Light-Years (Nas and DJ Premier album)
Collaborative album by Nas and DJ Premier, released December 2025.
Light-Years is a collaborative album from American rapper Nas and producer DJ Premier, released on December 12, 2025, through Mass Appeal. It serves as the seventh and final release in the label’s Legend Has It… series, which rolled out seven albums over the course of 2025. The record includes guest spots from the rock group Steve Miller Band and rapper AZ, who previously worked with Nas as part of the group The Firm. Critics gave the album favorable reviews.
The project had a long road to release. In January 2006, Nas told *Scratch* magazine that he and Premier were planning a joint album. By 2011, Nas confirmed it was still in development. On April 19, 2024, the duo dropped the single “Define My Name” to mark the 30th anniversary of Nas’ debut *Illmatic* (1994), with a press release from Mass Appeal stating the full album would arrive in late 2024. On April 16, 2025, Mass Appeal announced the Legend Has It… series, which would include seven albums from Nas & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, De La Soul, Big L, and Slick Rick. In an October 7, 2025 interview with *Rolling Stone*, Nas revealed that he and Premier had recorded older tracks dating back to when the project was first announced, and those would appear on the album. On November 20, 2025, Premier told a Bristol crowd—while performing with fellow producer The Alchemist—that the album would drop on December 12; the title *Light-Years* was announced five days later via Nas’ Instagram.
All tracks were produced by DJ Premier. The album samples a range of material: “GiT Ready” borrows from Wilson Pickett’s “Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number 9” and Rusty Wier’s “Queen of My Dreams”; “N.Y. State of Mind Pt.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Nas and DJ Premier
- Released
- 2025-12-12
- Recorded
- 2006–2025
- Studio
- Kaufman Astoria Studios (New York City) / The Hit Factory (New York City) / D&D (New York City)
- Genre
- Hip-hop
- Label
- Mass Appeal
- Producer
- DJ Premier
- Chronology
- Nas
- Prev Title
- Magic 3
- Prev Year
- 2023
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The collaboration between Nas and DJ Premier was first announced in January 2006 during an interview for Scratch magazine. In 2011, Nas revealed that the album was still in progress. On April 19, 2024, the single "Define My Name" was released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Nas' debut album Illmatic (1994), with a press release stating the collaborative album would arrive in late 2024. On April 16, 2025, Mass Appeal Records announced the Legend Has It… series, which included seven albums for 2025 from Nas & DJ Premier, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, De La Soul, Big L, and Slick Rick. In an October 7, 2025 interview with Rolling Stone, Nas revealed that he and Premier had recorded older songs dating back to when the project was first announced, and these would be included on the album. The album's title was announced on November 25, 2025, via Nas' Instagram, after Premier revealed the December 12 release date at a Bristol concert with fellow producer The Alchemist on November 20, 2025.
Reader's Guide
Light-Years represents the culmination of a nearly two-decade-long collaboration between two foundational figures in hip hop. Nas and DJ Premier had long been associated with classic works—Nas with his debut Illmatic and Premier with his production for Gang Starr—but a full joint album had been anticipated since 2006. The album's release as the final entry in Mass Appeal's Legend Has It… series in 2025 underscores its significance as a capstone project. The inclusion of older recordings alongside new material provides a retrospective arc, linking Nas' early career to his later output. The album's positive critical reception affirmed the enduring chemistry between the rapper and producer. Its samples, drawing from sources as varied as Wilson Pickett, Billy Joel, John Williams, and the Steve Miller Band, reflect Premier's signature crate-digging style. The album also serves as a historical document, bridging the gap between hip hop's golden age and its contemporary landscape, while honoring the legacy of both artists.
Did You Know?
- The album was announced in 2006, but was not released until December 12, 2025.
- It is the seventh and final album in Mass Appeal's Legend Has It… series.
- The track 'N.Y. State of Mind Pt. 3' samples Billy Joel's 'New York State of Mind' and Donald Byrd's 'Flight Time'.
- The album features a guest appearance from the Steve Miller Band.
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