Nas Proves He Only Got Better With Age On "Rare"

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A highlight off of "King's Disease II."

Nas is hitting another stride in his career. The release of the Kanye West-produced Nasir left many fans disappointed and Lost Tapes 2 didn't necessarily make up for it. However, it feels like Hit-Boy has truly been working hard at bringing the best out of Nas in the past two years. 2020's King's Disease was the album that earned Nas his long-overdue Grammy and this year, they maintained the momentum they built with the official release of a sequel.

"Rare" was one of the few records we got to hear a snippet of before the album and the full version of the record is just as glorious as expected. Hit-Boy's production breaks down the record into three parts that allows Nas to showcase his versatility. He weaves through the production detailing his longevity in the game and the authenticity that he's maintained, even in the face of commercial success.

Peep the record below.

Quotable Lyrics
Big dawg affair, no kids involved
Roundtable havin' war council
Press one button, it'll change the world around you
Too rare, nothin' to see here, Cuban over my streetwear
You're nobody 'til somebody kills you just to be fair
It's okay to keep the mystique, I learned that in the street
On me, solo or deep, I'm puttin' on for the G's


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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