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Rapper Nas experiments on new album By JIM FARBER KRT CAMPUS The rapper known as Nas isn’t self conscious about labeling his ambitious new album “weird.” It’s not terribly commercial, he admitted, “it’s personal.” A double album, “Street Disciple” aims to detail the 31-year-old rapper’s emotional life in a style as sprawling as the most celebrated twin CDs of hip hop history: Wu-Tang Clan’s “Wu Tang Forever,” Biggie Smalls’ “Life After Death” and OutKast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” “They’re my heroes,” Nas said “I wanted to be part of that.” In many ways, he already is. The moment his first album, “Illmatic,” appeared, Nasir Jones became known as one of hip-hop’s best writers. In the time since, he has often been compared to — and battled with — Jay-Z for the title of “the hip-hop King of New York.” No other rapper has brought together progressive politics with such thuggish aggression — a balance the rapper takes to a new level on “Street Disciple.” While most “positive” rappers come off as soft, Nas’ uplifting words haven’t tempered his resolutely hard image. “I represent a certain life — the street,” he explained. “Street is everything.” Nas concentrates on racial politics on the first section of “Street Disciple.” In the cut “American Way,” he sarcastically takes on the Democrats and the Republicans, not to mention the U.S. population at large. “I was inspired by the laziness (Americans) have,” he said. “People don’t even know what they’re voting for, or why they’re voting.” In “Coon Picnic,” he goes after black actors who dominate the sitcoms of UPN and the WB, and who, he said, “‘Yes, massah,’ on TV.” The album hardly sticks to social broadsides. Nas also raps about his father, jazz musician Olu Dara, his young daughter, Destiny, and his emotional growth, which is evident in his commitment to his wife, the singer Kelis. COURTESY OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rap artist Nasir “Nas” Jones, left, accompanied by his father, jazz musician Olu Dara, right, performs songs from his new double-disc album, “Street Disciple.” The references to Kelis are sure to generate the most talk. Though Nas has never been known for his sense of humor, he offers a funny intro, “Remember the Times,” in which Kelis talks about giving him a “free pass” to have sex with anyone from his past before they piarry. In the skit, Nas declines, but not before detailing his sexual history in a rap that would make Led Zeppelin’s groupie tales seem downright chaste. There is such a thing as “too much information.” Nas goes for a more serious view of sex in “The Makings of a Perfect Bitch.” Here, he offers a smart satire on the notion of an ideal woman. Amazingly, he says he created the song “as a freestyle when I was really high on fine wine.” Nas has lighter moments in the music, too. For all the gravity of his sound and image, he comes up with catchy riffs and club-ready tracks, like the new “You Know My Style,” which re-creates Run DMC’s track “Jam Master Jay” in a way that pops. Nas is more reverent when talking about his relationship with his dad. He feels he has special reason to celebrate their connection since so many rappers have no father figures. “Bridging the Gap,” one of the two tracks on which Nas and his dad collaborated on the CD, is a blues number that explores Dara’s musical roots. But the question remains, can such pure explorations help Nas hold onto his fan base in an era when “crunk” party records dominate hip-hop? “There’s still room for the emcee from New York,” Nas said confidently. “That’s the beginning of the music. And that’s the end.” President’s victory a win for ‘SNL’ Bush By CHUCK BARNEY KRT CAMPUS George Bush and the Republican Party weren’t the only ones experiencing the thrill of victory on Election Day. “Saturday Night Live” cast member Will Forte came out looking like a big winner as well. Forte, from the Bay Area of California, began playing Bush on the iconic comedy show late last season, assuming the prized role after another Will — Ferrell — departed the series. With the president now assured of a second term, Forte is assured of a high profile spot in “SNL’s” political sketches. It’s a big step up for Forte, who joined “SNL” in the 2002-03 season and has spent much of his tenure vying for camera time among some of his more famous castmates. The attention can be somewhat unnerving for Forte, who launched his career as a member of The Groundlings, an improv-sketch troupe in Los Angeles that has been a training base for such stars as Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, Lisa Kudrow and Ferrell. Despite his experience, he admits that he still battles the jitters during the live “SNL” telecasts. Life in the spotlight has its advantages. Earlier this year, for the first time, he had the experience of opening the show with the famous “Live from New York” tag line. A proud Forte then presented the cue card to his mother, Patti, in Danville, Calif., for her birthday. Q: What has the experience been like — impersonating the commander in chief? A: It’s been a lot of fun, and also pretty scary. Q: Scary? In what way? A: Well, Will Ferrell’s portrayal of Bush was so amazing. To be the guy who steps in for him is really a daunting task. He was just so good at it. But each time I do it, I seem to get a little more comfortable with it and stress out less. Q: How did you go about preparing for the role? A: ... I just started by watching a bunch of tapes and trying to get his voice down. And I had a lot of trouble with that. There’s a rasp to his voice that I just can’t seem to get. So I tried concentrating more on his speaking patterns, his mannerisms, the spacing of his breaths. And Darrell Hammond, who is a great impressionist, gave me some pointers. It’s definitely a work in progress. Every week, I do a little more fine-tuning. Q: So what traits of Bush did you immediately try to seize upon? A: While watching him in that first debate, I was struck by the way he was constantly fumbling and searching for words. He was a bit whiny and irritable and that was fun to play. Now that he’s been re-elected, you get the sense that he’s a little cockier. It’s going to be fun keeping up with the evolution. Q: What has all the newfound attention been like for you? A: To be honest, the show is such hard work, such a weekly grind, that I’ve been too busy to notice any kind of big change — if there is one. Sure, every once in a while, someone will come up to you on the street and say, “Hey, you’re that guy!” But, really, not all that much. I will admit, though, that being on the “Today” show with Seth (Myers) was pretty cool. Museum to host portrait contest ByJENNI DILLARD THE GAMECOCK The Columbia Museum of Art is holding its first About Face Face Off, a portrait-making competition that will be held in January for Columbia and the surrounding areas. This is the first year the contest will be held in Columbia, but the idea came from other places around the state. “It was done previously in the Charleston area,” said Ellen Woodoff, director of marketing and communications for the museum. The competition is open to anyone age 18 and older and will be held on Jan. 8-9. The first 32 people to register and pay the $30 entry fee by the Jan. 7 deadline will be in the contest. Artists will be paired up and each will create a portrait of the other person through any medium they choose. The variety of mediums is something that makes this contest unique. “Anything goes!” Woodoff said. Although realistic representations are what most people think of first when making a portrait Woodoff said that “abstract pieces can certainly be deemed best.” There will be three judges for the two-day competition. After five rounds whoever is left will be deemed the winner. A first prize of $500, a $250 gift certificate to City Art for second place, and two third place prizes of Columbia Museum of Art’s exhibition catalogues will be awarded. About Face was formed 10 years ago by a group of artists who simply loved their craft. Recently it has become a membership affiliate group at the Columbia Museum of An. Every Tuesday night members get together to create works and make new friends. For more information about how to get involved with About Face or to get a registration form for the contest go to www.columbiamuseum.org or call 343 2208. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu