Hit-Boy

Earlier this week, Nas and Hit-Boy announced the “finale” of their creative partnership in the form of Magic 3 — their sixth project since 2020. Naturally, with the album just hours away from dropping, they took advantage of the peaking interest to stoke the flames a little with the tracklist. The graphic they shared contains 15 titles with only one feature from fellow respected veteran Lil Wayne. A comment from Hit-Boy reads, “album on your gday is ,” referring to the fact that Nas was born 50 years ago today.

The Nas/Hit-Boy partnership has proven especially fruitful, as the duo has released a half-dozen projects in just four years. Beginning with King’s Disease in 2020, their collaborations have seen Nas team up with many surprising artists, from newer young upstarts like 21 Savage to long-running frenemies like 50 Cent. The second installment of the King’s Disease trilogy also garnered Nas his first-ever Grammy win and solo performance.

Speaking on the impact Hit-Boy’s production has had on his career, Nas called the California producer his “Quincy Jones,” saying, “I think what we have is magic.” That the quote would lead to the title of a separate collaborative trilogy is just icing on the cake. That trilogy comes to a close tonight via Mass Appeal Records. You can see the tracklist below.

01. “Fever”
02. “TSK”
03. “Superhero Status”
04. “I Love This Feeling”
05. “No Tears”
06. “Never Die” Feat. Lil Wayne
07. “Pretty Young Girl”
08. “Based On True Events”
09. “Based On True Events Pt. 2”
10. “Sitting With My Thoughts”
11. “Blue Bentley”
12. “Jodeci Member”
13. “Speechless Pt. 2”
14. “Japanese Soul Bar”
15. “1-800-Nas-&-Hit”

Nas and Hit-Boy’s creative partnership has turned out to be incredibly fruitful, as they’ve released no fewer than five projects — one of which, King’s Disease II, delivered Nas his first-ever Grammy win in 2022, ending a 20+ year drought for the rap rap veteran. Alas, all good things must eventually end, and so, Nas and Hit are delivering one last album before moving on. It’ll be called Magic 3 and it’s coming out this Thursday, September 14 — Nas’ 50th birthday. Nas and Hit-Boy announced the final project (after teasing the duo’s “finale” for the past week) on Instagram:

In Hit-Boy’s post, the producer left several comments thanking “any and everyone who’s listened” and declaring that “it’s been fun,” while Nas waxed nostalgic in his own caption, writing, “It’s been nothing short of Magical!”

The first five albums — three King’s Disease projects and two installments of Magic — were credited with revitalizing Nas’ credibility with younger audiences and his own day-one fans after years of declining reception, as noted by such observers as Lonzo Ball and 21 Savage. However, Savage quickly backtracked after being featured on the Magic 2 track, “One Mic, One Gun.” Nas was later tapped to remake “Rapper’s Delight” with contemporary stars GloRilla and Latto and fellow veteran Rakim, bridging the gap between generations and proving he’s just as relevant as ever after collaborating with younger stars like Don Toliver, Lil Durk, and ASAP Rocky.

Rapper Nas has been on a musical run lately, thanks partly to his collaborative partnership with producer Hit-Boy. The pair’s latest work, Magic 2, hit streaming platforms in July and was quickly met with fans’ praise. But, a cryptic video shared on Nas’ official Instagram page now has fans wondering if their streak is ending.

The video uploaded on Friday, September 8, has fans questioning whether or not Nas is thinking about officially retiring from rap. In the short visual, after the scenes transition from a static-filled screen, the words “The Finale” scroll into the frame before fading to black. With no other context given, the upload’s empty caption section and Nas’ recently cleared profile, supporters were sent into a frenzy. They rushed to the comment area to seek further information.

“The finale?!? Of this chapter? This book? Don’t play with my life like this, Nasir,” wrote one fan.

“Nas & Hit-Boy Finale. One of the greatest runs in hip-hop history! Bar none. Six albums in four years…,” another exclaimed.

While another person flat-out begged, writing, “Bruh, please do not retire.”

Some else chimed in to speculate that the clip was referring to Nas closing out his previous album series. “It’s the finale to ‘King’s Disease.’ The G.O.A.T. is going to be rapping until he’s carried by six,” penned the users.

In 2021, during an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro Darden, Nas spoke about his bond with Hit-Boy, who’s played a pivotal role in his past few musical releases. “He was able to play music for me that would conjure up these thoughts and these feelings, and I give it to him, man. Just the encouragement that he gave me was really good. It was really something that I needed, especially because he’s younger than me and he’s recording records for multiple artists. In the studio, he’s got this room working, he’s got that room, and I’m meeting different artists, and he’s doing it, but he’s still focused on me, but he’s still working,” said Nas.

The truth is unclear, but if fans ruled the world, Nas would be rapping until he could no longer pick up a microphone.