Album Review: Nas, Magic 2

Nas

Magic 2 (released July 21, 2023)

Time and perspective tell beautiful stories.

Imagine standing in the timbs of Nas at the turn of the millennium. Though he’d be heralded years earlier as one of the greatest MCs to have walked the earth, the dreaded whispers of “falling off” began to get louder.

His response? Drop Stillmatic, a defiant reminder that Esco was still one of one.

Ten years later, those whispers rose again – this time following his controversial (but vastly underrated) Untitled album, a project that went over the heads of the emerging social media fanbase and was blasted by critics as a publicity stunt for embracing the dreaded N-word.

His response? Drop Life is Good, a magnificent ode to aging gracefully in an youth-dominated genre.

Yet another 10 years go by, and y’all STILL whispering when his highly anticipated collaboration with Kanye West is hurt by rushed deadlines.

His response? Grab a more focused producer in Hit-Boy and embark on a career reinvention that finally wins him long-denied critical acclaim, including that elusive Grammy that has alluded him for years.

That’s why I chuckle when hip-hop talking heads discuss Nas’ current run as if it’s some new development. Nas has reinvented himself at least three times already, leveling up every time a new doubter appears on his doorstep.

Nasir Jones really is hip-hop’s Houdini. There’s no box you can put him in, no handcuffs you can slap on his creativity. Every time you think he’s down, he’s finds a new way to escape at the 11^th hour.

It’s like … magic.

Magic 2 – the second Magic-al installment with Hit-Boy, which runs concurrently with the vaunted King’s Disease trilogy – is nothing like it predecessor. I’ve seen some hand-wringing on Twitter from fans who expected Magic to be “more of the same.” Far from it.

Whereas the original Magic album was gritty, no-frills hip-hop – almost like the second coming of his original Lost Tapes – Magic 2 boasts a much more diverse approach. Hit-Boy dives deep into his bag of musical tricks, with Nas adjusting his flow with each new sonic adventure.

“Abracadabra” is a bizarre blend of trap drums and a haunted organ straight from DMX’s darkest dreams, backed by a hyperactive Super Nintendo track. Sounds insane, but it works. “Office Hours” dust off the soul samples; “Bokeem Woodbine” brings the riddims; and the weepy strings and hard-hitting nature of “Motion” give strong James Bond vibes.

As Nas says on “Abracadabra,” “I’m a magician, you should listen, it’s never the same tricks.” Expect the unexpected with this guy.

Speaking of unexpected, of all people to pop up on a Nas album in 2023, Curtis Jackson would NEVER have made my bingo card. With the days of bickering over J. Lo features long behind them, the duo appear side by side on the aforementioned “Office Hours.” Nas goes completely ballistic here (“After the 80’s, after Rakim, I resurrected it/Chest is lit, freezin’, I’m Polar Vortexin’ it”) while 50 … just kinda 50s. Drops a few bars (Nas fills out the rest of the 16), rambles about being rich on the outro – he’s basically Puff in 1996. But it doesn’t take anything away from the track, with Nas just barreling through his bars with ease.

The streak continues with “Black Magic,” with Nas riding the incredibly catchy production while trying to avoid the hexes being thrown his way. But he has no worries: “Your witchcraft won’t do nothin’, my Jesus piece is too flooded.”

As usual, Nas’ introspection is unmatched. “Motion” serves as a mighty victory lap, noting his “weird luck ’cause when we fail, we only fail up.” Things get more reflective on “What This All Really Means” as Esco waxes nostalgic on previous albums like Street’s Disciple and I Am while remembering the good ol days when charting was determined by CDs and cassettes. But there’s no bitterness in his voice, only the astonishment that comes with witnessing hip-hop’s evolution. It’s what makes the message behind “Pistols on Your Album Cover” so powerful – it’s a passionate love letter to the genre Nas helped build, with everyone from BDP to DPG getting a shout-out, including a touching ode to Mutulu Shakur.  

Aside from 50’s forgettable feature and the kidna unnecessary inclusion of the 21 Savage cut “One Mic, One Gun” as a bonus track, Magic 2 is a cohesive (if slightly abbreviated) package with barely any weak spots. In fact, its only weakness is that there’s little here that can rival the greatness that came before it. I’d probably place it on the lower end of the King’s Disease/Magic era content but judged on its own it’s easily one of the best rap albums of 2023 so far.

Somebody inform Jay Z that we’re now at five hot albums every three year average.

“Hip-Hop 50 celebration, funny we the same age,” Nas points out on “Earvin Magic Johnson” and the similarities are undeniable. Every time you think you’ve seen the best of what Nas, and hip-hop, have to offer, the playing field is leveled and we get a new decade of evolution.

50 years? Nah, Nas and hip-hop are ageless.

It’s like magic.

Best tracks: “Black Magic,” “Office Hours,” “Pistols on Your Album Cover”

4 stars out of 5