Nas and DJ Premier are closing out 2025 like it’s 1994 all over again, with Madman landing as track #7 on their joint album Light-Years, set to drop December 12 via Mass Appeal Records, and it’s already got that Queensbridge spark that reminds you why these two are untouchable.
Madman kicks off the project with Nas in full storyteller mode, painting a wild portrait of a street philosopher gone rogue—think a hustler unraveling the chaos of inner-city life, from dice games turning deadly to dreams deferred in the shadows of the projects. It’s got that classic boom-bap pulse: Premier’s dusty soul chops layered over crisp snares and a sample that loops like a memory you can’t shake, giving Nas room to weave dense bars about survival’s mad edge.
The vibe pulls straight from their Illmatic playbook—raw introspection wrapped in menace—but with the wisdom of three decades, touching on mental fractures and the thin line between genius and breakdown. No guests here; it’s pure duo chemistry, blending Premier’s timeless scratches with Nas’s surgical flow for something that feels both archival and urgent.
The whole Light-Years rollout has been a masterclass in patience. They first teased this back in ’06, but it simmered until that April 2024 single “Define My Name” lit the fuse for Illmatic’s 30th. Premier spilled the date onstage in Bristol last month with Alchemist, and Nas dropped the 15-track list on Instagram just days ago—highlights like “NY State of Mind, Pt. 3,” “The 6th Mary,” and a lone AZ feature on “My Story Your Story.” It’s the capstone to Mass Appeal’s Legend Has It… series, mixing vaulted gems from their early sessions with fresh cuts. Fans can pre-save on Spotify for the full lineup and alerts when it beams down. Socials have been quiet from the duo, but the buzz is everywhere—Reddit threads dissecting potential samples, X lighting up with “finally” posts.
This lands as a full-circle win for both. Nas has been on a tear with his Hit-Boy trilogy, snagging Grammys and stadium crowds, but linking back with Premier feels like reclaiming the blueprint that made him a legend. Premier’s kept the flame alive through collabs with everyone from Joey Bada$$ to Griselda, proving his dusties age like fine wine. At 52 and 58, they’re not chasing trends—they’re etching history, turning what could have been a nostalgia play into a light-year leap forward for hip-hop’s golden era sound.
Dive into the Madman lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other Light-Years tracks for more of Nas & DJ Premier’s timeless grit.
| Lead Vocals | Nas & DJ Premier |
| Songwriter | Nas & DJ Premier |
| Music Producer | DJ Premier |
| Label | Mass Appeal Records |
| Release Date | December 12, 2025 |
| Song Language | English |
| Copyright © | Mass Appeal Records |
Lyrics of Madman by Nas & DJ Premier
[Intro]
and How Do You Feel About the Music Business Now in General Right Now
in Comparison to Before When You First Started?
Well, There’s Much More Respect, They Respect It As, as an Art Form Now
How, What Were the Feelings Back Then When You First Started?
Nigga Music
I Don’t Give a Goddamn, It’s-It’s-It’s Nas
Murderous Material Made by a Madman
I Don’t Give a Goddamn, It’s-It’s-It’s Nas
Murderous Material Made by a Madman [Verse 1: Nas]
Let’s Cop Acres, I Do This for Thinkers, Salute to Sasha Jenkins
and Door Knocker Fly Ladies, Gucci Link Gangsters
and Rappers That Use One Producer
You Know That Metro Boomin and Future, We Still Don’t Trust You
Didn’t Start It but I Boosted It, Gigured I’d Bring It Back Since
Multiple Hit Makers on One Album, I Introduced It
in Fact, Everything in My Head Made Bread
the Lps Alone’ll Get Me Some Beverly Hills Spreads
but Still Nothing Is Sweet, You Can Tell by Just Bumpin’ This Beat
Still Nasty Since ’91, Nothin’ Competes
Before Snoop, Before Wu, Before Big
There Was This Young Kid With Small Dreads From the Bridge [Chorus: Nas & Dj Premier]
It’s-It’s-It’s Nas, Preem, How Many Times I Gotta Tell ‘Em?
I Don’t Give a Goddamn, It’s-It’s-It’s Nas
Preem, How Many Times We Gotta Tell ‘Em?
Murderous Material Made by a Madman [Verse 2: Nas]
It Be Tradition, Hate They Wishin’ on Me
They Try to Switch the Story, So They Don’t Look Like a Bitch in the Story
It’s My Life, Not a Third Party Witness’s Story
Some Heard Somebody Heard Something Different, Distorted Version of the Truth
It’s Murder in the Booth
Word to Lorenzo-Irv, the Benz Swerve
Got Ink on the Sheets, the Wings From an Angel Swings
What’s Beef? Rest in Peace Stack and Chinx, Queens
Flyest Ever, Russia Diamonds in Italian Sweaters
Indian Gold With the Highest of Bettors
the Winner’s Circle, I Remember the Win Was Respected
and We Championed for Those Who Had Came and Collected
for My Gs With That Money Cologne, Bring Honeys Home
I Made Smashes With Poke and Tone
They Used to Harass Me, “When You Gon’ Get Up With Preemo and Zone?”
Almost 30 Years, People Won’t Leave Us Alone
and I’m Grateful, Middle Fingers Up to the Hateful
[Chorus: Nas & Dj Premier]
I Don’t Give a Goddamn, It’s-It’s-It’s Nas
Preem, How Many Times We Gotta Tell Em?
Murderous Material Made by a Madman
Follow the Leader Like E and R, Let’s Get Em
I Don’t Give a Goddamn, It’s-It’s-It’s Nas
Preem, How Many Times We Gotta Tell ‘Em?
Murderous Material Made by a Madman
