Nas & Hit-Boy Join Forces to Celebrate Black Culture in ‘Ultra Black’

After leaving behind a cryptic teaser, the legendary rapper, Nas, has finally stayed true to his promise. He recently put out his brand new track, ‘Ultra Black’, in league with his producer, Hit-Boy. 

Featuring funky synths and old-school Hip Hop beats, ‘Ultra Black’ brings along with it an odd sense of nostalgia. Nas’s sleek verses settle over these production elements in one continuous flow. The rapper’s politically heavy lyrics is without a doubt, the highlight of this track. We see Nas detail and celebrate Black culture, with some bold references and even a few not-so-subtle jabs. Take a look:

It’s like the fountain of youth, the culture’s black
Like Iman, she beautiful, goin’ ultra black
To Africa, you say, “Go back”
I stay pro-black, my Amex black (Ah)
Black like cornrows, afros
Black like Kaep’ blackballed from the Superbowls (Colin) 

Now, as we mentioned earlier, Nas also takes a dig at someone who’s spent a fair amount of time under the spotlight: Doja Cat. In ‘Ultra Black’ we hear the rap star call her as well as Michael Jackson out for not fully embracing their roots. The lyrics in question are as follows:

We goin’ ultra black, unapologetically black
The opposite of Doja Cat, Michael Blackson black

Nas’s dig refers to Doja’s allegedly racist behaviour on social media in the past. While the star has openly apologized for her actions on multiple occasions, the fact that she spent a lot of time in what were considered to be racist, alt-right chat rooms – has not been buried yet. And now, Nas might’ve just added fuel to the fire. 

We’ll have to wait and see how these events unroll. But for now, take a listen to Nas’s first single off his forthcoming album, “King’s Disease”.

By: Nina Karun