By: Brittany Hill

White supremacy, America’s youth and heritage are all covered in Nas and Damian Marley’s 2010 collaboration, “Distant Relatives.”

This multifaceted album brings heavy rhymes from American rapper and songwriter Nas to blissfully mix with the smooth and upbeat style of Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley.

Marley, the youngest of Bob Marley’s sons, and Nas, the son of a jazz musician, open the album with a back-and-forth sequence of spitting rhymes. Once Marley stops, Nas starts. There’s never a moment of silence, only spitfire enthusiasm and energy, one of the best ways to foreshadow an album that is as lyrically serious as it is playful.

“As We Enter” opens the album in near narrative form, as Nas and Marley play off each other’s latest thought. Nas articulates, “Y’all feel me even if it’s in Swahili. Habari gain,” to which Marley responds “Nzuri sana. Switch up the language and move to Ghana.”

A fascinating aspect to this album is that regardless of the extreme difference in style and sound, the duo are able to collaborate under a mere set list and moral beliefs — how oppression, progression and repression can yield remarkably sensational results.

In a more politically charged song, “Tribal War,” the two touch on oppression of blacks in America and the forced migration that other minorities have faced, as well as the unfortunate consequences of such.

“Man what happened to us? Geographically they moved us from Africa. We was once happiness pursuers. Now we back stabbing, combative and abusive.” Nas continues, “The African and Arab go at it, they most Muslim.”

Other songs tug at the overwhelming nostalgia one feels while remembering their impressionable teenage years, bred from pure naiveté.

Stephen Marley guest appears in the tune “Leaders,” by repping’ the chorus throughout. The artists talk about their different interpretations on what it means to be a leader.

Damian Marley reminisces: “Everything you do? It impact me. Your lifestyle attract me, parents try distract me. When I grow up I want to be like you exactly.”

Following this less political path comes the next track, “Friends,” through which Nas and Damian spit honestly about the issues that face friendships. This sentimental tribute allows for male listeners to connect to the emotions often experienced when friends turn their backs, but often are repressed.

“Look what’s it come to…Our rapport’s good no more. We was good before, ’till I saw what type a dude you took me for. We had a chance to take paper down. What I took was more. Because of hatred, opportunity wasted,” Nas raps with passion and anger.

Over a hypnotic and haunting beat, Marley repeats his chorus featured in and out of Nas’ interludes. “Your real friends will serve you long, acquaintances will fade. Your real friends won’t do you wrong, real friend don’t change.”

To break up the albums’ deep lyrical content and heavy beats, comes a song in the near middle of the album. “Count Your Blessings” reflects on the small things that really count, but that are often missed throughout all the chaos and expectations of daily life.

This song really gives the listeners a clearer view on how raw Marley’s vocals can be, but more so, how soft they can be on the ears.

“If you’ve got someone who miss you, man count your blessings,” he reminds the listener.

A funkier tune, “Nah Mean,” catches the listener by surprise after it follows the more spiritually driven tune “In His Words.” The harsh contrast brings the listener from feeling moved spiritually to being moved physically.

But, by the far the strongest and most moving song of them all is “Patience.” The song is poetic, political and so real. It critiques how our passions and views as humans have shifted towards a more societal perspective than a nature perspective.

“Scholars teach in Universities and claim that they’re smart and cunning. Tell them find a cure when we sneeze and that’s when their nose start running,” says Marley. “Can you milk cows, even though you drive cars? Huh. Can you survive, against all odds now?

Nas echoes these sentiments as he wraps up the ballad with lyrics that leave the listener to think about life’s true meaning. He recalls the tragic times when he held dead bodies in his arms, and how it changed him.

“Why we born in the first place, if this is how we gotta go? Damn.”