Nas released his latest collaboration with Hit-Boy, Magic 2 on July 21. It’s the iconic rapper’s 16th studio album and follows November 2022’s King’s Disease III. Once an almost guaranteed top-5 hitmaker, Nas has seen his stature drop with his last handful of releases. Magic (December 2021) peaked at #27, his worst-ever performance for a solo album. Meanwhile, King’s Disease III peaked at #10. It’s the first time that Nas has had back-to-back albums fail to peak in the top five.
The album is the fifth collaboration with the esteemed producer. Furthermore, Nas hinted on "Abracadabra" that he is already working on album number 17. “I’m a magician, you should listen, it’s never the same tricks/ 2020 when we did the first one, five-album run, not a cursed one, it’s a blessed one/ By the time y’all hear this, we be halfway through the next one/ Bless up, all the rappers we lost, I’m hopin’ they rest up.” However, not everyone was a fan of the latest beats.
Read More: Nas says his five-album run is thanks to the "Holy Spirit"
Hit-Boy Takes On Haters
Max Bell, a freelance music journalist and author, took to Twitter to express his dislike of Hit-Boy's work. "Only Nas — who hasn’t picked an album’s worth of great beats since ‘94 — would make five albums full of loading screen beats from one of this era’s least inspired producers," Bell wrote. First of all, it's an absolutely wild take. But second of all, to quote another Twitter user, "Where did you get your hater's diploma from?" Bell was quickly swarmed by Nas and Hit-Boy defenders.
However, the toughest criticism and harshest comeback came from Hit-Boy himself. "Coming from a. failed journalist and failed musician. tough," was the simple yet devastating reply. Others were quick to remind Bell of Hit-Boy's accomplishments. "Grammy win, 2 Grammy nominations, 3 number 1 albums, the highest rated album on Metacritic this decade and HitBoy named producer of the year 2022 by multiple industry publications. The game has passed you by son. It’s not Nas’s fault your favorite rapper can’t keep up with him."
Read More: Magic Johnson thanks Nas for shout-out on Magic 2
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