The journey for “Team Nas” has been a roller coaster ride for sure. He hit the hip-hop scene like a lot of guys, with a ton of buzz and expectations through the roof. The trouble is Illmatic not only met expectations at expectations’ front door, but it changed all the locks behind it. “The King from Queens” was anointed hip-hop monarch and savior.
Unfortunately for Nas, when one is elevated to the level of a deity there’s nowhere to go but down. A few ill-received albums down the line we find ourselves at Nastradamus. Rap pundits declared his career over while shoveling dirt into his grave. If you weren’t convinced at that point then “Takeover” was widely regarded as the right cross that would put him on his back for the full 10-count. You know the rest. “Ether” is literally a verb in the rap lexicon now.
So what do we expect from Nas at this point in the game? We were happy that the battle with Jay-Z seemed to give us our old “Nasty” back. The last two albums, however, Nasir and Lost Tapes II, respectively were met with a lukewarm reception. The complaints about beat selection, uninspired lyrics, and uninteresting concepts prevailed. The hip-hop landscape is completely different than when Live At The Barbecue left us lusty as a field trip to Magic City. Shipping platinum is a thing of the past. Nas himself is less than four years from turning 50.
Does he still have a message that we are interested in hearing? Can he compete with the Drakes and Kendricks? Does he even want to compete? He popped on a brand new rendition of Fight The Power earlier this year at the BET awards sounding hungry and focused.
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Surprise Disease
Last week Nas surprised us all with the announcement of his latest effort King’s Disease. Hold up. The king’s disease is quite literally Gout. Gout is a form of arthritis often contracted by monarchs way back when because of their decadent lifestyles, hence the moniker king’s disease. So what is Nas’ angle? Hopefully, it’s not the same angle as my least favorite Nas song called “Fried Chicken.” Here, Nas takes Black people to task for their love affair with the yard bird. Too much to unpack there. Let’s move on.
Nas King’s Disease
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Our intro to the new project came in the form of Ultra Black produced by Kanye West affiliate Hitboy. It’s a celebration of all things Black but not like a Mos Def but more like Dead Mike from CB4. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming. Nas doesn’t exactly blow your ears off with dope lyrics, nor will the beat shut down the club. The production sounds like something Common and Kanye might have been playing around with during the Be era.
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What’s Going On
Perhaps on Nas’ level dope beats and rhymes aren’t as much the point of his offerings. In the current climate, just months from George Floyd and Breonna Taylor we can use an artist like Nas. We could really use a socially conscious rapper with many pertinent commentaries to his credit. He’s responsible for giving us gems like “I know I can,” “These Are Our Heroes,” and “Black Girl Lost.”
What Marvin Gaye had on his heart before releasing What’s Going On in 1971 is what comes to mind. By that, I mean this country is full of societal angst just like ‘71. For our trouble, we got one of the most prolific albums on record. This article uses 6 question marks mostly because we don’t know much about this project at all. All-in-all there is only one real question here. Can Nas deliver? The stage remains set. There’s secret police in Portland, monumental voter suppression tactics, a pandemic, hell even murder hornets. He has garnered the services of a producer that he has been trying to work with for years in Hitboy. If Nas has a classic left in the chamber now is the time. King’s Disease is available for streaming tomorrow, August 21st.
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