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Nas

File:Nas_(52380600682)_(cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ194220· pop 55· linked from 2,342 articles

Also known as Nasir Jones, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, Nasty Nas, Nas Escobar

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones ( ; born September 14, 1973), known mononymously as Nas ( ), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and record producer. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas", and recorded demos under the wing of fellow East Coast rapper Large Professor. Nas made his recording debut on Professor's group, Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque".

AI overview

Nas is an American rapper and entrepreneur born in 1973 who is widely considered one of the greatest rappers of all time, known for his contributions to East Coast hip-hop since his debut in the early 1990s. He matters because of his significant influence on hip-hop music and culture, establishing himself as a major figure in the genre through his artistic work and business ventures.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Works
28

Top works

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Film & TV

Acting · Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, USA

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper and businessman. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Jones's musical career began in 1989 as he adopted the moniker of "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was a…

Known for

  • Victory — Nas2025
  • Billy Joel: And So It Goes — Self2025
  • Sean Combs: The Reckoning — Self (archive footage)2025
  • Wu-Tang Clan & Nas: NY State of Mind Tour at Climate Pledge Arena — Self2024
  • TMZ Presents | The Downfall of Diddy 2: The Indictment — Self (archive footage)2024
  • Amazon Music Live: Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and De La Soul's 'N.Y. State of Mind Tour' — Himself2023
  • B.I.B.L.E. - The Documentary — Self2022
  • Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues — Self2022
  • Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 — Self - Performer2021
  • You're Watching Video Music Box — Self2021

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Gender
Male
Origin
United States
Active from
1973
boom bapconscious rapdeep souleast coast hip hopeast coast hip-hopgod

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
3,399,590
Total plays
142,071,023

Tags

Hip-Hoprapeast coast raphip hopnew york

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (/nɑːˈsɪər/ nah-SEER; born September 14, 1973), known professionally as Nas (/nɑːz/ NAHZ), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and record producer. He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara and began his musical career in 1989 under the name "Nasty Nas", recording demos with the assistance of East Coast rapper Large Professor. Nas made his recording debut on Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque". Nas signed with Columbia Records in 1992 and released his debut st

via Last.fm · Nas

Quotes

  • fake thug no love, get the slugCB4 gusto ur luck low, i didn't know til i was drunk thoyou freak niggaz played out, get fucked and ate outprostitute turned bitch got the gage out96 ways i made outmontanna way, good f-e-l-l-a, verbal AK spray
  • A thug changes, and love changesand best friends become strangers, word up
  • I never brag, how real I keep it, cause it's the best secret.
  • Yo, if this piano's the cake then my words are the candlesLight it up, make a wish, and them angels will grant you
  • (speking) "You hear about, you see about it/ it's in your papers/ it's in your daily news/ (get money!) / New York chronicles, every day/ the crime rate, the murder rate/ the money rate, the paper chase, youknowwhatImean?/ New York State of mind, baby, check it out.
  • You a slave to a page in my rhyme book

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Person.name
Nas
Person.image
Nas (52380600682) (cropped).jpg
Person.caption
Nas at Jiffy Lube Live in 2022
Person.birth_name
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
Person.birth_place
New York City, U.S.
Person.years_active
1989–present
Person.father
Olu Dara
Person.relatives
Jungle (brother)Yara Shahidi (cousin)Sayeed Shahidi (cousin)Tracy Morgan (third cousin)
Person.awards
Full list
Person.signature
Nas sig.svg
Musical artist <! See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians >.embed
yes
Musical artist <! See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians >.origin
Queens, New York City, U.S.
Musical artist <! See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians >.background
solo_singer
Musical artist <! See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians >.past_member_of
The Firm

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Official website
www.nasirjones.com
Image
Nas (52381849239) (cropped).jpg
Show 8 more facts
Commons category
Nas
date of birth
1973-09-14
Commons gallery
Nas
birth name
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
pseudonym
Nasty Nas
start of work period
1989-00-00
name in native language
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
social media followers
1820000
Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~55 min read

Article

44 sections
Contents
  • Early life
  • Career
  • 1989–1994: Early career and ''Illmatic''
  • 1994–1998: Transition to mainstream direction and the Firm
  • 1998–2001: Heightened commercial direction and inconsistent output
  • 2001–2006: Feud with Jay-Z, ''Stillmatic'', ''God's Son'', and double album
  • 2006–2008: ''Hip Hop Is Dead'', Untitled, and politicized efforts
  • 2009–2012: ''Distant Relatives'' and ''Life Is Good''
  • 2013–2019: ''Nasir'' and ''The Lost Tapes 2''
  • 2020–present: Collaborations with Hit-Boy and DJ Premier
  • Artistry
  • Controversies and feuds
  • 2Pac
  • Jay-Z
  • Cam'ron
  • Young Jeezy
  • Lijadu Sisters
  • Bill O'Reilly and Virginia Tech controversy
  • Doja Cat
  • Business ventures
  • Personal life
  • Relationships and family
  • Legal issues
  • Discography
  • Filmography
  • Film
  • Television
  • Music videos
  • Documentary
  • Executive producer
  • Awards and nominations
  • Berlin Music Video Awards
  • Grammy Awards
  • News and Documentary Emmy Awards
  • Sports Emmy Awards
  • MTV Europe Music Awards
  • MTV Video Music Awards
  • BET Awards
  • BET Hip Hop Awards
  • Soul Train Music Awards
  • Teen Choice Awards
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones ( ; born September 14, 1973), known mononymously as Nas ( ), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and record producer. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas", and recorded demos under the wing of fellow East Coast rapper Large Professor. Nas made his recording debut on Professor's group, Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque".

Nas signed with Columbia Records in 1992, and released his debut studio album, Illmatic on April 19, 1994. An inductee of the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry, it has been regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. His second album, It Was Written (1996), debuted atop the Billboard 200 and sold over a quarter-million units in its first week; the album, along with its lead single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill), propelled Nas into mainstream success. Both released in 1999, Nas's third and fourth albums I Am and Nastradamus were criticized as inconsistent and too commercially oriented, with critics and audiences fearing a decline in the quality of his output.

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