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| Popmatters |
 Five years ago, Nasty Nas and Damian “Junior Gong” Marley hooked up for “Road to Zion”, a one-off on Marley’s debut LP, Welcome to Jamrock, that clearly towered over everything on the album but the title track. Over a dreamy Ella Fitzgerald sample, the two dropped the sort of Pan-African philosophizing that Nas has long been known for, but they did it in a very natural and humble way that betrayed a strong union between the two performers in both inspiration and purpose. The lead single on Distant Relatives, “As We Enter”, provides a strong contrast musically with its uptempo tribal propulsion and back-and-forth verses from the two artists, but in every other way signals more blazing chemistry.What makes “As We Enter” work so well is that both artists work with their message, but neither compromises himself for it. This isn’t always the case. “Patience” has received plenty of flack in a post-“Miracles” world, but it deserves the treatment considering the platitudes and misguided attempts at provoking hard thought from its audience. “In His Own Words” uses similar lines of questioning, but not as clumsily thanks to Nas’ verses, and “Strong Will Continue” is similarly didactic until Nas’ final verse. Elsewhere, like “Count Your Blessings” or “Land of Promise”, Nas seems unable to find a home: it’s a feeling that pervades about half of the album, which is unfortunate given the chemistry on “As We Enter” and “Road to Zion”. Rarely if ever do the two reach those heights on the rest of Distant Relatives....full text |
| 411mania |
| First off, let me just say that this album is really different and will get some spotlight in the hip-hop community because Nas is on it. If he weren't on the album, it would be getting a lot less attention. Is that a slam on the album or on the industry? Read on playa'! Essentially, Distant Relatives has been in the works for a while between Nas and Marley and as a whole, is a statement of perseverance, encouragement, and unity in current day Africa and the U.S. The profits will be going to build schools, possibly in the Congo from what I’ve read in interviews with Marley. And really, I hope this album sells well because it’s really interesting. The first go around, I have to admit, I didn’t really like it THAT much. It was almost too much of what I expected and feared would happen: a stereotypical reggae album that we’ve heard a million parodies of already with songs about love and unity and reaching “Bob-EEE-lawn.” Now granted, I had it on in the background while watching the Canadiens-Penguins Game 7 match-up and didn’t dedicate my entire attention span to the music, but still, that was my initial impression. Here’s my suggestion to enjoying this album…you know, if you’re like me and don’t smoke herb: CRANK IT THE FUCK UP! The lyrical content is top-notch and there's some subtleties to the musicianship that transcend standard reggae/due/whatever. There’s a lot going on here and it’s actually a beautiful album deep down. There’s not a lot of rich goodness left in the hip-hop game in this day of studio producers, ringtone rappers, and songs dedicated to ego inflation and swagger-boasting when most people are getting beaten down by the economy and don't need rich rappers to insult them. Nas and “Junior Gong” bring something unique to the table here to counter all of that. That said, Distant Relatives is more than just political and social commentary; it’s a statement of holding on and pushing towards something more. It’s a pick-me-up for people to jam at the time of lowest sorrows, and that just sounds oddly appropriate these days, doesn't it?...full text |
| Pitchfork |
| At the end of the 1998 Hype Williams film Belly, Nas, playing a reformed outlaw named Sincere, leaves behind the violence and betrayal of his old life and moves to Africa. That's it. Just Africa. We don't learn where in Africa he moves, or what he does when he gets there. We just hear "Africa," like the entire continent is some gigantic symbol for rebirth and redemption. It's meant to be a triumphant ending, but it's frustratingly out-of-reach, missing the specificity that could've made it satisfying. There's something of that same nagging well-intentioned vagueness to Nas' latest venture, as well. Nas is in a tough spot right now, coming off of a couple of half-successful, attention-grabbing concept albums and a costly, spiteful public divorce. So it makes sense for him to link up with the scion of one of the most universally beloved figures in all of music, making a back-to-basics move that pushes him away from rap and tabloid politics. Nas and Damian Marley are both sons of celebrated musical figures, so god knows they probably have plenty to talk about. Five years ago, Nas guested on Marley's "Road to Zion" and sounded great doing it. Onstage together at SXSW, they had a lively chemistry, Marley chatting madly over the "N.Y. State of Mind" beat and Nas giddily playing hypeman on "Welcome to Jamrock". And first single and album opener "As We Enter" promises great things, Nas and Marley furiously trading off tag-team punchlines over a track that perfectly splits the difference between dusty NY boom-bap and warm post-dancehall reggae. But too often on Distant Relatives, Nas and Marley fall into a sort of middlebrow funk, kicking overripe platitudes over sunny session-musician lopes and letting their self-importance suffocate their personalities. Marley's never done his best work shooting for inspirational. On his best tracks, he brings less of his father's wizened optimism and more of the gravelly, demonic snarl of dancehall-schooled avengers like Sizzla or Capleton. Nas, meanwhile, is best at tense, tactile details: The feeling of gunpowder burning your nostril hair, the dank smell of piss in the project elevator. In trying to make what basically amounts to a modern-day Bob Marley album, they've both pushed themselves away from their strengths....full text |
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