Nas and Hit-Boy Unleash Surprise Collaborative Project ‘Magic’

Christmas came a little early for Nas and Hit-Boy fans.

At midnight Friday, the legendary rapper and producer duo came through with Magic, a nine-track project that was announced just hours before its release.

“MAGIC is in the air,” Nas wrote in social media posts that included the project’s cover art and track list. “Midnight et brand new music to vibe to.”

The collaborative effort includes titles like “Speechless,” “The Truth,” and “Wu for the Children,” and features contributions from ASAP Rocky and DJ Premier on “Wave Gods.” It arrives about four months after the rapper-producer duo gifted fans with Kings Disease 2, which is up for Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. The project served as the sequel to last year’s King’s Disease, which earned Nas his first Grammy Award (Best Rap Album) at the 2020 ceremony.

Though Magic came as a surprise, Nas had teased the effort during an interview with Ebro Darden back in August. 

“He’s like my Quincy [Jones], you know what I mean?” he said. “So I feel like the next thing I do, if I was to work with Hit-Boy on the next thing I do, I think that we might do something that is going to be magical. I think what we have is magic.”