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Nas — King’s Disease
Nasty Nas is back. One year after The Lost Tapes 2 and two years removed from his Kanye West-produced album Nasir, the Illmatic icon delivers his newest solo offering, King’s Disease.
Executive produced by Hit-Boy, the 13-song LP features several big names, including Big Sean, Anderson .Paak, Don Toliver, A$AP Ferg, Lil Durk, Charlie Wilson, among others. King’s Disease also marks an important reunion with AZ, Foxy Brown, Cormega, and an uncredited verse from Dr. Dre on The Firm’s “Full Circle.”
King’s Disease also carries an important message for Nasir. “Most of us want to be kings and don’t realize what that entails and what comes with it,” he told Hot 97. “You can hurt yourself as a king. You’re doing too much…King’s disease is…too much wine, too much sushi, too much living high…too much doing the most.”
He went on to say that the title also serves as a warning to the next generation. “[The title] means multiple things but mostly it’s about, [taking] care of yourself because being a king is not roses,” he added. “It’s gonna be hard work. It’s telling the little kids…be ready for this because a lot comes with life.”
Stream King’s Disease below.
Pharrell feat. JAY-Z — “Entrepreneur”
Pharrell and JAY-Z have been quite a one-two punch over the years. In one form or another, they’ve joined forces on tracks like “Excuse Me Miss,” “Frontin’,” “Change Clothes,” “Allure,” “APESHIT,” and more. Now, the pair is back with “Entrepreneur.”
“Let go,” Pharrell sings on the cut. “If you want to fly, take the leap / You gotta risk it all.” Hov adds: “If you can’t buy the building, at least stock the shelf / Then keep on stacking until you stock it for yourself.”
The song accompanies Pharrell’s TIME cover package for “The New American Revolution.” “The intention for a song was all about how tough it is to be an entrepreneur in our country to begin with, especially as someone of color,” P told the mag. “There’s a lot of systemic disadvantages and purposeful blockages. How can you get a fire started, or even the hope of an ember to start a fire, when you’re starting at disadvantages with regards to health care, education, and representation?”
The song’s music video was directed by Calmatic. It features several Black entrepreneurs, including Issa Rae, Tyler, The Creator, and Chace Infinite from Self Scientific. It also includes a moment of silence for the late Nipsey Hussle. Watch the music video below.
Mulatto — Queen of Da Souf
Mulatto claims the throne on her newest full-length project, Queen of Da Souf. The 13-song project follows 2018’s self-titled LP.
This go around, Big Latto teams up with some big names as Queen boasts a star-studded roster, including Gucci Mane, Trina, Saweetie, 21 Savage, 42 Dugg, and City Girls. Producers include J White Did It, Murda Beatz, Hitmaka, Bankroll Got It, and more.
Latto spoke about her love for the South during an interview with Paper earlier this year. “There’s definitely a shift in the industry because for the longest, Southern rappers and Southern rap period was underrated,” she explained. “We were overlooked in lyrical content, so to have a focus on female Southern rap is real dope. We’re getting the credit we deserve.”
Stream Queen of Da Souf below.
Vic Mensa — V Tape
Three years ago, Vic Mensa dropped his Autobiography debut to much buzz. Since that release, the Chicago rapper has focused his energy on other efforts, including the Hooligans EP and a punk rock release, 93 Punx. Now, Mensa returns with another short offering to hold fans over in V Tape.
V likely stands for “Vendetta,” which happens to be the project’s opening track. Snoh Aalegra, BJ The Chicago Kid, SAINt JHN, and more provide guest appearances here, while C-Sick, Thelonious Martin, and Hit-Boy are among the project’s producers.
Mensa talks about his hiatus on the project, which only features eight cuts. “Got a lot of dirt up on my name,” he rhymes on “Dirt On My Name.” “I might’ve had a rap beef with the whole game / I’m spraying everything, I don’t really need to aim.”
Listen to V Tape below.
Mariah Carey feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill — “Save the Day”
Mariah Carey is giving her lambs a few surprises this year. After announcing her Meaning of Mariah Carey memoir, the iconic singer has confirmed an upcoming Rarities LP featuring previously unreleased material. Today, she unveils “Save The Day” from that vault batch.
“Save The Day” features vocals from Ms. Lauryn Hill but it’s not a new collaboration. That’s because the track pulls direct inspiration from The Fugees’ classic cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”
“If he won’t and she won’t and they won’t, then we won’t ever learn to save the day,” Carey sings on the new release. “We’re all in this together. You’re my only hope.” Ms. Hill’s vocals, pulled from the Fugees remake, appear throughout and during the song’s soaring bridge.
“Save the Day” is a taste of things to come from Carey’s forthcoming Rarities collection. “I found stuff in my vault that I started to work on a long time ago and never released,” she told “Good Morning America.” “It’s exciting. It’s a monumental occasion for my career.”
Rarities is slated to drop Oct. 2 while the memoir is due Sept. 29. Stream “Save the Day” below.
