By Odeisel
Dr. Dre and Nas have a long history of collaboration that stretches as far back as Nas’ second album and runs through The Firm. While songs like “Phone Tap” have been dope, we haven’t gotten that truly gully song together. We may have gotten that higher level with “Topless,” a song that features Eminem and Nas but is clearly a reference track for the good doctor.
The somber deep end key provides a trapeze for the higher end tinkling to anchor itself. Strong drums hold the composition up from beneath while ambient synth “whack-a-moles” in and out of the song. The breaks bring the energy level higher and a digital organ effect and a simple, but non-repetitive hook wraps the track up.
By the slow, measured delivery and the non-nasal cadence, along with a few lines, you can hear that Eminem wrote the song with Dre to rap his part. He references the West Coast as the “home of the body bag,” something that 8 Mile Em would surely not do in his own rhymes, along with the line “yeah, Andre is back so have a cardiac.” The pace is perfect and Em includes all the proper inflections, illustrating a clear understanding of what Dre is capable of vocally, the hallmark of a strong writer. It doesn’t sound like Dre rapping an Eminem verse. It sounds like Dr. Dre.
Nas, as usual takes things to other dimensions with cutting edge lyricism. What makes him so brilliant is the ability to not have to use big words to flesh out concept in ways that mortals can’t. Simple things like vacation tans become “your skin’s the traveling bag of your existence, yours is shabby and scabbed, while mines glisten, vivid on my skin how many continents I visit then you can journey with me to different places by listening.” Only Nas can merge Bugatti’s and Mayan calendars and not sound forced. He does that and much more through the course of his verse.
The album that shall not be named has been taking on water like the S.S. Minnow. This, unlike many of the other tracks that have come before it, sounds fresh and actually has me looking forward to the finished product. A few more of these and maybe, just maybe I’ll really be looking forward to D___x.
Eminem X Nas- “Topless”
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