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Nas and DJ Premier have made musical magic together throughout their still-ongoing careers, and the promise of a joint album between the pair is seemingly confirmed as fact. The pair connected for the track “Define My Name,” with Nas hinting at the long-awaited collaborative project with DJ Premier.
Fans of Premier know to expect hard drums, heavy basslines, and expert scratching on the hook from the legendary producer and member of Gang Starr. Nas, who has proven to be in great shape lyrically during his recent run with Hit-Boy, hasn’t lost any of that momentum present across all three King’s Disease projects and the Magic trio.
From “Define My Name”:
The definition of my name probably started where/I rode the E train, fingers covered in ink stains/Writin’ was like an escape, excitedly leave the beat flamed/It was Ra, Kane, Kool G and Kris/Few names like Cool James, ‘Face, Cube and Rick
The bar work is exceptional per usual but some fans felt the track from Premier wasn’t strong enough. However, Nas making mention that “it’s album time” near the end of the track caught the interest of Hip-Hop Xitter. The duo have teased this mythical pairing for years and now all signs are pointing to actually happening.
DJ Premier produced three tracks from Nas’ classic debut album, Illmatic, so it’s fitting they’re putting out this new heat today to celebrate three decades of creative excellence.
Also, Nas announced Friday (April 19) that he will embark upon his Illmatic 30-Year Anniversary Tour across Europe and the United Kingdom this fall. Learn more here.
Check out the reactions below along with “Define My Name.”
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Tracy Morgan has been in the entertainment game for decades, but it wasn’t until now that the OG comedian found out that he’s related to royalty in the form of the Queensbridge King, Nas.
According to HuffPost, Tracy Morgan participated in an episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots series, and it was during that show that he learned that he and one Nasir Jones (Nas) are actually third cousins on his mother’s side. Tracy spoke about the discovery during a recent interview for the Connect The Dots podcast and recalled the moment he broke the news to Nas himself.
“I called him up, and I say, ‘Yo Esco,’” he said, according to HuffPost. “He said, ‘What up, Tray?’ I said, ‘Guess what? I just did ‘Finding Your Roots,’ me and you related.’ He started crying. I started crying. And I said to him, ‘If you ever need me, I’m there, cuz.’ He said, ‘Cuz, if you ever need me, I’m there.’”
Well, at least we know Tracy won’t be asking Nas to borrow money as the man is still living large off that $90 million Walmart settlement he won due to an accident he suffered back in 2014.
Still, it’s not like the men are strangers to one another as they do share a history already with Morgan explaining, “me and Esco was always tight before that. I did a show years ago on Comedy Central, a special called One Mic, that was for Nas’ mom, that just passed away. I named my special ‘One Mic,’ so me and Esco always been tight.”
Don’t be surprised if Tracy Morgan appears on Nas’ next album on a interlude or something.
The Tracy Morgan episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots is set to air Feb. 20. Will you be tuning in? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Mass Appeal, the company founded by legendary Queens rapper Nas, is the target of a lawsuit from a former white executive alleging racial discrimination among other issues. Melissa Cooper filed suit against Mass Appeal on Tuesday and added that a fellow white executive was also responsible for creating a hostile work environment.
The Daily Beast reports that Melissa Cooper, a longtime documentary producer whose credits include the upcoming Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, says that she faced racial discrimination and other hostilities while working at Mass Appeal as its head of development.
According to Cooper’s lawsuit, Peter Bittenbender, Mass Appeal’s chief executive and is a white man, and Jenya Meggs, the company’s senior VP for partnerships & content acquisition and a Black woman, “discriminated against her by removing her from several high value projects, creating a hostile work environment, and terminating her employment.”
As the outlet adds, terms like “White folks” and “crackers” rankled Cooper and there was evidence of tension between Cooper and Meggs in relation to the aforementioned Freaknik documentary.
From The Daily Beast:
In a series of these back-and-forth messages between Meggs and Terry Ross, a Freaknik executive producer who is Black and does not work for Mass Appeal, they discuss Meggs’ frustration at Cooper being brought on the project instead of her. Meggs texts, “I blame Alex for Freaknik,” referring to Alex Avant, an executive producer on Freaknik, who is Black and with whom Cooper had a long professional relationship. “Meggs was upset that Avant had decided to pitch the Freaknik project to Cooper and not Meggs, since Avant knew that Meggs was at Mass Appeal as well,” the complaint says. “Ross responded with surprise and said that this was ‘terrible.’ Meggs then texted that there were no hard feelings before qualifying Cooper’s selection for the Freaknik project as ‘Usual white folk behavior.’” In later messages, Meggs complains about Bittenbender’s decision not to hire a candidate she referred to Mass Appeal. Ross responded: “These white folk something else.”
