Magic 3
Studio album by
Nas
ReleasedSeptember 14, 2023
Recorded2023
GenreHip hop
Length45:43
LabelMass Appeal
ProducerHit-Boy
Nas chronology
Magic 2
(2023)		 Magic 3
(2023)

Magic 3 is the seventeenth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on September 14, 2023 through Mass Appeal Records, the day of the rapper's 50th birthday. The album serves as a third installment to Nas' Magic series, following up Magic 2. It is also the sixth and final consecutive Nas album produced by Hit-Boy, following the King's Disease trilogy, as well as the previous two Magic albums.[1] The album contains a sole guest appearance from Lil Wayne.

Background

On September 8, 2023, almost two months after the release of Magic 2, Nas posted a cryptic video on his Instagram, hinting at another album being released soon, with the letter "N" of his logo, and the words "The Finale" being shown.[2] On September 12, he officially announced the album, revealing the title and artwork, as well as the release date being his 50th birthday.[3] The tracklist was revealed hours before the album's eventual release.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Albumism[5]
Clash8/10[6]
HipHopDX3.8/5[7]
RapReviews9/10[8]
Sputnikmusic3.4/5[9]

Magic 3 received generally positive reviews from critics. Robin Murray of Clash wrote, "Reaching greater and greater heights, Magic 3 could well be Nas and Hit-Boy's finest hour together – the closure of this chapter allows us to analyze their relationship, but you're still left yearning for more."[6] Eric Diep of HipHopDX wrote, "Magic 3 is another chapter that doesn't quite surpass the original, but it's the swan song before his decision to retire. [...] Magic 3 puts the stamp on one of the most interesting late-career series in Hip Hop history, a feat that may never be duplicated."[7] Mitch Worden of Sputnikmusic wrote, "Magic 3 is everything special about [Nas and Hit-Boy's] 6-LP run and certainly an excellent effort from modern rap's most surprisingly stellar partnership, and it's everything that might have been left behind.[9]

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Hit-Boy.

Magic 3 track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fever"
2:47
2."TSK"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
3:04
3."Superhero Status"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
  • Penelope McClendon
2:51
4."I Love This Feeling"
3:17
5."No Tears"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
3:11
6."Never Die" (featuring Lil Wayne)
3:10
7."Pretty Young Girl"
2:20
8."Based on True Events"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
2:44
9."Based on True Events, Pt. 2"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
3:14
10."Sitting with My Thoughts"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
3:00
11."Blue Bentley"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
2:35
12."Jodeci Member"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
  • George Kerr
2:47
13."Speechless, Pt. 2"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
  • George Patterson
3:05
14."Japanese Soul Bar"
  • Jones
  • Hollis
3:01
15."1-800-Nas&Hit"
4:37
Total length:45:43

Sample credits

  • TSK contains a sample of "Barabas" performed by Belgian band Hooverphonic.

Commercial performance

Magic 3 debuted at number 20 on the UK Album Downloads Chart on September 22, 2023.[10] In the United States, it debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200 and 13 on the Independent Albums chart.

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Magic 3
Chart (2023) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[10] 20
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[11] 8
US Billboard 200[12] 65
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[13] 13
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] 26

References

  1. ↑ Powell, Jon. "Nas unveils Magic 2 artwork and release date". Revolt. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "Instagram video by Nasir Jones • 8 September 2023 at 22:27". Retrieved 14 September 2023 – via Instagram.
  3. ↑ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (12 September 2023). "Nas Announces New Album Out This Week". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Williams, Aaron (14 September 2023). "Nas & Hit-Boy's Magic 3 Tracklist Supplies A Lone Feature From Lil Wayne". Uproxx. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  5. ↑ Ducker, Jesse (October 2, 2023). "Nas & Hit-Boy Deliver Captivating Culmination of Their Recent Musical Partnership with 'Magic 3' | Album Review". Albumism. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Murray, Robin (September 15, 2023). "Nas – Magic 3 | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  7. 1 2 Diep, Eric (September 17, 2023). "Nas and Hit-Boy's 'Magic 3' Is More Cliffhanger Than Grand Finale". HipHopDX. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  8. ↑ Jones, Grant (January 2, 2024). "Nas :: Magic 3 – RapReviews". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Worden, Michael (September 20, 2023). "Review: Nas - Magic 3". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Nas Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Nas Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Nas Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
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