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Nas & DJ Premier Release New Single “Define My Name” As Intro To Collaboration LP

April 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Grammy-award-winning icon Nas, celebrates the 30^th Anniversary of his 1994 debut album, Illmatic, with the release of new single “Define My Name,” which is produced by DJ Premier; who also produced three tracks (“N.Y. State Of Mind,” “Represent,” and “Memory Lane” (sittin’ in da park) on the timeless classic. “Define My Name” is now available!

“Define My Name” is not only a celebration of Illmatic’s born day, but also the announcement of a new beginning for the legendary artists, one that fans have dreamed about and anxiously anticipated for years; as Nas and DJ Premier have also revealed they will be releasing their landmark collaborative album later this year.

One of the most groundbreaking and revered albums of modern times, Illmatic has left an indelible mark on Hip-Hop. Widely hailed by critics and fans alike as not only one of the best but one of the most influential albums ever released, its cultural impact continues to be felt 30 years after its release. A few of the album’s most recent accolades include; the televised performance of Illmatic with the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center in Wash, DC, the Time Is Illmatic Documentary, being selected by the Library Of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry, and most recently, the New York State Senate opening up its session on 3.27.24 with a tribute to Nas and Illmatic.

The post Nas & DJ Premier Release New Single “Define My Name” As Intro To Collaboration LP first appeared on The Source.

The post Nas & DJ Premier Release New Single “Define My Name” As Intro To Collaboration LP appeared first on The Source.

Nas & DJ Premier Announce Album, Drop “Define My Name” Single

April 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

It’s finally happening!

Nas & DJ Premier Still Got It On New Single “Define My Name”

April 19, 2024 by newhiphopnews

It doesn’t get more legendary than Nas and DJ Premier. The rapper and producer symbolize the purest form of hip-hop, and they’ve both been doing it for three decades. Nas and Preemo have classic work on their own, of course, but there’s something undeniably special about when these two collaborate. Songs like “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Nas Is Like,” and “I Gave You Power” are essential listens for any aspiring hip-hop fan. Their latest single, “Define My Name,” proves that they haven’t lost a step.

Nas has been teasing fans with a Premier collaboration all week. The rapper hopped on Instagram to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Illmatic, and thanked Preemo for his work on the album. Fans flocked to the comment section to ask for another collab, and Nas obliged. He posted the artwork and title of the new track hours before its release. “Define My Name” is exactly what you expect it to be, in the best way possible. DJ Premier’s production is both slick and dusty, while Nas’ rhymes are sharp as ever. We’ve all gotten used to hearing Nas over Hit-Boy production in the 2020s, but “Define My Name” is a reminder that nobody anchors his voice better than Preemo.

Nas And DJ Premier’s Chemistry Shines Through

A great song is one thing, but it remains to be seen in “Define My Name” is the teaser for an entire collab album. Nas and DJ Premier have been circling the notion of a collab album for decades. The former even referenced it on the 2022 song “30” off King’s Disease III. “Superhero material, rap star status,” he spit. “Premier album still might happen.” Information is still scarce, but if nothing else comes of the reunion, “Define My Name” was worth the hype.

What are your thoughts on this brand-new song, “Define My Name” by Nas and DJ Premier? Does the song live up to the hype? Does Preemo’s beat bring out the best in Nas? Do you want to hear a full collab album? We want to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news on Nas and DJ Premier. Finally, stay with us for the most informative song posts throughout the week.

Quotable Lyrics:

DNA of King James, kin of Saint Michael
Polygamous-minded, seven wives on ridiculous timin’
They always share the same title, that be the whiskey talk
That’s foul like I stopped and frisked New York
At twenty, I said I’d better quit by thirty
Then by thirty, I thought by forty rapping is corny

The post Nas & DJ Premier Still Got It On New Single “Define My Name” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Nas & DJ Premier Excite Fans With Another Possible Collab Album Tease

April 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Arguably the greatest hip-hop album of all time, Nas’ Illmatic, turns 30 years old tomorrow (Friday, April 19), and to start celebrating the occasion, it seems like the Queens legend is reminiscing on the moment with one of the people that helped make the album the golden standard that it is for rap music. Moreover, he shared an Instagram post on Wednesday (April 17) that featured a photo with DJ Premier in the ’90s, and a picture of them right now. “Then v.s Now. What if…” the “One Time 4 Your Mind” MC captioned the post, and those last two words really got fans thinking that their mythical collab album might still arrive.

