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What Would Be Your Dream Music Album?

  • Writer: calmandstrong
    calmandstrong
  • Dec 17, 2025
  • 7 min read

Updated: Dec 21, 2025


“Like Rome came into Kemet (i.e., ancient Egypt) and they stole the essence before they watered it down and taught us bogus lessons. Written in stone, write whatever in your history books, me and ancient Egyptian skin tone had similar looks.”

 

 – Nas, Nas is Good, King’s Disease II


Image I (Left): Nas: The King of Queens: Nas is like... half-man, half-amazin'. Courtesy of Grzegorz Więckowski, via Pinterest

 

Nas and Blu & Exile are some of my favorite music artists’, and my dream album would be these two master lyricists (Nas and Blu) to create a collaborative album with mostly Exile production entitled, “Nas and Blu & Exile Presents: ‘Sound in Colo(u)r.”

 

“This one is for the shine. Dedicated to those who go mile for mile. Try to stare at the sun and you go blind. I rhyme from the spirit, whether or not you hear it. My merits is solid 24 karat. And I wear it every day and night. Everywhere I go, I got on gold. When it's hot, it's hot. When it's cold, it's cold. I rose out my sleep, gold teeth on my teeth. No beef cause I don't eat beef. I keep heat for the haters. And shine like I'm the creator with a chemical element found in nature. Some are out for paper, I'm out for what the crown is made of. Solid gold, playa, this is not for road players. This for kings.”

 

- Blu & Exile, Gold feat. Nana & Ahmed Anwar, Love (the) Ominous World


Image II (Right): Blu & Exile: West Coast Soul Vibe: Now we gonna show you how the West Coast smacks. Courtesy of Blu, via Instagram



Nas is my favorite Hip-Hop solo artist and Blu & Exile is my favorite Hip-Hop duo artist (Blu is the MC and Exile is the DJ and Producer, but what makes this duo MC and DJ/Producer dynamic unique is that both Blu & Exile rap and produce music), and it would be great to see them collaborate on a 11 song album entitled, “Sound in Colo(u)r.” Both Nas and Blu are great storytellers and master lyricists, and when I hear them rap, I envision vivid pictures like slideshows from their colorful lyrics.

 

The content, concept, and production of the album wouldn’t stray too far from what fans of Nas and Blu & Exile expect from them, which is high standards when it comes to their rhymes, beat selection, and how they present their albums for the world to enjoy. Every time Nas and Blu & Exile release an album, their fans expect nothing but the best, and when they deliver, their fans are the proud recipients of their soulful, boom bap, and jazz-infused conscious and street Hip-Hop music with laid back lyrical gymnastics that are clever and witty.



“Run me the keys, run me the Bs, run me that flow back. Your top three, I’m not number one, how could you post that? I wear the crown, the city is mine, you cannot hold that. I’m not the one to go at, you f*ck around, meet Joe Black.”

 

– Nas, Meet Joe Black, Magic


Image courtesy of Genuis




“Salute the best of, n*ggas hear this and drop their best stuff. We next up, hop off the deck ‘fore your cassette bust. You couldn’t blow with Coltrane and The’ Monk. Playin’ the funk but ya’ll need to be hangin’ it up. You cats washed up, cuttin’ with vets and got your paws plucked. Prison guards couldn’t lock ours, get your bars up. Bar none, n*gga, J. Barnes get the job done. We could be Siamese twins, still my squad won.”

 

– Blu & Exile, Miles Davis, Miles: From an Interlude Called Life

 

Image courtesy of Genuis



Fans could expect to hear about their experiences growing up in their respective states in the United States of America (Nas: New York, and Blu & Exile: California), their thoughts and feelings about the social-political climate in the U.S. and the world, African history with Black Consciousness, along with suggestions of how to combat racism, the plight of African American people in the U.S. and all people worldwide.


Who Would Produce this Amazing Hip-Hop Album?


  • Sound in Colo(u)r would be a short, but sweet album with just 11 tracks.


  • Exile (from Blu & Exile) will produce most of the album with 8 tracks, and they will be co-produced by J Dilla and DJ Premier from Gang Starr.

     

  • Nas will have 1 solo song with Blu on the chorus: produced by DJ Premier and co-produced by J Dilla and Exile.


  • Blu will have 1 solo song with Nas on the chorus: produced by J Dilla and co-produced by DJ Premier and Exile.


  • The closing track on the album would be entitled “Cent from Heaven: Part II” (the original “Cent from Heaven” was the last track, an instrumental on Blu & Exile’s “Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them” album). The track will be 4 minutes. Blu will rap the first verse for 1 minute and 30 seconds, and this part of the song will be produced by DJ Premier and co-produced by my J Dilla and Exile. Nas will then rap the second verse. This part of the song will crossfade seamlessly from Blu’s verse to Nas’ verse, which will also be 1 minute and 30 seconds, but produced by J Dilla, and co-produced by DJ Premier and Exile. After Nas’ verse, the last 1 minute and 40 seconds of the song will also crossfade seamlessly to a beautiful jazz and blues-infused instrumental produced by A Tribe Called Quest, who are the Executive Producers of “Nas and Blu & Exile Presents: ‘Sound in Colo(u)r.” 


 

“Rappers only talk about keys, it’s all poison. How could you call yourself MC’s? You ain’t poison. Think about the kids you mislead with the poison.”


– Nas, What Goes Around, Stillmatic  


Image I (Left): Courtesy of Wikipedia


“I wonder, who do you believe in? I know it ain't me. I hope it ain't a priest or who you see on TV. I hope it ain't your poppa, partner, he only raised you. And I know it ain't your mom, even though that's who you came through. I'm asking who you pray to. Some believe in angels, some believe in one God, some believe in Jesús. Some believe in all of it, and I don't mean a part of it ain't true. I know that someone started it, and I know it ain't you.”


