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Nas — Magic 3
Nas is celebrating 50 years of blessings. The Queensbridge emcee unleashes his newest project, Magic 3, on his birthday. This also marks another milestone, as it’s said to be his final LP with frequent collaborator Hit-Boy.
This is their sixth album together in about three years. It marks the third release in their Magic set following the third release in their King’s Disease series. Lil Wayne is Magic 3’s one guest, appearing on “Never Die.”
Nasir opens the album with a nod to Illmatic’s “Life’s a B-tch.” “Early on the wakeup,” he rhymes on “Fever,” in reference to, “Woke up early on my born day” from the classic 1994 song.
He continues with the theme later on the same cut. “Half a century / Put your glasses up. Represent for me,” he adds, nodding to Illmatic’s “Represent.”
Hit-Boy celebrated their six-album run on social media. “Having this type of musical bond with an artist of this caliber is a producer’s dream,” he wrote. “I want to thank Nas for taking in my ideas and embracing them and me. You can’t force this type of energy.”
Ahead of his For All The Dogs album dropping Sept. 22, Drizzy taps SZA for his latest single “Slime You Out.”
Doja Cat — “Balut”
Doja Cat continues to tease her new album Scarlet with new music. After dropping “Attention,” “Demons,” and the chart-topping “Paint the Town Red,” the California rhymer unveils her newest single, “Balut.”
Wrestling icon Ric Flair opens the track with a famous quote. “Remember this, girls,” he says. “None of you could be first but all of you could be next.” Then, Yeti Beats, Rogét Chahayed and Kurtis McKenzie handle the production from there while Doja raps.
“I am needed, you a real needy b-tch / I’m competing, you are incompetent / You are fleeting ‘cause you can’t copy this / Copy this, copy that / Every b-tch that is here copy Cat / Copy the greats, that’s the number one strategy,” she raps. “But beware that you can’t copy stats.”
Scarlet is due Sept. 22.
Diddy — The Love Album: Off the Grid
Diddy puts together an all-star cast for his newest project, The Love Album: Off the Grid. It’s a 23-song saga with familiar faces backing Puff as the leader throughout.
“We don’t connect no more,” Diddy says on the opening song, “Brought My Love. On the phone too much. Worrying about other things…Can you dance with me? Let me bring you this Love, baby.”
Rappers Busta Rhymes, 21 Savage, Fabolous, and French Montana are among the emcees on this project. Singers The-Dream, Dawn Richard, Summer Walker, Kehlani, Jasmine Sullivan, Justin Bieber, and Coco Jones also pop up.
As if that wasn’t enough, the offering also includes John Legend, Burna Boy, Teyana Taylor, Babyface, Ty Dolla $ign, and H.E.R. Diddy has also called this The Weeknd’s “last collab of his career.”
“I feel like I just had a baby, a newborn baby,” he told TODAY. “I’ve stepped away from music for awhile, going through life’s peaks and valleys, and to be able to return back to music, my first love, but to be able to put out some great R&B music for y’all, it’s incredible.”
Offset — “FAN”
Offset turns his new single “FAN” into an off the wall thriller. The Migos emcee handles the vocal duties on his own, but he links up with producers Aaron Bow, FNZ, Teddy Walton, Thank you Fizzle, and Thurdi for this latest solo single.
“Girl, you tried to break my heart, but did it make you happy?” Set asks on the track. “You were supposed to hold me down, but it didn’t happen / Now I’m over it; Thank God I’m over it / Tired of stressing about what I can’t control; I think I’m better on my own.”
Wearing a single sequin glove, Offset turns his “FAN” video into an actual fan video. It’s an homage to one of his musical heroes, Michael Jackson as it includes nods to “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal” and more. The Set-directed clip also features actress Paige Audrey-Marie Hurd, successful YouTuber Fanum and streaming titan Kai Cenat.
Rod Wave — Nostalgia
Rod Wave continues to pour his heart out. Just one year after Jupiter’s Diary: 7 Day Theory, the “Heart On Ice” star doubles back with his newest album, Nostalgia.
The 18-song project features Wet, Sadie Jean and 21 Savage and, as the title suggests, it is a look back at his journey thus far:
“Remember them small clubs, hole in the wall clubs / $500 back ends in all dubs / These days, it ain’t the same / Everything done changed…At the basketball arena, but they’re here for the Wave / This mother—ka packed like a playoff game.”
Wave continues to reflect on his life because he says that’s what has lasting impact. “I’ve seen every era,” he recently told Million Dollaz Worth of Game. “People want the music and the real life sh-t. That’s gonna last the longest.”
STREAMED: Nas Unleashes ‘Magic 3,’ Diddy Returns With ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ & More was originally published on cassiuslife.com
