Nas & Hit-Boy Drop New Project ‘Magic,’ Feat. DJ Premier & A$AP Rocky
Nas and Hit-Boy have teamed up for a new project called ‘Magic.’ The EP, which is their third together, features DJ Premier and A$AP Rocky.
Christmas has come early this year. Nas and Hit-Boy have released a new collaborative project called Magic, via Mass Appeal Records. The EP features nine tracks and only two features from A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier on “Wave Gods.” With no lead-single in sight, Magic is paying homage to the early-’90s era of East Coast rap.
#MAGIC is in the air. Midnight et brand new music to vibe to. @Hit_Boy @MassAppealRecs pic.twitter.com/vW8MKJD7nr
— Nasir Jones (@Nas) December 23, 2021
Since 2020, the pair have run laps throughout the hip-hop circle, releasing King’s Disease I and King’s Disease II. While the predecessor album nabbed a Grammy earlier this year for Best Rap Album, Nas and Hit-Boy are back in Grammy territory, with their 2021 EP King’s Disease II nominated in the same category.
Giving space to the past and present generations of rap, Kings Disease II boasted features from Ms. Lauryn Hill (“Nobody”), Eminem and EPMD (“EPMD 2”), alongside YG and A Boogie wit da Hoodie (“YKTV”). With an undeniable chemistry on their King’s Disease series, last year, Hit-Boy spoke with Okayplayer about his first session with Nas and King’s Disease I having the best production since JAY-Z and Kanye West 2011 collaborative album Watch the Throne. Along with 17 groundbreaking “sonic technicians” we also crowned Hit-Boy as one of the best producers of 2021.
The creative partnership also really works for Nas. Back in August he talked about how vital Hit-Boy has become to him (while also teasing this Magic project.)
“He’s like my Quincy [Jones], you know what I mean?… So I feel like the next thing I do, if I was to work with Hit-Boy on the next thing I do, I think that we might do something that is going to be magical. I think what we have is magic.”
This story was updated on December 24th.