NAS 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Even if Nas never released another record every again there is a good chance he would maintain his spot in the pantheon of all time rap greats, simply off the back of his legendary Illmatic album. Fortunately, though, he continues to work on new music with King's Disease III being his sixteenth studio album. The American dropped it at the back end of last year and it now makes its way to limited gatefold red & black striped vinyl. The record has enjoyed great critical acclaim for its loose yet complex style and cutting verses. The production was taken care of by Hit-Boy, Chauncey Hollis III and Jasnport J and is truly gold standard.

Review: US rap royalty Nas's 'Ultra Black' features producer Hit-Boy and was released in mid-summer 2020 as the lead single from his thirteenth album, King's Disease. Lyrically, Nas pays homage to all things Black as he draws on his black heritage and African-American culture while the beats remain deeply laidback with jazzy chords up top. In an interview at the time with NME, the rapper said the song "represents love" although some interpreted the lyrics as a diss towards singer and rapper Doja Cat. This 7" features the vocal version and an instrumental.

Review: Many years after its release, Illmatic still remains a gold standard hip hop album and one of the most accomplished debuts ever recorded. It's the multi-syllabic internal rhymes of Nas, the tales he tells of life in the Queensbrudge suburbs of New York and the lexicon he uses which makes it resonate through the ages. Of course, the production (taken care fo by Bas as well as DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip) and wealth of samples also elevates each tune to a higher plane that few have ever matched since. Including Nas himself, frankly. The album is widely regarded as one of greatest and most influential hip hop albums of all time, so don't sleep on this latest vinyl issue.