Photo: Danny Hastings
Nas and DJ PREMIER have finally released their joint album two decades after they announced it.
On Friday, December 12, the New York lyricist and the Houston-born producer delivered their long-awaited collaborative album Light-Years via Mass Appeal. The album begins with "My Life Is Real" followed by "GiT Ready," in which he begins with a nod to the late Notorious B.I.G. ("Jesus, the king out of Queensbridge, at-ease us with your lyrical thesis"). The album continues with "NY State Of Mind Pt. 3" featuring a sample of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and an outro by Rakim.
Nas and Preemo pay homage to all five elements of hip-hop in their new album. The duo created the majority of the 15-track project themselves, but got some help from AZ, who reunites with Nas on "My Story Your Story," and Steve Miller Band, whose 1976 hit "Fly Like An Eagle" is sampled on "It's Time." Nas revisits all his lyrical personas on "Nasty Esco Nasir," and shouts out the female MCs and DJs on "Bouquet (To The Ladies)." They also integrate contributions from other rap legends, including Havoc of Mobb Deep, members of the Wu-Tang Clan, and The Pharcyde. On "Writers," Nas even salutes some of the most iconic graffiti writers in the game and encourages them to "keep bombin'."
Light-Years is the final installment of Mass Appeal's "Legend Has It" series. Nas and his record label spent the past year dropping refreshing albums by rap's finest, including Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick, Big L, Mobb Deep, and De La Soul. The series not only served up new music from timeless artists, but it also inspired a collaboration with Marvel. Marvel's "Legend Has It" comic book brings all seven artists into the Multiverse, and pays tribute to their respective legacies.
Listen to Nas and DJ PREMIER's Light-Years on iHeartRadio now!