Review Summary: A sign of the times.
When it comes to Queenbridge’s own Nas, his contributions to the evolution of hip-hop is one that is well-versed, more than words can describe. The legacy of his all-time classic ‘Illmatic’ cannot be gratified enough; the layered, visceral storytelling, among grimy, boom-bap beats is still some of the best hip-hop to this day. The ferocious feud between him and Brooklyn counterpart Jay-Z was one that wasn’t just entertaining, but vital to the growth of hip-hop. There’s so much to divulge and digest from one of New York’s finest, especially in a time when the city is no longer one of hip-hop's prime epicenters. At the age of 46, Nasir isn’t getting any younger, as priorities lay less with making music, and more towards family and his Mass Appeal label. His 2018 Kanye-produced ‘NASIR’ however, in his most unique outing, still showed he has a lot left to give to hip-hop. With his 13th studio album in ‘King’s Disease’, Nas returns back to his roots and offers his most mature offering to date.
As he was interviewed by culture publication ‘High Snobiety’, in contrasting the times of Illmatic and this project, he utters, “It’s different times, different names.” These discussions of racism and strife were mentioned in 2018’s ‘NASIR’, with pieces such as “Cop Shot The Kid” leading the way. With King’s Disease, in conjunction to his older state of mind, these talks touch base to black pride, love, reflection, and as Nas says in dialogue of these troubling times, “seeing what we’re made of”. In the pro-black anthem “Ultra Black”, he lays pride in being black in the Black Lives Matter era. Among slamming bass and melodic piano, an ode to offerings such as Illmatic’s “The World Is Yours”, this is classic Nas at his best. He even sneaks in a diss to artist Doja Cat, saying that, “We going ultra black, unapologetically black/the opposite of Doja Cat”, alluding to her self-hatred of being black. In the synth-fest “The Definition”, Nas summarizes the world’s state of filth and greed, divulged in woozy synths and bombastic bass; mentioning global warming, violence on African Americans, Trump, and dissing journalist Gayle King for her disrespect in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death.
What was such a driving point with NASIR, was how Kanye took Nas out of his element sonically, going with artificial production keen to West’s style. It simply lacked the traditional, organic punch Nas has done prior. In King’s Disease, a return to form couldn’t be more emphasized than by the piano-driven, melodic cuts tagged by producer Hit-Boy. It’s like the modern lovechild of 2002’s “God’s Son”, and the colorful feels from 2012’s “Life Is Good”. In the flirtatious “Replace Me”, featuring Big Sean and crooner Don Toliver, Nas and Sean look back at ex-lovers in Kelis and Jhene Aiko, led on by romantic piano and a killer hook by Tolliver. He also brought back the Firm, a defunct hip-hop supergroup of AZ, Cormega, and Foxy Brown, in the braggadocious “Full Circle”. It showcases an authentic mafioso vibe that wasn’t felt in the group’s only album in ‘97. Their return each bring their own unique part; with AZ’s grandeur, Cormega’s punchy lines, and Foxy Brown’s raspy grit that stands out as the highlight of the cut. It even ends with an unexpected surprise by legend Dr. Dre that truly brings things “full circle”, as he helped create the Firm itself.
In the finale of this project with a somber closer in “The Cure”, Nas proclaims that, “Life is school for the soul/and I’m in life seven already”. King’s Disease is the byproduct that merges with the state of mind that he is now in at age forty-six. He’s seen it all, as someone who grew up in the projects 30 years ago; having seen things rough then, Nas’ witness to the times of now, gives him a chance to look back on the past and future ahead. The times between Illmatic’s release in 1994, and King’s Disease in 2020 aren’t different at all. Like he said earlier before, “It’s different times, different names”. That reflection is shown by the diverse, passionate production led by Hit-Boy, and the subjective lyricism accompanied with it. Nas’ most mature, uprooted offering to date is one that speaks, in sheer form, as a sign of the times; past, present, and future.
