So Nas released an EP called Magic a couple weeks ago. After doing a review on Kings Disease 2 a few months ago I really didn’t think this album was much different. I don’t have a problem with the Kings Disease franchise but I’m not necesarily in love with it either. Well I can tell you now this album isn’t anything like Kings Disease. This is the old Nas.

The album opens up with a track called “Speechless” and I immediately noticed a sound I haven’t heard from Nas in decades. When I say this is the old Nas I assume you think I mean his flow. Not only is the flow authetic but the quality of the sound gives us a vintage hip hop feel. It almost sounds as if Nas found a time machine and went back in time to record in an early 90’s state of the art recording studio. This doesnt sound like rap music. from the beats to the enginerring this is hip hop.

Ironically Nas was the one who coined the phrase “Hip Hop” is dead and when you look back at what rap had to offer in 2005 it really was dead. There really wasn’t a market for older rappers who came from the hip hop era. With Trap and Snap Music making waves it seemed as if labels only invested into younger artist. Now those hip hop pioneers are well over 50 and so are a lot of orginal rap music fans which creates a market for newer hip hop artist like Benny The Bucher. It also allows for older artist such as Nas to not have to reinvent themselves. Becuase with streaming services being the most popular way to consume music they can reach their original fan base.

In my experience most fans love Nas’s flow but hate his previous beat selection. But HitBoy understood the assignemnt. With only two features from ASAP Rocky and DJ Premier, Nas still seems to give us a flow from him we haven’t heard since “Illmatic”, which is that classic New York style tongue twister lyrical content. The same vibe you get from Big L or vintage Jay Z.

We hope this starts a movement. Especially in New York. Imagine getting the 90’s style Jay Z or Jadakiss album. Or even an early 2000’s 50 Cent mixtape sound on a new album instead of a Power theme song. You guys dont have to adapt any more. Hip Hop is back alive.