Nas

During the recording of God's Son, Nas' mother died, the rapper was besieged by jealous rivals and he separated from his longtime companion Carmen -- who was having an affair with Jay-Z. Understandably, God's Son is Nas' most emotionally raw album to date. "The Cross" finds Nas playing the role of hip-hop martyr, while "The Last Real N*gga Alive" provides a semi-objective look at his duel with Jay-Z. The album's denouement, "Heaven," is an intense meditation on mortality that explores suicide and salvation. Over the tracks odd 6/8 tempo, Nas raps, "This world is my home/ but world I would leave you."

Confessions of a mama's boy, tales of a hustler, lies of a mortal man ("Book of Rhymes," "Get Down") (Grade - ***)