DISTANT RELATIVES

Distant Relatives, the collaborative effort of Nas and Damien Marley, is being hailed as a hip-hop classic. Schedules to release on May 18, 2010 several hip-hop sites-including hiphopdx and allhiphop have already given the album close to a perfect rating. At a time when hip-hop is misogynist, redundant, and lacking any intelligence what so ever, Distant Relatives offers an enlightening alternative. The name itself is meant to show a connection between Africa and the descendants of the diaspora (Americas, Caribbean, etc). Judging from the tracks that have been leaked Distant Relatives is a monumental effort in Pan Africanism. Past leaders like Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, and Huey Newton are remembered for their rhetoric of black pride and independence but are largely looked upon with a sense of ambivalence by the black community. Rather this album and its message will be taken serious or will be just a passing moment is unknown. What is known is that it is a wholesome, heart filling album. Distant Relatives is like going to a buffet while the majority of music now days is synonymous with going to McDonald's. Here are some links to reviews already done as well as previews of some songs on the album:  http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.1430/title.nas-damian-marley-distant-relatives, and http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2010/05/13/22216146.aspx.