| "The Don" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Nas | ||||
| from the album Life Is Good | ||||
| Released | April 3, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | October 2011; Instrument Zoo Studios (Miami, Florida), Conway Recording Studios (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Nasir Jones, Dwight Myers, Salaam Gibbs, Marcos Palacios, Ernest Clark, William Maragh, Nkrumah Thomas | |||
| Producer(s) | Da Internz, Salaam Remi, Heavy D | |||
| Nas singles chronology | ||||
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"The Don" is a song by American rapper Nas. Released as the second single from his tenth studio album Life Is Good (2012), it is produced by record producers Da Internz, Heavy D and Salaam Remi, who all helped write the song along with Nas, although Heavy D died before the song could be finished. Built around a sample of "Dance in New York" by reggae singer Super Cat, a former collaborator of Nas, "The Don" is backed by a boom bap, reggae-tinged production with additional drum and piano sounds. Lyrically, Nas reaffirms his status as a "street poet", addressing the hardships of poverty within disadvantaged societies and the realities of weapon and drug problems.
"The Don" was released to digital retailers on April 3, 2012. Although the song was not commercially successful, charting only in the lower regions of the UK Singles Chart, it received acclaim from music critics, many of whom praised Nas' rapping style and lyrics, especially the realistic persona he conveyed. Some also pronounced themselves impressed with Nas' motivation at such a point in his long career. A music video for "The Don", directed by Aristotle Torres, premiered on April 27, 2012. It presents several aspects of Nas' lifestyle, including performing at concerts, as well as his experiences in New York City, his place of residence.