 | Nas King's Disease II
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| | Full Review | Ratings (172) |
Give your Rating |
| 3.5 great | Panzerchrist | August 7th 21 |
Nas Hype Cycle:
- Nas album drops
- People claim that Nas has finally returned to form and that the release is his best since
Illmatic
- Those same people listen to it more than twice
- They promptly move onto something else and forget it ever came out
12 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | ParoXysm | August 8th 21 |
"Nas Hype Cycle:
- Nas album drops
- People claim that Nas has finally returned to form and that the release is his best
since
Illmatic
- Those same people listen to it more than twice
- They promptly move onto something else and forget it ever came out"
It's more the opposite, where people listen to a new Nas album once and go "Meh, it's not
Illmatic." - which is kind of a silly thing to expect at this point, as Illmatic came
out during a different era, the golden age of hip-hop, and when he was a young, hungry
rapper and not a wealthy celeb in his late 40's. With that being said, not many rappers,
if any, from that golden era are still putting out albums that are as stellar as this new
one.
5 Bumps | Bump |
| 4.5 superb | JefferyBigglestein2 | August 9th 21 |
Nas has finally returned to form, the release is his best since Illmatic
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | Tjatkinson1998 | February 14th 22 |
A slight improvement on KD1, KD2 is another great Nas album. Unlike the first one, this is more old-school Nas and while it doesn?t change course in its delivery, it offers some great content. The Pressure is a fantastic intro and kicks things off in style. Other highlights include the banger Rare, Moments with it?s reflective nature and fantastic brass production, and My Bible with its advice like theme. The storytelling here is great, but Hit-Boy?s production is also shining and varied. Another top notch project from this duo. Also the features are pretty good too from A Boogie sounding good to the iconic Lauryn Hill killing her verse. Score: 8/10 Faves: The Pressure, Rare, YKTV, Count Me In, My Bible, Moments. Least Faves: 40 Side.
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| 4.5 superb | PrincyAli | December 27th 21 |
When the sequel is better than original. 4.5/5 Favs: The Pressure, Death Row East, 40 Side, EPMD 2, Rare, Store Run, Moments, Nobody, No Phony Love, Composure, My Bible,
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| 3.5 great | charlopiano | November 19th 21 |
I did not ask for this, but this really isn't unpleasant, I guess
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| 3.6 great | Erwann S. STAFF | October 6th 21 |
Based. Nas' rapping is on point - ofc it's no Illmatic tho, what did u expect. Yet, it's sonically that record becomes - at times - brilliant. Bridging 90s nostalgia with 10s refined approach, it's a journey from the boom to the trap with extra lush layers that you don't find very often - save from goats like Madlib or Preemo.
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| 4.5 superb | JefferyBigglestein2 | August 11th 21 |
Nas is an artist with nothing left to prove. The New York MC has been in the game for over two decades now, with plenty of high’s and low’s in that time. While it seemed for years that Nas’s career would always remain in the shadow of Illmatic, the last few years have proven otherwise. Nas has unexpectedly seen a late career resurgence with Nassir and King’s Disease. He’s traded the gritty, terrifying, underground aesthetic for a golden throne and champagne, but his pen game is still impressive and his flows feel fresher than ever. The sequel to the critically acclaimed King’s Disease lives up to the hype, and in many regards is better than the original.
Some may argue that King’s Disease II is a simple victory lap, but there’s a lot to unpack here. For the first time in years Nas has an LP on his hands with actual replay value. Nassir had some flashes in the pan, but gets lost in the sea of other Kanye-produced projects from 2018. King’s Disease I was a bit more technically impressive, and did rightfully win a grammy for best Rap Album of the Year (albeit in a year where there were no real memorable rap projects and let’s face it grammy’s haven’t mattered in forever). Despite King’s Disease I being a return to form for Nas, it just doesn’t seem to have any ear-catching singles aside from “Ultra Black”, nor does it get the discussion it deserves in online hip-hop circles these days despite being only a year old. King’s Disease II, on the other hand, features several tracks that have the “it” factor lacking on the previous two projects.
