I’ve been listening to “One Mic” by Nas on repeat for a while now. I’m amazed by the song – I certainly didn’t expect anything off of the new Nas record to be any good, much less as powerful as this. Like most everyone else, I’d counted him out; and was maybe a bit overeager to let Jay-Z’s assessment in “Takeover” be etched in stone.

Anyway, the song burns with this slow, quiet intensity, with a few bursts of drama as the narrative takes off… Nas never sounds angry in these parts of the song – he sounds strident. He sounds passionate, realistically so. If he’s faking it, then he’s a fabulous and understated actor. The music feels so perfect, so wee-hours-quiet, the dog and sirens sound effects aren’t cheesy, they work just right. It’s a very early 90’s east coast sound – and obviously, along with the Wu and Biggie, Nas defined that sound. I imagine some people could see him as reverting to formula, but I think it’s more like an artist recognizing his own strengths.

This song is probably the most subtle single I’ve heard on the radio or seen on MTV in ages.