| Magic | ||||
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| Released | December 24, 2021 | |||
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| Length | 29:16 | |||
| Label | Mass Appeal | |||
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| Nas chronology | ||||
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Magic is the fourteenth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on December 24, 2021, through Mass Appeal Records. It serves as the third consecutive Nas album that is produced by Hit-Boy, following King's Disease and King's Disease II . [1] The album features guest appearances from ASAP Rocky and DJ Premier. [2]
On December 23, 2021, Nas announced the album, revealing the title, artwork, and tracklist. [3] [4] On the song "Ugly", Nas confirmed the third installment of King's Disease, saying "KD3 on the way, this just to feed the buzz." [5]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100 [6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [7] |
| Clash | 9/10 [8] |
| HipHopDX | 4.3/5 [9] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [10] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10 [11] |
| Beats Per Minute | 87% [12] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on eight reviews, indicating widespread acclaim.
In the review for AllMusic, Fred Thomas felt that "The nine-track album Magic is cut from a similar cloth as the King's Disease installments that preceded it but works as more of a stopgap release to tide over listeners as King's Disease III is being finalized. Hit-Boy's thick, straightforward, and somewhat retro-stylized production again offers as much of a voice here as Nas' fluid rhyming and wizened lyricism." [7] Concluding the review for HipHopDX , Riley Wallace wrote, "despite how direct the lyricism is, it plays like two friends riffing in the studio and building off each other's energy; listeners can hear how much Nas loves what he's doing. The fact Hip Hop fans are getting appetizers of this caliber to hold us over until an inevitable third entry in the series is, in itself, Magic." [9] Reviewing the album for Clash , Niall Smith declared that, "On 'Magic', Nas seems as tuned into the culture as ever before, fulfilling his prophecy as rap leading lyricist, almost as if he's ushering in a new prime of his career. In the years to come, the 'King's Disease' era ('Magic' in particular) will likely be ranked among the upper echelons of Nas' discography. With a solid foundation of beats, introspective lyricism, and a sharp pen at his disposal, Nas might be the only rapper to have two releases in the best albums of the 2021 conversation. Magic." [8]
Pete Tosiello was more critical in his review for Pitchfork , claiming that "You could knock Magic for being backward-facing, but then again, all of Nas's music is backward-facing. It's charming when he revisits his own gospels, but the nostalgia act would be easier to swallow if it weren't so resentful." [10]
The track "Wave Gods," featuring A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier, garnered widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike. Praised for its seamless fusion of the distinct styles of both acclaimed rappers Rocky and Nas, the song captivated audiences with its dynamic blend of lyricism and production. Rocky's and Nas's collaborative efforts on "Wave Gods" showcased their unparalleled talent and versatility, further solidifying their status as influential figures in the hip-hop industry.
Magic debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200 with 22,000 album-equivalent units. [13]
All tracks written by Nasir Jones and Chauncey Hollis (Hit-Boy) and produced by Hit-Boy, except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Speechless" | 3:06 | ||
| 2. | "Meet Joe Black" | 2:51 | ||
| 3. | "Ugly" |
|
| 3:18 |
| 4. | "40-16 Building" | 2:55 | ||
| 5. | "Hollywood Gangsta" | 3:15 | ||
| 6. | "Wu for the Children" | 3:18 | ||
| 7. | "Wave Gods" (with ASAP Rocky and DJ Premier) |
| 3:10 | |
| 8. | "The Truth" | 3:27 | ||
| 9. | "Dedicated" | 3:52 | ||
| Total length: | 29:16 | |||
| Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [14] | 173 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [15] | 58 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [16] | 34 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [17] | 18 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) [18] | 5 |
| US Billboard 200 [19] | 27 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [20] | 11 |
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas", and recorded demos under the wing of fellow East Coast rapper Large Professor. Nas first guest appeared on his group, Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque".
The discography of Nas, an American rapper, consists of seventeen studio albums, one collaborative album, one group album, five compilations, four mixtapes, one extended play, and seventy-nine singles. Nas has sold over 20 million records in the United States alone, and 35 million albums worldwide.
Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., known professionally as Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter from Fontana, California. He first signed with fellow producer Polow da Don in 2007 as in-house production staff for his label Zone 4, and later signed with Kanye West's GOOD Music in 2011 to serve a similar role. He first gained major recognition for his work on Lil Wayne's 2011 single "Drop the World", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 18. The following year, he produced West and Jay-Z's 2011 single "Niggas in Paris", which peaked at number five on the chart and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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King's Disease III is the fifteenth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on November 11, 2022 through Mass Appeal Records. The album is the third entry in Nas' King's Disease series of albums, and acts as a sequel to his 2020 album King's Disease and his 2021 album King's Disease II. The album, as with the previous two albums in the series, was executive produced by Nas and American record producer Hit-Boy. The album received widespread acclaim from critics.
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Magic 3 is the seventeenth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on September 14, 2023 through Mass Appeal Records, the day of the rapper's 50th birthday. The album serves as a third installment to Nas' Magic series, following up Magic 2. It is also the sixth and final consecutive Nas album produced by Hit-Boy, following the King's Disease trilogy, as well as the previous two Magic albums. The album contains a sole guest appearance from Lil Wayne.
