I Am… is the third album and fourth stage in the evolution of Queensbridge’s living legend Nasir Jones, from Nasty Nas to Nas to Nas Escobar to Nastradamus, the soothsaying mega-thug poet. This third installment is an introspective work from one of hip-hop’s made men. Always billed as a hip-hop messiah, Nas rose through the ranks of hip-hop on the strength of powerful poetry. Contrary to the album’s title, the scope of the work extends beyond the autobiography as Nas takes on politics, the state of hip-hop, Y2K, race, and religion with his own unique perspective. While Illmatic was Nas at his rawest and It Was Written was Nas’ attempt to reconcile his underground leanings with his newfound fame, acclaim, and wealth, the Nas of I Am… is honest about his elevated status yet still feels the tension of no longer being ravenous on the mic. Musically, I Am is somewhat unimaginative by Nas’ stratospheric standards. Tried and true producers, the Trackmasters stamp the album with their signature catchy grooves and samples, but some of these tracks lack the sonic depth to do justice to the prophecies of the pharaoh, Nas. Superproducer Premier comes to save the day on two outstanding tracks: “NY State of Mind, Pt. II” and “Nas Is Like.” These two cuts are nothing short of Illmatic perfection. “Nas Is Like”‘s symphonic composition is the perfect complement for an MC of Nas’ supreme vocal quality and precise lyrics. Despite some of the blandness on the production end, Nas still shines as the old soul storyteller and crime rhyme chronicler on cuts like “We Will Survive,” a dirge for fallen rappers. Nas also experiments stylistically on “Big Things,” sporting a Midwest cadence, and on “You Won’t See Me Tonight,” a Timbaland-produced duet with R&B songstress Aaliyah. – M.F. DiBella