More than 25 years after releasing his classic debut album, Illmatic, Nas finally earned his first Grammy award with a win in the Best Rap Album category at the 2021 award show. The honor was given to his twelfth album, King’s Disease in what ended a streak of 13 consecutive nominations without a win at the Grammys. Less than a year after he released that project, Nas is looking to extend the momentum towards his thirteenth album, King Disease II, which has officially arrived and is once again supported by executive production from Hit-Boy.
An immediate eye-catcher from King’s Disease is “EPMD 2” as it features Nas and Eminem rapping together for the first time in the over 20 years they’ve stood out as hip-hop notables. The track also comes with a feature from rap duo EPMD, who let their bars fly for the track’s first verse. Nas steps to the mic for the second, leaving Eminem to close things out with a lengthy collection of bars that ends with him positioning himself with a number of successful rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, and many more.
While this marks the first time Nas and Eminem have rapped together on the same track, the latter produced and co-wrote Nas’ 2002 track, “The Cross.” As for the remainder of King Disease II, the album presents 15 songs and additional guest appearances from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, YG, Lauryn Hill, Charlie Wilson, Blxst, and Hit-Boy.
You can listen to “EPMD 2” in the video above.
King Disease II is out now via Mass Appeal. Get it here.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