Nas is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit despite his ownership.
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Source: AMAZON MUSIC / Amazon Music
Hip-Hop fans are in for a treat. Amazon is set to livestream a show from Nas and Wu-Tang Clan’s N.Y. State of Mind Tour.
Hip Hop N More is reporting that the streaming platform is giving the culture an opportunity to attend one of the most anticipated concerts of the year virtually. In an effort to further honor the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, Amazon will telecast their respective sets from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. This is a special date as De La Soul will join the bill as special guests.
Originally announced in February of 2022 the N.Y. State of Mind Tour brings two of the most iconic brands in Rap music together for their first ever co-headlining effort. The outing proved to be a major success; so much so the concert series was extended into 2023 with international dates. Produced by Live Nation this year’s run kicked off on Tuesday, May 9th in Auckland, New Zealand at Spark Arena. It has since traveled to New Zealand, Europe, and came back to the United States back in September.
Amazon Music will stream the N.Y. State of Mind Tour on Wednesday, October 18 at 8PM PST.
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Along with Hip-Hop, Nas also turned 50 years old this year and the rapper teamed with Hennessy to celebrate the milestone with a party that featured a gang of high-profile guests including Kendrick Lamar, Diddy, Fat Joe and more.
The festivities went down at The Grill in New York City and featured Nas being presented with a sculpture from artists Kennedy Yanko that was commissioned by Hennessy. The copper sculpture was partially inspired by Nas’ collab with Hennessy on his special 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop Hennessy V.S. bottle.
At the party, the music was in the best of hands with DJ Jazzy Jeff on the turntables and The Roots holding down the stage. In attendance was a who’s who of Hip-Hop and R&B celebrities including Mary J. Blige, NORE, DJ Premier, The Lox,Havoc, AZ, Raekwon, Slick Rick, Q-Tip, Ralph McDaniels, and more. Oh yeah, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony and actor Robert DeNiro were there, too.
Also, you know you’re solid when Raekwon takes time to big you up on your born day.
Check photos from the party in the gallery.
1. Nas x Hennessy 50th birthday party
Source:Hennessy
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And just like that, the Magic is gone.
For the past few years Nas and Hit-Boy have been blessing Hip-Hop fans with some amazing projects in both the Kings Disease series and Magic installations. But now it seems like their partnership is coming to an end as Nas has announced that their next album, Magic 3, will be their last. That’s the bad news, the great news is that their next album will be releasing on Nas’ birthday, Thursday (Sept. 14), at 9 p.m., and we can’t wait.
Taking to Instagram to announce the news, Nas posted a blurred out picture of himself and in the caption wrote: “I want to thank everyone for taking this ride with @hitboy & I. It’s been nothing short of Magical! The Album Drops On My Birthday. THURSDAY 9•14 at 9PM. Forever Grateful, Enjoy!! Nasir Jones.”
With the album dropping on Nas’ 50th birthday, we’re lowkey expecting, well, a magical album. Their previous projects have been quite stellar, and we wouldn’t expect anything less from their swan song on such a momentous occasion.
Little is known about the upcoming album. Y’all know we’ll be tuning in as soon as it hits streaming platforms Sept. 14. Hopefully it’ll have a surprise collaboration or two (Jay-Z?) but even if it doesn’t, we’re sure it’ll be something to behold.
Are y’all excited/sad about Magic 3 dropping soon but also being the last album Hit-Boy produces for Nas? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Some good news for OG Hip-Hoppers began to make the rounds last night as it’s being said that one of the rap game’s GOATs is prepping to drop a brand new album real soon… as in Friday soon.
Last night, Queensbridge King and Hip-Hop icon Nas took to his Instagram account and shocked his millions of followers by posting a distorted image of himself as a youngn’ and as a grown man with the title Magic 2 stamped on it. In the caption, he simply wrote “7.21.”
Who knew he was even working on an album?! We shouldn’t be surprised, though. For the last few years Nas has been consistently hitting us with stellar projects such as the Kings Disease trilogy, which began in 2020 and ended in 2022. Magic was released in 2021. This will make Nas’ 16th studio album in his illustrious career and though details about the new album are scarce, it seems like we’ll be getting a feature from 50 Cent who took to his own IG page to hype up Magic 2 writing, “Y’all ain’t heard me in minute, @nas felt like it was time so it’s done. Check us out Friday 7.21 MAGIC 2.”
Should be a treat for us older heads. Y’all already know heads in Queensbridge are gonna break out the exclusive Nas edition of Hennessy when they bump this new album. Heck, all of New York might do that.
Are y’all excited to hear what Nas has in store for us when Magic 2 drops next week? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Black people’s relationship with America has never been without struggle. But as with most things in life, the Black community has found a way to turn tragedy into triumph.
