Overview
- The album arrived Dec. 12 on Mass Appeal and is available on streaming services, with Day Ones vinyl, CD, and cassette offered via the Mass Appeal shop and pop-up retail.
- The project spans 15 tracks with AZ as the sole guest, signaling a focus on the core Nas–Premier chemistry.
- “N.Y. State of Mind Pt. 3” samples Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” extending a signature thread from Nas’s catalog.
- Light-Years serves as the finale to Mass Appeal’s yearlong Legend Has It… series, which celebrated luminaries including Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Big L, and De La Soul.
- Critical reaction is broadly positive, with outlets such as Rolling Stone and Hip Hop Golden Age praising Nas’s focused lyricism and Premier’s sample-rich production while noting some nostalgic touches.