Nas and Damian Marley line up tour dates for 'Relatives'

Rapper Nas and reggae star Damian "Junior Gong" Marley will hit the road this spring in support of their upcoming studio collaboration, "Distant Relatives."

The trek gets underway with a May 2 appearance at Sunfest in West Palm Beach, FL, followed by the pair's first headlining show, May 21 in Arcata, CA. The outing wraps June 13 in Orlando, FL, and is followed by a pair of festival showings in July and August. Details are at right. Tickets for all dates go on sale April 2.

"Distant Relatives," set to drop into stores May 18, features guest appearances by Lil Wayne, K'Naan and Joss Stone, among others.

"We're trying to have a sound that's reminiscent of both of us, but not exactly like either," Marley told Rolling Stone regarding the album, which reportedly will benefit a charity supporting African causes.

"I was a big fan of his father and of course all the children, all the offspring, and Damian, I kind of looked at Damian as a rap guy," Nas explained recently to Exclaim.ca about his motivation for working with the son of reggae legend Bob Marley.

"I always liked how reggae and hip-hop have always been intertwined and always kind of pushed each other, I always liked the connection. I'd worked with people before from the reggae world but when I worked with Damian, the whole workout was perfect."