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Gale Contemporary Black Biography:

Nas

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rap musician; actor

Personal Information

Born Nasir Jones on September 14, 1973, in Queens, NY; son of Fannie Ann Jones and Olu Dara (jazz trumpeter).

Career

Rap musician, actor. Albums include: Illmatic, 1994; It Was Written, 1996; I Am, 1999; Nastradamus, 1999; Stillmatic, 2001; films include: Belly, 1998; Ticker, 2001; Sacred Is the Flesh, 2001.

Life's Work

Not yet thirty years old, Nas has released five successful albums, launched his own record label, a fashion company, and appeared in several films. With his music, Nas bas become known for, according to Len Righi of the Morning Call, his "ability to look outside the immediate circumstances of his life" and address larger issues.

Nas was born Nasir Jones on September 14, 1973, in Queens, New York. His father, Olu Dara, a jazz and blues trumpeter, chose the name Nasir for his son because of its Arabic meaning: "helper" or "protector." Nas was raised by his mother, Fannie Ann Jones.

Growing up in New York City's tough Queensbridge housing projects, "it sometimes seemed to [Nas] his whole world was ill and being eaten away," wrote Christopher John Farley in Time. "Drugs were devouring minds, crime was destroying families, poverty was gnawing at souls." In May of 1992, both Nas's brother, Jungle, and best friend were shot on the same night. Although his brother lived, Nas's friend did not survive his injuries. "That was a wake-up call for me," Nas told Time.

Released Debut Album

Two years after his wake-up call, Nas released his debut album, Illmatic. Nas worked with a number of top hip-hop producers, and his hard work paid off. Entertainment Weekly said of the album: "his witty lyrics and gruffly gratifying beats draw listeners into [his neighborhood's] lifestyle with poetic efficiency." Farley, writing in Time, noted that the record "captures the ailing community he [Nas] was raised in--the random gunplay, the whir of police helicopters, the homeboys hanging out on the corner sipping bottles of Hennessey."

Setting himself apart from other gangsta rappers, Nas did not typically glorify violence in his music, but, rather, his songs evoke sadness and outrage. Farley noted in Time that Nas performs on the album with "submerged emotion" and describes urban tragedy dispassionately, much "like an anchorman relaying the day's grim news." The New York Times declared that, on the album, Nas "imbues his chronicle with humanity and humor, not just hardness....[He] reports violence without celebrating it, dwelling on the way life triumphs over grim circumstances rather than the other way around."

Nas's sophomore album, It Was Written, was released in 1996, selling more than a million copies. Again, Nas worked with several hip-hop producers, including top selling Dr. Dre. With this album, however, Nas faced criticism that the songs were amoral, contained rough language, and included episodes of violence. Critics were also frustrated by the album's contradictions. The hit single "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)," for example, depicts paradise as a "better livin' type of place to raise our kids in." However, this world is also one in which cocaine comes uncut, allowing higher profits on the drug. In a Rolling Stone review, Mark Coleman commented that Nas "possesses a phenomenal way with words and some savvy musical sense." Coleman continued, "It's a pity he doesn't put his verbal dexterity and powers of observation to better use....When Nas finally aligns his mind with his mouth, he'll truly be dangerous."

Music critic Toure, writing in the New York Times, noted a strong musical link between Nas and his father, Olu Dara. Though the two musicians came from very different backgrounds and subscribed to different musical schools, Toure wrote, "Nas's music is characterized by a laid-back cool, with a penchant for medium-pace tempos and relatively sparse tracks, all of which are hallmarks of his father's music." Nas's father, who had a trumpet solo on his son's first album, told Toure, "His aggressive is cool. Not like 'I'm angry! I'm mad!' It's cool. And that's the way my music is." Vernon Reid, a guitarist who has played with Dara, also noted similarities between father and son, saying in the New York Times: "Both have a finely tuned sense of irony, which I think is evident in Nas's lyrics and Olu's playing." Reid continued, "There's a kind of cockeyed way of looking at the world. A raised eyebrow. Sly. They're seeing what's going on underneath the surface."

Appeared in First Film

In 1998 Nas made his feature film debut, appearing in Belly. Co-starring with fellow rapper DMX, the two hip-hop stars played best friends. Although they both come from the same violent neighborhood, these two friends want very different things out of life. Tommy, played by DMX, is willing to do whatever it takes to attain money, power, and women. Nas's character, Sincere, wishes only to provide for his girlfriend and their child. To do so, he has partnered with Tommy in a world of crime, violence, and drugs. Sincere, however, has begun to reconsider his ways. In the end, according to Seattle Post-Intelligencer reviewer Paula Nechak, both characters arrive at the same conclusion: "Life is what you make it and knowledge and self-respect are everything."

Critics, although praising the stylistic ability of the film's director, Hype Williams, skewered the film for its lack of originality. The Seattle Times criticized the acting skills of both rap stars, saying that Nas and DMX "couldn't mutter their way out of an unzipped starter jacket." Nechak, however, concluded in the Seattle Post- Intelligencer: "There is a real rite of passage these two young men go through in order to find themselves, and for once the payoff isn't death."

I Am, Nas's third album, was released in 1999. Here Nas collaborated with such stars as Sean "Puffy" Combs, Lauryn Hill, and Aaliyah. With numerous radio-friendly tracks on the album, a number of music critics accused the rapper of selling out. The Record noted that I Am seemed "tailored for mass consumption," and the San Francisco Chronicle suggested that several tracks "are too generic for Nas' delivery, leaving his vocals sounding ungrounded." Nas's talent had not waned however. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "Nas continues to drop jaws and tingle ear canals with his complex and challenging wordplay." Rather, some critics felt that Nas, in producing so mainstream an album, had done a disservice to his talent. The Record concluded that "the commercial advance requires an artistic step backward."

Later that year, Nas released his fourth album, Nastradamus. Again, critics lamented the too-polished style of the album. New York Times critic Soren Baker observed, "It's as if in graduating from the ghetto, he's misplaced the gritty edge that made him a hero."

Feuded With Jay-Z

Perhaps Nas regained some of his edge when he began a feud of words with rapper Jay-Z. Jay-Z's album, The Blueprint, featured the track "Takeover." Here Jay-Z referred to Nas as "garbage," saying, "That's why your--l-a-a-a-me!--career's come to an end." Nas retaliated with an underground parody of the Jay-Z hit "Izzo." The feud was further fueled by several tracks on Nas's 2001 album, Stillmatic. Here Nas accused Jay-Z of usurping rhymes from the late Notorious B.I.G., criticized Jay-Z's preference for Hawaiian shirts, and even attempted a bit of armchair psychoanalysis. Hip-hop fans in both the United States and Europe were fascinated by the feud, choosing sides and, according to the New York Times, "debating each rapper's use of puns and metaphors." The feud came to an end in early 2002. Jay-Z, after receiving a call from his mother asking him to stop, telephoned a New York City radio station and publicly apologized for "Super Ugly," his response to Nas's Stillmatic tracks.

