KD3: Nas-King’s Disease III Album Reviews

Nas-King’s Disease III: Nas fans love to talk about which producer fits him best. In his 25-year career, which spans 15 solo albums, he has worked with some of the best producers. Depending on when you first heard Nas, you could say that either Large Professor, L.E.S., Trackmasters, Salaam Remi, No I.D., DJ Premier, or Dr. Dre made the most of the synergy between the producer and the rapper. But in the 2020s, Hit-Boy might be the best way for him to stay relevant in a changing rap scene by putting out four projects in a row, which has never been done before.

Nas and Hit-Boy have said that their work is similar to that of Shaq and Penny and Michael and Quincy. They did this to pay tribute to two duos who had undeniable success and chemistry. Even though Grammy-winning super producer Hit-Boy has worked with other artists before, there’s something special about how he modernizes Nas’ sound and makes his stories stand out with elegant beats.

Nas-King’s Disease III Reviews

King’s Disease III is the third version and it is the first one in the series that doesn’t have any extra features. King’s Disease 3 picks up where its Grammy-nominated predecessor left off. It shows that Nas has more to say about his long career, legal hustle, the part of Queens where he grew up and the money he’s made as a rap mogul. The ideas and themes of the songs go together, which shows that Nas is getting better as he gets closer to 50.

Nas-King's Disease III Reviews
Nas-King’s Disease III Reviews

His rumored rivalry with Jay-Z has made people laugh at their first reactions. “No beef or rivals/they’re playing ‘Ether’ on TIDAL/Brothers can do anything when they want to/In a Range Rover, dissecting bars from ‘Takeover,'” he raps on “Thun” over a sample of Boogie Down Productions’ “The Bridge Is Over.”

On the album, there are also shout-outs to the late Drakeo the Ruler (“Just like Drakeo the Ruler, my n***a, we know the truth”), Kendrick Lamar (“Since Kendrick entered the atmosphere, ’09, I was there”) and Young Thug (“The crosswalk lady walking with the kids to school/a There’s a place in heaven for her, as there is for you/And if you don’t believe that, then SLATT” Nas is more aware than other legacy rappers of how they affect hip-hop and what they do for it. Bringing up the younger generation, like he’s done in previous King’s Disease episodes where he’s been featured, shows that he gives them an equal platform and the respect they deserve.

If KD1 is well-rounded Nas, KD2 is Nas at his most motivated and high-spirited and Magic is Nas channeling his work from the 1990s, then KD3 is his most personal project in recent years. In “30,” he thinks about how he’s been doing Hip Hop for almost 30 summers, talks about how long he’s been doing it and even hints that the DJ Premier album might still happen while checking Pete Rock. The first line of “I’m On Fire” is just for Nasir’s biggest fans: “Still got the same flame behind me from the ‘Hate Me Now’ video/It never goes out.” Nas even gets emotional on “First Time.” He flips the track to talk about the first time he heard legends like Slick Rick, Biggie, 2Pac, N.W.A. and more.

Again, Hit-Boy is the one who has pushed Nas beyond his rare form and into God mode. He has set up a pattern where he lets Nas revisit his gospels like a wise elder statesman, giving him an alley-oop with the production so he can be calm and sure of himself. Hit-beats Boys aren’t busy at all, which gives the music a nostalgic feel. He gets creative with the samples he uses and “Legit” is the best example. It flips a classic scene from the 1991 movie The Five Heartbeats with Eddie King, Jr. to make a clean banger.

The last two songs on KD3 are important reminders of how creative Nas is when he talks about violence in the Black community. “Beef” turns conflict into a person and explains why “beef” always takes souls. It fits in with his other perspective songs, like “I Gave You Power.” Nas says in “Don’t Shoot” that we need to find a way to save lives. He raps, “Am I snitching when the police commissioner is my friend? Am I a player when the mayor and I are hanging out and tapping in? Just a grown man trying to figure out how to change the community, because all I see is mothers crying and reading eulogies.” He then says, “Imagine that for the next 10 years, no one gets shot and no one gets killed.” History keeps repeating itself, which is a bad thing, but Nas, who is always aware, thinks the future will be better. The kind of awareness that can only come from a street disciple who uses his power and knowledge to do more good.

KD3 keeps Nas in the conversation about how relevant he is because his voice is still powerful and moves people to act, even though some people might say he doesn’t need to do this anymore. It’s a lesson in telling stories with a point and getting older with style.

Final Lines

King’s Disease III is the sixteenth studio album by the American rapper Nas. It was released on November 11, 2022, by Mass Appeal Records. The album is the third in Nas’ King’s Disease series of albums. It comes after his 2020 album King’s Disease and his 2021 album King’s Disease II. Stay connected to our site Nog Magazine.com for the latest updates.