In a fractured world, that's a lesson worth sampling. Distant Relatives is not just a collaboration album; it is a historical document. It is the sound of two cultures realizing they are one family, making music that is as much for the mind as it is for the hips. If you have never heard it, listen with headphones, a map of the world, and an open heart.
You hear it in the wave of "Afrobeat" collaborations dominating American radio today (from Beyoncé’s The Lion King album to Drake’s drill beats). You hear it in the political urgency of artists like Kendrick Lamar (who cited the album as an influence on To Pimp a Butterfly ). And you hear it in the growing mainstream acceptance of patois in hip-hop lyrics.
Nas, who had spent the 2000s navigating the spiritual aftermath of his Illmatic genius and the street epics of It Was Written , was deep into his "rebel" phase. He had just released Untitled (originally Nigger ), a controversial deep dive into racial etymology. Damian, the youngest Marley brother, had already won three Grammys and pushed roots reggae into the 21st century with the gritty, dancehall-infused Welcome to Jamrock .
