Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives - April 20, 2010

[scotthallwithapick]

Really Nay? Patience & Strong Will Continue are 4's?!!? Those are perfect songs.

 

[trappstar]

Incredible. Really can't stress how incredibly dope, passionate, energy-riddled this show was. Show was at an outdoor venue in Austin, which for some reason just made it better. I swear no one appreciates live music like Austin, TX. Incredible show, incredible crowd energy, and I was in the skies mentally. Nas might have outdone his performance from two years ago. Reggae and Hip Hop is just the perfect marriage, and Nas and Damian just have an innate connection that translates to great music and chemistry.

 

[Betonblck]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

I was with you for the most part until you rated what are IMO the best (Patience) and the worst (My Generation) song on the CD 4/5. Just my opinion though, nice review.

Yeaaaa, Patience is like on another level from all the other songs on there.  That's my song of the year.  That song deserves it's own thread.
  

 

[airjordan jb23]

Nice interview

 

[pj and bompton]

Originally Posted by ScottHallWithAPick

Really Nay? Patience & Strong Will Continue are 4's?!!? Those are perfect songs.

yup. Strong Will Continue was always my favorite but after seeing Patience live...

 

[iiceman83]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

That's my favorite song as well, but you really thought Nas went harder than Damian there? Felt the complete opposite. Damian's first verse is insanely well constructed and poignant.

This is how the media pillages
On the TV the picture is
Savages in villages
And the scientist still can't explain the pyramids, huh
Evangelists making a living on the videos of ribs of the little kids
Stereotyping the image of the images
And this is what the image is
You buy a khaki pants
And all of a sudden you say a Indiana Jones
An' a thief out gold and thief out the scrolls and even the buried bones
Some of the worst paparazzis I've ever seen and I ever known
Put the worst on display so the world can see
And that's all they will ever show
So the ones in the west
Will never move east
And feel like they could be at home
Dem get tricked by the beast
But a where dem ago flee when the monster is fully grown?



Word. IMO Damien crushed the whole album 80/20. But it seems alot of people that think diff cant understand what Damien is saying. Damien has more consistency with his lyrics and tells a fluid story.

 

[piny apple suckas]

nice, love this album.

 

[gtek]

Love this joint...

http://www.youtube.com/v/AhcPPfJKs8I&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=0http://www.youtube.com/v/AhcPPfJKs8I&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=0

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by cguy610

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

I was with you for the most part until you rated what are IMO the best (Patience) and the worst (My Generation) song on the CD 4/5. Just my opinion though, nice review.

Yeaaaa, Patience is like on another level from all the other songs on there.  That's my song of the year.  That song deserves it's own thread.
  

Bump to quote this.

If you like rap or even music at all I highly recommend you zone out and listen to this song. Look up the lyrics online if you can't understand Damian. He goes so hard on there that it's just

.

 

[Master Zik]

This is a beautiful album.

Nas really been in a whole other category with his last 2 albums. Hope he keeps it u;p.

 

[harlem on the rise]

Originally Posted by Harlem On The Rise


Been excited for this joint since the news of them doin an album togeather... Even tho I didn't think it would actually happen tho...

Guess Damien Marley has a serious work ethic and got NaS on his !$+#...

My OG review on this was premature, and pretty damn lazy... I didn't give this the consistant listens that I normally give BEFORE the review, I gave this a rush review, and went on to actually listen to the album a GREAT deal since then, so its ONLY fair to RE:Review the joint...

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

As We Enter
The 1st single... A lil faster then the tracks NaS is acustomed to rappin on... Has a real OLD school type of feel, with NaS and Marley goin back and fourth... Not my favorite song, but its not too bad.
3.5/5

Tribal War
This joint is DOPE... NaS bodies it, the beat is dope, it appropriatley has that native feel to it. K'naan is featured on this, dude has a nice lil flow. And the fact that he's Somalian it was only right to throw him on the joint given the songs inention... One of my OG favs on the album, still like it, K'naan fits in well with these 2... they should form a trio and make ANOTHER album...
4.25/5
4.5/5

Strong Will Continue
Sounds more like a Damien Marley song featuring NaS than ANYthing... Not a bad thing, this song turns out pretty good. NaS once again spits a DOPE verse.
4/5

Leaders
Just has a 70s funk feel to it... Just real laid back and smooth, all around GREAT song... After countless blunt sessions with my Rasta bregdren, I must say this has grown to be ONE of my favorite songs in a long time... Its just beautiful
4.5/5
5/5

Friends
This joint leaked earlier than some of the others... Production is on point, the blend of hip hop & raggae is at its BEST on this joint... Nice message too... Once again NaS spits an AMAZING verse of REAL !$+#...
4.5/5
5/5

Count Your Blessings
Another song that sounds more like a Damien Marley track... Once again that's not a bad thing, just a smooth +## track, laid back sounds like somethin his pop would've made... NaS sounds 22 again on this joint...
4/5