Nas has formed his own record label, Nas and Ill Will Records. He has also launched a clothing line--Esco. In 2001 he co-starred with Steven Segal in the action film, Ticker. Although he has branched out into business and film, Nas remained devoted to music. "Music is in my blood," he told the New York Times. "I could have chosen to do a lot of other things. I could have been a scientist, a lawyer. But this is where I'm comfortable at, right here."

Awards

Youth Summit Award, Hip-Hop Youth Summit, 2002.

Works

Selected works

  • Albums
  • Illmatic, Columbia, 1994.
  • It Was Written, Columbia, 1996.
  • I Am, Columbia, 1999.
  • Nastradamus, Columbia, 1999.
  • Stillmatic, Ill Will, 2001.
  • Films
  • Belly, 1998.
  • Ticker, 2001.
  • Sacred Is the Flesh, 2001.

Further Reading

Books

  • Contemporary Musicians, Volume 19. Gale Research, 1997.
  • Who's Who Among African Americans, 14th ed. Gale Group, 2000.
Periodicals
  • Entertainment Weekly, April 22, 1994, p. 58; July 26, 1996, p. 56.
  • Florida Times Union, January 18, 2002, p. WE11.
  • The Independent Sunday (London, England), January 6, 2002, p. 9.
  • Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1999, p. C8; December 23, 2001, p. F71.
  • Morning Call (Allentown, PA), January 12, 2002, p. A40.
  • New York Times, Oct. 6, 1996, sec. 2; January 6, 2002, p. L1.
  • The Record (Bergen County, NJ) April 23, 1999, p. 8.
  • Rolling Stone, September 16, 1996, pp. 83-84; December 26, 1996, pp. 194-95.
  • San Francisco Chronicle, April 18, 1999, p. 42.
  • Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 4, 1998, p. C3.
  • Seattle Times, November 4, 1998, p. F3.
  • Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), January 23, 2002, p. 58.
  • Time, June 20, 1994, p. 62; July 29, 1996, p. 79.
Online
  • All Music Guide, http://allmusicguide.com.
  • Biography Resource Center, Gale Group, 2001, http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC.
  • Internet Movie Database, http://www.us.imdb.com.
  • Sony Music, http://www.music.sony.co.artistinfo/nas/.

— Jennifer M. York

Gale Musician Profiles:

Nas

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Rap musician

By the time he was barely out of his twenties, Nas had released five successful albums, launched his own record label, a fashion company, and appeared in several films. With his music, Nas became known for, according to Len Righi of the Morning Call, his "ability to look outside the immediate circumstances of his life" and address larger issues. In the early 2000s, Nas accomplished something that had eluded many other hip-hop figures—he continued to develop as an artist and found ongoing popularity.

Nas was born Nasir Jones on September 14, 1973, in Queens, New York. His father, Olu Dara, a jazz and blues trumpeter, chose the name Nasir for his son because of its Arabic meaning: "helper" or "protector." Nas was raised by his mother, Fannie Ann Jones.

Growing up in New York City's tough Queensbridge housing projects, "it sometimes seemed to [Nas] his whole world was ill and being eaten away," wrote Christopher John Farley in Time. "Drugs were devouring minds, crime was destroying families, poverty was gnawing at souls." In May of 1992, both Nas's brother, Jungle, and his best friend were shot on the same night. Although his brother lived, Nas's friend did not survive his injuries. "That was a wake-up call for me," Nas told Time.

Released Debut Album
Two years after his wake-up call, Nas released his debut album, Illmatic. Nas worked with a number of top hip-hop producers, and his hard work paid off. Entertainment Weekly said of the album: "his witty lyrics and gruffly gratifying beats draw listeners into [his neighborhood's] lifestyle with poetic efficiency." Farley, writing in Time, noted that the record "captures the ailing community he [Nas] was raised in—the random gunplay, the whir of police helicopters, the home-boys hanging out on the corner sipping bottles of Hennessey."

Setting himself apart from other gangsta rappers, Nas did not typically glorify violence in his music, but, rather, his songs evoke sadness and outrage. Farley noted in Time that Nas performs on the album with "submerged emotion" and describes urban tragedy dispassionately, much "like an anchorman relaying the day's grim news." The New York Times declared that, on the album, Nas "imbues his chronicle with humanity and humor, not just hardness.…[he] reports violence without celebrating it, dwelling on the way life triumphs over grim circumstances rather than the other way around."

Nas's sophomore album, It Was Written, was released in 1996, selling more than a million copies. Again, Nas worked with several hip-hop producers, including topselling Dr. Dre. With this album, however, Nas faced criticism that the songs were amoral, contained rough language, and included episodes of violence. Critics were also frustrated by the album's contradictions. The hit single "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)," for example, depicts paradise as a "better livin' type of place to raise our kids in." However, this world is also one in which cocaine comes uncut, allowing higher profits on the drug. In a Rolling Stone review, Mark Coleman commented that Nas "possesses a phenomenal way with words and some savvy musical sense." Coleman continued, "It's a pity he doesn't put his verbal dexterity and powers of observation to better use. …When Nas finally aligns his mind with his mouth, he'll truly be dangerous."

Music critic Toure, writing in the New York Times, noted a strong musical link between Nas and his father, Olu Dara. Though the two musicians came from very different backgrounds and subscribed to different musical schools, Toure wrote, "Nas's music is characterized by a laid-back cool, with a penchant for medium-pace tempos and relatively sparse tracks, all of which are hallmarks of his father's music." Nas's father, who had a trumpet solo on his son's first album, told Toure, "His aggressive is cool. Not like 'I'm angry! I'm mad!' It's cool. And that's the way my music is." Vernon Reid, a guitarist who has played with Dara, also noted similarities between father and son, saying in the New York Times: "Both have a finely tuned sense of irony, which I think is evident in Nas's lyrics and Olu's playing." Reid continued, "There's a kind of cockeyed way of looking at the world. A raised eyebrow. Sly. They're seeing what's going on underneath the surface."

Appeared in First Film
In 1998 Nas made his feature film debut, appearing in Belly. Co-starring with fellow rapper DMX, the two hip-hop stars played best friends. Although they both come from the same violent neighborhood, these two friends want very different things out of life. Tommy, played by DMX, is willing to do whatever it takes to attain money, power, and women. Nas's character, Sincere, wishes only to provide for his girlfriend and their child. To do so, he has partnered with Tommy in a world of crime, violence, and drugs. Sincere, however, has begun to reconsider his ways. In the end, according to Seattle Post-Intelligencer reviewer Paula Nechak, both characters arrive at the same conclusion: "Life is what you make it and knowledge and self-respect are everything."

