and Yellowman's groundbreaking collaboration "Roots Rap Reggae" through Supercat introducing Biggie Smalls to the world on the "Dolly My Baby" remix and Shabba Ranks and KRS-One joining forces on "The Jam." That line continues right up through Damian Marley and Nas' double-Grammy-winning "Road To Zion."ĭistant Relatives is an album created by two serious artists to explore and celebrate the correlations and deep-rooted connections between reggae and hip-hop, tracing both sounds back to the African motherland that is both the cradle of humanity and the wellspring of mankind's music.Īnd who better to fulfill this mission? The youngest son of the legendary Bob Marley, Damian "Jr. Distant Relatives traces the direct line from dancehall reggae's breakthrough moment forty years ago to the rise of hip-hop several years later-from Run D.M.C. The recording is a fully collaborative effort filling an entire album, opening new avenues of musical expression. Unlike all previous collaborations between Jamaican and American artists, Distant Relatives is neither a remix nor a featured guest spot on a single track.
Nas distant relatives 2 review full#
Gong" Marley and Nasty Nasir Jones first began treading the long and winding "Road to Zion." The artists' first collaboration went so well that they decided to do a full album together, and that album is Distant Relatives. When dancehall and hip-hop music was all about moving the crowd not "moving units." Before Damian "Jr. Back to a time when rap's greatest hits were created in basement soundrooms, not corporate boardrooms. What we're about to do right now is go back. I found this review on, btw it shocked me that Lil' Wayne finally wrote one verse without a curse: