"Ultra Black" is a song by American rapper

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

featuring

Hit-Boy Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr. (born May 21, 1987), better known by his stage name Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he had signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. ...

, the producer. It was released on August 14, 2020 as the lead single from Nas's thirteenth studio album ''

King's Disease ''King's Disease'' is the thirteenth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on August 21, 2020, through Mass Appeal Records and marketed by Universal Music Group. It succeeds his twelfth studio album, ''Nasir'', released two years p ...

'' (2020).

Background and composition

In the song, Nas raps his black heritage and African-American culture over a "laid back

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...

and jazz chords". He pays homage to "all things black", and promotes

Black pride Black Pride in the United States is a movement which encourages black people to celebrate African-American culture and embrace their African heritage. In the United States, it was a direct response to white racism especially during the Civi ...

. In an interview with '' NME'' in November 2020, Nas said that the song "represents love".

Controversy

The song attracted attention for lyrics that were perceived as a diss towards singer and rapper Doja Cat: "We goin' ultra Black, unapologetically Black / The opposite of Doja Cat,

Michael Blackson Michael Blackson is a Ghanaian-Liberian actor, philanthropist, and comedian based in the United States. Early life Michael Blackson was born to a Ghanaian parents. He spent his young years in between Monrovia and Ghana before relocating to t ...

Black". In May 2020, Doja Cat (who is of Zulu South African and American Jewish heritage) had been accused of racism and association with white supremacists, though she denied the allegations. Shortly after the song was released, Doja responded with a TikTok video in which she sarcastically says, "I'm so offended and upset by this song. Have you guys heard 'Fruit Salad' by The Wiggles?" On August 24, 2020, Nas and Hit-Boy had a joint interview with radio station Power 106, in which Nas stated he meant no disrespect, and that he was only saying something that rhymed with "Ultra Black". In his ''NME'' interview in November, Nas commented on how the attention the song received was typical of the social media age.

Music video

A music video was released on August 26, 2020. Directed by Spike Jordan, it opens with Nas rapping in his kitchen while Hit-Boy plays a beat in the living room with a baby girl on his lap. Nas also appears in various areas of New York City, with interspersed scenes of black families bonding. The visual also features cameos from designers Dapper Dan and Kerby Jean-Raymond.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. *

– engineering * Audio Anthem – co-production * Mike Bozzi – mastering engineering * David Kim – mixing * Gabriel Zardes – engineering * Mark "Exit" Goodchild – engineering

References

{{Nas singles 2020 singles 2020 songs Nas songs Songs written by Nas Songs written by Hit-Boy Song recordings produced by Hit-Boy