Furthermore, for those unaware, a team-up for a full LP’s been on the cards for Esco and Preemo since at least 2007, if going off of recorded history. A Scratch interview saw them mention it, but nothing else has manifested since then other than occasional teases and promises that it will (or could) still happen. However, the most recent tease about this DJ Premier joint project came on Nas’ “30” off of his King’s Disease III album, which was ironically a collaborative effort with another producer, Hit-Boy. “Superhero material, rap star status / Premier album still might happen,” he spits on the song.

Nas Hints At DJ Premier Collab Album, Fans Think

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A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas)

Going back to Illmatic, which contains some of DJ Premier’s most legendary beats for Nas, the latter recently reflected on this time of his life in a recent IG post. “Grainy pictures for grainy times,” he captioned about the pictures in the post. “I had a dream I could get my favorite producers to produce on my debut album. I knew exactly what I wanted and how it should be. But I didn’t know anyone except for Paul, so I asked him would he connect me to them all. The cool soul brother that he is helped me line it up.

“On April 19th we smashed s**t,” the 50-year-old continued. “Even tho the album leaked months before the release date we still are apart of music history. Thank you Large Professor (Paul) and Dj Premier who drove into the projects to pick me up a time or two. Qtip , Pete Rock , and my man from The Bridge DJ LES, and my guy AZ who was just coming up himself. And thank you to everyone involved. Friday is the albums 30th. 2 The Listeners- ONE LOVE.” Do you think this collab album is ever coming out? Let us know in the comments and stay posted on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Nas and DJ Premier.

[via]

The post Nas & DJ Premier Excite Fans With Another Possible Collab Album Tease appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Nas Reflects On “Illmatic” Ahead Of Album’s 30th Anniversary

April 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Nas has been on a creative high recently. The rapper’s collaborations with Hit-Boy has reinvigorated his career and proved that he’s more lyrical than ever. His relevancy is such that he doesn’t have to rely on his old catalog to attract listeners. Unless, of course, the album in question is Illmatic. The 1994 classic will always be Nas’ high-water mark, and the rapper chose to reflect on the making of the album ahead of its 30th (!) anniversary.

Nas hopped on Instagram to post throwback photos of the men who helped shape his project. The photos are grainy, which the rapper alludes to in the beginning of his caption, but the faces are so iconic that they’re recognizable anyway. Nas can be seen standing alongside New York legends like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Large Professor, LES and Q-Tip. The second photo sees Nas post up next to his friend and Illmatic‘s lone feature, AZ. “Grainy pictures for grainy times,” the Queens emcee wrote.

Nas Is Thankful To Be Part Of “Music History”

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A post shared by Nasir Jones (@nas)

“I had a dream I could get my favorite producers to produce on my debut album,” Nas continued in the caption. “I knew exactly what I wanted and how it should be. On April 19 we smashed s**t. Even tho the album leaked months before the release date we still are apart of music history.” The “One Love” rapper then proceeded to shout out each of the men pictured. “Thank you to everyone involved,” he added. “Friday is the albums 30th. 2 The Listeners- ONE LOVE.”

Nas has had to contend with every subsequent release of his being compared to Illmatic, but the rapper actually feels like the album has transcended his catalog. He views it as a separate entity in some ways, as he told Clash in 2014. “It’s interesting because that’s bigger than me,” he asserted. “It’s something that I look at and it trips me out a little bit. I just think about it and, with certain artists that I like, I like some of their works more than the others and I only want to hear certain albums. It’s just the way things are.” Regardless of Nas’ sense of authorship, Illmatic remains his magnum opus.

