Nas treated fans to a surprise release over the holiday weekend, dropping his 14th studio album, Magic. Arriving on December 24th via Mass Appeal Records, Magic sees production work from Hit-Boy, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Nas (real name Nasir Jones).

Magic marks Nas’ second full-length album of 2021, following the August 6th release of King’s Disease II, which also saw production work from Hit-Boy. Frequent collaborators as of late, the relationship between the two dates back to 2020 with the release of King’s Disease and marks their third album together.

This latest offering from Nas hears nine tracks over 29 minutes and contains just two featured artists. A$AP Rocky and DJ Premier make an appearance on “Wave Gods”, which carries the very same East Coast conscious rap vibes that have defined Jones’ career. Slipping in a sample of Dr. Dre‘s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang”, the opening seconds of “Wave Gods” hear West Coast hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg‘s iconic line, “Ready to make an entrance, so back on up.” Nas also pays homage to Wu-Tang Clan on “Wu for the Children”, Big L on “Ugly”, and, of course, slips in deep, lyrical messages on songs like “The Truth” and “Dedicated”.

Related: Smokin Grooves Announces 2022 Lineup: Erykah Badu, Nas, The Roots, More

Listen to the latest Nas album, Magic, via the player below, which is also available via YouTube Music and Apple Music.

Nas has two currently scheduled tour dates on his 2022 calendar. On March 19th, the rapper will headline Smokin Grooves festival in Los Angeles, CA, followed by an appearance at Toronto’s Festival of Beer in Canada on July 22nd. Head to his website for tickets and more information.

Nas – Magic