Today (July 21), Nas returns with his new LP, Magic 2, the sequel to 2021’s Magic. Marking his fifth full-length collaboration alongside Hit-Boy, Magic 2 comes with 11 cuts and assists from 21 Savage and 50 Cent, the latter of whom last connected with the Queensbridge legend on wax over 20 years ago.
Following an uncredited appearance from hip hop personality Don Magic Juan on “Intro,” Nas reminds listeners of his position in the rap game via the hard-hitting “Abracadabra.”
“Durag energy, I’m on a wave, you n**gas cap, give you the shakes like Faces of Death tapes when that lady got hit on the track, I’m seein’ black, so I gotta black, the magic is black, one generation don’t listen to Nas, don’t listen to rap, spit on my platinum plaques, they’ll probably spit on my grave, for real, I split ’em like Puff and Ma$e for real, ’cause I got a budget to waste, for real, Hit-Boy on the drum and the bass, nobody jump on the stage, RIP, Trouble, but n**gas is actin’ like they want some trouble today…”
Magic 2 follows 2022’s King’s Disease III, a 17-song effort with zero features. That album became Nas’ 15th top 10 on the Billboard 200 with 29,000 album-equivalent units sold during its first week of release. Since then, the Bravehearts alum remained on the radar via songs like Hit-Boy’s “The Tide,” Swizz Beatz’s “Runaway,” Tobe Nwigwe’s “On My Soul,” and Metro Boomin’s “Nas Morales,” which appeared on the official soundtrack for the March blockbuster Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Press play on Magic 2. In related news, Nas will soon be joining the Wu-Tang Clan on the second North American leg of their “NY State of Mind Tour.” You can see the dates for that below.
“NY State of Mind Tour” dates:
Sept. 20: Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena
Sept. 22: Hollywood, FL — Hard Rock Live
Sept. 23: Jacksonville, FL — Daily’s Place
Sept. 24: Tampa, FL — Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Sept. 26: Washington, D.C. — Capital One Arena
Sept. 27: Brooklyn, NY — Barclays Center
Sept. 29: Atlantic City, NJ — Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
Oct. 1: Toronto, Ontario — Scotiabank Arena
Oct. 2: Laval, Quebec — Place Bell
Oct. 4: Columbus, OH — Schottenstein Center
Oct. 7: Minneapolis, MN — Target Center
Oct. 8: Chicago, IL — United Center
Oct. 10: Winnipeg, Manitoba — Canada Life Centre
Oct. 13: Edmonton, Alberta — Rogers Place
Oct. 14: Calgary, Alberta — Scotiabank Saddledome
Oct. 16: Vancouver, British Columbia — Rogers Arena
Oct. 17: Portland, OR — Moda Center
Oct. 18: Seattle, WA — Climate Pledge Arena
Oct. 21: Las Vegas, NV — MGM Grand Garden Arena
Oct. 22: Highland, CA — Yaamava Theatre