Nas and DJ Premier are finally set to release an album together, but the news appeared to catch the legendary producer off guard.
The longtime collaborators uploaded a video on Instagram on Tuesday (April 23) documenting the making of their latest single “Define My Name,” which serves as the first offering from their upcoming joint project.
At one point in the behind-the-scenes footage, the pair can be seen in the studio together when Premo asks Nas: “So you about to drop another album?” — referencing his prolific partnership with Hit-Boy, which has produced six albums in four years.
The Queensbridge rap legend answers: “With Premier,” which takes the producer by surprises as he enthusiastically replies: “Oh, okay!”
The duo announced their currently-untitled joint album last week with the release of “Define My Name,” which conveniently arrived on the 30th anniversary of Nas’ landmark debut Illmatic.
The boom bap banger ends with some friendly back-and-forth between Nas and DJ Premier, with the former saying: “I got the rhymes, you got the beats… 30 years later we back in the streets, we back in the lab… It’s album time.”
According to a press release, the project will be released later this year through Nas’ Mass Appeal Records.
The collaborative album has been long teased by both Hip Hop legends, with Nas first discussing it in a 2006 interview with Scratch magazine (the cover of which he appeared on alongside Premier).
“We talked about doing an album together and some of the listeners want to rush the shit — I wanna rush it, too — but I just want to pull pieces from all kinds of different people for this next puzzle because a lot of people think shit got easy, that I quit,” he said of his then-forthcoming LP Hip Hop Is Dead.
Nas and Premo’s potent partnership dates back three decades, with the Gang Starr producer famously contributing three tracks to Illmatic: “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Represent” and “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park).”
Following other fan-favorite cuts like “I Gave You Power,” “Nas Is Like” and “2nd Childhood,” they reunited for the first time in a decade in 2022 for “Beat Breaks” from Premier’s Hip Hop 50 Volume 1 project.
Nas recently announced that he will be touring the UK and the rest of Europe later this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Illmatic.
The veteran MC will play four shows in the UK including one at London’s Royal Albert Hall, with additional performances in Manchester, Wolverhampton and Edinburgh this November.
See the tour dates below and click here for tickets.
it doesn’t have to be Premo doing every beat. Just watching over everything and of course producing a good 2/3rds of it. Get Trackmasters or Heatmakerz to do a couple tracks too. Or younger cats with heat. If it’s only Premo he has to switch it up so it’s not the same style beat over and over
If Premier isn’t doing all the beasts, it’s just a Nas album then, not a Premo / Nas album.
@ rpuke Look don’t contradict me clown. You are an idiot. Premo is quite capable of executive producing an entire rap album while contributing most of the beats. Sit down and shut up.
homie really said trackmasters in 2024. yeah and have faith newman A&R the album too
sorry that offends you I just like getting in trackmasters mentions in. what if poke and tone have a beat lying around from 25 years ago they never used? times change maybe it could work today
If I’m Premo I’m looking to collect on years of talk looking to get a beat from Dre for this get something off Hit Boy get something off Salaam Remi, Heatmakers like I mentioned and then supply 6-8 tracks of my own. See if Erick Sermon got heat that kind of thing. If there’s nothing out there or if he has 12 tracks ready to go good for him.
Trackmaster’s haven’t produced a song since Obama was beginning his 2nd term. If they had this collection of majestic unused beats, they probably would have to tried to make money off of them in the past 11 years.
nobody asked for or needs some album from * only * two genius people we know and love and have nothing to prove to anyone. All we need is two people to work together to create the best LP work they can in the appointed time. that’s my only point and I don’t need loser scrubs trying to run it down.
Show me on the doll where the internet comments touched you…
I want a good album you want to make it some stupid competition. Your reply makes no sense if DJ Premier is checking off the beats he’s the producer. The idea that he has to personally produce all the tracks or it’s somehow fraudulent is what’s wrong with clout chasing rap clowns online. always trying to make it difficult for folks instead of cheering on good music.
They’ve teased a joint album together for over a decade. Anytime they’ve ever worked together, Premo did the beats. Nas is coming off 7 albums of having one producer (Hitboy on 6, Kanye on 1). Premo has a history of producing all beats for artists he’s working solely with (Gangstarr, Jeru, Group Home, Freddie Foxx, Phryme). There is no reason to think he’s not going to make the beats for this album. This is an anonymous comment section, so I’m not sure what clout I’m chasing. I pointed out if Premo isn’t doing the beats, it’s not a joint album, but a Nas album… you got your little feelings hurt and started throwing out insults (puke, scrub). Just realize your idea is not likely to happen, and move on. You’re getting too emotional.
that’s why you are an idiot. Gangstarr was a two man team. At no point was it just Premo. You have zero idea how the Group Home album was done. Doesn’t mean Premo can’t work on his own but these are facts. You are a fan boy with a big collection of XXL’s in your mom basement acting like some sort of big wheel player. this is why I reserve clown and loser for your ilk. you know nothing and talk big.
No shit Gangstarr was a two man team….. with Premo doing all the beats on every album as part of the two man team. He did all but 2 beats on Group Home as well as executive produced the entire thing. Same thing with the first two Jeru albums. “acting some big wheel player” – again, this is anonymous comment section on a rap website… you’re taking it too serious and are clearly getting too emotional. Facts are, Premo and Nas are doing an album, and I’d bet my house Premo is doing all the beats. So your love affair with bringing the Trackmasters back from their graves will have to wait another day.
you have no idea what you’re talking about. you’re a clown fanboy that’s why you’re always on here crying about mac miller and slobbering over marshall like the bitch you are. shut the fuck up
I don’t even listen to Eminem and haven’t in decades and Mac has been dead for 6 years with no new music so you clearly didn’t see me ALWAYS slobbering over either of them…. haahahaa. But I’m the clown who doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I’m sorry your feelings got hurt by an anonymous commenter on a rap website. You should probably seek counseling. Maybe they can dive deep into your mental issues to find out why you’re the only person in the rap world who doesn’t want to see Premo make all the beats on a Premo / Nas collab album and replace the beats with the Trackmasters.
Premier…dig deep in your creative bag and lace Nas with stellar hip hop production! Nas…bring Nasty Nas out!!! Bring that energy!
I can’t believe this is real.
Yooo. Fqb where you at bro?
man, i’ll still be happy/excited when this drops, but part of me wishes they got it done a little after that mag interview – like even late 2000’s, early 2010’s
EVERY1 NEED TO PEEP MY UPCOMING JOINT ALBUM WITH JA RULE THE FANS HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR IT!
This dude gr8 graag is a real peice of work lol
Album Nas/Preemo
Stop the nonsense.
Won’t come out unless classic, which will be.
This is going to be a great album and we need a Nas and AZ album produced by DJ Premier and Hit Boy
Premier fans won’t like this comment. I respect the OG. But I would rather Nas do an album with Premier AND other producers rather than just Premier. For all of the love gets, I can’t understand why he produces like he can only use one loop per song. It’s like he chops a sample, adds drums and just stops. Like it’s illegal to add other sounds or change it up at all. Just one 2-bar loop for the entire song. That gets repetitive. I just don’t trust him to hold an entire Nas album down.
When this drops on vinyl I’ll be buying it, idgaf what it cost.