Magic 3 is the seventeenth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released by Mass Appeal Records on September 14, 2023, the rapper's fiftieth birthday. The album serves as a third installment to Nas' Magic series, following up Magic 2. It is also the sixth and final consecutive Nas album produced by Hit-Boy, following the King's Disease trilogy, as well as the previous two Magic albums.[1] The album contains a sole guest appearance from Lil Wayne.
| Magic 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 14, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | 2023 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 45:43 | |||
| Label | Mass Appeal | |||
| Producer | Hit-Boy | |||
| Nas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editOn September 8, 2023, almost two months after the release of Magic 2, Nas posted a cryptic video on his Instagram, hinting at another album being released soon, with the letter "N" of his logo, and the words "The Finale" being shown.[2] On September 12, he officially announced the album, revealing the title and artwork, as well as the release date being his 50th birthday.[3] The tracklist was revealed hours before the album's eventual release.[4]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 86/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Albumism |   [6] |
| AllMusic |  [7] |
| Clash | 8/10[8] |
| HipHopDX | 3.8/5[9] |
| RapReviews | 9/10[10] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.4/5[11] |
Magic 3 was met with widespread acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album has received an average score of 86 based on five reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[12] Robin Murray of Clash wrote, "Reaching greater and greater heights, Magic 3 could well be Nas and Hit-Boy's finest hour together – the closure of this chapter allows us to analyze their relationship, but you're still left yearning for more."[8] Eric Diep of HipHopDX wrote, "Magic 3 is another chapter that doesn't quite surpass the original, but it's the swan song before his decision to retire. [...] Magic 3 puts the stamp on one of the most interesting late-career series in Hip Hop history, a feat that may never be duplicated."[9] Mitch Worden of Sputnikmusic wrote, "Magic 3 is everything special about [Nas and Hit-Boy's] 6-LP run and certainly an excellent effort from modern rap's most surprisingly stellar partnership, and it's everything that might have been left behind.[11]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic. David Crone wrote that, "The ground on which Nas stands here is so effortlessly self-assured that you'd be forgiven for thinking rap was easy. Bars are constructed loosely but never carelessly, rattled out at a headstrong pace and tossed around like playthings, jeweled with slick double entendres and the wisdom of decades behind the mike. The vast weight of the MC's legacy is the bedrock behind the words, but his snapshot living is as high-life as ever, with New York luxuries coursing like paper trails through the wordsmith's verses."[7]
Track listing
editAll tracks are produced by Hit-Boy.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Fever" |
| 2:47 |
| 2. | "TSK" |
| 3:04 |
| 3. | "Superhero Status" |
| 2:51 |
| 4. | "I Love This Feeling" |
| 3:17 |
| 5. | "No Tears" |
| 3:11 |
| 6. | "Never Die" (featuring Lil Wayne) |
| 3:10 |
| 7. | "Pretty Young Girl" |
| 2:20 |
| 8. | "Based on True Events" |
| 2:44 |
| 9. | "Based on True Events, Pt. 2" |
| 3:14 |
| 10. | "Sitting with My Thoughts" |
| 3:00 |
| 11. | "Blue Bentley" |
| 2:35 |
| 12. | "Jodeci Member" |
| 2:47 |
| 13. | "Speechless, Pt. 2" |
| 3:05 |
| 14. | "Japanese Soul Bar" |
| 3:01 |
| 15. | "1-800-Nas&Hit" |
| 4:37 |
| Total length: | 45:43 | ||
Sample credits
- TSK contains a sample of "Barabas" performed by Belgian band Hooverphonic.
Commercial performance
editMagic 3 debuted at number 20 on the UK Album Downloads Chart on September 22, 2023.[13] In the United States, it debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200 and 13 on the Independent Albums chart.
Personnel
edit- Nas – vocals
- Hit-Boy – production, programming, engineering
- David Kim – mixing, engineering
- Jun Kim – mixing, additional engineering
- Mike Bozzi – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (2023–2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[13] | 20 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[14] | 7 |
| US Billboard 200[15] | 65 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[16] | 13 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[17] | 26 |
References
edit- ^ Powell, Jon. "Nas unveils Magic 2 artwork and release date". Revolt. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Instagram video by Nasir Jones • 8 September 2023 at 22:27". Retrieved 14 September 2023 – via Instagram.
- ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (12 September 2023). "Nas Announces New Album Out This Week". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ Williams, Aaron (14 September 2023). "Nas & Hit-Boy's Magic 3 Tracklist Supplies A Lone Feature From Lil Wayne". Uproxx. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
- ^ "Magic 3 by Nas". Metacritic. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Ducker, Jesse (October 2, 2023). "Nas & Hit-Boy Deliver Captivating Culmination of Their Recent Musical Partnership with 'Magic 3' | Album Review". Albumism. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Crone, David (September 16, 2023). "Nas – Magic 3 Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (September 15, 2023). "Nas – Magic 3 | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Diep, Eric (September 17, 2023). "Nas and Hit-Boy's 'Magic 3' Is More Cliffhanger Than Grand Finale". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Grant (January 2, 2024). "Nas :: Magic 3 – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Worden, Michael (September 20, 2023). "Review: Nas - Magic 3". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ Magic 3 by Nas, retrieved 2024-01-23
- ^ a b "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ "Nas Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
External links
edit- Nas – Magic 3 at Discogs (list of releases)