Duo might be too ‘Distant’

“Distant Relatives” is creative in the sense that it fuses reggae with American hip-hop, but the combination turns out disappointing more often than not.

Nas teams up with Damian Marley to create an album packed with inspirational tracks, urban testaments and world issues. Uncontested, the most noteworthy facet of the album is Nas’ lyrical content, as his rhymes are nearly the only reason to get this album. It would have been better had Nas just released the album, swapping a few tracks and stripping it of Damian Marley, Lil Wayne and Joss Stone.

Most of the beats induce head-nodding, but some aren’t even hip-hop: finger-style guitarists and other studio musicians on songs like “Count Your Blessings” result in tropical elevator music, while didactic gospel themes ruin others.

Damian doesn’t really stand out in the presence of Nas’ wit and intricacy of flow, but there is still some reason to buy the album: A portion of the profit goes to charities in Africa.