Don’t let it be “distant” from your CD player…
Distant Relatives is the best new album of 2010 I’ve heard so far. Damian Marley and Nas are a great collabo - thanks to “Jr. Gong”, Nas finally has some consistently great music to go with his always-impressive lyrics and flow. Nas fans have anticipated for years that he might do an entire project with DJ Premier or Dr. Dre, as the general opinion is that his only pitfall has been in lacking the right beats. But I don’t know if even Primo or Dre could establish more chemistry with Nas than what he and Damian uncovered while making Distant Relatives. After the acclaim for Damian’s debut, Welcome to Jamrock, Bob Marley’s youngest son has now produced two classic albums…and counting.
Distant Relatives is not composed of flashy club jams or pop anthems. I mean, yea, you could party to a couple joints, but these songs were crafted to engage your social consciousness and your self-awareness. (I think it’s good ride-to music – Jr. Gong’s reggae-sampled beats bang in the car!) On “Leaders” featuring Damian’s brother Stephen Marley on the chorus, I can’t help but get that feeling that Damian is channeling his father’s spirit, or at least thinking of him, as he and Nas tell stories about how male role models affect the paths of young people. “Land of Promise” is reminiscent of Nas’ “If I Ruled the World”, as he again paints his vision of what the promised land could be for the people over a hard reggae beat that samples the old Dennis Brown song. Y’all remember that song “We are the World 25” made for Haiti earlier this year? Yea, I didn’t think you would. “Strong Will Continue” is what that song should’ve been – powerful and uplifting without coming off as corny or overdone. Nas lost his focus a little on his second verse by getting too personal and critical, but this does little to take away from the overall strength of the song. “My Generation” should be the next single in my opinion (“As We Enter” is the first); it’s “radio-friendly” with features from Joss Stone and Lil’ Wayne, and the message is one of inspiration for the youth to take responsibility for their lives and charging them with the task to change the world for the better.
This album is incredible, top to bottom, no skips. The genre fusion is seamless, which is what makes the album easy to listen to (don’t think Jay-Z/Linkin Park – it’s FAR from being that forced). As you listen, you won’t feel like it’s a hip-hop or a reggae album, and don’t worry if you’re interested but aren’t a longtime fan of either of these artists – you won’t have to be in order to enjoy the vibe of the music. Distant Relatives is bangin’ music that will have you nodding your head and singing along, I promise.
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