Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley, released May 18, 2010, on Universal Republic and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled primarily by Damian Marley and Stephen Marley. Fusing musical elements of hip hop and reggae, Distant Relatives features lyrical themes concerning ancestry, poverty, and the plight of Africa.
The album’s content is heavily revolved around Africa, from ancestry to poverty. The duo worked to maintain the theme, which contains samples from African music. The album offers their social commentary of the United States and Africa.
The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 57,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, Distant Relatives received generally positive reviews from most music critics.
land of promise (feat. dennis brown
Nas & Damian Marley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I & I say played by the King love is all I bring
And I & I say Africa is I & I responsibility dreadlocks
Yes, huh!
The Promise Land
Going to The Promise Land
Yes the Promise Land, oh gosh now
Ye
Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard
Johannesburg would be Miami
Somalia like New York
With the most pretty light
The nuffest pretty car
Ever New Year the African Times Square lock-off
Imagine Lagos like Las Vegas
The ballers dem a ball
Angola like Atlanta
A pure plane take off
Bush Gardens inna Mali
Chicago inna Chad
Magic Kingdom inna Egypt
Philadelphia like Sudan
The Congo like Colorado
Fort Knox inna Gabon
People living in Morocco like the state of Oregon
Algeria warmer than Arizona bring your sun lotion
Early morning class of yoga on the beach in Senegal
Ethiopia the capitol of fi di Congression
A deh so I belong
A deh di The King come from
I can see us all in limos
Jaguars and Beamers
Riding on the King's Highway
To the Promise Land
Going to the Promise Land
Oh gosh
Ye the Promise Land
Yeaha the Promise Land
Oooh
Promised Land I picture Porsches
Basquiat portraits
Pinky rings realistic princesses
Heiresses bunch a kings and queens
Plus I picture fortunes for kids out in Port-Au-Prince
Powerless they not allowed to fit
But not about to slip
Vision Promised Land with fashion like
Madison Ave Manhattan
Saks 5th Ave and
Rodeo
Relaxing popping labels
Promise Land no fables
This where the truth's told
Use them two holes
Above your nose
To see the proof yo!
Imagine a contraption that could take us back when
The world was run by black men
Back to the future
Anything can happen
If these are the last days
And 100-foot waves come crashing down
I get some hash and pounds
Pass around some bud then watch the flood
Can't stop apocalypse
My synopsis is catastrophic
If satellites is causing earthquakes
Will we survive it
Honestly man it's the sign of the times
And the times at hand
There's a lot of work to be done, oh gosh
In the Promised Land
Talking 'bout the Promised Land, oh gosh
Take me to The Promise Land
The Promise Land
The Promise Land
The Promise Land
There's plenty of land for you and I
Buy and buy
Lots of food to share for everyone
No time for segregation
In the Promised Land
Yes a to The Promised Land
The Promised Land
Going to The Promise Land, ohh
There's a lot of work to be done, oh gosh
In the Promise Land
The song "Land of Promise" by Nas and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is an ode to Africa, its rich culture, and its potential to blossom into a global powerhouse. The lyrics pay tribute to the continent's past and present, and also envision a bright future where Africa is no longer seen as a third-world continent. The song starts by greeting people in the name of the "Mighty King," an allusion to Haile Selassie I, the former emperor of Ethiopia who is worshipped by Rastafarians. The lyrics also emphasize the importance of love, and how it's all the singer brings with him.
The song then dives into a vivid description of various African countries and big cities, in which each place is compared to a glamorous location in the West. The lyrics paint a picture of Africa as a land of promise, where the people are prosperous and living a life of luxury, with fancy cars, planes, and limousines. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "the Promised Land" several times, indicating the singer's longing for and belief in a brighter future for Africa.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was released in 2010 in the wake of a massive earthquake that struck Haiti, leaving millions homeless and causing widespread destruction. The song's bridge references the catastrophic event, with the singer musing on whether people will survive when the "100-foot waves come crashing down." The lyrics then take a dark turn when the singer talks about "passing around some bud" as the world comes to an end. Another fact is that the song is a part of the Distant Relatives album, which was the result of a collaboration between Nas and Damian Marley, and which explores themes of identity, culture, and heritage.
