While Twitter was losing its collective mind over Kanye West’s failure to drop Donda (again), Nas respectfully delivered King’s Disease II, the follow-up to the Grammy Award-winning original.
The 15-track project was light on the guest features (especially compared to the bloated Donda with its 24 tracks and over a dozen guests), but those who did contribute offered potent verses to the project. Among those were Eminem and Hip Hop legends EPMD who appeared on the aptly-titled track “EPMD 2.”
For Slim Shady’s verse, he paid tribute to several innovative Hip Hop artists who have passed away, including MF DOOM, Whodini’s Ecstasy, DMX and The Fat Boys’ Prince Markie Dee.
But he also showed love to his longtime friend and collaborator 50 Cent with, “I hit 50 Cent via text, told that him I love him/’Cause I don’t even know when I’ma see ’em next/Tomorrow could be your death.”
Mr. Curtis Jackson reacted to the song via Instagram on Friday (August 6), and undoubtedly cosigned the obvious album highlight.
“No you can not front on this verse,” he wrote alongside a clip of the cut. “you just gotta listen, shut the fuck up and listen.”
All of the late rappers Eminem mentioned have died within the last year. MF DOOM passed away in October 2020 from unknown causes, Ecstasy in December 2020 from unknown causes, Prince Markie Dee in February from congestive heart failure and DMX in April from a heart attack stemming from a drug overdose.
But Eminem wasn’t able to include Digital Underground legend Shock G, former Bad Boy Records artist Black Rob, Blackalicious MC Gift of Gab and the “Clown Prince of Hip Hop” Biz Markie, who presumably all passed away after the song was done.
Nas + Lauryn Hill Reunite After 25 Years & Trade Lyrical Bars On ‘King’s Disease II’
Eminem and 50 Cent’s friendship stretches back over two decades. In 2003, Eminem offered the television mogul a $1 million dollar record deal with Shady Records and 50 Cent became the label’s first artist. Although he left the imprint in 2014, they remain close.
As he told Huffington Post in 2014, “It’s impossible to ruin the relationship Eminem and I have built up. There’s no way I would say or do anything that would disrespect what he’s done for me.
“I credit a huge portion of my success to Em because if it wasn’t for him being excited about the project, no one else would have rallied around it.”
Em might not be y’all cup of tea.. but stop saying the man’s trash. Your favorite rapper is scared of em on the mic. Stop it
I don’t think guys get scared of other guys anymore, because majority of the new rappers just aren’t that talented and it’s no longer about talent. But that was easily the best verse I’ve heard all year so far. Em’s last album also was one of my favorites from him. Em is mainly hated because he has a lot of white fans that refuse to listen to any black rappers, but the same goes for Drake and nobody hates him for it. Em got real respect for hiphop and the rappers that came before him. I love Epmd being on this too. So far King Disease 2 is rap album of the year. It’s crazy that Nas is on the back end of his career and finally getting great production
Coti is album of the year
Not sure why there is all the hate on Em, Nas, etc. If you think Jay is better than Nas, that’s reasonable. If you think there are 5 better rappers than Em, that’s reasonable. What’s also reasonable is realizing that if you say Nas or Eminem is the greatest rapper of all time you have a very valid point. Two of the very few rappers that I automatically listen to their albums from front to back when they drop.
50 Cent wasn’t Shady Records first artist…
D12 was first group and Obie Trice was first solo artist
Nas & myself &50,Em & a few other cats are all about the same age & come from the same era & I myself & glad to see Nas still just as vital to hip hop as he’s always been & also to see the old school dudes aren’t forgotten ….love & respect from the DMV/Baltimore ??✌️?⚡️
That verse is trash
I can’t believe people are hating on this verse. EPMD 2 is dope, and Eminem is a big part of it.
I always knew Eminem is better lyrically than J. KD2 just confirmed it. JayZ is a good rapper but not a lyricist. Salute to Godson for always keeping it real. ” I have to inspire them again like I never did”. Nas late career may be better than his middle age career.
Em sounding like a damn chicken in his verses. His word play is definitely top tier but that usually hides the fact that it sounds wack and has average ass content in his rhymes. In this case it didn’t match the track. He needs to slow down and stop rapping cluckity, cluck, cluck like a chicken ?
And what was Nas’s content in the song that was not a match? Cause I could have sworn it was Nas talking sh*t about his lifestyle and cars and such, which Em did in his way and ended by paying homage.
Obie trice and D12 where the first artist on shady! Not 50!!!
This entire album brought out some of the biggest pioneers of hip hop like epmd, Lauren hill , Eminem and I read another cat say that Nas now is a mix of early NY state of mind over the growth of a few decades! Nas and Eminem is the colab. I’ve been waiting for since Eminem murdered jay on renegade! Nas solidified his spot in the top 5 if it wasn’t already!
Alot of Em hate… let’s be honest, people don’t hate Eminem cause of Eminem, they hate him cause of his “stans”, who claim he’s the greatest without most ever actually listening to other artist. Ems my favorite rapper and I think he’s ONE of the best but I won’t say he’s the best because I haven’t really listened to alot other lyricist.
I can actually respect this comment
Alot of haters out there, that’s right!They only hating on Eminem because he’s white! Let’s keep it real… Eminem is one of the best rappers alive or dead. Dont nobody want a versus battle with Em cause he would straight clown you right out of the industry!
I liked it but nas sounded like nas from the early 90’s he hasn’t of yet showed his versatility in today’s era of hip hop. Where as and I know most wont like this eminem has proven time and time again he can be on any track with any beat and run with anyone in any sub genre of hip hop.
Eminem and Kanye probably have the most yes men around them. Someone needs to tell Eminem to slow it down and keep it 16 bars. Just pace your bars out and follow rhythm. Royce the 5’9, Crooked I, and to a degree 50, are just ass kissers. People that really enjoy bars and music, want to hear Eminem at his best self, and this isn’t it.
Royce is top tier I dont know what you mean. Em is done it again and again and again. He could put out a rock album and it’d still sell. I agree this new stuff isn’t my favorite but it’s still better than 75 percent of rappers out right now, definately better than the radio.
Gift of Gab passed away? Man, where the fuck was I? RIP! Melodica is one of my favorite EPs of all times. Swan Lake still rings in my head from the 90s.
I’m just glad I didn’t have to wait 4 years for another nas album. It’s a smooth chill album for grownups and I appreciate him getting back in the lab a lot sooner than I thought he would
He did mention Biz Markie
folks wanna critique Eminem, but say nothing about these MUMBLE RAPPERS
With no lyrical skills.
eg: the Migos
Dudes complaining about Em but saying nothing about that A Boogie YKTV track are suspect af. Just haters
aboogie is washed
Hot verse from Em, R.I.P NIP