“Rare” is equal parts catchy and creative. Nas puts his versatility on full display with switches in both flow and subject matter across the three and a half minute track. “40 Side” is an exhibit of Nas’s wisdom and experience in both the rap game, contrasting against the more modern “trap” instrumental. “EMPD 2” carries an intimidating and boastful energy, and features Eminem’s best feature verse in years. The soulful, lo-fi influenced “No Phony Love” provides a chance of pace, the choir is a fresh compliment to Nas’s gruff vocals. Perhaps the most important track, though, is “Death Row East”, where Nas gives a raw and personal account of the gang wars of the 90’s. Nas is a survivor who has become a grizzled veteran of the industry, and provides an important perspective into the so-called “Golden Era” of hip hop. Nas gives a candid and honest glimpse into his relationship with Tupac Shakur, in an extremely personal moment that adds a lot of depth to the album. Sure, there is some filler here, and some tracks fail to have the emotional depth of “Death Row East” or the catchiness of “Rare”, but for the most part this album is very solid. King’s Disease II is both well rounded and captivating.
One of the reasons why this album works so well is the masterful work of producer Hit Boy. Hit Boy goes back to back here, proving his worth as one of the top producers in the game. The beats are cutting edge, splicing 90’s nostalgia with a more updated and refined sound. There are hints of the modern trap sound here, which combine well with Nas’s subject matter of personal growth and reflecting on a two-decade rap career. The artistic variety here prevents the album from feeling boring or repetitive, a flaw that has plagued other Nas projects from the 2000’s and 2010’s. Hit Boy keeps the focus on Nas’s vocal presence while providing a melodic and three-dimensional backdrop of sounds. Nas brings a lot to the table here, but Hit Boy’s top tier production adds an extra element here that most producers, save Madlib or the Alchemist, would be unable to replicate.
Many within the hip hop community agree there has been a lack of interesting or captivating hip hop projects since the COVID-19 pandemic killed touring. Sure, there has been a couple technically impressive projects without replay value. And sure, in 2021 we’ve had some of the big juggernauts of the industry like Tyler the Creator and J. Cole drop albums. So far, though, King’s Disease II holds the top spot for album of the year. It’s exactly what it needs to be – versatile, engaging, complex, and thought provoking, without collapsing into the same pitfalls that have plagued previous Nas albums. An album like this has been sorely needed, and King’s Disease II shows that Nas has evolved as an artist even 25 years after his “peak”. This is based and a fact.
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| 3.5 great | JasonCarne | August 9th 21 |
It's like people forget It Was Written, Stillmatic, God's Son, and The Lost Tapes exists - Nas has had plenty of projects that were solid across his career. He's undeniably wavered in quality over the last 15-20 years, but with that being said, KD2 is a cut above its predecessor in nearly every way and is one of the best "late period" projects from Nas.
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| 3.5 great | Brian Meeth | August 9th 21 |
A noteworthy effort from the veteran with multiple highlights that overpower the missteps.
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| 3.5 great | Zeuzo | April 20th 24 |
| 3.5 great | JuriHan | September 22nd 23 |
| 2.5 average | wojodta | January 27th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | Smevin | January 15th 23 |
| 3.5 great | Timmy | January 12th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | btati | December 15th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | xHaunted | November 29th 22 |
| 3.5 great | KotoFtw | November 26th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | John L | November 23rd 22 |
| 3.5 great | MvdW | November 17th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Rabseye | October 27th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | akimbo | July 3rd 22 |
| 3.5 great | Kuna | February 5th 22 |
| 3.5 great | efp123 | January 15th 22 |
| 3.5 great | Cyuss | January 5th 22 |
| 3.5 great | Grungil | December 27th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Khattak | December 22nd 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | ARDCWE | December 9th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | meto | October 2nd 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | tellah | September 16th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | brandaao | September 15th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Nights | September 4th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | Rinami | September 1st 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Thibs | August 29th 21 |
| 3.0 good | STEA | August 25th 21 |
| 3.0 good | lg433 | August 20th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Merv | August 18th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Wolfe | August 17th 21 |
| 3.0 good | Lalka | August 16th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | iGuter | August 15th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Corney | August 14th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Illume | August 12th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Zeiu | August 12th 21 |
| 3.0 good | botb | August 11th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | jmh886 | August 10th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Gillie | August 10th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | Risodo | August 9th 21 |
| 2.5 average | bharry | August 8th 21 |
| 2.5 average | Xhoven | August 6th 21 |
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