Nas & DJ Premier - Define My Name (new single out now, album releasing later this year)

[kes929]

This song has gotten better and better with each listen. Nas is still at an elite level

 

[Trace]

People forget that back in the “day” artists, ESPECIALLY Nas, were notorious for what was once known as “The Street Single”. These were songs that were meant to wet the appetites of fans while the artist was in album mode. A teaser so to speak. Sometimes the street single would gain traction and be included on the final tracklisting and sometimes it would gain just enough buzz for some mixtape inclusions and DJ Spins. Nas does this often. The General was the street single for Stillmatic. Where Ya’ll At was the street single for Hip Hop Is Dead. Be A ****** Too was the street single for Untitled. Nasty was the street single for Life Is Good. The only one of these songs that ended up the actual album was Nasty and that was only on the Deluxe Edition.

Define My Name is dope to me personally, but I think its clear this song was meant to be a celebration of Illmatic 30, a gift to fans, and an announcement that the long awaited, mythical, mystical, monumental collab album between the greatest lyricist of all time and a top 5 ranked producer was indeed happening. This is the STREET single. We should all enjoy it as such and not necessarily as a clue of the sonic direction Nas and Preme will take with the album.

I got that on my deluxe tho.

I haven’t thought much about this new song, I ain’t offended by it either. Street single would make sense.

I feel like that’s what happened with One Mic, One Gun. Savage likely pulled in more than the usual streams so they kept it for the album.

 

[Big Homie Behemoth]

What you mean, you got inside information or you saw a picture or something?

I pray this is true....

 

[AAKing23]

Beat could've been better obviously and is pretty bare bones, but Nas killed it

 

[Danie84]

I can't front, I wish the this happened around the time that 06 Scratch magazine promised us. But, i never count my GOATs out: The Reincarnated Gil Scott

 

[No Homo]

I bet these same folks hating on this hated on Ultra Black too.

Ultra Black was and is fire...this not so much

 

[L. Deezy]

I played this song a lot this weekend.


is it pressure on Preme? yeah and Im sure he has seen comments.

 

[Woodrow]

this narrative, not saying you dont have a right to feel this way, is why I kinda didnt want Nas to ever do the Preem thing. People were gonna say its dated and they should have done this years ago.

Its crazy because nobody says this when he did full albums with Royce

the bar is raised. justifiably so. it's the arguable GOAT MC and the arguable GOAT producer. two of the most important pioneers in hip hop history. fans have literally been asking for this project since what... it was written?

re: royce... i think premiere delivered on both prhyme albums. that said, i do think a big reason preem 100% did not sound dated on prhyme is the unique setup of the projects, with preeme being forced to exclusively sample two young, original composers that were heavily influenced by his best work (and equipped to give him fantastic soundbeds to work from as a result).

premiere still has moments that make you go . but he also has lots of moments where his sound feels stuck in 1998. it's been that way for a long time. this happens to all producers though, and i can live with it so long as it sounds like the best possible version of 1998.

like i said, my real issue is that premiere should have a vault of shyt he was saving just for this album. he had literal decades to prep, and he was 100% the weakest part of that first single. from the beat to the hook.

 

[Apollo Kid]

Going back to the previous Premier/Nas tracks

 

[kes929]

this narrative, not saying you dont have a right to feel this way, is why I kinda didnt want Nas to ever do the Preem thing. People were gonna say its dated and they should have done this years ago.

Its crazy because nobody says this when he did full albums with Royce

Nas and Preme won’t fail. Nas won’t allow it to happen. He is on a mission.

 

[Guvnor]

They killed this shyt! Nas still got it.

 

[Da_Eggman]

Nas = Tom Brady

 

[TheJet]

 

[TrifeGod]

My name existed forever
Before christians came into america, even better
when click sounds of they mouths was language for humans
with stick figures in caves mmy names written fluent
nasty like way before even rome had sewage

maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
I can't even go on Nas just raps different on Primo beats

DNA of king james, kin of saint michael
Polygamous-minded, seven wives on ridiculous timin'

maaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

TEACH THESE nikkaS HOW TO RAP YO
HOW ITS SUPPOSE TO SOUND

 

[Rapmastermind]

Joint knocks hard in the whip too. This was not only a homage to "Ilmatic" but Gang Starr as well. This is why it dropped on "Illmatic" and Guru's Anniversary. Guru would have smashed this beat just like NaS did. This is by far my most anticipated album of the year. I'm not shocked some Fans are sleeping. They ears are poisoned by all that Fast Food low vibrational Rap.