Nas
King’s Disease II
Mass Appeal
Buy via Official Store | Listen Below
The past 12 months have been an extraordinary run for Mr. Nasir Jones. After releasing the first installment of his King’s Disease saga in August 2020, Nas proceeded to receive his first GRAMMY Award (for Best Rap Album) and weeks later, his classic 1994 debut album Illmatic was inducted into the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress.
With his long line of critical and commercial acclaim to accompany his recent string of successful business ventures, Nas picks up a pen and pad, with perhaps even stronger focus, to collaborate with producer Hit-Boy once more, for King’s Disease II. Nas and Hit-Boy hit their musical stride immediately with the song “Pressure,” which serves as the album opener. Nas’ flow—which remains one of the most distinctive and celebrated across the entire hip-hop genre—is impeccable over Hit-Boy’s flawless production.
Nas’ astute storytelling, which is another staple of his revered lyrical arsenal, is on full display on “Death Row East.” The song finds Nas masterfully recounting the true-life details of the mid ‘90s “East Coast/West Coast” rivalry from his own perspective, offering additional context about his dealings with another hip-hop legend, the late great Tupac Shakur, and his affiliated Death Row Records. The anecdotes are as captivating as a cinematic biopic or print memoir, and timely for fans of Nas or Shakur who have likely matured enough by now to fully appreciate the former’s sincerity in his retelling of these incidents.
Another fellow musical and cultural icon, Ms. Lauryn Hill, also makes a guest appearance on King’s Disease II. The singer/emcee extraordinaire comes in on the song “Nobody” as if she has never taken a musical sabbatical at all and reclaims her crown of being one of the most lyrically gifted to ever grasp a mic. Nas’ verse is not lackluster by any means, but it’s a bit upstaged merely by the excitement of L-Boogie’s long-awaited return to the studio.
Packed with plenty of star power, “EPMD 2” is another notable moment sure to intrigue hip-hop diehards. The acclaimed duo’s Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith effectively deliver their signature, back-and-forth flow over the track, while Eminem appears to struggle for proper footing over modern production.
Songs like “Store Run” and “Moments” not only cement both Nas and Hit-Boy’s respective mastery of their individual crafts, but also solidify their cohesiveness as a creative unit. Nas’ flow comes across perhaps more effortless than we have ever witnessed during his career, which has now spanned four different decades.
In its entirety, King’s Disease II remains entertaining and the product of clear artistic focus from the emcee and producer. The album largely embraces one linear narrative of how Nas, being one of hip-hop’s most celebrated artists, survived some tumultuous times in the early years of his career, as a prelude to now basking in the success of the present.
Nas is an indisputable decorated lyrical veteran, who has scars from his glory days, but has survived to become one of the genre’s most impressive success stories. Fortunately for us, he has linked with one of the most talented beatmakers in the game to help him craft beautiful canvasses to depict his great war stories.
Notable Tracks: “Brunch On Sundays” | “Moments” | “Nobody” | “Store Run”
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