[Via]

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Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Released The Controversial Visuals For ‘Hate Me Now’ 25 Years Ago

April 15, 2024 by newhiphopnews

On this day in Hip Hop history, Queens legend Nas released the video for his hit single, “Hate Me Now.” Although the song may be a fan favorite, the video came with a lot more controversy than any music video should. Shot by Hype Williams, the video features the crucifixion of Christ with Nasir himself playing the role of Jesus. Diddy, who was then known as Puff Daddy, was featured on the track, was also cast as one of the criminals on a cross beside Nas.

Conflict arose on April 15, 1999, when the video was premiered on MTV’s TRL. Diddy, who is a devout Catholic, had requested his image on the cross be removed from the cut of the video that was to air nationally. Whether it was an honest mistake or done intentionally is unknown; but, the fact of the matter is the request was ignored and the full video was broadcast across the country.

The events that followed could be deemed as outlandish by some. Diddy’s reaction to the lack of consideration of his religious views turned violent when he stormed into Nas’ manager, Steve Stoute’s office with several bodyguards and allegedly attacked Stoute by smashing a bottle of champagne on his head. The assault led to a suit that was settled out of court.

When asked about the incident and the inspiration for the video Nas explains,

“There’s a play in New York where a Black man played Jesus, and caught a lot of flak. I think, even the mayor at the time, Giuliani, was against it. So my thing was I wanted to be crucified like Jesus in the video, to get back at all those people that don’t want to see a Black man doing his thing. Me and Puff got hammered to the cross, but after Puff expressed his religious beliefs and spoke to his pastor, he wasn’t ready to take that stance, so it was really my idea anyway, so we took his part out. For some reason, I think Steve Stoute let it fly with Puffy still being crucified to the cross, so there was that fight at the office, where Puff jumped on Steve or some s*it like that. Both of them were friends of mine, so I squashed the whole thing, and it’s all in the past. Just growing pains. We were all growing up. That brings back a lot of memories. Even when I throw it on onstage now, it still kills.”

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Released The Controversial Visuals For ‘Hate Me Now’ 25 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Released The Controversial Visuals For ‘Hate Me Now’ 25 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Nas’ Third LP ‘I Am’ Turns 25 Years Old!

April 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

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Released by Columbia Records, Nas’ third album, I Am, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album sold 470,000 copies in its first week and was certified double platinum in the United States. The album was nominated in 2000 for Best Rap Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards.

Originally intended to be a double album titled I Am…The Autobiography, the album was arguably Nas’ most honest and poetic project at the time. Although the additional tracks were scrapped due to bootlegging of the original sessions, the intention for the theme and tone of the project can still be felt on the released single-disc LP.

Nas’ cover art has always been an iconic staple of his work. Usually consisting of his face superimposed over his native Queens, each cover has served as a visual representation of Nas as an artist. Famed portrait photographer Danny Hastings shot this particular cover. To create the image of Nas’ face in the Pharaoh mask in a pre-Photoshop world, Hastings made a clay mold for Nas’ face (which, in fact, almost killed him when clay got lodged in his nostrils, nearly suffocating him).

This album wasn’t only popular in the United States. I Am… made appearances on music charts in Australia, Canada, Norway, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The two official singles from this project claimed spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Nas Is Like..” peaked at #86, and “Hate Me Now” climbed a little higher to take the #62 spot.

After the release of this album, Nas released seven more solo albums and two collaborative projects. Nas continues to perform and is known as one of the most prolific rappers of his or any generation. Take some time today to listen to this album appreciate the career of a living legend.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas’ Third LP ‘I Am’ Turns 25 Years Old! first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas’ Third LP ‘I Am’ Turns 25 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Nas & Hit-Boy Share “Sitting with My Thoughts” Video

April 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

‘MAGIC 3’ is out now.

Nas Releases Introspective Video for “I Love This Feeling” from ‘Magic 3’ Album

March 25, 2024 by newhiphopnews

GRAMMY-Award-winning rap icon Nas unveils the music video for “I Love This Feeling” from his latest album, Magic 3.

Directed by Leff, the video captures the introspective essence of the track, showcasing Nas’s reflective journey while imparting wisdom to aspiring artists. With poignant visuals and lyrical depth, Nas inspires both self-reflection and admiration for his enduring legacy in hip-hop.