Chords (unofficial): Em, C, G, D
Line by Line Meaning
Now I and I say greetings in the name of The Mighty King
I greet you in the name of the almighty King
And I & I say played by the King love is all I bring
The love I bring is bestowed on me by the King
And I & I say Africa is I & I responsibility dreadlocks
I have a responsibility to Africa and its people, as signified by my dreadlocks
Yes, huh!
Agreement or acknowledgement of a point made
The Promise Land
A utopic place of freedom and opportunities
Going to The Promise Land
Journeying towards the utopian place the Promise Land
Yes the Promise Land, oh gosh now
Affirmation of the existence of the Promise Land
To the Promise Land
On the way to the utopian place the Promise Land
Ye
Acknowledgement or agreement
Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard
Visualizing a Ghana that is similar to California, complete with the famous Sunset Boulevard
Johannesburg would be Miami
Johannesburg in South Africa has similar features to Miami in Florida
Somalia like New York
Somalia has noticeable similarities to New York
With the most pretty light
Somalia has the most beautiful light among other places
The nuffest pretty car
Beautiful cars are in abundance in Somalia
Ever New Year the African Times Square lock-off
The African Times Square is always crowded and booming with activity during New Year's Eve celebrations
Imagine Lagos like Las Vegas
Visualizing Lagos in Nigeria that is comparable to Las Vegas
The ballers dem a ball
The ballers are having a great time and enjoying themselves
Angola like Atlanta
Angola has many similarities to Atlanta
A pure plane take off
Airplanes take off non-stop in Angola
Bush Gardens inna Mali
Comparing Mali to Busch Gardens, an amusement park in Florida
Chicago inna Chad
Chad has a similar vibe to Chicago in the US
Magic Kingdom inna Egypt
Egypt's wonders are like those found in Disney's Magic Kingdom
Philadelphia like Sudan
Sudan has similarities to Philadelphia in the US
The Congo like Colorado
The Congo has traits that are like Colorado in the US
Fort Knox inna Gabon
Comparing Gabon to Fort Knox, a highly secured area in Kentucky
People living in Morocco like the state of Oregon
Morocco's climate and way of life is similar to that of Oregon
Algeria warmer than Arizona bring your sun lotion
Algeria is hotter than Arizona, a famous place for sunbathers, hence the advice to bring sun lotion
Early morning class of yoga on the beach in Senegal
People participate in yoga by the beach in Senegal very early in the morning
Ethiopia the capitol of fi di Congression
Ethiopia is considered the capital for the Congression movement
A deh so I belong
This is where I belong
A deh di The King come from
This is where the King comes from
I can see us all in limos
Visualizing all of us in stylish limousines
Jaguars and Beamers
Flamboyant cars like Jaguars and BMWs
Riding on the King's Highway
Travelling on the luxurious and comfortable path of the King's highway
Promised Land I picture Porsches
Imagining the Promise Land to have sophisticated cars like Porsches
Basquiat portraits
Artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a famous painter
Pinky rings realistic princesses
Pinky rings signify royalty, and princesses in the Promise Land are realistic
Heiresses bunch a kings and queens
There are many heiresses, kings, and queens in the Promise Land
Plus I picture fortunes for kids out in Port-Au-Prince
Visualizing kids in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti to have great fortunes
Powerless they not allowed to fit
The powerless have no say in what happens and are not given a chance to contribute
But not about to slip
Despite their status as powerless, they are not about to give up
Vision Promised Land with fashion like
Imagining the Promise Land to have fashionable clothing
Madison Ave Manhattan
Similar to Madison Avenue in New York's Manhattan
Saks 5th Ave and
Similar to Saks Fifth Avenue, a luxury department store in New York
Rodeo
Similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California
Relaxing popping labels
Relaxing while wearing designer brands
Promise Land no fables
The Promise Land is not just a figment of imagination
This where the truth's told
This is where the truth is spoken
Use them two holes
Making reference to the ears and advising to use them to listen and learn
Above your nose
The ears are above the nose
To see the proof yo!