Dispear
This joint is pretty good, but nowhere near as good as the other songs on the album so far (except maybe "As We Enter"). This is prolly my least FAV on the album... Never got into this joint like the others...
3/5

Land Of Promise
Has a "9mm Goes Bang" feel to it, never a bad thing, but this song is a lil boring... Don't know how I gave this such a low rating the first time around, this song is DOPE as hell...
3/5
4.25/5

In His Own Words
Another joint that sounds more like a Damien Marley joint... I REALLY like this song... This is one of those happy go lucky raggae songs, kinda like the #%@$ Ziggy Marley makes except it doesn't SUCK BALLS like the majority of his music
5/5

Nah Mean
Kind of like "Ha" except it's "Nah Mean" if you know what I mean... Prolly not the best idea in the world, deffinetly not that orginal but it ends up being pretty decent... Do I know what you mean?? SURE... Do I care?? NO...
3.5/5

Patience
I guess that's what the !$+# the chick is sayin means in whatever language... Sounds Indian to me #kanyeshrug... But this song is pretty dope... This has grown to be my absolute FAV song on the album, Damien Marley KILLS this #%@$ and it features ONE of (if not THE best) the best verses of this year... The sample is dope, and the production is pretty AMAZING considering Stephen Marley isnt a hip hop producer... this worked out very well
4/5
5/5

My Generation
The Lil Wayne & Joss Stone collaberation... A lil slower than the joint that leaked earlier that has NaS and Wezzy sounded 10 years younger... Not the best beat in the world, but Joss Stone kills it, NaS is NaS, and Weezy doesn't sound too drugged up... May have even been sober when he did this joint... After seeing how these little peices of #%@$ are shooting up EVERYthing now that school is out, I don't know how much I care about todays youth... These little punks are just F'ing it up for EVERYone... Since a generation is 25 years, I guess I don't really care too much for the ladder half of mine... These kids are somethin else...
4/5

Africa Must Wake Up
Another joint that leaked a while back, loved this join then, STILL love it now... Perfect way to end the album... This song has been on constant repeat also... This is just one of those songs that EVERYone in the world NEEDS to hear, understand and appreciate... Me being African myself and seeing what has happened in MY country it takes on a whole NEW meaning... This is one of the VERY few songs in the world that brings tears to my eyes... This jointn just means a WHOLE lot to me... I know Bob Marley is somewhere smiling...
5/5

Verdict:

NaS has always been someone who has had aforcentric vibes throughout his music, it was a given that he would eventually do something that would have a direct effect on what's goin on in the Motherland... Who better to pair up with then the son of the legendary Bob Marley... I was a lil nervous when I heard that Damien & Steven would handle ALL the production for the simpe fact tha I don' remember them ever producing a hip hop record before, and NaS has never really been one to tell a good beat from a bad one... This could have been disasterous...

The blend works 85% of the time, there are a few tracks that would've been better suited to just choose between one of the 2 genres targeted here, but its not a big enuff problem to really affect the WHOLE album....

After a SOLID 2 or 3 months of keepin this in my 2 week rotation I must say I've grown to appreciate this album a lot more then I orginally did, not willing to say its a CLASSIC or ANYthing along those lines, but its deffinetly CLOSE, and I can see it becoming one in due time, depending on how well it ages... They HAVE to do another album, as selfish, stupid and idiotic as hip hop fans are, the true heads DESERVE another one, I honestly wouldn't mind if they continued to make music togeather FOREVER... This is one of the greatest concept albums in hip hop or reggae, it would be a shame if this is the only time we get to hear these 2 for a full length album

Overall

4.25/5
4.67/5

 

[elijahbrohammed]

Hearing this album done live was amazing. I loved it when it dropped a few months back but I have a greater appreciation for it.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by Harlem On The Rise

Originally Posted by Harlem On The Rise


Been excited for this joint since the news of them doin an album togeather... Even tho I didn't think it would actually happen tho...

Guess Damien Marley has a serious work ethic and got NaS on his !$+#...

My OG review on this was premature, and pretty damn lazy... I didn't give this the consistant listens that I normally give BEFORE the review, I gave this a rush review, and went on to actually listen to the album a GREAT deal since then, so its ONLY fair to RE:Review the joint...

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

As We Enter
The 1st single... A lil faster then the tracks NaS is acustomed to rappin on... Has a real OLD school type of feel, with NaS and Marley goin back and fourth... Not my favorite song, but its not too bad.
3.5/5

Tribal War
This joint is DOPE... NaS bodies it, the beat is dope, it appropriatley has that native feel to it. K'naan is featured on this, dude has a nice lil flow. And the fact that he's Somalian it was only right to throw him on the joint given the songs inention... One of my OG favs on the album, still like it, K'naan fits in well with these 2... they should form a trio and make ANOTHER album...
4.25/5
4.5/5

Strong Will Continue
Sounds more like a Damien Marley song featuring NaS than ANYthing... Not a bad thing, this song turns out pretty good. NaS once again spits a DOPE verse.
4/5