Critics, although praising the stylistic ability of the film's director, Hype Williams, skewered the film for its lack of originality. The Seattle Times criticized the acting skills of both rap stars, saying that Nas and DMX "couldn't mutter their way out of an unzipped starter jacket." Nechak, however, concluded in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "There is a real rite of passage these two young men go through in order to find themselves, and for once the payoff isn't death."

I Am, Nas's third album, was released in 1999. Here Nas collaborated with such stars as Sean "Puffy" Combs, Lauryn Hill, and Aaliyah. With numerous radio-friendly tracks on the album, a number of music critics accused the rapper of selling out. The Record noted that I Am seemed "tailored for mass consumption," and the San Francisco Chronicle suggested that several tracks "are too generic for Nas' delivery, leaving his vocals sounding ungrounded." Nas's talent had not waned however. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "Nas continues to drop jaws and tingle ear canals with his complex and challenging wordplay." Rather, some critics felt that Nas, in producing so mainstream an album, had done a disservice to his talent. The Record concluded that "the commercial advance requires an artistic step backward."

Later that year, Nas released his fourth album, Nastradamus. Again, critics lamented the too-polished style of the album. New York Times critic Soren Baker observed, "It's as if in graduating from the ghetto, he's misplaced the gritty edge that made him a hero."

Feuded With Jay-Z
Perhaps Nas regained some of his edge when he began a feud of words with rapper Jay-Z. Jay-Z's album, The Blueprint, featured the track "Takeover." Here Jay-Z referred to Nas as "garbage," saying, "That's why your—l-a-a-a-me!—career's come to an end." Nas retaliated with an underground parody of the Jay-Z hit "Izzo." The feud was further fueled by several tracks on Nas's 2001 album, Stillmatic. Here Nas accused Jay-Z of usurping rhymes from the late Notorious B.I.G., criticized Jay-Z's preference for Hawaiian shirts, and even attempted a bit of armchair psychoanalysis. Hip-hop fans in both the United States and Europe were fascinated by the feud, choosing sides and, according to the New York Times, "debating each rapper's use of puns and metaphors." The feud came to an end in early 2002. Jay-Z, after receiving a call from his mother asking him to stop, telephoned a New York City radio station and publicly apologized for "Super Ugly," his response to Nas's Stillmatic tracks.

Nas formed his own record label, Nas and Ill Will Records. He also launched a clothing line—Esco. In 2001 he co-starred with Steven Segal in the action film, Ticker. Although he has branched out into business and film, Nas remained devoted to music. "Music is in my blood," he told the New York Times. "I could have chosen to do a lot of other things. I could have been a scientist, a lawyer. But this is where I'm comfortable at, right here."

Unissued Tracks Released
Nas's comeback as a street-oriented hip-hop artist was slowed somewhat by the appearance of The Lost Tapes, a collection of previously unreleased material that Entertainment Weekly described as "more introspection and insight than insult." Nas was not pleased. Asked about a rumor that he had called himself a "slave" of his label Columbia, the rapper answered, "I may not be a slave because I get paid for what I do, but the system still pimps artists."

The year 2002 saw Nas coping with personal pain as cancer claimed the rapper's mother. Personal stress perhaps lay behind his widely publicized no-show at the Hot 97 Summer Jam in New York. Nas nevertheless continued his activities in the studio with guest appearances on Brandy's "What About Us?" and J-Lo's "I'm Gonna Be All Right," among other tracks. Nas memorialized his mother on the "Dance" track of his God's Son album, released in December of 2002; the song also featured an instrumental contribution by his father, Olu Dara.

Suggestions of a mellower Nas, as evidenced on the uplifting track "I Can," was contradicted by such hardcore hip-hop tracks as "Made You Look," though both tracks became hits. Rapper Eminem co-wrote and produced "The Cross," which took aim at R&B's rap pretenders. Headlines linked Nas romantically that year with Harlem rapper Kelis, and a marriage was planned. An assault arrest in December of 2003 suggested Nas's continuing bent toward controversy, but a double-disc 10th-anniversary release of Illmatic the following year confirmed his status as one of the genre's artists of lasting significance.

Selected discography
Illmatic, Columbia, 1994.
It Was Written, Columbia, 1996.
I Am, Columbia, 1999.
Nastradamus, Columbia, 1999.
Stillmatic, Ill Will, 2001.
God's Son, Columbia, 2002.
Illmatic: 10th Anniversary Platinum Edition, Sony, 2004.

Sources
Books
Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 33, Gale Group, 2002.
Who's Who Among African Americans, 14th ed. Gale Group, 2000.

Periodicals
Entertainment Weekly, April 22, 1994, p. 58; July 26, 1996, p. 56; November 22, 2002, p. L2T6.
Florida Times Union, January 18, 2002, p. WE11.
The Independent Sunday (London, England), January 6, 2002, p. 9.
Jet, August 18, 2003, p. 41.
Los Angeles Times, November 21, 1999, p. C8; December 23, 2001, p. F71.
Morning Call (Allentown, PA), January 12, 2002, p. A40.
New York Times, Oct. 6, 1996, sec. 2; January 6, 2002, p. L1; February 25, 2002, p. Upfront-18.
People, January 20, 2003, p. 39.
The Record (Bergen County, NJ) April 23, 1999, p. 8.
Rolling Stone, September 16, 1996, pp. 83-84; December 26, 1996, pp. 194-95.
San Francisco Chronicle, April 18, 1999, p. 42.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, November 4, 1998, p. C3.
Seattle Times, November 4, 1998, p. F3.
Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), January 23, 2002, p. 58; December 19, 2003, p. 106.
Time, June 20, 1994, p. 62; July 29, 1996, p. 79.

Online
"Nas," All Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com (March 24, 2002).
Nas Official Website, http://www.iamnas.com (April 23, 2004).
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Nas

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  • Genres: Rap

Biography

Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for years as one of New York City's leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists. Whether proclaiming himself "Nasty Nas" or "Nas Escobar" or "Nastradamus" or "God's Son," the self-appointed King of New York battled numerous adversaries for his position atop the epicenter of East Coast rap, none more challenging than Jay-Z, who vied with Nas for the vacated throne left in the wake of the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 assassination. Such headline-worthy drama informed Nas' provocative rhymes, which he delivered with both a masterful flow and a wise perspective over beats by a range of producers: legends like DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Pete Rock; hitmakers like Trackmasters, Timbaland, and will.i.am; street favorites like Swizz Beatz, Megahertz, and the Alchemist; and personal favorites of his own like L.E.S., Salaam Remi, and Chucky Thompson. Nas likewise collaborated with some of the industry's leading video directors, including Hype Williams and Chris Robinson, presenting singles like "Hate Me Now," "One Mic," and "I Can" with dramatic flair. Throughout all the ups (the acclaim, popularity, and success) and downs (the expectations, adversaries, and over-reaching), Nas continually matured as an artist, evolving from a young street disciple to a vain all-knowing sage to a humbled godly teacher. Such growth made every album release an event and prolonged his increasingly storied career to epic proportions.

