Nas has come a long way since Illmatic. Nine solo albums, millions of records sold, and countless Grammy nominations later, he’s an esteemed hip-hop veteran. Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley is cut from the same cloth of greatness. After being the only Jamaican artist to garner two Grammys on the same night for Welcome to Jamrock, he’s well on his way to following in the legendary footsteps of his late father Bob Marley.

As a collective, Nas and Damian Marley grab from reggae, hip-hop, and dancehall on their joint effort Distant Relatives (May 18), an album paying homage to their motherland of Africa. The fusion of a man from Kingston, Jamaica, and another from Queens, New York, coupled with tribal drums and instruments, creates a mighty sound. With production by Damian and his brother Stephen, combined with appearances by Lil Wayne and K’Naan, the duo isn’t just making hits, they’re creating history.

Rap-Up.com walks you through Nas and Damian’s journey track by track as they bridge the continental divide.

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The dynamic duo of Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley share insight on their rap-meets-reggae album Distant Relatives, Lil Wayne’s absence from music, the state of hip-hop, and the future of the music industry. Plus, what does Nas think about rap’s rising stars including Drake and J. Cole? Find out the answer in Rap-Up TV’s exclusive sit-down interview.

It’s not often you have the opportunity to sit down with two of the most respected visionaries in their fields, Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. Rap-Up TV chopped it up with the rap and reggae duo about their joint album Distant Relatives, working with Lil Wayne, and the new class of rappers. Keep an eye out for our interview later this week.

Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley take you behind the scenes of the recording process for their collaborative album Distant Relatives, with commentary from Oliver Stone, K’Naan, Busta Rhymes, Saul Williams, and DJ Green Lantern. The musical duo will share their African ancestry with the world when the album and tour kick off in May.

Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley are taking their Africa-inspired album across the world on the “Distant Relatives Tour,” set to kick off May 21 in Arcata, Calif.

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Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley share their first time at South by Southwest with VEVO. The duo praises one another and discusses merging their hip-hop and reggae worlds together to create a real experience on their collaborative album Distant Relatives.

“We know what we can do separately, so this is about when we get together, what is gonna happen?” asks Nas. “We making music and God gave us that, and we giving back.”

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Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley bridge the gap on the cover of their joint album Distant Relatives, in stores May 18. The disc features the single “As We Enter,” along with collaborations from Stephen Marley, K’Naan, and Lil Wayne. Click here for the tracklisting.

Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley brought Africa to Austin, Texas, for roof-raising sets at the Levi’s/FADER Fort and later at Emo’s during South by Southwest on Wednesday (March 17). The tag team performed material from their joint album Distant Relatives, including “Strong Will Continue,” and Nas took it back with solo hits “Nas Is Like” and “Made You Look.”

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