While the confrontational cultural criticisms on Nas’ ninth album often intrigue, no club DJ will ever field requests for “that catchy Nas song about the detrimental effects of high cholesterol on African Americans.” Fact is, Nas is more a self-serious spoken-word artist than a satisfying pop performer. With the right beats — Illmatic’s timely sonic snapshots or the occasional crate-digging excursions on 2006’s nostalgic Hip Hop Is Dead — Nas graduates from interesting to excellent. But with throwaway beats (from Polow Da Don, Cool & Dre and fellow rap revolutionary stic.man) and atrociously sappy crooned choruses, Untitled’s barn-broad tirades (the Fox-hunting “Sly Fox”), X-Files conspiracy theories (“We’re Not Alone”) and passionate political campaigning (hint: he isn’t voting McCain) are interesting at best.

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