"My Generation" is the main hip-hop song on the album, another great track offering a very positive message. Marley and Nas share the floor on "Patience," a solid song that stands out for its mysterious feel and electronic/reggae beats. "Disappear" is a cool, mystic song, one of the better hip-hop/rap numbers on the album. This song carries the same feel as an ancient war dance. "Tribal War," featuring Somali rapper K'Naan, has a cool sound, combining African drumming with the traditional hip-hop beat under lyrics pointing out the ways in which the contributions of Africa to the world aren't respected. The beat fits perfectly with the lyrics, and Marley's and Nas' voices blend flawlessly.
Scheduled for release on May 18, Distant Relatives achieves just that, crossing genres and irresistibly mixing reggae, hip hop and rap.Īmong the highlights off the new album: "As We Enter," which is definitely the radio hit. In interviews, Marley has made it clear that he and Nas wanted something that was different from their solo work. Having collaborated on the hit "Road to Zion" on Marley's 2006 Grammy-winning Welcome to Jamrock album, they had a good start to becoming a famous duo.
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Likewise, Nas - full name, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones - grew up with a musician father, jazz player Olu Dara. Damian Marley, of course, is also known for being Bob Marley's youngest son. They're both internationally successful and respected artists who celebrate their African heritage, especially on this latest effort. Marley interjects with a laugh and said: "You just might be.Listening to Distant Relatives, it's easy to imagine Damian Marley and Nas being related - they perform as though they've spent a lifetime playing together. "I remember thinking, 'Oh man, I won't be rapping forever.' But the reality of it is. I look at them and (ask), 'What will I do?'" he wondered. "When we think that we're just starting to get a name in the game, there're artists that have been around a lot longer than us who are in their 60s and 70s, who have huge tours and do great humanitarian work. Nas, who debuted in 1994 and is known as one of hip-hop's top lyricists, says he's sometimes unsure about his future in music. Marley and Nas, who will begin an international tour this month to support "Distant Relatives," are interested also in creating a sophomore album as a duo. And it's a good time right now to talk about that," he continued. You think about people for a change, and you think of those people as your family. "If you can accept the truth, once and for all, that can help to kind of cure you of your sickness, you know, with your racism and your corrupt politics, and your greed. and nobody's excluded when we say 'Distant Relatives.' We're talking about everybody _ white, black, Asian, Indian, whatever you are, you're our family with this one," Nas said. "We're dealing with a family issue with this album. The performers hope the disc _ which features Lil Wayne, Joss Stone and Somali-born rapper K'naan _ will unite cultures and inform listeners of their African roots. "I'd be done with my work for the day and then come back the next day and then hear something else added and be like, `Wow, that's perfect right there,'" he recalled. Nas, who has released nine of his own CDs, said he trusted Marley's vision for the project. Marley, 31, said the process taught him "how to do production for an artist other than myself." "To change it up so kind of drastically from when you talk about hip-hop producers who only do hip-hop, and then go to work with D, it's like a whole new experience and I was just excited for the challenge." Nas, 36, said working on an album without his usual suspects got him out of his comfort zone.
It is a socially conscious, African-themed record that was produced entirely by Damian and Stephen Marley. The result is "Distant Relatives," which was released Wednesday. "It just meant so much to me," Nas said of the CD. So they stopped work on their own solo projects, and built a chart to assess the progress of their work while discussing topics like poverty, ancestry and leadership. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, file)ĭamian Marley and Nas had one goal in mind when they announced their collaborative album two years ago: finishing it.
FILE - In this Apfile photo, recording artists Nas, left and Damian Marley pose for a photograph in New York.
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