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Nas — King’s Disease III

Nas is back with King’s Disease III. The Queens emcee is once again joining forces with producer Hit-Boy for the musical franchise’s third installment.

The new edition features 16 new joints and an additional bonus cut (“Til My Last Breath”). “It’s just me and H.B. and this takes concentration,” Nas remarks in the album’s opening verse from “Ghetto Reporter.” He adds a note to his fans about the rarity of the moment: “I don’t drop this often, so cherish it.”

It’s not as rare as it might’ve been in the past, however. King’s Disease III follows behind last year’s critically acclaimed Magic and King’s Disease II. The original King’s Disease dropped back in 2020.

But this does mark another chapter for the lauded 49-year old emcee. It also seems, it’s just one more chapter out of many to come. “I couldn’t get out if I wanted to,” he explains in the “Ghetto Reporter” outro. “All of us rappers are trapped in it. We can’t get out until we over, until it’s dead, until we in the dirt…When I’m 50 years old, I want to have 50-year-old fans, 60-year-old fans and 16-year-old fans.”

This was a labor of love for Hit-Boy, as well. The celebrated producer says he was “in dad mode daily during the recording of KD3.” Hit’s son, C3, even gets a production credit on the album and his voice can be heard in the background of “Once a Man, Twice a Child.” “Big Love and appreciation, Nas!”

Listen to King’s Disease III below.

Rihanna — “Born Again”

There may be an ongoing joke about whether the world will ever get another Rihanna album in the wake of her massive entrepreneurial success. But RiRi is seemingly facing that idea head on this year with the previous release of “Lift Me Up” and the new release of “Born Again.”

“Lift Me Up” was the first single off the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Now, the Fenty boss unveils “Born Again” as an addition to the soundtrack one week after its release. It’s a powerful new song with an evocative message.

Rihanna co-wrote the moving song with James Fauntleroy, Ludwig Goransson, and The-Dream. “I give my heart to this place,” she sings on the track. “I give my whole soul and whatever it takes / Never run away.” She also adds: “I’ve got enough angels to storm the gates / I’m not afraid / Behold the brave.”

It’s no wonder a new Rihanna song is an event in itself. After all, RiRi’s last album ANTI came out in 2016. But even though she is dropping new tracks and performing at next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, the singer says that doesn’t necessarily mean a new album is on the way. “Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing,” she recently told AP. “Do you hear that, fans?”

Listen to “Born Again” below.

Rod Wave — “Break My Heart”

Rod Wave is back with yet another new single before 2022 wraps up. The melodic (and prolific) rapper unveils “Break My Heart” with somber-leaning production from TnTXD and trillgotjuice.

This heartbreaking track features inspiration from Sam Smith’s “Love Me More.” That inspo works as the foundation for an introspective Wave. “I got stabbed in my back and crossed so many times, I don’t know who to trust, think everybody lyin’,” he raps. “I be finna give up, ’cause I’m so tired of tryin’ / Crawl under a rock, and isolate my mind.”

As the song continues, Rod reflects on the ruins and rubble he’s traversed on this road to success. He earnestly asks: “Who would’ve knew the price we paid for platinum plaques?” He then goes on: “This fortune and this fame got strings attached / People get to actin’ weird when fame attached / Come around and live they life with my name attached.”

Rod Wave’s been a chart juggernaut of late. His Beautiful Mind LP bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 earlier this year and last year’s SoulFly also landed at the top spot. Meanwhile, the singer/rapper appeared at the peak of the Billboard Artist 100 chart earlier this year.

Listen to “Break My Heart” below.

GloRilla — Anyways, Life’s Great…

GloRilla made waves this year with a musical 1-2 punch. After breaking out with the Hitkidd-produced “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” single, the Memphis emcee did it again with the Cardi B-assisted “Tomorrow 2” banger. Now, Big Glo unleashes a 9-track EP that capitalizes on the aforementioned hits.

ATL Jacob, Macaroni Toni, Kia Shine, and Kalabasas are among the album’s producers. Meanwhile, Niki Pooh joins the party as a guest on “Get That Money.”

Glo opens the album with “No More Love” and makes a statement on the joint. “I’m the voice for the females, the females that probably don’t want to say that shit on the track. I’m gonna say that shit though,” she says on the song and that appears to be her mission statement of sorts.

Listen to Anyways, Life’s Great… below.

WizKid — More Love, Less Ego

WizKid is looking for More Love, Less Ego with the release of his newest album. The 13-song project follows his 2020 album Made In Lagos and its subsequent deluxe edition.

This time around, WizKid calls on a few familiar faces for features. This list includes Don Toliver, Skepta, Shenseea, Ayra Starr, and more. P2J handles a bulk of the album’s production. Kel-P, P.Priime, and Sammy Soso also earn production credits here.

WizKid says the album’s title is as simple as it sounds. “Everyone fights with their ego and that’s where I’m at,” he recently told The Guardian. “I’m still trying to shed my ego, like everyone else.”

He goes on: “Music was more than a hobby for me, more than a talent. It was my escape. I was in the hood. It was either [music] or turn to crime. That’s why I don’t joke with music.”

Listen to More Love, Less Ego below.

 

STREAMED: Nas Unleashes “King’s Disease III,” Rihanna Adds “Born Again” to “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Soundtrack, & More  was originally published on cassiuslife.com