Nas and DJ Premier are finally cashing in on that Illmatic chemistry with Light-Years, their dream-team collab album beaming in December 12 via Mass Appeal, and NY State of Mind Pt. 3? It’s the gritty homecoming sequel that’ll make you feel those Queens sidewalks underfoot, 30 years wiser but no less vivid.
This track is Nas at his most meditative, picking up the thread from 1994’s blueprint and 2012’s sequel like he never left the corner store cypher. Over Premier’s signature dusty-loop scratches—think soul-sample jazz with a harder edge, all boom-bap backbone and no Auto-Tune crutches—it’s classic East Coast hip-hop, laced with trap whispers for the now. Thematically, it’s evolution in verse: Nas unpacking the grind’s toll, from block paranoia to boardroom battles, that “state of mind” now tangled in legacy, loss, and the rare peace of surviving it all. Co-written in marathon sessions that dug up old tapes, it’s their creative north star—Premier chopping rare vinyl finds while Nas layers bars like a time machine, teased in a snippet during Premier’s NPR Tiny Desk takeover last month that had purists weeping.
Light-Years itself is a 15-track time warp, no bloated features beyond AZ popping up on “The Score,” just pure Nas-Premier alchemy celebrating hip-hop’s infinite loop. The concept? Bridging eras—sequels like “The World Is Yours Pt. 2” and “Fly 2nd Coming” nod to golden-age ghosts, while cuts like “Define My Name” and “Rather Unique” flex on modern myths. It’s got that reflective glow: opener “My Life Is Real” sets the confessional tone, closers like “The Trill Is Gone” bid adieu to the game’s illusions, all clocking around 50 minutes of unskippable depth. Tracklist dropped yesterday on their Instas, cover art a starry NYC skyline that screams cosmic comeback.
Nas is untouchable at 52, fresh off Magic 3’s chart domination and that Kennedy Center nod, while Premier’s ’25 run—Roc Marciano joints, Ransom reinventions—proves he’s still the scratch wizard schooling cats. This duo? It’s not nostalgia bait; it’s a light-year leap, Nas trading street sermons for sage dispatches, Premier’s beats the eternal canvas. Light-Years feels like hip-hop’s midlife crisis turned masterpiece, reminding us the greats don’t fade—they refract.
Dive into the NY State of Mind Pt. 3 lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other Light-Years tracks for more of Nas & DJ Premier’s timeless boom-bap mastery.
| 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 NY State of Mind Pt. 3 by Nas & DJ Premier
[Intro: Nas]
Yo, Preem, Play Me That Billy Joel Joint
Some Folks Like to Get Away
Some Folks Like to Get Away
Take a Holiday From the Neighborhood
Hop a Flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood
but I’m Taking a Greyhound
on the Hudson River Line
I’m in a New York State of Mind
Still [?] a Strut, Walk, Nike Shorts at Night at Court
Stress, It Cut Your Life Shot
I’m From Egg Rolls and Duck Sauce
Where the Feds Rolled on [?]
[?] to Say Less
Plenty Talent, the Kids Stay Blessed
Gamble and Make Bets
Throw on Some Dmx, His Words They Live in All of Us
Some Get Deported, Some Die Young, but It’s All a Rush
on Pt. 2, I Left You With Two of My Friends
and Now Our Goals Is That Our Sons Don’t End in Juvenile Pen’s
Rikers Should Be Closed, Nbc the Beacon
Wear Ice if You Real, or They Rob You Upon Your Piece and
if You Was Locked Down for a While, It’s a Different Place Now
They Buildin’ Hotels Where Once Was the Devil’s Playground
Michelin Stars, Cool, but the Streets Is Cookin’ That Beef Stew
That Chopped Cheese Too, Screwface How We Smiled
They Want Us Gone, but That’s Fine
‘Cause We Really Outside, for Now and All Time
That New York State of Mind
[Chorus: Billy Joel]
Some Folks Like to Get Away
Take a Holiday From the Neighborhood
Hop a Flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood
but I’m Taking a Greyhound
on the Hudson River Line
I’m in a New York State of Mind
