At 44 years of age, Nas remains one of the most vibrant figures in rap, with respect from the boom bap and jiggy set of yesteryear, as well as the turnt up youth and hipsters of today. If you have any doubt of his viability, the roaring buzz surrounding "Nas Album Done," Esco's contribution to DJ Khaled's Major Key album, as well as his growing portfolio as an entrepreneur, should tell you all you need to know about how the public is currently feeling about Nas.

But despite being one of the most influential and skilled artists in music of the past quarter-century, Nas has had his detractors. Some point to a lack of consistency in the quality of his albums, a hot take Jay Z once popularized during his attempted takedown of his former foe. However, contrary to belief, that perception is far from reality.

The occasional misstep aside, Nas has been as reliable when it comes in delivering strong bodies of work that truly stick to your ribs. He has a respected catalog of solo studio albums to his name -- at least a quarter of which have earned classic status, several platinum plaques and enough hits, street bangers and conceptual masterpieces to trump just about any to ever have touched the mic. Nas' status as Top 5 D.O.A. on the list of greats is pretty much set in stone.

To pay homage to the nastiest, and set the record straight about that one hot album every 10-year average theory, we've ranked Nas' solo albums to find out which one comes out on top. How do your favorites stack up?