Nas burst onto the rap scene in the early 90s, and from the looks of it, he’s not letting up anytime soon. On Thursday (July 29), the Queens emcee took to social media and announced that his next album will be dropping next week. “We’re back in business. King’s Disease II,” he wrote before revealing that the project’s scheduled release date is next Friday (Aug. 6). Alongside Nas’ caption, he shared what appears to be the cover art — a side profile of him on a red-orange background.
Nas’ forthcoming project is the sequel to his 13th studio album, King’s Disease, which dropped less than a year ago on Aug. 21.
With guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Fivio Foreign, ASAP Ferg and more, the Hit-Boy-produced record was a great treat to fans who were underwhelmed with his preceding project Nasir. It was also his way of inspiring the Black community after the early months of quarantine.
“The title was King’s Disease before this craziness happened,” Nas previously told Zane Lowe. “Watching all the terror happening all over the country, I just felt the knee on my neck, and I felt the knee on our people, and I felt like I needed a pride moment. I needed a moment to be happy about our existence, to have made it so far and all the things that we have done as a people.”
“I box it all out and I think about, ‘This is my message. I hope everybody’s okay. I hope they get it and feel what I’m saying,’” Nas continued. “And not just the words but the vibration, the energy I’m on with myself and how I want to give that back to people. It’s just a feeling, and it’s not against anybody else. It’s about inspiring one to have love of self regardless of what’s happening around you, to you.”
The critical acclaim for King’s Disease was accompanied by matching results, including a No. 4 debut on the Billboard 200 and most importantly, Nas’ first-ever Grammy. The Queens star — who had 14 nominations throughout the years — won the category for Best Rap Album at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
See the album cover and release date for Nas’ King’s Disease II below.