Nas
and
Hit-Boy
are moving through the 2020s like modern-day magicians. First collaborating in full for the 2020 LP
King's Disease
, the duo are now four albums deep into a rapper/producer run that ranks among the strongest of the decade, revitalizing the legendary MC's pen game in fresh-sounding new contexts and soundscapes. Arguably the most consistent period yet of either musician's career, the King's Disease series is a from-the-ground-up revitalization of the "Nas" sound -- and on their fourth joint venture,
King's Disease III
, they produce their strongest entry yet.
While
Hov
returned to the throne with the remorseful, insular
4:44
,
' mid-career ventures take a somewhat different tone. These are carefree boasts from a lifetime at the top, slick reflections on the glory days of Queens living, life lessons suffused with mountain-scholar wisdom -- delivered from the winding depths of a man that has been branded the greatest rapper alive since he was 18. He constructs vast critiques of music-industry traps in three-line asides, revitalizes the timeless storytelling of "I Gave You Power" for the jaded "Beef," and delivers picture-perfect recollections from 49 years of peaks and troughs, yet his lyricism is marked with a new easiness, shifting from the winding, claustrophobic verses of early-era works to a warmer, reflective depth. The soulful production suite that underscored some of the rapper's greatest works has been expertly reconstructed and modernized by producer
-- he bolsters
with groovy pianos on "Legit" and "Ghetto Reporter," reframes modern trap with coursing melodies ("30," "Michael & Quincy," "Til My Last Breath"), and buttresses the rapper with a plethora of soulful vocal chops, amber-tinged melodies, and slick sampling choices. In every aspect he shows a deep reverence for what makes
.
The resulting work is at once loose and deeply complex, effortless in its incisiveness yet still dazzling at its peaks. The three bullions on the album's cover say it best: this duo keep on producing gold. ~ David Crone