Born Nasir Jones, son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade, trading classrooms for the streets of the rough Queensbridge projects, long fabled as the former stomping ground of Marley Marl and his Juice Crew as immortalized in "The Bridge." Despite dropping out of school, Nas developed a high degree of literacy that would later characterize his rhymes. At the same time, though, he delved into street culture and flirted with danger, such experiences similarly characterizing his rhymes. His synthesis of well-crafted rhetoric and street-glamorous imagery blossomed in 1991 when he connected with Main Source and laid down a fiery verse on "Live at the Barbeque" that earned him up-and-coming notice among the East Coast rap scene. Not long afterward, MC Serch of 3rd Bass approached Nas about contributing a track to the Zebrahead soundtrack. Serch was the soundtrack's executive producer and had been impressed by "Live at the Barbeque." Nas submitted "Halftime," and the song so stunned Serch that he made it the soundtrack's leadoff track.

Columbia Records meanwhile signed Nas to a major-label contract, and many of New York's finest producers offered their support. DJ Premier, Large Professor, and Pete Rock entered the studio with the young rapper and began work on Illmatic. When Columbia finally released the album in April 1994, it faced high expectations; Illmatic regardless proved just as astounding as it had been billed. It sold very well, spawned multiple hits, and earned unanimous acclaim, followed soon after by classic status. The two years leading up to Nas' follow-up, It Was Written (1996), brought another wave of enormous anticipation. The ambitious rapper, who had begun working closely with industry heavyweight Steve Stoute, responded with a significantly different approach than he had taken with Illmatic: where that album had been a straightforward hip-hop album with few pop concessions, the largely Trackmaster-produced It Was Written made numerous concessions to the pop-crossover market, most notably on the two hit singles, "Street Dreams" and "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)." These singles -- both of which drew from well-known songs, Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and Kurtis Blow's "If I Ruled the World," respectively -- broadened Nas' appeal greatly and awarded him MTV-sanctioned crossover success. This same crossover success undermined some of his hip-hop credibility, however, and a minor backlash by purists resulted.

Nas addressed his critics on "Hate Me Now," the second single from his next album, I Am (1999). The album had originally been planned as a double-disc concept album comprised of autobiographical material, but when some of the tracks were leaked, I Am was scaled down and released as a single disc, with the DJ Premier-produced "Nas Is Like" chosen as the lead single. Besides "Nas Is Like" and "Hate Me Now," which both broke into the Billboard Hot 100, "You Won't See Me Tonight" and "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" also charted as singles. Originally scheduled by Columbia as a follow-up album comprised of the pirated material from the I Am sessions, Nastradamus (1999) -- released in time for the holiday shopping season, roughly six months after its predecessor -- was instead comprised almost entirely of new material, recorded quickly to meet the late-November release date. Nastradamus signaled a drop-off in quality as well as sales. The album failed to garner the abundance of critical praise that had become customary for Nas. Moreover, unlike its two predecessors, Nastradamus failed to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at number seven instead, and failed to go double platinum. Though relatively disappointing on these counts, Nastradamus still went platinum and spawned two charting singles, "Nastradamus" and "You Owe Me," so the album wasn't a failure, just disappointing.

In the late-'90s wake of the Notorious B.I.G.'s assassination, Nas reigned atop the New York rap scene alongside few contemporaries of equal stature . In addition to his endless stream of hits by the industry's most successful producers -- "If I Ruled the World" (produced by the Trackmasters), "Hate Me Now" (Puff Daddy), "Nas Is Like" (DJ Premier), and "You Owe Me" (Timbaland), among others -- he popularly co-starred in the Hype Williams-directed film Belly (1998) alongside DMX and contributed to the soundtrack. Furthermore, Nas led a short-lived supergroup of New York rappers known as the Firm (also comprised of rappers Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature, with producers Dr. Dre and the Trackmasters) and assembled a broad coalition of fellow Queensbridge rappers for the QB Finest compilation (2000). Amid all of this publicity, though, criticism began to mount. For every crossover fan Nas won with his dramatic MTV-aired videos, he lost support among purists, some of whom felt he had sold out and abandoned hip-hop ideals in favor of commercial success. The relative disappointment of Nastradamus was symptomatic of this downturn.

A series of incidents in 2001 provided a key turning point for Nas' decline. The rapper's personal life was becoming increasingly complicated, as he encountered relationship trouble with the mother of his daughter and, of greater consequence, as his mother began suffering from cancer. To make matters worse, longtime rival Jay-Z pointedly dissed Nas on "Takeover," the much-discussed leadoff song from his acclaimed Blueprint album (2001). Among other charges, Jay-Z called out Nas for not having put out a "hot" album since Illmatic, and also alluded to sleeping with the mother of Nas' daughter. It didn't help that Jay-Z had risen atop the New York rap scene, giving him ample justification to call out Nas, who had fallen from favor and receded from the public eye while he dealt with his personal issues. Nas responded strikingly in December 2001 with Stillmatic, the title a reference to his classic Illmatic album, which had been released nearly a decade earlier. Stillmatic opened with the song "Ether," a very direct response to Jay-Z, followed by the aggressive lead single "Get Ur Self A...." These two songs in particular rallied the streets while the moving video for "One Mic" received heavy support from MTV. Throughout 2002, Nas continued his comeback with a number of guest appearances, among them Brandy's "What About Us?," J-Lo's "I'm Gonna Be Alright," and Ja Rule's "The Pledge," as well as yet more news-making controversy, this time involving his no-show at popular radio station Hot 97's annual Summer Jam.

Amid all of the drama, Nas managed to salvage his esteemed reputation and reclaim his lofty status atop the New York scene. Stillmatic earned immediate acclaim from fans and critics alike and sold impressively, while Columbia furthered the comeback campaign with two archival releases, one of remixes (From Illmatic to Stillmatic [2002]), the other of outtakes (The Lost Tapes [2002], which notably includes some of the pirated I Am material). Then at the end of the year Columbia released a new studio album, God's Son (2002), and Nas once again basked in widespread acclaim as the album sold well, spawned sizable hits ("Thugz Mansion," "Made You Look," "I Can"), and received rampant media support. Two years later Nas returned with Street's Disciple (2004), a sprawling double album that delved deeply into various issues, most notably politics and his impending marriage to Kelis. The two-sided "Thief's Theme"/"You Know My Style" single dropped in summer 2004, several months before the album's release, and was followed that fall by the proper lead single, "Bridging the Gap."

