It’s about to be a great day for Nas fans, and let’s be honest, that’s a description that basically summarizes the vast majority of hip-hop heads. Tomorrow marks the arrival of King’s Disease II, a spontaneously announced sequel that once again pairs Nas up with Hit-Boy, who laced the majority of the Grammy-Award-winning King’s Disease.
With features from Eminem (for the first time on wax), Lauryn Hill, YG, Blxst, Charlie Wilson, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more, the fifteen-track project has certainly captured attention; no easy feat considering that another rap titan, Kanye West, is also set to be dropping an album at midnight.
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Now, Nas has come through to kick up a bit of hype, previewing the album’s lead single “Rare” on his Instagram page. Though we only catch a glimpse at the instrumental, there’s a vintage innocence that evokes memories of Stillmatic favorites like “You’re Da Man” and “2nd Childhood.” Clearly, Hit-Boy and Nas understand the significance of following up an album-of-the-year contender, and it should be interesting to see how the pair deviate and elevate on this go-around.
“Tune in to the premiere of “Rare” tomorrow midnight est,” writes Nas, alongside a clip of the upcoming music video, which is set to drop alongside the full album. Based on how hard he’s teasing the video, expect this one to be a cinematic effort from the rap visionary. Check out the snippet of both song and visuals below, and look for King’s Disease II to land at the stroke of midnight.