Nas celebrates the 30th anniversary of his debut album ilmatic in a big way. Today he released “Define My Name,” a new single produced by DJ Premier (who worked on the original ilmatic), and the duo announced a highly anticipated collaborative album, due out later this year.
Built over a beat produced by DJ Premier, Nas’ verses on “Define My Name” see the rapper address his name and legacy. “At 20 I said I'd better quit at 30,” he raps. “Then at 30, I thought that at 40 rapping was corny/How wrong was I?/I never would have thought that at 50, Nas' new songs would be hard and live.”
The verses build to the chorus “What defines my name” with a Biz Markie sample saying “Nas.” At the end, DJ Premier intervenes to say “30 years later, ilmatic was removed” and then closes the song by saying “The top tier album will still be released.” stream the single below.
ilmatic It first arrived in 1994, with DJ Premier producing the songs “NY State of Mind,” “Represent,” and “Memory Lane.” For years, fans have been waiting for a full collaboration between the two artists, and Nas even rapped on his 2022 song “30,” saying that “the first album could still come out.”
When exactly Nas and DJ Premier's next album will debut is unknown, as is its title. Nas' most recent release was his seventeenth studio album. Magic 3which arrived last September.
Up next, Nas has a few shows booked in the United States, including a set at the Lovers and Friends Festival in Las Vegas, a show at Red Rocks and more. Look his upcoming dates and get tickets here.
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