Marley and Nas, who will begin an international tour this month to support "Distant Relatives," are also interested in creating a sophomore album as a duo.

Marley, 31, said the process taught him "how to do production for an artist other than myself."

"If you can accept the truth, once and for all, that can help to kind of cure you of your sickness, you know, with your racism and your corrupt politics, and your greed. You think about people for a change, and you think of those people as your family. And it’s a good time right now to talk about that," he continued.

"When we think that we’re just starting to get a name in the game, they’re artists that have been around a lot longer than us who are in their 60s and 70s, who have huge tours and do great humanitarian work. I look at them and (ask), ‘What will I do?’" he wondered.

Added Nas: "There’s a good chance."

"It just meant so much to me," Nas said of the CD.

"I remember thinking, ‘Oh man, I won’t be rapping forever.’ But Abercrombie shorts the reality of it is …"

Nas, who debuted in 1994 and is known as one of hip-hop’s top lyricists, says he’s sometimes unsure about his future in music.

"To change it up so kind of drastically from when you talk about hip-hop producers who only do hip-hop, and then go to work with D, it’s like a whole new experience and I was just excited for the challenge."

Marley interjects with a laugh and said: "You just might be."

"I’d be done with my work for the day and then come back the next day and then hear something else added and be like, ‘Wow, that’s perfect right there,’" he recalled.

NEW YORK – Nas and Damian Marley had one goal in mind when they announced their collaborative album two years ago — finishing it.

The result is "Distant Relatives," released this week. It’s a socially conscious, African-themed record that was produced entirely by Damian and Stephen Marley. Nas, 36, said working on an album without his usual suspects got him out of his comfort zone.

Nas, who’s released nine of his own CDs, said he trusted Marley’s vision for the project.

The performers hope the disc — which features Lil Wayne, Joss Stone and Somali-born rapper K’naan — will unite cultures and inform listeners of their African roots.

"We’re dealing with a family issue with this album … and nobody’s Abercrombie shorts excluded when we say ‘Distant Relatives.’ We’re talking about everybody — white, black, Asian, Indian, whatever you are, you’re our family with this one," Nas said.

So they stopped work on their own solo projects, and built a chart to Abercrombie shorts assess the progress of their work while discussing topics like poverty, ancestry and leadership.