Street's Disciple came and went, however, without the level of commercial success that had become customary, as it struggled to go platinum. More troubling, new kid on the block 50 Cent took a swipe at Nas on "Piggy Bank," a call-out song on The Massacre (2005), further bringing the veteran rapper's status into question. In a surprising turn of events later that year, Nas made a surprise appearance at Jay-Z's much-hyped I Declare War concert in October 2005. Together the two rivals performed "Dead Presidents," Jay-Z's 1996 debut single; the classic song, produced by Ski Beatz and featured on Reasonable Doubt (1996), features a prominent sample of "The World Is Yours," a 1994 classic by Nas. The reconciliation of Jay-Z and Nas opened the door to a deal with Def Jam. The record label, overseen by Jay-Z as president at the time, signed Nas and, in turn, released Hip Hop Is Dead (2006). The album didn't sell especially well, but it did inspire a lot of commentary about the state of hip-hop and included a much-anticipated collaboration with Jay-Z, "Black Republican." A politically charged self-titled album, at one point considered to be titled N*gger, materialized in 2008, and not without some controversy of its own. Following his divorce from Kelis, Nas released Distant Relatives, an album-length collaboration with Damian "Junior Gong" Marley, in 2010. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Nas

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For other uses, see Nas (disambiguation).
Nas

Nas performing in Italy, 2007
Background information
Birth name Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones
Born (1973-09-14) September 14, 1973 (age 38)
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York
Origin Queensbridge, Queens, New York, USA
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper, actor
Instruments Sampler, keyboard
Years active 1991–present
Labels Def Jam, The Jones Experience
Associated acts Olu Dara, The Firm, Bravehearts, Kelis, Large Professor, Mobb Deep, Damian Marley, Wu-Tang Clan, AZ
Website Nas at Island Def Jam

Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones[1] (play /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas (play /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0.

His rise to fame began in 1991 with his feature on hip hop group Main Source's debut album on the track "Live at the Barbeque". In the years that followed, Nas garnered attention from music industry A & R's and record labels with more impressive features and a solo single "Halftime". His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994 by Columbia Records, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community and would go on to be widely hailed as a musical landmark and a classic in the genre and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest LP's of all time.[2][3] His follow up album It Was Written debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks and went platinum twice in only two months, propelling Nas to worldwide notoriety.[4][5]

From 1996 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with rapper Jay-Z with both artists verbally attacking each other in songs and interviews. The two formally ended their rivalry through duet performances at concerts sponsored by New York City-area hip hop radio stations. In 2006, Nas signed to Def Jam and released his latest two albums; Hip Hop Is Dead in 2006 and an untitled album in 2008. In 2010, he released a collaboration album with renowned reggae artist Damian Marley in which all income generated from the album's sales were sent to charities created to end poverty and financial suffering in Africa. He is currently preparing his tenth solo studio album for a release in 2012.

Nas is often listed, mentioned, and ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers in history. MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time.[6] On a similar list, MTV 2's "22 Greatest MC's", compiled by the results of an online poll, fans voted Nas as the 4th greatest MC of all time.[7] Editors of About.com also ranked him number 4 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007),[8] making him the highest ranking rapper of his generation (ahead of The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and 2Pac).

Contents

Early life

Nas was born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York.[9] His father, Olu Dara, is a jazz and blues musician from Mississippi. His mother, Fannie Ann Jones, was a Postal Service worker. He has one sibling, a brother named Jabari Fret who assumes the alias Jungle. As a young child, Nas and his family relocated to the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City,Queens, New York. His neighbor, Willy "Ill Will" Graham, influenced Nas's interest in hip hop by playing him records.[10] Nas's parents divorced in 1985,[10] and he dropped out of school in the ninth grade.[9] He educated himself about African culture through the Five Percent Nation, the Nuwaubians, the Bible and the Qur'an.[11][not in citation given]

Career

1989–94: Underground beginnings and classic debut

Further information: Illmatic

As a teenager, Nas enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willy "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. In the late 1980s, he met up with the producer "Large Professor" and went to the studio where Rakim and Kool G Rap were recording their albums. When they were not in the studio, Nas would go into the booth and record his own material. However, none of it was released.[12][13] In 1991, Nas performed on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque". In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. Nas made his solo debut under the name of "Nasty Nas" on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead.[9] Called the new Rakim,[6] his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community.

In 1994, Nas's debut album, Illmatic, was finally released. It was awarded Five Mics from The Source.[14] It also featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S. and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas's friend AZ and his father Olu Dara. The album spawned several singles, including "The World Is Yours", "It Ain't Hard to Tell", and "One Love". Shaheem Reid of MTV News called Illmatic "the first classic LP" of 1994.[15] In 1994, Nas also recorded the song "One on One" for the soundtrack to the film Street Fighter.[16] In his book To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic, William Jelani Cobb writes of Nas' impact at the time:

Nas, the poetic sage of the Queensbridge projects, was hailed as the second coming of Rakim—as if the first had reached his expiration date. [...] Nas never became 'the next Rakim,' nor did he really have to. Illmatic stood on its own terms. The sublime lyricism of the CD, combined with the fact that it was delivered into the crucible of the boiling East-West conflict, quickly solidified [his] reputation as the premier writer of his time.[17]

Steve Huey of Allmusic described Nas' lyrics on Illmatic as "highly literate" and his raps "superbly fluid regardless of the size of his vocabulary", adding that Nas is "able to evoke the bleak reality of ghetto life without losing hope or forgetting the good times".[18] Reviewing Nas's second album It Was Written, Leo Stanley of allmusic believed the rhymes to be not as complex as those in Illmatic but still "not only flow, but manage to tell coherent stories as well".[19] About.com ranked Illmatic as the greatest hip hop album of all time,[20] and Prefix magazine praised it as "the best hip-hop record ever made".[21]

1995–97: Mainstream direction and The Firm

Further information: It Was Written and The Firm (hip hop group)

Columbia Records began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics, such as that of The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. In 1995, Nas did guest performances on the albums Doe or Die by AZ, The Infamous by Mobb Deep, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon and 4,5,6 by Kool G Rap. Nas also parted ways with manager MC Serch, enlisted Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Tone and Poke of Trackmasters, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams", including a remix with R. Kelly were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. It Was Written featured the debut of The Firm, a super group consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also expanded on Nas's Escobar persona, who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Scarface protagonist Tony Montana, was more about his life growing up in the projects.[9]

Signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, The Firm began working on their debut album. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega subsequently became one of Nas's most vocal opponents and released a number of underground hip hop singles "dissing" Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who replaced Cormega as the fourth member of The Firm.[22] Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews. The album failed to live up to its expected sales, despite being certified platinum, and the members of the group disbanded to go their separate ways.

