(All this on material released only a few weeks after ex-wife Kelis accused Nas of mental and physical abuse.) Even with West's emetic mention of 'fake news,' 'Cops Shot the Kid' is the highlight. Nas often sounds unenthused - surprising given that most of the beats evoke a degree of agitation - and is occasionally boorish, writing 'pre-bate' and 'slayed' into one couplet and detailing violent sex in another. A prevailing quantity of the tracks is either forgettable or regrettable. Rather than playing out like a mercilessly edited, up-to-date album with all fat removed, Nasir resembles rotting offcuts bundled with some fresh standouts to placate a fan base expecting a major statement. During the dry spell, Nas tended to his legacy with a documentary, expanded reissue, and PBS-aired orchestral performance of Illmatic, and made guest appearances on at least three dozen numbers, including DJ Khaled's 'Nas Album Done.' On that track, Nas evidently wasn't referring to Nasir, a set that could not have been complete, not with its references to later events, from Colin Kaepernick's protest of police brutality to the unlawful arrest of two black men at a Starbucks. Preceded in consecutive May-June 2018 weeks by Daytona, Ye, and Kids See Ghosts, Nasir falls into Nas' chronology six years after Life Is Good. The instant the EP-length set was issued, it slotted into place as the fourth volume of 'the Wyoming sessions,' a series of like-sized releases with West involved on every song, recorded primarily at a ranch rented by the producer.

Instead of being received as Nas' 11th album, Nasir arrived in a blur of Kanye West's design.

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