Buddy Guy, John Mellencamp, Skillz and Nas

"Nas" is a daring move, as its original title was the most divisive racial slur in America, the word symbolically buried by the NAACP in a funeral led by Jesse Jackson, who, it turns out, says it when he thinks no one is listening.

In a treatise that is reflective, informed and mostly eloquent, "Nas" is a definitive reclamation of "that word," a searing thesis that is at times uncomfortable and brilliant.

Reclaiming is a major theme throughout, whether it's "the word" or the legacy of slaves who turned scraps into soul food, and that gift is well-explained on "You Can't Stop Us Now." Black style (and consumerism) is celebrated on "We Make the World Go Round," while "Sly Fox" is a strong indictment of Rupert Murdoch, Bill O'Reilly and Fox, which he accuses of misinformation and propaganda.

This is an exceedingly smart album, albeit at the expense of music; only a few cuts, including the critique of black eating habits, "Fried Chicken," are especially sonically pleasing. But music is not the point.

Nas' occasional paranoia is a stark reminder of the anger and resentment some Americans harbor under the surface. This album forces listeners to face the elephant in the room, down to its ugly cover art and unsettling original title. In a career standout, Nas slams home the artistic value of rap music and the cultural relevance of the word that we dare not speak.

- Malcolm Venable, The Pilot

Nas: "Nas"

Rating: Download a few tracks

Tracks to download: "You Can't Stop Us Now," "Fried Chicken," "Sly Fox"

Buddy Guy has had a fruitful partnership with Silvertone Records since '91, when the label returned him to the conversation with the Grammy-winning "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues."

Other than toying with blues-rock ("Heavy Love") and detouring into acoustic blues ("Blues Singer"), it's been business as usual for the reigning statesman of Chicago blues.

If "Skin Deep" finds him in typical form, that's not bad. Yeah, Guy dusts off the familiar themes, but his enthusiasm is the real deal and his axmanship... well, it's nothing short of a punch to the gut.

The disc also adds to Guy's roster of guest artists, most notably Derek Trucks on the title cut and Robert Randolph on the rollicking "That's My Home." (For the record, Eric Clapton is way overmatched on "Every Time I Sing the Blues.")

No problem, but "Skin Deep" takes off when Guy is the show. The opening "Best Damn Fool" throws down a gauntlet that's picked up on "Lyin' Like a Dog," "Hammer and a Nail" and the shoutout "Who's Gonna Fill Those Shoes."

Get your blues fix here.

- Craig Shapiro, The Pilot

Buddy Guy: "Skin Deep"

Rating: Download a few tracks

Tracks to download: "That's My Home," "Who's Gonna Fill Those Shoes," "Hammer and a Nail" In "Life, Death, Love and Freedom,"

John Mellencamp delivers a message that many probably don't want to hear, but he's been doing that his entire 30-plus-year career.

The messages in this 14-track disc are often simple, mixed with the perfectly suited music that anchors them, from "life is short, even in its longest days" to "why do so many suffer; oppressed to the end of time; why does freedom move so slowly, unable to speak its mind." Acoustic melodies, mixed with beautiful harmonies with Karen Fairchild, are shown on songs such as "My Sweet Love."

For those who have loved Mellencamp since he was singing about needing a lover who didn't drive him crazy, his latest compilation should touch any generation. Sure, the Indiana rocker mixes words of pessimism, like being stabbed to death in "County Fair" by someone who "I can't remember who he was," but he also offers hope with his raspy, lingering voice in "A Brand New Song."

Thanks for these new songs, John. They'll resonate for a long time.

- Toni Guagenti, The Pilot

John Mellencamp: "Life, Death, Love and Freedom"

Rating: Go get it now

Tracks to download: "Longest Days," "My Sweet Love," "Don't Need This Body"

Richmond-based rapper Skillz, often a ghostwriter for marquee rap stars, puts his own name in lights on "The Million Dollar Backpack."

The title - a nod to the "backpack" title given to underground, anti-gangsta rappers and his quietly earned fortune - is a hint at the kind of clever, multiple-entendre lines Skillz is known for spitting, and those are in spades here. He has a relaxed, familiar appeal; he sounds like the guy from around the corner, or your cousin who got a record deal.

That's both a blessing - his songs are thankfully free of thug posturing - and a curse, because his name-dropping and self-congratulation sometimes seem like attempts to legitimize his place.

Still, songs like "My Phone," "Where I Been" and "Crazy World" remain focused on a singular topic often to rewarding and fun effect. Guest stars Black Thought, Common and Freeway appear on songs whose beats seem tailor-made for them, and Skillz never seems overshadowed. It's overall a fun, great summertime album. Be sure to read the interesting liner notes.

- Malcolm Venable, The Pilot

Skillz: "The Million Dollar Backpack"

Rating: Download a few tracks

Tracks to download: "Don't Act Like You Don't Know" with Freeway, "Hold Tight" with Black Thought