Listen to facts to see the proof
Imagine a contraption that could take us back when
Visualizing a machine that could take us back in time
The world was run by black men
When black men were in power
Back to the future
Reference to the movie that followed a similar concept
Anything can happen
Anything is possible
If these are the last days
In reference to the end of times
And 100-foot waves come crashing down
A catastrophic event of gigantic waves crashing down
I get some hash and pounds
Rolling and smoking cannabis to cope with the event
Pass around some bud then watch the flood
Share the cannabis then watch the events unfold
Can't stop apocalypse
The apocalypse cannot be stopped
My synopsis is catastrophic
My analysis is disastrous
If satellites is causing earthquakes
Speculation that satellites may be causing earthquakes
Will we survive it
Will humans survive the catastrophic events that may happen
Honestly man it's the sign of the times
This is truly an indication of the current era
And the times at hand
The significant events are happening now
There's a lot of work to be done, oh gosh
The work ahead is enormous
In the Promised Land
In the utopian place of the Promise Land
Talking 'bout the Promised Land, oh gosh
Mentioning the Promise Land in detail
Take me to The Promise Land
Asking to be taken to the Promise Land
There's plenty of land for you and I
There is an abundance of land for everyone
Buy and buy
Gradually, over time
Lots of food to share for everyone
There is enough food for everyone to share
No time for segregation
There is no time to divide and segregate people
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Dennis Biddy, Dennis Brown, Paul Fakhouri, Brinsley Forde, Angus Gaye, Nasir Jones, Damian Marley, Tony Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RubenGarcia-cy2es
Now I and I say greetings in the name of The Mighty King
And I & I say played by the King love is all I bring
And I & I say Africa is I & I responsibility Dreadlocks
Yes, Huh!
[Hook 1 SAMPLE]
To the Promise Land
Going to The Promise Land
Yes the Promise Land O Gosh now
To the Promise Land
Ye
[VERSE 1 JR GONG]
Imagine Ghana like California with Sunset Boulevard
Johannesburg would be Miami
Somalia like New York
With the most pretty light
The nuffest pretty car
Ever New Year the African Times Square lock-off
Imagine Lagos like Las Vegas
The Ballers dem a Ball
Angola like Atlanta
A pure plane take off
Bush Gardens inna Mali
Chicago inna Chad
Magic Kingdom inna Egypt
Philadelphia like Sudan
The Congo like Colorado
Fort Knox inna Gabon
People living in Morocco like the state of Oregon
Algeria warmer than Arizona bring your sun lotion
Early morning class of Yoga on the beach in Senegal
Ethiopia the capitol of fi di Congression
A deh so I belong
A deh di The King come from
I can see us all in limos
Jaguars and B'mos
@Israel-nb7ip
Just an absolute perfect song. Rhythm, lyrics, substance, meaning, harmonization, and beautiful rap poetry. Had the privilege of watching Marley and Nas perform this live in 2010 at Williamsburg waterfront park, my home neighborhood born and bred. Beautiful experience backed by beautiful music...and women. Nas is majestic on this and Junior Gong lays it down. Life is good.
@Alec-sn6lo
Cool
@billionaire2370
“Imagine the contraption that could take us back when, the world was ran by black men, back to the future” That was THE hardest line!!🤴🏿
@dcrfilms1
Damian's verse is awesome :)
@briansykes3213
A real slept on album. Still bumping 2018.
@neciohunt4544
Brian Sykes me too I'm the biggest nas fan but I never took the time to listen to this joint I'm sorry lol
@LoveMusic4652
In 2019!😃
@TheCrappyZipper
I never slept, you wouldn't have if you really heard it. Welcome to the fam
@pansysgarden
I agree with you. Slept on is right. No respect for real quality work such as this album. Only respect for garbage on the radio. Still bumping in 2020.
@shaungarrett5291
2021. Such a beautiful album.