Nas & DJ Premier Announce Long-Awaited Joint Album With ‘Define My Name’ Single: Listen

Hip-hop turned 50 in 2023, and it’s crazy to think that some artists have been contributing to the culture for more than half of that time. With Nas’ legendary debut Illmatic celebrating its 30th anniversary on Friday (April 19), time came full circle with Esco reuniting alongside DJ Premier for their “Define My Name” single. The classic-feeling record is packed with nostalgia and Preemo scratches, which clear the way for Nas to dominate with his lyrical gymnastics. The Queensbridge icon reflects on being able to still rhyme prolifically into his 50s, which he wouldn’t have predicted to be the case. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “At 20, I said I’d better quit by 30/ Then by 30, I thought by 40 rapping is corny/ How wrong was I/ Never would have thought at 50, new songs by Nas would be hard and live,” he raps. Trending on Billboard Preemo even gets into his rapping bag briefly before Nas playfully tells him to stick to crafting beats, and lets the world know what they’ve been hoping for — that a collaborative project is on the way. “It’s time, it’s album time, yeah,” Nas...