Magic 2 2023 Album

Nas

After about five-six spins of this, while it's all fine music, not much has gone beyond that and stuck. I feel like I'm about to repeat what I've typed throughout my reviews of Nas/Hit-Boy collabs. Nas still raps like fire, although maybe his performance here isn't quite as good as the previous collaborations, but the choruses are weak once again, and after saying a lot on 'King's Disease III', with a number of interesting song concepts, he isn't saying as much on this one. The production on 'Abracadabra' does nothing for me and Nas just boringly raps about him and Hit. 'Office Hours' has enjoyable bangin' production but would be better without 50 Snake on it. I like the hook of 'Black Magic' and 'Motion' bangs like a fairy on acid with a decent hook to match that is the best thing here. 'Bokeem Woodbine' are 'Earvin Magic Johnson' are okay. The rapping/writing is dope on 'What This All Really Means' and the production is more interesting than anything since 'Motion'. "Did a double album when rap double albums was startin'/They bootlegged I Am, an album I put my heart in/Nipsey met me to do a doc about it 'fore he departed/He talked to Stoute about it too 'cause he was 'part of that project, yeah." As a rider for 'I Am', these were some of the lyrics that most caught my attention from 'What This All Really Means'. 'Slow it Down' is another example of a song without a hook from Nas/Hit. 'Pistols on Your Album Cover' thumps and is the second best thing here. When the production is more bangin' ('Office Hours', 'Motion' and 'Pistols on Your Album Cover') I like what I hear, but there are too many just decent-good moments that don't excel. After 'Magic' and 'KDIII', that were highlights from the Nas and Hit albums, this is back to the levels of the first 'KD' for me that I didn't enjoy too much. After the consistent fire that was 'KDIII', it does sound like leftovers. Beats: ★★☆ Rapping/Bars: ★★★☆ Hooks: ★★☆ Best Tracks: Motion, What This All Really Means, Pistols on Your Album Cover