Nas - King's Disease ALBUM REVIEW
Nas needs no introduction at all. He’s one of the greatest to ever do it, but even his biggest fans can agree that he’s always been inconsistent since his first two albums, Illmatic and It Was Written. Since then, he just hasn’t been able to replicate the quality and even the sales of those two albums, but he’s always been putting out enjoyable music since then. What was supposed to be his big comeback in 2018’s NASIR was taken over by Kanye West’s ‘Wyoming Sessions’ and ended up being a major disappointment. Now, in this tumultuous year, Nas is back with King’s Disease, his official comeback album, which is entirely produced by the legendary Hit-Boy. Let’s get into King’s Disease and see how it is.
King’s Disease is a conscious hip-hop album. I mentioned that Nas’s album quality has gone down, but what hasn’t changed is his rapping and performances. On that front, he’s been very consistent, but what’s always plagued him is his production choices. He’s never been rapping over the greatest instrumentals, but he’s sometimes made up for it for his performances. On King’s Disease, though, that’s an entirely different story. Hit-Boy has made some fantastic beats on here, and Nas genuinely sounds like he’s back. This record feels like a history lesson, but with a new sound that makes it seem modern. Instead of an old dog, Nas sounds like he’s a fresh voice again. I’d also like to point out that the features here are great, but they don’t take away from the record. Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Brucie B, A$AP Ferg, and Fivio Foreign are being in great performances, but the big feature on here is the reunion of The Firm, a rap supergroup that fans have been begging for for years to come back, and it’s happened. Miraculously, it’s an amazing track, but it’s still Nas’s track and album, and he honestly steals the show.
King’s Disease is one of the first great Nas albums in a long time. Hit-Boy’s production is off the charts great, his collaborations are good, and Nas sounds like he’s back for good. This is the record we should’ve gotten in 2018 as his comeback, but at least we have it now. This is a strong contender for the best rap album of this year, and there’s a reason for that: Nas is back.
8/10
Stream King’s Disease here
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube Music
King’s Disease is a conscious hip-hop album. I mentioned that Nas’s album quality has gone down, but what hasn’t changed is his rapping and performances. On that front, he’s been very consistent, but what’s always plagued him is his production choices. He’s never been rapping over the greatest instrumentals, but he’s sometimes made up for it for his performances. On King’s Disease, though, that’s an entirely different story. Hit-Boy has made some fantastic beats on here, and Nas genuinely sounds like he’s back. This record feels like a history lesson, but with a new sound that makes it seem modern. Instead of an old dog, Nas sounds like he’s a fresh voice again. I’d also like to point out that the features here are great, but they don’t take away from the record. Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Brucie B, A$AP Ferg, and Fivio Foreign are being in great performances, but the big feature on here is the reunion of The Firm, a rap supergroup that fans have been begging for for years to come back, and it’s happened. Miraculously, it’s an amazing track, but it’s still Nas’s track and album, and he honestly steals the show.
King’s Disease is one of the first great Nas albums in a long time. Hit-Boy’s production is off the charts great, his collaborations are good, and Nas sounds like he’s back for good. This is the record we should’ve gotten in 2018 as his comeback, but at least we have it now. This is a strong contender for the best rap album of this year, and there’s a reason for that: Nas is back.
8/10
Stream King’s Disease here
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube Music
Comments
Post a Comment