Nas and Hit-Boy are moving through the 2020s like modern-day magicians. First collaborating in full for the 2020 LP King's Disease, the duo are now four albums deep into a rapper/producer run that ranks among the strongest of the decade, revitalizing the legendary MC's pen game in fresh-sounding new contexts and soundscapes. Arguably the most consistent period yet of either musician's career, the King's Disease series is a from-the-ground-up revitalization of the "Nas" sound -- and on their fourth joint venture, King's Disease III, they produce their strongest entry yet. While Hov returned to the throne with the remorseful, insular 4:44, Nas' mid-career ventures take a somewhat different tone. These are carefree boasts from a lifetime at the top, slick reflections on the glory days of Queens living, life lessons suffused with mountain-scholar wisdom -- delivered from the winding depths of a man that has been branded the greatest rapper alive since he was 18. He constructs vast critiques of music-industry traps in three-line asides, revitalizes the timeless storytelling of "I Gave You Power" for the jaded "Beef," and delivers picture-perfect recollections from 49 years of peaks and troughs, yet his lyricism is marked with a new easiness, shifting from the winding, claustrophobic verses of early-era works to a warmer, reflective depth. The soulful production suite that underscored some of the rapper's greatest works has been expertly reconstructed and modernized by producer Hit-Boy -- he bolsters Nas with groovy pianos on "Legit" and "Ghetto Reporter," reframes modern trap with coursing melodies ("30," "Michael & Quincy," "Til My Last Breath"), and buttresses the rapper with a plethora of soulful vocal chops, amber-tinged melodies, and slick sampling choices. In every aspect he shows a deep reverence for what makes Nas Nas. The resulting work is at once loose and deeply complex, effortless in its incisiveness yet still dazzling at its peaks. The three bullions on the album's cover say it best: this duo keep on producing gold. ~ David Crone