Leaders
Just has a 70s funk feel to it... Just real laid back and smooth, all around GREAT song... After countless blunt sessions with my Rasta bregdren, I must say this has grown to be ONE of my favorite songs in a long time... Its just beautiful
4.5/5
5/5

Friends
This joint leaked earlier than some of the others... Production is on point, the blend of hip hop & raggae is at its BEST on this joint... Nice message too... Once again NaS spits an AMAZING verse of REAL !$+#...
4.5/5
5/5

Count Your Blessings
Another song that sounds more like a Damien Marley track... Once again that's not a bad thing, just a smooth +## track, laid back sounds like somethin his pop would've made... NaS sounds 22 again on this joint...
4/5

Dispear
This joint is pretty good, but nowhere near as good as the other songs on the album so far (except maybe "As We Enter"). This is prolly my least FAV on the album... Never got into this joint like the others...
3/5

Land Of Promise
Has a "9mm Goes Bang" feel to it, never a bad thing, but this song is a lil boring... Don't know how I gave this such a low rating the first time around, this song is DOPE as hell...
3/5
4.25/5

In His Own Words
Another joint that sounds more like a Damien Marley joint... I REALLY like this song... This is one of those happy go lucky raggae songs, kinda like the #%@$ Ziggy Marley makes except it doesn't SUCK BALLS like the majority of his music
5/5

Nah Mean
Kind of like "Ha" except it's "Nah Mean" if you know what I mean... Prolly not the best idea in the world, deffinetly not that orginal but it ends up being pretty decent... Do I know what you mean?? SURE... Do I care?? NO...
3.5/5

Patience
I guess that's what the !$+# the chick is sayin means in whatever language... Sounds Indian to me #kanyeshrug... But this song is pretty dope... This has grown to be my absolute FAV song on the album, Damien Marley KILLS this #%@$ and it features ONE of (if not THE best) the best verses of this year... The sample is dope, and the production is pretty AMAZING considering Stephen Marley isnt a hip hop producer... this worked out very well
4/5
5/5

My Generation
The Lil Wayne & Joss Stone collaberation... A lil slower than the joint that leaked earlier that has NaS and Wezzy sounded 10 years younger... Not the best beat in the world, but Joss Stone kills it, NaS is NaS, and Weezy doesn't sound too drugged up... May have even been sober when he did this joint... After seeing how these little peices of #%@$ are shooting up EVERYthing now that school is out, I don't know how much I care about todays youth... These little punks are just F'ing it up for EVERYone... Since a generation is 25 years, I guess I don't really care too much for the ladder half of mine... These kids are somethin else...
4/5

Africa Must Wake Up
Another joint that leaked a while back, loved this join then, STILL love it now... Perfect way to end the album... This song has been on constant repeat also... This is just one of those songs that EVERYone in the world NEEDS to hear, understand and appreciate... Me being African myself and seeing what has happened in MY country it takes on a whole NEW meaning... This is one of the VERY few songs in the world that brings tears to my eyes... This jointn just means a WHOLE lot to me... I know Bob Marley is somewhere smiling...
5/5

Verdict:

NaS has always been someone who has had aforcentric vibes throughout his music, it was a given that he would eventually do something that would have a direct effect on what's goin on in the Motherland... Who better to pair up with then the son of the legendary Bob Marley... I was a lil nervous when I heard that Damien & Steven would handle ALL the production for the simpe fact tha I don' remember them ever producing a hip hop record before, and NaS has never really been one to tell a good beat from a bad one... This could have been disasterous...

The blend works 85% of the time, there are a few tracks that would've been better suited to just choose between one of the 2 genres targeted here, but its not a big enuff problem to really affect the WHOLE album....

After a SOLID 2 or 3 months of keepin this in my 2 week rotation I must say I've grown to appreciate this album a lot more then I orginally did, not willing to say its a CLASSIC or ANYthing along those lines, but its deffinetly CLOSE, and I can see it becoming one in due time, depending on how well it ages... They HAVE to do another album, as selfish, stupid and idiotic as hip hop fans are, the true heads DESERVE another one, I honestly wouldn't mind if they continued to make music togeather FOREVER... This is one of the greatest concept albums in hip hop or reggae, it would be a shame if this is the only time we get to hear these 2 for a full length album

Overall

4.25/5
4.67/5

Great update, I agree completely on almost every song.

I honestly, sincerely think Damian Marley is the most gifted musician alive right now, at least in the genres I listen to.

Classics he's put out:

-Still Searchin'
-More Justice
-It was Written
-Confrontation
-There For You
-Welcome to Jamrock
-For the Babies
-Road to Zion
-The Mission
-One Loaf of Bread
-Patience

These are all 5/5 songs IMO.

 

[mrtramericanjr]

^^ ur missing a lot more of his classics

 

[my toy soldier]

My Generation> Dispear? Seriously? Leaders & Friends are a 4/5 for me. Dispear a 4.5 & Tribal War 5/5. My Generation is like a 2.75 also. Other than that, I agree wit u