NAS God's Son - No doubt lots of folks will be carefully scrutinizing Nas' latest to find out just who the rapper is feuding with now. A recent collaboration with Ja Rule, "The Pledge (Remix)," raised hip-hop hackles by taking pot shots at Snoop Dogg and DMX. Big gun Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. is executive-producing the album. So many battles--son, do you really think that's what God wants? (11/19)
THE ROOTS Phrenology - "God willing, this album will see the light of day in October," drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson said before his band's long-delayed CD was moved to late November. Collaborators run from the familiar (Jill Scott) to the obscure (poet Amiri Baraka) to the red-hot (hyped soul guitarist Cody ChesnuTT). Expect funk, rock, soul, R&B, and rap--and the unexpected. Just don't expect annoying hip-hop skits. "We're not even gonna do the obligatory fellatio skit or the shoot-that-mo-f---er-across-the-street skit," says Thompson. "I promise." (11/26)
LIL' KIM Still Untitled - The potty-mouthed Kim is going back to basics--and getting serious--on the follow-up to 2000's Biggie-centric Notorious K.I.M. "It represents where I started off as an artist,'' she explains. "It has...tracks that make you wanna rock in your ride and the club, plus records that reflect the hurt, betrayal, and disappointment I have experienced the last couple of years." Producers include Dr. Dre and Scott Storch (Pink, Snoop Dogg), plus less established knob twiddlers who Kim says "really have their ear to the street." No offense, Dre. (11/26)
SNOOP DOGG Paid Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss - You're not likely to hear Snoop rapping about his newfound sobriety on his first album for his new label, Doggystyle--it was recorded before he made the lifestyle change. Nevertheless, Dogg boasts of his baby: "It's lettin' the whole world know I'm still here. As far as on the solo tip, I've been absent from the rap game for two years, but I'm back--bigger, stronger, and harder than ever." No doubt seeking to bulk up his slightly diminished commercial clout, he's enlisted the production power of the ubiquitous Neptunes, who oversaw the first single, "From the Church to the Palace." Sounds like a sober decision. (11/26)
KEITH MURRAY He's Keith Murray - It's been almost four years--an eternity in rap--since Murray's last all-new album, '99's It's a Beautiful Thing. But he has a good excuse, having spent nearly three of those years jailed on an assault conviction. Murray, who maintains his innocence, says his incarceration informs the new CD: "After three years, you come back...and nothing is the same as you thought it would be. I had to adjust." Despite help from Redman, Erick Sermon, and Busta Rhymes, Murray says the emphasis is on his own rhymes: "I need to reinforce who I am." (12/3)
MARIAH CAREY Still Untitled - Never mind last year's Glitter-y meltdown: For Carey, recording the follow-up to her biggest flop was business as usual. "What we worked on is similar to Rainbow and Glitter. Our contribution didn't change that much," says Jimmy Jam, who produced several tracks with partner Terry Lewis. Still, Jam sees the project more as a successor to '99's Rainbow: "To me, Glitter was a soundtrack album; it wasn't a Mariah album. This time, the focus is more on the album and the music." We hope so. (12/10)
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