The new album of Nas, MAGIC
Nas has been in rare form lately, and it’s showing with all of this new music. He raps on “40–16 Building” to point out how much he’s been recording recently, and every time we hear from him these days, there is always an album or two waiting just around the corner!
He and Hit-Boy have a new album out this year called Magic, which was just announced in the last days of 2021. One song features DJ Premier and A$AP Rocky in the album, but the rest is simply him and Hit-Boy, as they have been on the previous two King’s Disease albums.
Album After Album
Nas’ second album of 2021, Magic, arrives just in time following King’s Disease II, released in August. This album is “to fuel the buzz,” as he says on “Ugly,” but he’s not done yet, letting the listener know that King’s Disease III is on the way.
A Message Sent Out Loud
Nas appreciates the nice things in life while also taking a broad view of the world around him in Magic. He flexes the numerous checks he’s setting, whether from ASAP and Viacom or from launching startups. This is above street level, yet he makes it plain on “Hollywood Gangsta” that he is still welcome in the streets. He can move between many other realms with ease.
Nas isn’t content with tiny payouts; he wants the bank for his people, not “money that fits in the bag.” He also wants to increase the number of resources available in the hood. On “Dedicated,” he raps, “The hood could use more funds, more budgets for more teachers, financial literacy, and more speeches.”
A Hit-Hard Album — Especially for Fellow Rappers
The New York rapper also looks at the rap scene around him, going after rappers who don’t mean what they say and aren’t even in the rap pantheon, despite their boasts. On “Ugly,” he criticizes how the community is destroying itself from within, citing the assassination of Young Dolph as an example.
There is only one collaboration on this album, “Wave Gods,” and boy, do they make it count. DJ Premier and A$AP Rocky contribute their skills to the song, which has a classic and timeless feel.
Hit-Boy’s Best Work Yet?
This is, without a doubt, some of the hit-best boy’s work to date. Like the fluttering guitars on “The Truth” or the collaboration with Premo on “Wave Gods,” the beats are pure fire. On “Dedicated,” the beat transition emphasizes how adaptable he is, laying a gold-plated foundation for Nas to flow over.
Nas must be inspired by Hit-Boy’s beats because Magic arrives sixteen months after King’s Disease (2020) and only five months after King’s Disease II. The project, which was unexpectedly released on Christmas Eve, is their best collaboration to date. It’s a logical continuation of King’s Disease’s first two installments, touching on many of the same subjects as earlier albums, but with a greater focus.
If you are a hip-hop enthusiast, Magic is undoubtedly something that you can’t miss. With the pyroclastic flow of lyrics and ever-amazing Hit-boy’s beats, Magic is not here to take part but to take over!
