This week Brooklyn MC and hip-hop legend Nas returned to release his twelfth solo studio record King’s Disease, following the release of his 2019 mixtape The Lost Tapes 2 and 2018’s NASIR, executive produced by Kanye West. Known best for his first two projects, 1994’s genre-defining Illmatic and 1996’s It Was Written, Nas has spent most of the past decade out of the limelight, returning only just a few years ago to return to rap’s center stage. While The Lost Tapes 2 wasn’t much to write home about, 2018’s NASIR was packed with hard-hitting political raps over pristine production. It was a record full of opportunities most rappers only dream of, and since then many have been wondering when Nas would return to form like that. Thankfully King’s Disease sees the NY rapper join forces with CA rapper/producer heavyweight Hit-Boy, who you likely know from his smash hits like Travis Scott’s “SICKO MODE”, Kanye West’s “Clique” or “N****s in Paris”, Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle”, or even from older A$AP Rocky cuts like “1 Train” or “Goldie”. Together, the two journey through verse and beat alike to create one of the most memorable hip-hop albums of the year.
If you’ve heard a Nas record before then the lyrics on King’s Disease won’t come as much of a surprise to you. Nas has an exceptional affinity for the political as well as strengths in hip-hop’s usual lyrical cornerstones like braggadocios flexing and menacing narrative-weaving. This truth becomes incredibly apparent on tracks like “The Cure” and “The Definition” featuring Brucie B, the latter of which features Nas delivering powerful punches over an overstimulating but victorious instrumental. It is also on this track that Nas interestingly gets political about the threat of global warming, which came as a surprise to me because I didn’t expect him to believe in the danger of greenhouse gases after his outspoken anti-vax beliefs on NASIR. Nevertheless, Nas’s writing is effortlessly overwhelming and brilliant as usual, and the songwriting on this project is far more cohesive and logical than the projects that preceded it. On The Lost Tapes 2, many enjoyable tracks were hindered by how at times they felt like a word soup of politics, trauma, and fame, but luckily this is not the case with King’s Disease.
Though Nas’s lyrics don’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, what he lacks in innovation he makes up for with consistency, flow, delivery, and tone. These elements paired with Hit-Boy’s incredible production ability makes for some solid tracks that immediately were replayed on my first listen. The record’s first two tracks flow from a classic and laid back composition to a beautiful and intense combination of lurching 808’s and snares that juxtapose the track’s delicate piano melodies. I remember leaning back and thinking, “How did we go from A Written Testimony (which Hit-Boy also produced for) to Port of Miami so quickly?” I didn’t really have an answer but that was beside the point. Three tracks later and “27 Summers” was probably one of my favorite mixes from Hit-Boy so far. I’m not kidding - put on the song now. Hear the punchy snares and the 80’s synthesizer that transitions into those glittering melodies? The composition and rhythm of the beat, especially towards the end, is so weird and memorable I couldn’t help but text my friend to let him know that this album already had potential- there are moments like this across the album.
King’s Disease isn’t all politics and fame though - there are intimate and tender moments that are rare for a rapper like Nas to have on his records. “Til The War Is Won” is a beautiful meditation with Lil Durk about the relationship between men and women in the face of violence. It is a somber but uplifting track about unity and strength where Nas praises the strength of single mothers. “All Bad” with Anderson .Paak is a more intimate break from the record, where Nas and .Paak trade performances about failed relationships and good memories. It’s a sweet moment that is amplified by Hit-Boy’s jazzy drum loops and nostalgic piano chords. Other moments that are worth mentioning include Charlie Wilson’s performance on “Car #85”, a cut that sounds like a more like a chill 70’s R&B classic than a Nas song, and A$AP Ferg’s verse on the bonus track “Spicy” with Five Foreign, where he closes the album and gives a little shout out to Pop Smoke in doing so.
Overall King’s Disease is a nice return to form from Nas and Hit-Boy, and though the album definitely could have taken more risks, it was still an enjoyable project from two artists I didn’t realize how much I had missed. Nas and Hit-Boy both veer across multiple styles of hip-hop on this project, from the boom-bap on “10 Points” to the raw ambience of “Full Circle” with a host of guests including The Firm, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The modern and the nostalgic intersect well on this project, as King’s Disease will likely remain in rotation through the coming weeks. Fans of both eras will surely find something to enjoy on this record.
Favorite Tracks
27 Summers
King’s Disease
Replace me (Feat. Big Sean and Don Toliver)
Rating: 8
Listen to King’s Disease here:
