
Tulshedone

Lyrically its tight, however, the beat is whack. Its not for Nas. Keri Hilson has a great voice.
The Lyric (c)

Hmm, I think most of the above comments should check thier biases.

Like, if you never knew that Polow produced the track, would you still like the beat?

I am not a special fan of Polow, but even if he used a loop (for “Love In This Club”) that he didn’t chop, what’s wrong with that? Sometimes, your ingredient is just perfect the way it is. No need changing the ingredient/loop just to prove that you are more of an artist. Maybe what he did was he heard the loop, loved it, then built the rest of the beat around that loop. Isn’t that a skill? I mean, that won’t be any different from taking a vocal, and building a beat around it without speeding up or chopping the vocals in any way.

Having said all that, I think the song as a whole is hot. Definitely got that “Hero” (superman) feeling going on — the singing etc. And given that it is coming from Nas, that superman feeling is just appropriate.

I don’t think the beat took away from the lyrics — I heard most of it on first listen.

I particularly like that part in 3rd verse from the “…Newsweek…” line and onward.

But the delivery is fiyah. I love the damn song. Hope it gets all over the radio.
monster

a loop is a loop wether its a soul record or a apple loops its all the same u ok players r ok haters
ironsun27

This is a perfect song. Some of y’all are taking this for granted. Hip Hop needs this, rap that makes a statement, rap that has the audacity of hope. Different form of hip hop met in the middle and it works. We know its Not Premo, 9th, RZA or even Dre its Polow, face it, the man can produce. At least he tryin to help turn the tide with this epic composition. I feel Nas saying “hip hop is dead” is a bigger controversy than “Nigger”. Because he might have been right. Now he is a “Hero” ressurecting the art he helped popularize. Pure Genius. I hope it get a billion spins! Stop Hating, it might help the cause.
DeaD Precedence

You know what I hate about okayplayers? Too many elitist… This track is fire…The flow reminds me of a young Nas rejuvenated …
young cheezy

i like it.
cla

I bet if the poster lied and said the beat was Premier or 9th wonder on some new direction, folks would feel differently. I never heard of Polow and I thought the beat was fitting for a lead single as well as the lyrics. I’d say that what makes southern hiphop weak is definitely not bc of the beats.
bboy

Nas has grown since illmatic and those of us that’ve been listening to since “Live at BBQ” have also grown but lets face it; we are a minority in this hip hop scene. He is trying to have an adult conversation with us and unfortunately most of us can’t get with it. In this sense he is a hero bacause he could be making music for idiots.
Another Poet

NaS is tryna put himself back in the music.

I can appreciate that.

‘Hate him or love him for the same reason’

What Head hasn’t been waitin’ for Nas to be Hip Hop’s Hero? That’s the point right?
Cutclusion

Here’s a playlist dedicated to the Obama track on Nas’s collabo :

Wake Up : Brand Nubian
The Future : De La Soul
So What : Miles Davis
Da Cypha : Wyclef
Brand New Day : Dizzy Rascal
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright : Naughty by Nature
My Mind is Racing : KRS-ONE
I Got the Feelin’ : James Brown
That’s the Business : Big Rich
Rise Up : Karsh Kale
Fireman : Lil’ Wayne
Can’t Hold Us Back : Public Enemy
Kai “J Phlame” Phoenix

Heeesssss Backkkkkkkk! the greatest of all time. Nas is a rebel to america, hip hop, underground hip hop. U can’t box this nigga in and thats what everybody hates but men fear what the can’t understand and hate what they can’t conquor guess this is the theory of man and hes a monster
bigjoseph

the dude to comment needs to learn his lyrics. its the fury of man, not the theory on man.
My

LOL it does bring me back to first hearing I’mBad by LL…4getoreoEatCoolJcookies. Haven’t bought a hiphop album in manymoons but I’m really liking that song.
immortal technique vs nas

they both got mixtapes with green lantern, although tech is not as known as nas i think his form of political rap is 10 times more insightful than the other. nas is good at the imagery but he doesnt live that life. he’s a hollywood dude.
Khalil Abdullah

immortal tech is nice, but nas is a 5 mic artist. immortal needs more time to develop into that. his flow got MAD better on third world but his beats need to get better too… they both are dope and yes tech is much militant definitely reps for the middle east and knows how to conduct an interview. and nas is a little gassed but that dont change the fact that he’s one of the GREATEST lyricists of all time.

apples and oranges son
Monday

Don’t judge a rapper based on his beats unless he made the beats himself. I don’t think either Nas or Immortal Technique make their own beats, so that shouldn’t even be an issue when comparing the two.

And though Nas is good as a rapper, he slips too often into the occasional ‘I’m rich, I buy overexpensive shit,’ and is much less focused in his raps than Immortal Technique is. Nas’s songs tend to seem more like a scattering of many incomplete but deep thoughts, while Immortal Tech is always on point with his rhymes. Each track of Tech’s fits together into a cohesive whole, while many of Nas’s tracks, like I said, jump around too much.
true hip hop

to bland and to mainstream. could be allot better and stop using the N word its so primative
Mike Cali

horrible fucking song. beat is amazingly whack. lets be honest
Mike Cali

the kick is very annoying, and has no depth. sounds like he stole it from “the game” by common, produced by kanye. this is seriously bad music. lets be honest man.

BTW im the biggest nas fan.

and oh — whoever said this sounds like nas on illmatic — kill yourself immediately.
Mike Cali

is this is the first single from Still Nastradamus?
supremedftd

track is dope. so dope, haters post 3 straight times to try to convince themselves its not.
greenvillain

its a damn shame how many punk ass haters there are on this board. go back to sipping haterade and listening to master p. haha bitches. nas is sick and always will be
Tazman

F–king outstanding I can really connect to this song it’s a long time coming You did it right, just don’t stop
HooRah!!!!
OIF 07-08
Mista Leez

Nas is greatness… inteligent lyrical rapper. One of the best of all times. Still comeing out with that dope shit! It’s nice hearing this instead of the bull shit southern rap that’s taken over the radio filled with nothing but hooks and wack, uniteligent, make up your own fing words, lyrics. If it weren’t for the beats they make the music would be garbage. Long live the real hip hop and the east coast for still keeping it lyrical and banging off the hook.
ragmain

nas is very under rated sometimes and deserves his sopt on top da game
rahulgdry

he is cool…
Air Jordan Fusion

This is why I didn’t trip with the title situation and all the drama. When you check the substance of what Nasir Jones is saying, it’s undeniable and honest. Nas is very intelligent, and now that he has everyone’s attention, he didn’t disappoint on this first single Hero. And Polow Da Don producing it? What an unlikely combination, but it works. Thanks Nas for being consistent and dope.
49

June 06, 2008 – 04:17:45 PM