Having spent his last album pondering American racism, Nas takes his new one to the motherland with buddy (and Bob's son) Damian Marley. Though they decry Africa's ills, they also offer hopeful visions on the Lil Wayne-assisted "My Generation." The live-band reggae sometimes feels sleepy, but Nas is there to slap the track awake — as on "Land of Promise," where he imagines an affluent Africa: "I picture Porsches, Basquiat portraits, pinky rings/Realistic princesses, heiresses, bunch of kings and queens."

“Time to Pretend”

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”