album of the week: Nas and DJ Premier ‘Light-Years’

Hip-hop greats deliver a triumphant tribute to the culture

In the early stages of their careers, DJ Premier and Queensbridge rapper Nas combined to deliver the latter’s seminal project, Illmatic - an album recognised as one of the most cultural impactful debuts by any musician.

In my book, the duo remain the most naturally gifted at what they do in their respective fields. While their creative paths have crossed at various points over the last 30 years or so, it feels fitting that all these decades later, they’ve reunited for a collaboration album, Light-Years.

Nas and DJ Premier collaborate on Light-Years

The storytelling on this project is top tier and provides an educational journal for those who missed out on the “golden” era of the 90s and what came to follow. It serves as a superb tribute to the culture: from the first track, My Life Is Real, which sets the tone beautifully; documenting the rudimentary beginnings of record making on Pause Tapes; giving it up to the graffiti artists on Writers and honouring the impact of females on Bouquet. Diehard hip-hop fans will tell you this is 15 tracks of pure undiluted rap at its finest. And they’d be right!

There’s no agenda here for club or radio plays (there are no hooks or vocalist in earshot all), the beats are chunky, sinister, and aggressive; the lyrics raw, incisive and uncompromising. In a year in which the genre has taken a pretty hefty hit to its reputation, this is a perfect antidote - and a pretty special welcome Christmas treat for rap fans everywhere.