Nas- Magic
Nas, a living legend been dropping gems for those to research and take his words for visual purpose. An G.O.A.T Status MC who’s purpose with Hip-Hop was to educate the youth to help them grow into adults has done it again with another effort with frequently collaborator, Hit-Boy. Being able to understand how one’s collaboration idea’s could create Magic.
Nas has been working with Hit-Boy a lot when it comes to releases and maintained his name for this newer generation. Although this year was taken over by Griselda Record’s. Nas always remained classy and comes to understand the growth in the culture. Nas proved he can hang with these young people with his competition with Hit-Boy on the beats.
This means something because this proves (in no diss to Kanye), You only need two people in the studio. not 100. Let alone, this made me forgive Nas for dropping Nasir for the fact, this one is more crafted and it is more organized. This album contained 9 tracks and each one was playthrough music. Each song had a meaning and it is presented like a book where it has chapters.
Going on each track, we will dig deep on each one of them.
- Speechless - The song is a meaning because he claims his life was supposed ot end at 27 but believed he lived past that. Nas is a thankful individual because of how he praises life on each song and manages to make it sound repeatable. This song is a song about being thankful and being able to count blessings.
- Meet Joe Black - Nas taking big slices out the big apple which is his home in New York and made apple pie. This is a metaphorical song about how Nas still runs New York ahead of these newer generation of N.Y rappers.
- Ugly - This soulful sample makes you want to light candles and feel the mood. Nas is giving hints about King’s Disease III coming out therefore; This EP answered my questions about this being a Lost Tapes version of King’s Disease. This is a recent record because of the things that were going on such as comparing Marvin Gaye and Young Dolph metaphorically comparing those who kill their own people.
- 40–16 Building - A song named after the project address used growing up. Using his project address as a the rap game in it’s current situation, Nas is claiming child support in this song.
- Hollywood Gangsta -Nas is rapping his luxury rap on here as he tell’s his story about how he came from the projects to the mainstream reaching Hollywood status which he never cared about. Nas Escobar comes back with his tales about gangster’s really running Hollywood
- Wave God’s Feat. A$ap Rocky & DJ Premier -Nas should tap French Montana & Max-B for the remix. There needs to be a Wave God Remix.
- The Truth -If you are familiar with 1998’s I Am, this would be a beat that would made it back then because of the Mafioso persona. For this story telling entendre, there needs to be a remix feat. Scarface. This is the best song of the album because it brings us back to the Nas we remember. The mobster side of rap.
- Wu Is For The Children -Nas is bringing us back to the NY vibe where things were smooth sailing. A great ode to Wu-Tang in which, Nas was in competition with. Nas shout’s out ODB in the song proving that Wu-Tang is still for the children
- Dedicated -The best outro I heard in years. Nas is on some business creating a vision out of his audio. The best part is when Nas switches the beat up in between of the song which shows Hit-Boy’s creative process. The thing is with Hit-Boy, he always had hidden talent but it took for collaborations between him and Nas to show it. Kudos to the project in general.
Overall
Like Nas said, he and Hit are the new Gangstarr. The collaboration between the two created something to bridge the gap’s between the old and new. Nas rap’s like ass off with Hit-Boy productions and this did sound like an odd combination but equals to good experimentation.
Nas is one of those rappers who does not need any producer but one that knows his catalog and knows how to keep stride coming. You got to bring the beast out of the lion so Hit-Boys instrumentals made Nas roar.
Live From The Stove Top,
Andrew Kenekham A.K.A Druski Dru
