Hit-Boy & Nas Trade Bars On "The Tide"

Hit-Boy and Nas' chemistry flourishes on their latest collaboration, "The Tide."

BYAron A.
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Hit-Boy is less than two days away from the release of his next studio album, and he’s reunited with Nas for his latest release. The King’s Disease collaborators join forces on Hit-Boy’s self-produced single, “The Tide,” which arrived alongside a set of new visuals. HB’s back to chopping up soul samples and fueling up his lyrical bag as he trades bars with the Queensbridge legend for his latest offering from Surf or Drown.

Hit-Boy’s rapping with a chip on his shoulder as he sets the record off. As he reflects on the self-imposed pressure of proving himself on Surf Or Drown, he also details the jarring realities of the documented deaths of artists like Takeoff and PNB Rock. “Imagine seeing Tupac body on IG/ How they did PNB, how they did Takeoff,” he raps in the verse. “Holdin’ ya wrist high these days is a high risk.” Nas echoes this sentiment as he looks back at his success and the jealousy of others that lingered through his circle in his 30+ year career.

Hit-Boy Goes Bar-For-Bar With Nas On “The Tide”

In comparison to “Slipping Into Darkness” ft. The Alchemist, Hit-Boy’s new collaboration with Nas delves deeper into his range as a producer. Though the first half of the record focuses on a classic sound that helped Nas rejuvenate his career with King’s Disease, the latter part finds Nas and Hit-Boy trading bars over a woozy, aquatic soundscape. They delve deeper into the braggadocious bars for the record, merging their undeniable chemistry, once again.

Hit-Boy’s Surf Or Drown arrives on Friday, March 24th with a stacked roster of collaborators. Along with Nas and The Alchemist, HB also links up with the likes of Dom Kennedy, Curren$y, James Fauntleroy, Avelino, and more over the 11-song tracklist. At this point, Hit-Boy’s proven to be a titan of a producer but Surf Or Drown indicates that we should no longer limit him to that title. Check out the new song above.

Quotable Lyrics
Fuck is they sayin’? Shit is outrageous
N***as don’t even get fly as my baby is
This shit is easy, I go the craziest
I go insane, it should be my alias

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About The Author
Aron A.
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.