
[junkie-dropcap]N[/junkie-dropcap]as in is an artist who needs no introduction. His mark on hip-hop is one of the most sizable in the genre’s history. His debut album alone sparks inspiration in aspiring artists even now. From figures like J. Cole and Joey Bada$$ down to YBN Cordae in the here and now, the influence of Nas can still be felt.
But Nas himself is still very much active in the culture, returning from hiatus in 2018 with the Kanye West-produced “Nasir”. A divisive record that I personally still love to this day. He then followed that up last year with “The Lost Tapes 2”, a project that I have none of the same attachment to. To me, “Lost Tapes 2” was easily one of the most disappointing efforts across Nas’ discography. So much of the time, it didn’t feel like it was coming from Nas at all.
Putting that aside, here we are now with “King’s Disease”. An album that immediately caught my eye due to the list of collaborators on this project. Names like Don Tolliver and Lil Durk that I don’t associate with Nas at all. That plus Hit-Boy behind the boards told me that whichever way it went, this would be an interesting listen. So let’s dive in.
Dominic Fike – What Could Possibly Go Wrong, Album Review
Before anything else, I have to compliment Hit-Boy. He’s been on a hot streak all this year and his production (even when I don’t love it) is easily the most consistent aspect of this album. From the vocal samples on the intro track to the “Illmatic”-esque keys and drums on “Blue Benz”, Hit-Boy brings a lot to the table here. He doesn’t stick to one sound and gives Nas opportunities to step outside of his comfort zone.
Sadly though, this record is full of moments where I feel like Nas fumbles the ball. (The “27 Summers” beat deserved so much better) More so in terms of songwriting than how he sounds on the beats. (Though his flows get a little choppy on over one occasion) The songs on this album all have presented ideas to them. They’re never confusing or aimless. But songs like “Car #85” or “Ultra Black” don’t go the extra mile with the concepts they’re trying to present. They’re dull and stagnant.
The album’s closer “The Cure” is the only storytelling track that compels me. Even it starts off slow but once the beat switches, Nas takes off. The imagery can be questionable. (“Still going deeper like I grew a new inch on my dick”?) But it remains the only song that showcases what I love about Nas. It’s not the only song I enjoy but it’s the only one that makes a case for Nas as a strong “author”, if you will. Someone who can pull you into the scenery of his anecdotes.
Amine- “Limbo” Album Review
As interested as I was in the featured artists going into this album, they were also the biggest point of worry for me. I had to wonder if this was gonna be a “Music To Be Murdered By” type of album. An album in which a veteran artist collaborates with the new hotness and sounds lost the entire time. I can say “King’s Disease” is slightly better for 2 reasons. One being that Nas keeps a much stronger sense of musical identity than Eminem as the years go by. The other being that the features here aren’t as spotty as I expected them to be. I think almost all of them do their respective songs a lot of favors.
“Replace Me” for example actually makes perfect sense as a Big Sean & Don Tolliver song. Nas himself is the surprising inclusion there. But all 3 of them work better together than I thought. The song I was most skeptical about ended up being one of my favorites. I can say the same for “Til The War Is Won” with Lil Durk. Between this and getting featured on Drake’s new single, Durk is impressing me lately.
But my absolute favorite is far and away “All Bad”. I’m happy to hear Anderson .Paak anywhere and there’s such an old school appeal to his vocals on the song. Nas’ performance on the song is one of the best on the album too. “Full Circle” isn’t far behind it though. The Firm reunion was easily what I was most excited about going into the album and it didn’t disappoint. Everyone brought hard rhymes and the surprise Dr. Dre appearance was an excellent touch.
Boldy James- The Versace Tape, Album Review
The only feature that I feel under-performed was Fivio Foreign on the bonus track “Spicy”. A$AP Ferg did an outstanding job on that song, and in comparison, Fivio’s verse just comes off less than the bare minimum.
Overall, “King’s Disease” is a mixed bag. Nas has hit much lower lows and much higher highs. This album is the definition of “mid” both in Nas’ catalog and just in general. It just seems like the levels of thought and depth put into his best works are never as present anymore, if at all. He’s still more than capable of making enjoyable songs and there’s no denying he’s a spitter. But he doesn’t seem to rap with intent like he used to. When he tries, the execution is often subpar.
But I’ll always be a Nas fan and I’m at least happy this is better than “Lost Tapes 2”. There are a couple of songs on here I’ll enjoy coming back to.