This album was released on September 14th this year. I listened to this album once on the night it came out, but as of December 12th I haven’t gone back to it at all. It’s not that it was a bad album at all. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit on my first listen. I honestly couldn’t tell you why it took me so long to return to it and finally write this review. I guess I was just a little Nas & Hit-Boy’d out. I’m excited to relisten to it though. Nas is the greatest rapper of all time in my opinion, and I’ve really enjoyed every record he’s done with Hit-Boy. I really loved Magic 2 when I reviewed it, although I will say that it has grown off of me slightly ever since it came out. I have a feeling that this latest album will have the opposite effect on me. I enjoyed it when I first heard it, but I have to admit that I felt slightly underwhelmed, especially for the first four songs. I’m looking forward to seeing if I feel differently after revisiting it though.

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The first song is called Fever, and this is definitely the most disappointing song on the album to me.

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One thing that I’ve come to appreciate about Nas is that he always starts off his albums with amazing songs, but this song just didn’t blow me away. Don’t get me wrong; it’s definitely a good song. I think it just sounds a bit too predictable. It sounds like exactly what I would expect from a Nas & Hit-Boy collaboration. The beat is pretty solid—I really like how hard-hitting the percussion is—and Nas sounds as good as he always does. Lyrically, this feels like a victory lap for him. He’s kinda celebrating making it to the age of 50.

Singin' to Stevie Wonder Happy Birthday
Celebratin' years of flows and crazy wordplay
Seasoned, I'm leavin' my forties, I'm a griot
Deep as Deepak Chopra, dress socks and loafers
Family only, I'm holdin' hands with a cold piece
Bow to the old me, I'm officially OG

I think the second verse is better than the first one. His flow and rhymes sounded really good. He has a perfect voice for rapping too, so he just always sounds good on the mic. Again, it’s a good song. I wouldn’t say I love it, but I definitely enjoy it. I think they could’ve opened up the project in a more exciting way, but this is still pretty nice. I fuck with it. I will say that Nas’ humming on the outro sounds really flat, but that’s more of an observation than a critique. The second track is slightly better to me. It’s called TSK, and I like the beat a lot more. The way it switches up for the hook is really cool. I’m not as crazy about Nas’ performance over it sadly. I mean, the rapping is fine. I just feel like I expect a little more from him. There’s a line in the hook where he says “If rappers were presidents, I would get Trump’s vote.” I kinda have no idea what that’s supposed to mean. I think Nas’ rhyme schemes are really nice on this song, but I would’ve preferred a more aggressive flow. His voice is just so good that he still sounds great over this beat though. I think I honestly enjoyed this song more on my first listen of the album than I do now, but it’s still a good track to me. I fuck with it. The third track is called Superhero Status. I feel like my opinion of this song is like the inverse of that of the preceding track. I was more impressed by the production on TSK than Nas’ rapping, but it’s the other way around on this song. The one aspect of this beat that I like is how hard-hitting the drums are, but aside from that I’m not really in love with this instrumental. It’s definitely not bad. It just doesn’t stand out that much to me. Nas sounds really good here though. His flow and vocal delivery sounds a bit more aggressive than it did on the preceding track. The hook is pretty nice too. The second verse is great. I loved this line…

Delusional mood illusions refusin' to see truth

The rhymes in that line are fire. That’s probably my favorite line in the whole song just because of how smooth the rhymes sound. Just like with all the preceding material, I don’t love this track, but I definitely like it to some extent. I think it’s pretty good. The following track is called I Love This Feeling. I think this is the best song up to this point on the album. The vocal sample that serves as the primary loop for this instrumental is kinda cool. I like how Nas starts rapping with no percussion for the first few bars of the opening verse. Once the beat finally drops this shit just gets even better. I think Nas killed this track too. This is definitely the best performance from him up to this point on the record. That line about how he’s always found in the homicidal vinyl section is fire. The hook isn’t really anything special, but it serves its purpose as a break between the verses. The second verse is fire.

Cold part, Illmatic all the way through that episode of Ozark
I think that's harder than if I had co-starred
A ghetto symphony, I'm Chief Keef Cozart mixed with Mozart
It's ill when you get bags for your own art

I don’t really have any complaints with this one honestly. I mean, the beat isn’t amazing or anything, but I definitely like it to some extent. It’s really Nas himself that makes this song stand out to me though. This shit is dope. Track 5 is called No Tears, and this is the first song that really stood out as a highlight to me. I think the production from Hit-Boy here is amazing. This is probably my favorite beat on the album. I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet. It’s definitely up there though. I really love this song lyrically too. It’s basically a letter to himself in the future.