- Blu & Exile, A Man, Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them


Image II (Right): Courtesy of Enots86, via Wikipedia



A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla & DJ Premier



Image I (Top): A Tribe Called Quest, image courtesy of The Guardian

 

Image II (Bottom Left): J Dilla, image courtesy of Grimy Goods

 

Image III (Bottom Right): DJ Premier, image courtesy of WordPlay Magazine



Unfortunately, an album like “Nas and Blu & Exile Presents: ‘Sound in Colo(u)r” would never see the light of day because both J Dilla and Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest have already transitioned and are “Resting in Power” in heaven. Therefore, an album such as this will never happen.


Nas & DJ Premier's Light-Years and Blu & Exile's Love (the) Ominous World 



“Nas & DJ Premier and Blu & Exile are ‘Light-Years' ahead of the competition, but still ‘Love (the) Ominous World."

 

– Philosopher Poet Darryl C. Richie

 

Nas and DJ Premier's Light-Years image courtesy of HipHopGoldenAge


Blu & Exile's Love (the) Ominous World image courtesy of HHV Records



Lately, both Nas and Blu & Exile have been on a lyrical warpath on the mainstream and underground Hip-Hop scene. Nas has finally released his long-awaited DJ Premier collaborative album entitled, “Light-Years,”  in 2025, and Blu & Exile released "Love (the) Ominous World” in 2024.

 

“Nas and Blu & Exile Presents: ‘Sound in Colo(u)r,” produced by Exile, J Dilla, and DJ Premier, and Executive Produced by A Tribe Called Quest would be my dream music album.

 

Who are some of your favorite music artists that you would choose for your dream song or album? Who would produce it? What music artists would you like to see collaborate that hasn’t happened yet?




Sources:


bluherfavcolor. Blu & Exile new single Gold ft. @nanaisking & @_LoveAnwar_ is live now. video coming soon. Pre save our new album now. Blu(&)Exile Love (the) Ominous World. @bluherfavcolor (Blu). Instagram. Sept. 5, 2024. Dec. 11, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/C_j8JLQRODk/?igsh=MTc4MmM1YmI2Ng%3D%3D


Darryl. Nas & DJ Premier and Blu & Exile: Light Years and Love (the) Ominous World. Darryl. YouTube Music. Dec. 12, 2025.


Enots86. Bluexileflowe.jpg. (Blu & Exile Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them album). Wikipedia. July 7, 2017. Dec. 11, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Me_My_Flowers_While_I_Can_Still_Smell_Them#/media/File:Bluexileflower.jpg


Genius. Blu & Exile. A Man. Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them. Genius. July 17, 2012. Dec. 11, 2025. https://genius.com/Blu-and-exile-a-man-lyrics


Genius. Blu & Exile. Gold. Love (the) Ominous World. Genius. Sept. 6, 2024. Dec. 11, 2025. https://genius.com/Blu-and-exile-gold-lyrics


Genius. Blu & Exile. Miles Davis. Miles: From an Interlude Called Life. Genius. May 20, 2020. Dec. 12, 2025. https://genius.com/Blu-and-exile-miles-davis-lyrics


Genius. Blu & Exile. Simply Amazin’. Below the Heavens. Genius. July 17, 2007. Dec. 14, 2025. https://genius.com/Blu-and-exile-simply-amazin-lyrics


Genius. Blu & Exile. Smack. Love (the) Ominous World. Genius. Sept. 20, 2024. Dec. 13, 2025. https://genius.com/Blu-and-exile-smack-lyrics


Genius. Nas. Meet Joe Black. Magic. Genius. Dec. 24, 2021. Dec. 12, 2025. https://genius.com/Nas-meet-joe-black-lyrics


Genius. Nas. Nas is Good. King’s Disease II. Genius. Aug. 6, 2021. Dec. 11, 2025. https://genius.com/Nas-nas-is-good-lyrics


Genius. Nas. Nas is Like. I Am… Genius. March 3, 1999. Dec. 13, 2025. https://genius.com/Nas-nas-is-like-lyrics


Genius. Nas. What Goes Around. Stillmatic. Genius. Dec. 18, 2001. Dec. 11, 2025. https://genius.com/Nas-what-goes-around-lyrics


HHGA STAFF. Nas & DJ Premier Light-Years Review. HipHopGoldenAge. Dec. 12, 2025. Dec. 13, 2025. Nas & DJ Premier - Light-Years | Review - Hip Hop Golden Age Hip Hop Golden Age



Lynskey, D. A Tribe Called Quest return: ‘You fight for what you love – and you go through hell to get it. The Guardian. Nov. 17, 2016. Dec. 11, 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/17/still-kicking-it-a-tribe-called-quest


Neville, M. DJ Premier Interview. WordPlay Magazine. Dec. 2. 2019. Dec. 11, 2025. https://www.wordplaymagazine.com/blog-1/2019/12/2/dj-premier-interview


Olinger, S. Remembering J Dilla: Top Five Songs Produced by J Dilla. Grimy Goods. Feb. 12, 2014. Dec. 11, 2025. https://www.grimygoods.com/2014/02/12/remembering-j-dilla-top-five-songs-produced-by-j-dilla/


Więckowski, G. Top 10 Best Present American Rappers and Their Net Worth. Grzegorz Więckowski. Pinterest. Dec. 11, 2025.


Wikipedia. Stillmatic (Nas album). Wikipedia. Dec. 11, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stillmatic


 
 
 

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