Ever since the kid from the “Bridge” dropped one of the most acclaimed hip-hop albums of all time, “Illmatic,” with the production from Pete Rock, Large Professor, L.E.S., Q-Tip and DJ Premier, a profound legacy bloomed. During an era where West Coast hip-hop was at its peak, artists like Nas revitalized the East Coast hip-hop scene, leading an era of talent inspired by “Illmatic” from Jay-Z to Mobb Deep.
DJ Premier, most known for his work within his group “Gang Starr,” alongside the late great “Guru,” has been a notable producer from the East Coast who is foundational to the sound of New York hip-hop during the 90s. From his scratching techniques to designing memorable choruses from short vocal samples to his drum loops, he’s been a major proponent in Boom Bap beats.
The time Nas has spent writing songs with DJ Premier have led to large acclaim, with tracks from “Illmatic” like “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Memory Lane” and “Represent” adding to what made the album legendary status. Songs like “I Gave You Power” from “It Was Written” or “Nas is Like” from the “I am…” album, continued the notoriety that came with having DJ Premier produce for Nas.
As a result of their renowned work done together, many fans throughout the decades have desired to one day listen to a joint collaboration album between the two hip-hop giants. However, record label issues and scheduling conflicts made this dream more difficult to pull off until recently. Thus, the fans would have to wait in silence, while enjoying new songs from the two legends across Nas’ catalogue.
That day finally came when it was announced, the official collaboration would be released this past December. It was the last album released under Mass Appeal’s “Legend’s Has It …” series, in which an array of different hip-hop legends released albums. De La Soul, Slick Rick, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, to posthumously releases from the late great Big L and Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and now finally Nas & DJ Premier for their album “Light-Years.”
This album is not what some fans may expect. It is not a collection of “Nas is Like” caliber songs as many would’ve hoped from their incredible collaborations from time to time. This album has a deeper purpose in mind, more than attempting to receive the acclaim this project would’ve yielded decades ago.
As to whether this album is to fan’s expectations, the two will still remain timeless as they always have. DJ Premier and Nas are both “light years” ahead of many of their peers, which is why their music, together and separately, has stood the test of time. It’s about how a teen from Queens was able to build a career off one verse, and how an aspiring DJ spun his way to stardom.
On the track “Writers,” DJ Premier lays a dreamy tune out of this world for Nas to rap about the foundational element of hip-hop, “Graffiti.” Along with the references to Henry Chalfant’s “Style Wars” documentary about the element, the end of the song follows many shout outs to different graffiti artists from days past to now, in the US and internationally.
The track “Bouquet (To The Ladies),” is not only Nas’ ode to the caring women in his own life, such as Faith Newman who helped give him his first music contract, but also respects to female hip-hop artists that defined the genre. From the past with Queen Latifah to Lauryn Hill, to contemporary stars like Doechii and Doja Cat and to underground artists like Che Noir.
The track “Pause Tapes” is a call back to an older style of beat making producers relied on, to create the classics that defined the hip-hop genre. “My Story Your Story” features AZ in a lyrical back and forth showdown, where the two MCs trade bars off with each other. “NY State Of Mind Pt. 3” and “3rd Childhood,” are both gritty beat sequels to older tracks worked on between DJ Premier and Nas.
“Nasty Esco Nasir” is a cypher between Nas’ different identities from different eras, his teen Nasty Nas self, his mob boss self “Esco” and his real self Nasir. The rest of the tracks continue Nas’s new subject matter, separate from his early years covering the dark experiences lived from his inner city struggles in Queens.
Verdict: This album is a classic. For those nostalgic of the Illmatic days, this is giving us something fresh. It being Nas’ 20th album, shows he continues making great strides within his career. This project is a celebration of the art form that defined lifetimes. Hip-hop wouldn’t be where it is without those who gave every ounce of love they had for it. Nas and DJ Premier are great examples of those who gave their all for the culture we know and love today.