During this period, Nas was one of four rappers (the others being B-Real, KRS-One and RBX) in the hip hop super-group Group Therapy, who appeared on the song "East Coast/West Coast Killas" from Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath.[23]

1997–2000: Inconsistent output

See also: The Lost Tapes
Nas in 1998.

In late 1997, Nas began work on a double album, to be entitled I Am... The Autobiography; he intended it as the middle ground between Illmatic and It Was Written, with each track detailing a part of his life.[9] In 1998, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams's 1998 feature film Belly.[9] I Am... The Autobiography was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, "Nas Is Like". It was produced by DJ Premier and contained vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell". Music critic M.F. DiBella noticed that Nas also covered "politics, the state of hip-hop, Y2K, race, and religion with his own unique perspective" in the album besides autobiographical lyrics.[24] Much of the LP was leaked into MP3 format onto the Internet and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.[25]

The second single on I Am... was "Hate Me Now", featuring Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, which was used as an example by Nas's critics of him moving towards commercial themes. The video featured Nas and Combs being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; after the video was completed, Combs requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV. Within minutes of the broadcast, Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.[25] Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am... under the title Nastradamus during the later half of 1999, but, at the last minute, Nas decided to record an entire new album for the 1999 release of Nastradamus. Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, "You Owe Me".[9]

In 2000, QB's Finest was released on Nas's Ill Will Records.[9] QB's Finest is a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge projects, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Capone, the Bravehearts, Tragedy Khadafi, Millennium Thug and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shanté, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001," which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge."[26] Fans and critics feared that Nas' career was declining, artistically and commercially, as both I Am... and Nastradamus were criticized as inconsistent.[27]

2001–03: Feud with Jay-Z and artistic comeback

Further information: Jay-Z–Nas feud and God's Son

After trading subliminal criticisms on various songs, freestyles and mixtape appearances, the highly publicized feud rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z became widely known to the public in 2001.[9] Jay-Z, in his song "Takeover", criticized Nas by calling him "fake" and his career "lame".[28] Nas responded with "Ether", in which he compared Jay-Z to such characters as J.J. Evans from the sitcom Good Times and cigarette company mascot Joe Camel. The song was included on Nas's fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001.[29] Stillmatic debuted at number five on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic".

Nas performing in 2003.

In response to "Ether", Jay-Z released the song "Supa Ugly", which Hot 97 radio host Angie Martinez premiered on December 11, 2001.[28] In the song, Jay-Z explicitly boasts about having an affair with Nas's girlfriend, Carmen Bryan.[30] New York City hip-hop radio station Hot 97 issued a poll asking listeners which rapper made the better diss song; Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes.[31] In 2002, in the midst of the feud between the two New York rappers, Eminem cited both Nas and Jay-Z as being two of the best MC's in the industry, in his song 'Till I Collapse. Both the feud and Stillmatic signalled an artistic comeback for Nas after a string of inconsistent albums.[32] The Lost Tapes, a compilation of previously unreleased or bootlegged songs from 1997 to 2001, was released by Columbia in September 2002. The collection attained respectable sales and received rave reviews from critics.[33]

In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album including its lead single, "Made You Look" which utilized a pitched down sample of the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache". The album peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts despite widespread internet bootlegging.[34] Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe gave it four stars and The Source gave it four mics. The second single, "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Für Elise", became Nas's biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas's mother, who died of cancer in April 2002, including "Dance". In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from Korn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP. Also in 2003, a live performance in New York City, featuring Ludacris, Jadakiss, and Darryl McDaniels (of Run-D.M.C. fame), was released on DVD as Made You Look: God's Son Live.

God's Son was critical in the power struggle between Nas and Jay-Z in hip hop at the time.[35] In an article at the time, Joseph Jones of PopMatters stated, "Whether you like it or not, 'Ether' did this. With God's Son, Nas has the opportunity to cement his status as the King of N.Y., at least for another 3-4 year term, or he could prove that he is not the savior that hip-hop fans should be pinning their hopes on."[35] After the album's release, he began helping The Bravehearts, made up of his younger brother Jungle and friend Wiz (Wizard), put together their debut album, Bravehearted. The album features guest appearances from Nas, Nashawn (Millennium Thug), Lil Jon, and Jully Black.

2004–06: Double album and Def Jam

See also: Street's Disciple

Nas released his seventh studio album Street's Disciple, a sprawling double album,[9] on November 30, 2004. It addressed subject matter both political and personal, including his impending marriage to recording artist Kelis.[9] The double-sided single "Thief's Theme"/"You Know My Style" was released months before the album's release, followed by the single "Bridging the Gap" upon the album's release.[9] Although Street's Disciple went platinum, it served as a dropoff from Nas' previous commercial successes.[9]

In 2005, New York-based rapper 50 Cent dissed Nas on the song "Piggy Bank", which brought his reputation into question in hip hop circles.[9] In October, Nas made a surprise appearance at Jay-Z's highly-publicized I Declare War concert, where they reconciled their beef.[9] At the show, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!". Nas then joined him onstage,[36] and the two performed Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" (1996) together, a song that featured a prominent sample of Nas's "The World Is Yours" (1994).[9] The reconciliation created the opportunity for Nas to sign a deal with Def Jam Recordings, of which Jay-Z was president at the time.[9] He signed Nas in January 2006.[37]

2006–08: Politicized efforts and controversies

See also: Hip Hop Is Dead and Untitled Nas album

Tentatively called Hip Hop Is Dead...The N,[37] Hip Hop Is Dead was a commentary on the state of hip hop and featured "Black Republicans", a hyped collaboration with Jay-Z.[9] The album debuted on Def Jam and Nas new imprint at that label, The Jones Experience, at number one on the Billboard 200 charts, selling 355,000 copies—Nas's third number one album, along with It Was Written and I Am....[38] It also inspired reactions about the state of hip hop,[9] particularly controversy with Southern hip hop artists who felt the album's title was a criticism at them.[39] Nas' 2004 song "Thief's Theme" was featured in the 2006 film The Departed.[40] Nas's former label, Columbia Records, released the compilation Greatest Hits in November.[41]