Dear older me,
You grown to be the one to coach the team
You still be on your fly shit, part spiritually psychic
You walk through the haze like Isaac
And maybe this gen' will see what you and Hit done
If they don't call it how it is, that's a big dub
That big age you rap, you did your big one
My favorite era from you gotta be this one

I feel like he could’ve gone deeper with the concept of this track, but I still really love what he did here. I think this song is dope as hell. The following track is another highlight called Never Die, and it features a fantastic verse from Lil Wayne. I like the upbeat production from Hit-Boy on this track, and the opening verse from Nas is really nice as well.

I left more flows in Pro Tools sessions
Than you ever thought of with old school methods
But what you're hearin' is the present day
Over breaks and samples, the New York NWA
The brand new Brand Nubians, N-A-S and Wayne
Don't threaten me with a good time, we here to stay
Nasty, they don't make 'em like me
Mask up, all black like I'm Pooh Shiesty, truth too
I'm like Detroit Red in a zoot suit, loose screws
Any great challenges, I find a loop through
Loopholes, why they treat me so bad, Club Nouveau, damn
The times we livin' in is crucial
This my Tom Cruise flow, top gun, they too slow

The hook—if you can even call it that—is really straightforward and simplistic, but it works as a break between the verses from Nas & Wayne. I think Wayne outrapped Nas on this track honestly. It’s not that Nas’ verse was lacking in quality. It’s just that Wayne really went above and beyond with his performance. He managed to keep a singular rhyme scheme going for his entire 24-bar verse. Wayne has been going crazy on features for more than five years at this point. If he was able to create a project with the same level of quality that his features have had then he would honestly have one of the better releases of the year. I haven’t listened to his latest solo project, but I’ve seen a lot of negative reception for it, so that’s unfortunate. He killed this shit though. I think this song is dope as hell. Track 7 is called Pretty Young Girl. The title of this track alone had me very worried. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad song at all though. I definitely enjoyed it to some extent. I think it’s pretty good sonically. I like the beat, although the repetitive “there was a pretty young girl” vocal sample is slightly irritating. Nas’ energetic vocal delivery sounds excellent here too. My issue with this song is just the lyrical content. I never wanna hear Nas rap about a pretty young girl, especially when he’s 50 years old. This is just kind of a weird track to me.

When I find her I'ma roll through, smooth in the Ghost coupe
Make shorty hop in, listen to BIG's vocals
See if I get a sign of intellectual
See if she rude, if she wild, if she sexual
If we caught a vibe, that'd be incredible

How does a 50 year old “catch a vibe” with a young girl? I don’t know, man. The more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I get. Again, I can enjoy it sonically, but lyrically I can’t get behind this track. It’s mediocre to me. Thankfully the following track, Based on True Events, is a little better. I don’t love the instrumental on this track because I find it to be slightly too repetitive, but the piano that comes in for the last 10 bars of the song sounds pretty nice. The storytelling is very well done on this track. However, I personally don’t find the content of the story itself that interesting. I mainly just enjoy this song for the rhymes, flow, and vocal delivery. Is it something that I’m gonna be returning to in the future? Probably not. It’s not a bad song at all though. It lacks replay value for me, but I do enjoy it to some extent. It’s an okay track. The following song, Based on True Events, Pt. 2, is definitely even better to me. I actually find this part of the story much more interesting than the first part. It’s not amazing or anything, but it’s very well executed. I think it probably helps that I like this beat much more than that of the preceding track. Nas sounds really good here. His flow, vocal delivery, rhymes, and storytelling ability are all on display here. This is far from a highlight on the album for me, but I definitely like it. I think it’s pretty good. Track 10 is called Sitting with My Thoughts, and I’m still kinda torn on this track. Honestly, I find the instrumental really corny. It sounds like something Meek Mill would rhyme over to me. Thankfully, Nas’ rapping is pretty damn nice on this track. I really liked this couplet…

Shoutout to rappers who inspired me in my beginnings
Who I inspired right back when they pen was dwindlin'

It’s an okay track, but I’m never gonna listen to this again. Again, the only reason I don’t like it is because of the production. This is probably my least favorite beat on the whole album. Nas did his thing though. The following track is called Blue Bentley, and I kinda feel the same way about this track. I don’t like this beat. I definitely think it’s better than that of the preceding track, but it just feels a bit too commercial for me. I think this would be a good choice for a single despite not liking it. I feel like this is probably gonna be one of the more popular tracks just because it has that poppy sound. The lyrical content isn’t really that interesting to me. Nas is basically just flexing throughout this track.

