Reviewing for NME, Will Lavin appraised the album for its lyricism, claiming that the album's lyrics demand "high levels of dissection" and that the album is an "acutely perceptive and culturally relevant body of work that finds its author willing to try out new ideas." He concluded by writing: "There's a genuine conversation to be had about whether it's the best rap album of the year so far." Going strictly by the conviction and feeling in each line, King's Disease is the MC's best work since 2008." Robin Murray of Clash wrote: "'The King's Disease' finds Nas grappling with a raft of contradictions, contrasting the opulence of his lifestyle with the need for vitality in his message," adding that "it's not perfect, but it's less an end product, and more the search for creative process – by the end, you become convinced the Queens rapper has found his throne." Okla Jones of Consequence of Sound praised the album for its cohesion and production, writing that King's Disease "delivers a feel appropriate for the times" and "hits the mark as being one of the better rap albums of the year." Similarly, Riley Wallace of HipHopDX wrote: "The creative process seems more organized and thought out, allowing Nas to do all the things he's good at, without embellishing any of them." Īndy Kellman of AllMusic felt that the album was an improvement from the rapper's work in recent years, writing: "Nas is more ruminative and measured, like he's found his stride again, even as he flagrantly contradicts himself and waylays men and women with relationship advice that rings hollow. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on nine reviews. King's Disease was met with generally positive reviews from music critics.
Critical reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores The official music video for "Replace Me", featuring American rapper Big Sean and American singer Don Toliver, was released on October 21. The official music video for the album's final track and only bonus track, "Spicy", featuring American rappers Fivio Foreign and ASAP Ferg, was released on October 2, 2020. Four days later, on August 14, Nas released the album's lead and only single, "Ultra Black", featuring Hit-Boy. However, on August 10, 2020, Nas announced via Instagram he would be releasing a different album produced and executive produced by American record producer Hit-Boy, which would become known as King's Disease. The album's sequel, King's Disease II, was released on Aug and is Nas's first release to be marketed by Sony Music (through The Orchard subsidiary) since the release of Street's Disciple in 2004.įollowing the release of his twelfth studio album Nasir, Nas stated that he would be working on an unfinished album produced by Swizz Beatz and RZA, who both contributed to Nas' compilation album The Lost Tapes 2 in 2019. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, becoming Nas' first Grammy.
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on eight reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". King's Disease was met with generally positive reviews from critics. Paak, Brucie B, Nas's supergroup the Firm, Fivio Foreign, and ASAP Ferg. The album features guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Hit-Boy, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson. It succeeds his twelfth studio album, Nasir, released two years prior. It was released on August 21, 2020, through Mass Appeal Records and marketed by Universal Music Group. King's Disease is the thirteenth studio album by American rapper Nas.