On October 12, 2007, Nas announced that his next album would be called Nigger. Both progressive commentators, such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and the right-wing news station Fox News were outraged; Jackson called on entertainers to stop using the epithet after comedian Michael Richards used it onstage in late 2006.[42] Controversy escalated as the album's impending release date drew nearer, going as far as to spark rumors that Def Jam was planning to drop Nas unless he changed the title.[43] Additionally, Fort Greene, Brooklyn assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries requested New York's Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli to withdraw $84 million from the state pension fund that has been invested into Universal and its parent company, Vivendi, if the album's title was not changed. On the opposite side of the spectrum, many of the most famous names in the entertainment industry expressed a sense of trust in Nas for using the racial epithet as the title of his full-length LP.[44][45] Nas's management worried that the album would not be sold by chain stores such as Wal-Mart, thus limiting its distribution.[46]

On May 19, 2008, Nas decided to forgo an album title.[47] Responding to Jesse Jackson's remarks and use of the word "nigger", Nas called him "the biggest player hater", stating "His time is up. All you old niggas' time is up. We heard your voice, we saw your marching, we heard your sermons. We don't want to hear that shit no more. It's a new day. It's a new voice. I'm here now. We don't need Jesse; I'm here. I got this. We the voice now. It's no more Jesse. Sorry. Good bye. You ain't helping nobody in the 'hood and that's the bottom line."[48] He also said of the album's title:

It's important to me that this album gets to the fans. It's been a long time coming. I want my fans to know that creatively and lyrically, they can expect the same content and the same messages. The people will always know what the real title of this album is and what to call it.[49]
—Nas

The album was ultimately released on July 15, 2008, untitled. It featured production from Polow da Don, stic.man of Dead Prez, Sons of Light & J. Myers,[50] "Hero", the album's lead single, reached number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 87 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[51] In July, Nas attained a shoe deal with Fila.[52] In an interview with MTV News in July, Nas speculated that he might release two albums—one produced by DJ Premier and another by Dr. Dre—simultaneously the same day.[53] Nas worked on Dr. Dre's studio album Detox.[54] Nas was also awarded 'Emcee of the Year' in the HipHopDX 2008 Awards for his latest solo effort, the quality of his appearances on other albums and was described as having "become an artist who thrives off of reinvention and going against the system."[55]

Bill O'Reilly/Virginia Tech controversy

Nas performing in Ottawa, 2007.

On September 6, 2007, Nas performed at a free concert for the Virginia Tech student body and faculty, following the school shooting there. He was joined by John Mayer, Alan Jackson, Phil Vassar, and Dave Matthews Band.[56] When announced that Nas was to perform, political commentator Bill O'Reilly and Fox News Channel denounced the concert and called for Nas' removal, citing "violent" lyrics on songs such as "Shoot 'Em Up", "Got Urself a Gun", and "Made You Look". During his Talking Points Memo segment for August 15, 2007, an argument erupted in which O'Reilly claimed that it was not only Nas's lyrical content that made him inappropriate for the event, citing the gun conviction on Nas's criminal record. In the midst of his debate with author Bakari Kitwana (The Hip Hop Generation), who defended Nas, claiming that Fox News had "cherry picked" select fragments of the songs to make their case, O'Reilly shouted, "Even in his personal life, man, he's got a conviction for weapons, all right? He's got a weapons conviction, sir! On his sheet! This is a school that had a mass murderer with a shotgun gunning down people—this guy has got a conviction for weapons, and you say he's appropriate? Come on!" O'Reilly repeated the claim another five times before cutting the segment short.[citation needed]

On September 6, 2007, during his set at "A Concert for Virginia Tech," Nas twice referred to Bill O'Reilly as "a chump," prompting loud cheers by members of the crowd. About two weeks later, Nas was interviewed by Shaheem Reid of MTV News, where he criticized O'Reilly, calling him uncivilized and willing to go to extremes for publicity.[57] Responding to O'Reilly, Nas, in an interview with MTV News, said:

He doesn't understand the younger generation. He deals with the past. The people he represents are Republican, older, a generation that has nothing to do with the reality of what's happening now with my generation. ... He's not really on my radar. People like him are supposed to be taught and people like me are supposed to let niggas like him know. I don't take him serious. His shit is all about getting facts twisted or whatever. I wouldn't honor anything Bill O'Reilly has to say. It just shows you what bloodsuckers like him do: They abuse something like the Virginia Tech tragedy for show ratings. You can't talk to a person like that.[58]

On July 23, 2008, Nas appeared on The Colbert Report to discuss his opinion of O'Reilly and Fox News, which he accused of bias against the African-American community and re-challenged O'Reilly to a debate.[59] During the appearance, Nas sat on boxes of more than 625,000 signatures gathered by online advocacy organization Color of Change in support of a petition accusing Fox of race-baiting and fear-mongering.[59]

2009–present: Collaborative album and upcoming projects

See also: Distant Relatives and Life Is Good (Nas album)
Nas and Marley performing in New Zealand

At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Nas confirmed he was collaborating on an album with reggae musician Damian Marley which was expected to be released in Fall 2009. Nas said of the collaboration in an interview "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. His stuff is not really singing, or if he does, it comes off more hard, like on some street shit. 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".[60] A portion of the profit is planned to go towards building a school in Africa.[61] He went on to say that it was "too early to tell the title or anything like that".[62] The Los Angeles Times reported that the album would be titled Distant Relatives.[63] Nas also revealed that he will begin working on his tenth studio album following the release of Distant Relatives.[64] During Fall 2009 Nas used his live band Mulatto with music director Dustin Moore for concerts in Europe and Australia.[65]

After announcing a possible release in 2010,[66] a follow-up compilation to The Lost Tapes (2002) was delayed indefinitely due to issues between him and Def Jam.[67]

Speaking about his upcoming tenth studio album, Nas called the album a "magic moment" in his rap career while mentioning that Swizz Beatz, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, Buttatones, Kanye West and RZA are possible producers on the LP.[68] "A Milli" producer Bangladesh revealed that he produced some tracks for the album.[69] Kane Beatz revealed he had recently worked with Nas.[70] Producer Statik Selektah has stated that he has produced a couple of tracks for the album.[71] OFWGKTA members Frank Ocean, Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats have been confirmed to feature on Nas's tenth album, with Ocean putting the track together and Tyler and Hodgy adding verses.[72] It was confirmed in May 2011 that his new album would be titled "Life Is Good" (which will be Nas's last album with Def Jam) but Nas also stated the album title is tentative and will most likely change.[73] There will also be a collaboration album with Mobb Deep, one with Common, and another one with DJ Premier.[74][75][76]