Two girls, same city, both wanna stay with me
I bought the plane ticket, say my life ain't litty

I don’t know, man. This is just kinda lame to me. I definitely like Nas’ flow and vocal delivery, but that’s pretty much it. The more I listen to this song, the less I like it. I think it’s mid. Track 12 is called Jodeci Member, and it’s thankfully much better. The instrumental is really nice, and Nas sounds fantastic over it. I find the hook on this track a little boring, but that’s just a minor nitpick. Lyrically, this song doesn’t stand out that much to me. I mainly enjoy this song sonically. Nas’ flow and voice sound excellent. The production is really nice too. This is a good track. Track 13 is called Speechless, Pt. 2. I was excited for this track because Speechless is one of the best songs Nas & Hit-Boy have made together. The beat has a very different vibe from that of the original song. It’s fire though. I love this instrumental. This is honestly one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. Hit-Boy killed it, and so did Nas.

My guess is someone'll replace your soul
A.I. is only here to replicate and control
Imitatin' the original then grabbed them a mold
Of the binary code, it's your patterns they stole
This my tactical flow, the one they can't redesign
You can redo the voice, but you can never read my mind

This is one of the few tracks on the album that I have zero nitpicks with. I still prefer the original Speechless song, but I’m definitely satisfied with this sequel. I think this shit is dope as hell. The penultimate track is called Japanese Soul Bar, and it was almost another highlight for me. The beat is superb, and Nas sounds great over it.

My humble beginnings ain't what my hunger diminished
A burnout in this game before I would run into millions
See, that's a major fumble, and I'm made for the jungles
So I called Jungle, I said, "Put away the bundles"
Truly, they gon' cry when they see this movie
No dry eyes in the theater, the viewers are livin' through me

I just wish there was more than one verse. The verse he gave us is pretty nice, but I feel like he could’ve went even harder on a second one. The way the beat switches up for the outro is pretty dope, and I really like how they included audio of Nas’ first interview ever. That was pretty cool to hear. Even though I think Nas could’ve rapped more on this song, I still really fuck with it. I think it’s dope. The closing track is called 1-800-Nas&Hit, and it’s pretty dope. I like the production a lot. The relatively minimal percussion is nice. I think this was a nice way to close the second trilogy in Nas & Hit-Boy’s catalogue. It’s a really nice farewell. Lyrically, this track has Nas reflecting on his run with Hit-Boy.

It's like the box sets, Star Wars, Fast & Furious franchises
Six projects, six sagas, it's hood science
4 A.M. infomercials tellin' you where to buy it
1-800-Nas&Hit, all six like a greatest hits
No, my brother, you got to cop your own
Whether we did diamond or hardly sold
We did it for our soul

What can I say about this song that I haven’t already said about the other tracks? Nas’ flow and vocal delivery sound as good as ever, and the production is really good. This shit is dope.

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^{This is a good album. However, I have to admit that it’s pretty easily my least favorite out of all the collaborations Nas has made with Hit-Boy. I feel like I’m the only person on the planet who prefers the original King’s Disease and Magic 2 over this album. The middle section of this album just really brought things down for me. I don’t think these beats are as great as the other stuff Hit-Boy has made for Nas. As much as I enjoyed albums like King’s Disease 3 and the original Magic, I have to say that I’m glad Nas & Hit-Boy are done working with each other. I think it’s very apparent on this album that they were starting to lose steam and run out of ideas. I still think this is a historic run though. Two trilogies at the same time in three years is crazy. This is definitely in the lower tier of Nas albums for me, but I still enjoyed it to some extent. I’m in the minority too; most people seem to think this is one of the best albums they’ve done together. I prefer all their other albums, but this shit is still good. Let me know what you thought of the project in the comments below.}

Favorite Song: No Tears
Least Favorite Song: Pretty Young Girl

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Watch the videos below for more thoughts on this album.