Nas followers like to debate which producer works finest with him. He’s collaborated with a number of the biggest producers in an illustrious 25 yr profession that spans 15 solo albums. Relying on the period of once you found Nas, you could possibly argue both Giant Professor, L.E.S., Trackmasters, Salaam Remi, No I.D., DJ Premier or Dr. Dre maximized the producer-rapper synergy. However within the 2020s, possibly Hit-Boy is his finest match for conserving him related in a altering rap panorama with an unequalled run of releasing 4 initiatives.
Nas and Hit-Boy have in contrast their inventive output to Shaq and Penny and Michael and Quincy, paying homage to duos with simple success and chemistry. Whereas the Grammy-winning tremendous producer has synced up with artists earlier than, there’s one thing particular about Hit-Boy modernizing Nas’ sound, heightening his tales with delicate, elegant beats.
King’s Illness 3 is the third iteration and the primary of the sequence with no options. Persevering with the place the Grammy-nominated predecessor left off, King’s Illness 3 exhibits Nas has extra to say about profession longevity, authorized hustling, the Queens borough that raised him, and the wealth he’s collected as a rap mogul. The music concepts and themes are coherent, displaying Nas is bettering as he approaches 50.
Early responses have drawn collective smirks over his fabled rivalry with Jay-Z. “No beef or rivals/they playin’ ‘Ether’ on TIDAL/Brothers can do anythin’ after they resolve to/In a Vary Rover, dissectin’ bars from ‘Takeover’/Typically I textual content Hova, like ‘N***a, this ain’t over,’ laughin,’” he raps on “Thun” over a pattern of Boogie Down Productions’ “The Bridge Is Over.”
Different shout-outs on the album embrace the late Drakeo the Ruler (“Similar to Drakeo The Ruler, my n***a, we all know the reality”), Kendrick Lamar (“Since Kendrick entered the environment, ’09, I used to be there”), and Younger Thug (“The crosswalk woman walkin’ with the youngsters to high school/There’s a spot in heaven for her, as is you/And in the event you don’t imagine in that, then SLATT”). In comparison with different legacy rappers, Nas is conscious of their affect and what they’re doing for hip-hop. Acknowledging the youthful technology like he’s performed together with his options on earlier King’s Illness installments exhibits he’s giving them an equal platform and their due respect.
If KD1 is well-rounded Nas, KD2 is Nas at his most motivated and excessive spirited, and Magic is Nas channeling his ‘90s output, then KD3 is his most private venture of his current run. “30” finds him reflecting on doing this Hip Hop factor for nearly 30 summers, talking on his longevity and even teasing that the DJ Premier album may nonetheless occur whereas checking Pete Rock within the course of. “I’m On Fireplace” opens with a line only for the core Nasir followers (“Nonetheless obtained the identical flame behind me from the ‘Hate Me Now’ video/It’s continuous”). Nas even will get sentimental on “First Time,” flipping the monitor to explain the primary time he heard legends like Slick Rick, Biggie, 2Pac, N.W.A., and extra.
As soon as once more, it’s Hit-Boy who’s energized Nas previous uncommon kind and into God mode. He’s established a format of letting Nas revisit his gospels like a smart elder statesman, giving him an alley-oop with manufacturing that permits him to be relaxed and assured. Hit-Boy’s beats aren’t busy in any respect, creating an environment that’s wealthy with nostalgia. He will get inventive together with his samples, and “Legit” is one of the best instance, flipping a traditional scene with Eddie King, Jr. from the 1991 movie The 5 Heartbeats to create a clear banger.
KD3’s remaining two tracks are vital reminders of Nas’ ingenuity on the subject of talking on violence within the Black group. “Beef” takes on the personification of battle, detailing why “beef” is at all times taking souls and joins his different perspective tracks like “I Gave You Energy.” On “Don’t Shoot,” Nas makes a case for locating a strategy to save lives. He raps, “Am I snitching when the police commissioner my pal?/Am I a participant when me and the mayor hangin’ and faucet in?/Only a grown man tryna see the way to change the group/’Trigger all I see is mamas crying, studying eulogies.” He then notes, “Think about no man shot for the subsequent 10 years, no man killed for the subsequent 30 years.” It’s an unlucky actuality that historical past continues to repeat itself, however the ever-conscious Nas believes there’s a greater future forward. The form of consciousness that solely comes from a road disciple, utilizing his affect and data to do extra good.
KD3 retains Nas within the relevancy dialog as a result of his voice remains to be impactful, calling to motion when some may say he doesn’t want to do that anymore. It’s a lesson in purposeful storytelling and ageing with grace.