Artistry

Nas has been praised for his ability to create a "devastating match between lyrics and production" by journalist Peter Shapiro, as well as creating a "potent evocation of life on the street", and he has even been compared to Rakim for his lyrical technique. In his book Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop (2009), writer Adam Bradley states, "Nas is perhaps contemporary rap's greatest innovator in storytelling. His catalog includes songs narrated before birth ('Fetus') and after death ('Amongst Kings'), biographies ('UBR [Unauthorized Biography of Rakim]') and autobiographies ('Doo Rags'), allegorical tales ('Money Is My Bitch') and epistolary ones ('One Love'), he's rapped in the voice of a woman ('Sekou Story') and even of a gun ('I Gave You Power')."[77] Kool Moe Dee notes that Nas has an "off-beat conversational flow" in his book There's a God on the Mic - he says: "before Nas, every MC focused on rhyming with a cadence that ultimately put the words that rhymed on beat with the snare drum. Nas created a style of rapping that was more conversational than ever before".[78]

O.C. of D.I.T.C. comments in the book How to Rap: "Nas did the song backwards ['Rewind']... that was a brilliant idea".[79] Also in How to Rap, 2Mex of The Visionaries describes Nas's flow as "effervescent",[80] Rah Digga says Nas's lyrics have "intricacy",[81] Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde explains that Nas does not always have to make words rhyme as he is "charismatic",[82] and Nas is also described as having a "densely packed"[83] flow, with compound rhymes that "run over from one beat into the next or even into another bar".[84]

In 2006, Nas was ranked fifth on MTV's "10 Greatest MCs of All Time" list.[6]

Personal life

Nas is a spokesperson and mentor for P'Tones Records, a non-profit after school music program with the mission "to create constructive opportunities for urban youth through no-cost music programs."[85]

In 1994, Nas's ex-fiancée Carmen Bryan gave birth to their daughter, Destiny.[86][87][88] Bryan later confessed to Nas that she had a relationship with his then at the time rival rapper and nemesis Jay-Z, also accusing Jay-Z of putting subliminal messages in his lyrics about their relationship together; this would cause an even bigger rift in the feud between the two hit rap music giants. Nas also briefly dated Mary J. Blige.[87] In 2005, Nas married R&B singer Kelis in Atlanta after a two-year relationship.[89][90] On April 30, 2009, a spokesperson confirmed that Kelis filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[91][92] Kelis gave birth to Nas's first son on July 21, 2009, although the event was soured by a disagreement which ended in Nas announcing the birth of his son, Knight, at a gig in Queens, NY, against Kelis's wishes.[93] The birth was also announced by Nas via an online video.[94]

Ever since the couple split, just months before the birth of their first child together, Knight Jones, they have been battling it out in court over support payments. In December, a Los Angeles superior court judge ordered Nas to bump up his monthly child and spousal support payments from $40,000 to $51,000, for a total of more than $600,000 a year. The couple's divorce was finalized May 21, 2010.[95]

Nas is currently involved in a dispute with a concert promoter in Angola, having accepted $300,000 for a concert in their capital city for New Year's Eve and then not showing up. The promoter and his son were detained by the angry Angolan promoter at gunpoint and taken to an Angolan jail. Only after the US Embassy intervened were the promoter and his son allowed to leave jail—but were placed under house arrest at their hotel.[96]. Nas has since returned all $300,000 and after 49 days of travel ban the promoter Patrick Allocco and his son have both been released.[97]

On March 15, 2012 , Nas became the first rapper to have a personal verified account on Rap Genius where he'll be explaining all his own lyrics and commenting on the lyrics of other rappers he admires.[98][99]

Discography

Main article: Nas discography
Studio albums
Collaboration albums
Compilation albums

Filmography

Film/Television
Year Film Role
1998 Belly Sincere
1999 In Too Deep Drug Dealer (uncredited)
2001 Ticker Det. Art "Fuzzy" Rice
2001 Sacred is the Flesh Isa Paige
2010 Hawaii Five-O Gordon Smith

Awards/Nominations

  • Grammy Awards
    • 2010, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Too Many Rappers" Nominated
    • 2009, Best Raper=allmusic|accessdate=August 13, 2007}}</ref> ** 2009, Best Rap Album: (Nas) Nominated
    • 2008, Best Rap Album: (Hip-Hop Is Dead) Nominated
    • 2008, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Best Than I Ever Been" Nominated
    • 2003, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "The Essence" Nominated
    • 2003, Best Short-Form Music Video: "One Mic" Nominated
    • 2000, Best Rap Album: (I Am) Nominated
    • 1997, Best Rap Solo Performance: "If I Ruled the World" Nominated
  • MTV Video Music Awards
    • 2005, Best Hip-Hop Video: "Bridging the Gap" Nominated
    • 2003, Best Rap Video: "I Can" Nominated
    • 2003, Best Rap Video: "Thug Mansion" Nominated
    • 2002, Video of the Year: "One Mic" Nominated
    • 2002, Best Rap Video: "One Mic" Nominated
    • 1999, Best Rap Video: "Hate Me Now" Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Pregnant singer Kelis set to divorce rapper Nas". New York Daily News. May 1, 2009. http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/05/01/2009-05-01_say_pregnant_kelis_set_to_divorce_nas.html. Retrieved October 25, 2009. 
  2. ^ "MTV.com: List - #2 Illmatic". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2005/greatest_albums_0505/index10.jhtml. 
  3. ^ RS500: 400) Illmatic. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on July 19, 2009.
  4. ^ It Was Written: Charts & Awards. Allmusic. Retrieved on August 1, 2008
  5. ^ Gold & Platinum - Searchable Database: It Was Written. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Retrieved on June 19, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c "The Greatest MCs of All Time - 5. Nas". MTV News. 2006. http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index7.jhtml. 
  7. ^ "MTV2's "22 Greatest MC's" #1-Nas". youtube.com. http://youtube.com/watch?v=MqN54Sx4ss0. Retrieved December 23, 2011. 
  8. ^ "Top 50 MCs of Our Time: 1987 - 2007 - 50 Greatest Emcees of Our Time". Rap.about.com. http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/Top50Emcees_10.htm. Retrieved August 6, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Birchmeier, Jason. "Nas — Biography". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p44732. Retrieved December 23, 2008. 
  10. ^ a b Cowie, Del F.. "Battle Ready". http://exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=65&csid2=9&fid1=3570. Retrieved September 16, 2006. 
  11. ^ "Nas Bio". Yuddy. http://www.yuddy.com/celebrity/nas/bio. Retrieved August 1, 2007. 
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  99. ^ NAS INTERVIEW: why Nas wants to explain his own lyrics on Rap Genius Accessed: 16/03/2012
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Street's Disciple
Hip Hop Is Dead
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The Firm: The Album
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