Hip-Hop has often been a vehicle for folks to celebrate their joys and acknowledge their losses. In light of Independence Day, check out these Hip-Hop hits that honor and encourage the peace and liberation that Black folks deserve.
“This Is America”- Childish Gambino
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Gambino’s 2018 track highlights many of the complexities that come with being Black in America, while reminding folks to do what grandma said: “Get your money, black man.”
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For the past few decades, Hennessy has unintentionally become the official alcoholic drink of the Hip-Hop culture. So it was only right that an Hip-Hop icon like Nas would become a spokesman for what is considered the most popular cognac in the culture.
Looking to get in on the celebration of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, Hennessy has announced that it will team up with the Nas aka the Queensbridge king to release an exclusive V.S. bottle that pays homage to arguably the most popular culture and music genre in the world. According to Hypebeast, the new must-have Hip-Hop inspired Hennessy bottle will be available for purchase this coming July, and you best believe these joints will be a hot commodity, especially around Queens.
Hypebeast reports:
The duo’s limited-edition Hennessy bottle is a love letter to hip-hop and is portrayed with a hand-written note by Nas. The aged label boasts trademark branding and Nas’ face alongside orange, white, and black splotches. Finally, the boxed packaging dons spirited “HenNASsy” lettering with NYC-inspired graffiti art accents.
We. Needs.
While collectors will no doubt purchase a few of these and maybe crack one open for enjoyment, we doubt you’ll see any of these joints just laying around the block after its contents have been consumed like the average empty bottle of Henny. Hip-Hop Hennessy heads are going to cherish this joint. Hennessy should go all the way with it and drop shirts and other merchandise with this. Just sayin’.
Check out Hennessy’s announcement tweets below and let us know if you’ll be picking up a bottle of “HenNASsy” in the comments section below.
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Sprite has been a central proponent of Hip-Hop music and culture dating back to the 1980s and that synergy remains true more than almost four decades later. As Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, Sprite launched a new campaign last week featuring notable figures Rakim, Nas, Latto, and GloRilla.
Sprite first joined forces with Hip-Hop back in 1986 with a commercial spot with Kurtis Blow and over the years worked alongside the likes of Grand Puba, A Tribe Called Quest, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J, and others.
For its summer campaign, Long Island, N.Y. legend Rakim, Queensbridge lyricist Nas, Georgia’s Latto, and rising Memphis star GloRilla all appear in a new spot for the popular soft drinks brand. The commercial runs concurrently with the release of a limited-edition flavor and the sponsorship of a concert tour along with merch drops and fan experience opportunities.
Using an interpolation of The Sugarhill Gang’s classic “Rapper’s Delight” track, the quartet runs through their bars paying homage to the culture that pays them with plenty of shots of Sprite featured in the commercial.
A.P. Chaney, Creative Director for Sprite North America, said the brand’s longstanding hip-hop credentials are unmatched.
“Our resume speaks for itself,” A.P. Chaney, Creative Director for Sprite North America., said. “Sprite took a chance on hip-hop before it was cool, and has always been of the culture, not only for the culture. We’ve shown up for both moments big and small, amplifying the endless possibilities of the now-omnipresent hip-hop lifestyle and its profound impact on music, sports and fashion. So, it’s only fitting that we pay homage to all hip-hop has been, is and will be.”
Well said.
Keeping with the theme of the campaign, the brand remixed its original flavor with the drop of its limited-edition Lymonade Legacy, a blast of strawberry lemonade that still retains that crisp bite of flavor. At 7-Eleven, the Lymonade Legacy is an exclusive fountain drink and frozen drink flavor.
Fans of the original and new fans of Lymonade Legacy will both feature new designs coinciding with the birth of Hip-Hop. QR codes will appear on the beverage offerings over the summer for fans to enter online “Drop Shops” complete with giveaways and other content that showcase a creative nod from the artists mentioned in the summer campaign.
“Our “Summer of Drops” focuses on our fans’ passion points — music, fashion, art and entertainment — and draws inspiration from sneakerhead drop culture,” Aaliyah Shafiq Ely, VP, Sparkling Flavors Category, added in a comment. “The diverse array of prizes offers something for everyone to get excited about, and our overall campaign is the latest example of Sprite responding to what fans want with both experiences and products.”
Some of those experiences and products include meet-and-greet tickets for Drake’s “It’s All A Blur” and lifetime passes to the Rolling Loud festivals. For Drake, this marks the 11th year since he’s partnered with Sprite, and his tour is his first such outing in five years.
To learn more about Sprite’s summer campaign, click here. Keep scrolling to see the aforementioned ad.
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Photo: Sprite
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