King's Disease II

If the first *King’s Disease* project was Nas reveling in the legacy he’d sown over three-plus decades in the game, its sequel—arriving just short of a year later—is the legendary MC settling that much further into what he thinks great rap should sound like in 2021. In this case, that’s another full-length project co-executive-produced by celebrated Fontana, California-hailing beatsmith Hit-Boy, this time featuring a handful of eyebrow-raising moments like the pairing of hip-hop legends EPMD and Eminem (“EPMD 2”), a revisitation of the static—and eventual reconciliation—he shared with 2Pac (“Death Row East”), and a brand-new rap verse from the illustrious Ms. Lauryn Hill (“Nobody”). Not unlike its predecessor, *King’s Disease II* features a small handful of guests, something Nas saw fit to acknowledge in rhyme on “Moments”: “My whole career I steered away from features/But I figured it’s perfect timing to embrace the leaders.” While that first statement is a bit of revisionist history, we won’t pretend that sharing airspace with the don hasn’t always been—and isn’t still—something of an honor, one he’s chosen to bestow here upon A Boogie wit da Hoodie, YG, and Hit-Boy. He contextualizes this particularly well toward that same song’s end, reminding us of his impact when he cites “moments you can’t relive/Like your first time bugging from something that Nas said.”

The Queensbridge rapper’s sequel mythologizes his business acumen and doubles down on the formula of its predecessor to mixed effect.

This victory lap boasts effervescent moments from Eminem and Lauryn Hill, but even they're overshadowed by the main man's emotional candour

King's Disease II is a victorious and impenetrable testament to Nas' power

Appearances from Eminem, Ms Lauryn Hill and EPMD are welcome – but Nas remains the lynchpin of his latest album

After 2019's disappointing Kanye West-produced Nasir, legendary Queens rapper Nas bounced back with 2020 album King's Disease.

Accomplished and respected enough to kick up his feet and puff cigars till the Hall of Fame calls, Nasir Jones has instead slammed the creat...

Nas crafted a sublime stake for hip-hop's throne with 2020 full-length ‘King’s Disease’. Excising awkward elements of his past to