“Me and Hit-Boy they say we like the new Gang Starr…” – Nas
Hip-hop veteran Nas returns to Lyrical Lemonade with his second 2021 album release titled Magic. The Queens, New York legend has been on an absolute tear, once more receiving a thoroughly deserved Grammy nomination for the second installment of his Kings Disease series with the third on the way. Of course, Nas’ greatness is no surprise; it’s his renewed competitive spirit to thrive in today’s rap game (despite having nothing left to prove) that’s beautiful to witness. With that being said, it’d be a disservice to not credit RapCaviar’s producer of the year; Hit-Boy, who has remarkably produced a majority of Nas’ last three bodies of work. Released on the eve of Christmas, Magic contains nine fantastic tracks that showcase the otherworldly skills of the primary emcee as well as the producers. The first song is fittingly titled “Speechless,” which couldn’t be closer to the truth considering it’s arguably the best album opener I’ve heard all year. For starters, the beat provided by Hit-Boy is so absurd that Nas’ reaction mirrors every single listener’s upon hearing the track for the first time. Similarly, the flawless instrumental for “Wave Gods” featuring A$ap Rocky was crafted by the one and only DJ Premier, and in my opinion it’s one of Rocky’s best verses to date. From the powerful lyrics, to the impeccable production, to the refined mixing, every other record following “Speechless” is equal in quality. Conceptually Nas continues to return love by paying homage to fellow greats, such as the late Harlem legend Big L on “Ugly” and the iconic Wu-Tang Clan on the song “Wu for the Children.” On the latter joint, Nas says “Me, Jay and Frank White is like Cole, Drizzy and Kenny,” which is a remarkably powerful bar in and of itself provided context. For Nas to acknowledge his biggest hip-hop rival (Hov), another rival (Biggie), and put them on a pedestal next to today’s greats? That’s magic. Listen to the album in full below!