Nas

Hit-Boy Seemingly Takes A Shot At Kanye West While Celebrating The Release Of ‘King’s Disease II’

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A year after sharing King’s Disease, Nas and Hit-Boy reconnected for a sequel to the project, which they shared on Friday. The new album, called, simply, King’s Disease II, boasts 15 songs and guest appearances from Lauryn Hill, Eminem, EMPD, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, YG, Blxst, and Charlie Wilson. But a new clip from Nas and Hit-Boy’s album release party has emerged and it appears that the latter had some choice words for a certain rapper, which many believe is Kanye West.

“It’s not a hundred n****s producing the beat,” Hit-Boy said about the sequel to their 2020 Grammy-winning album. “It’s not a hundred n****s writing the rhymes, n****. It’s two n****s in the studio. I hear this shit right now, homie. It’s going down. King’s Disease II. Stream that sh*t, buy that sh*t.”

He continued, “There be n****s in the studio. It’s just me and bro, bro. Do y’all hear this sh*t? It’s just me and this n**** in the studio. He’s barred up, I’m making beats. No hoopla. We not on f*ckin’ Twitter botherin’ y’all. We not on IG Live putting a weird-ass stream up, n****. We doin’ this sh*t for real though, n****! Stop playin’!”

The “weird-ass stream” could be a reference to Kanye’s “Countdown To Donda” livestream that captured the rapper sleeping, working out, and hanging out with fellow rappers like Chance The Rapper and Fivio Foreign.

You can watch a video of Hit-Boy’s comments above.

King’s Disease II is out now via Mass Appeal. Get it here.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lauryn Hill Addressed Her Notorious Lateness On ‘Nobody,’ Her Collaboration With Nas

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Nas’ new album, King’s Disease II picks up right where part one left off, and this new installment has plenty of high-profile features to make it just as impactful as the first one. Since King Disease, which the legendary Queens rapper made with producer Hit-Boy, was the record that finally won him a Grammy after all these years, maybe he’s going for another with the second installment.

On board to help him in that potential quest is Eminem, on his first-ever collaboration with Nas, dropping bars so fire that people are losing their minds over his verses (including 50 Cent himself), and the one and only Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Though Lauryn has been back in the music world for a while now, she struggles with showing up late to her own shows, and that was the topic she wanted to broach on “Nobody,” her song with Nas. “My awareness like Keanu in The Matrix,” she rapped on the track. “I’m saving souls and ya’ll complaining about my lateness.”

Well, at least she’s aware of the problem… she just thinks fans should be more patient. Fair enough for a legend like her to ask for some grace in that area. Check out the song above.

People Are Losing Their Minds Over Eminem’s Verse On Nas’ ‘EPMD 2’

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After previously shouting out the New York duo EPMD on his contribution to the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack, Nas is back giving props to them on his new King Disease II on “EPMD 2.” This time, though, he’s got both the duo themselves and Eminem in the pocket with him. This song marks the very first time Nas and Em have ever connected on a song together, and true to form, Eminem spit a fiery verse that has peers like 50 Cent exclaiming over his bars.

“No you can not front on this verse, you just gotta listen, shut the f*ck up and listen,” 50 wrote on Twitter. Of course, Em fans love to fawn over his incredibly fast bars, but even skeptics have to admit that he brought his best game for this collaboration. Em shouted out EPMD and Nas while sharing his verse, calling Nas “legendary” in the process:

That’s not the only rapper he shouts out, though, in the back half of his verse he goes through a litany of rappers he considers to be the highest echelon of rap, hoping he’ll claim his place among them. In his list he includes Kane (Big Daddy Kane), Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Ye (Kanye), Drake, J Dilla, Jada (Jadakiss), Cool J (LL Cool J, one of his biggest influences) and Nas himself.

“I just pray for the day when I’m able to say that I’m placed with the greats / And my name’s with the Kane’s, and the Wayne’s, and the Jay’s / And the Dre’s, and the Ye’s, and the Drake’s / And the J Dilla’s, Jada’s, Cool J’s, and the Ra’s / And amazin’ as Nas is, and praise to the Gods of this / Shout to the golden age of hip-hop and the name of this song is…”

He also shouts out rappers who have recently passed, including a line about hitting up 50 Cent on text just to make sure he’s told him he loves him. “R.I.P. out to DMX, Stezo, E and Nipsey / Ecstasy and Prince Markie Dee, MF DOOM / I hit 50 via text / Told him that I love him / ’cause I don’t even know when I’ma see him next / Tomorrow could be your death.”

Check out the verse on the song above and some fan reactions below.

Nas And Eminem’s ‘EPMD 2′ Is The Rappers’ First Collaboration In Their Careers

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More than 25 years after releasing his classic debut album, Illmatic, Nas finally earned his first Grammy award with a win in the Best Rap Album category at the 2021 award show. The honor was given to his twelfth album, King’s Disease in what ended a streak of 13 consecutive nominations without a win at the Grammys. Less than a year after he released that project, Nas is looking to extend the momentum towards his thirteenth album, King Disease II, which has officially arrived and is once again supported by executive production from Hit-Boy.

An immediate eye-catcher from King’s Disease is “EPMD 2” as it features Nas and Eminem rapping together for the first time in the over 20 years they’ve stood out as hip-hop notables. The track also comes with a feature from rap duo EPMD, who let their bars fly for the track’s first verse. Nas steps to the mic for the second, leaving Eminem to close things out with a lengthy collection of bars that ends with him positioning himself with a number of successful rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, and many more.

While this marks the first time Nas and Eminem have rapped together on the same track, the latter produced and co-wrote Nas’ 2002 track, “The Cross.” As for the remainder of King Disease II, the album presents 15 songs and additional guest appearances from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, YG, Lauryn Hill, Charlie Wilson, Blxst, and Hit-Boy.

You can listen to “EPMD 2” in the video above.

King Disease II is out now via Mass Appeal. Get it here.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.