Nas, Hit-Boy, and The Magic of Finding the Right Brand Partnership

One of the best rappers of all time is having a career resurgence like no one in rap has seen.

With the help of producer Hit-Boy, they’ve created a brand that has the power to keep both of them at the top of musical and cultural conversations for years to come.

In the 3 years, they’ve given us five alums, and as of the morning this piece goes out, their newest effort, “Magic 2,” will be released to the world.

The title is fitting because their partnership is nothing short of magic.

I won’t keep us here long because I wanna sit and enjoy the album. That said, today’s piece is about the magic of finding the right partnerships.

I. Similar Stories make for stronger Brand Lore

“Like young Quincy Jones, stuck outside the club 'Til Ray Charles snuck him in/ ah, to be young again/ But right now, it's like I got the power of a hundred men/ Nas and Hit like Michael and Quincy on the run again (Run again)”

Hit-Boy and Nas were both at crossroads in their careers.

Hit-Boy was stuck in a bad contract (one that he signed at 18 years old) and despite producing one of the biggest Hiphop records ever at 24,  N****s in Paris, he hadn’t made a dime from it. By his own account, he was blackballed.

People had written him off.

Similarly, Nas was in a place most emcees of his caliber find themselves in. He was getting older and the genre was changing. Although his last few projects were solid, career-long Critiques of his beat selection constantly hindered his career. And even as a respected legend the culture wasn’t giving him his just due.

He was undervalued.

What happens when the undervalued and the overlooked combine?

AN INCREDIBLE BRAND STORY.

It’s the type of story we go to the movies for — the one where the underdog becomes a superhero, David beats Goliath, etc.

Nas & Hit-Boy’s first project together was King’s Disease.

The story behind the product was so strong that they achieved incredible success.

The first album from Nas and Hit-Boy showed that it was a partnership built to last and the culture remembered two things.

1. Nas can rap his ass off

2. Hit-Boy makes incredible beats

The music was so good that after 30 years in the game Nas got his first Grammy.

II. Cross Generational Collabs = Impact

When I think about it, more brands should engage in cross-generational partnerships. The biggest reason is that introduces both parties to a new audience.

Think about it.

Nas’ first album dropped in 1992 — most of his fans are likely Gen X and a Millenials.

HIt-Boy’s biggest hit happened in 2011 — most Gen Z’ers were discovering hip-hop for the first.

That means whenever Hit & Nas get together, 3 different generations of Hip-hop fans tune in to hear their work.

Think about the next collab your brand is poised to do.

Of course you’re trying to reach a new audience. That’s cool.

But what if you looked across generations to do so? Stop looking exclusively Gen Z. They’re sick of our sh*t.

Look deeper, and you might discover an entirely new audience that you hadn’t considered before.

III. Remember, No Man is an Island

Alright. This last one is a little cliche, but it’s the truth.

Nobody does it by themselves.

Jordan had Pippen. Steve Jobs had Woz. Nike had Wieden.

In Hip-hop, the emcee has always needed a producer & vice versa (both need the DJ, but that’s a story for another day).

Believe it or not, Nas thought Hit-Boy didn’t wanna work with him until they got together around 2019. As the clip below shows, Hit was actually waiting for the chance:

So, What’s the Takeaway?

The point is that there is magic in partnership. The right partner can truly transform your brand and alter its trajectory for the better.

Think about what we talked about earlier. Nas’ brand is iconic and so is Hit-Boy’s.

But, Nas’ first Grammy came from King’s Disease.

That speaks volumes.

Anyway… The album is out, and I’m ready to give it a listen.

Think about the projects you have on your plate.

Figure out who you can collaborate with, it may be the difference between an award-winning effort or just good enough.

Peace.