Suddenly, everyone began talking about Nas.Ĭolumbia signed him to a major-label contract and all of New York's finest producers wanted to work with him. Serch was the soundtrack's executive producer and, like much of New York, had been impressed by "Live at the Barbeque." Nas submitted "Halftime" and the song proved so stunning that Serch made it the soundtrack's lead-off track. A year later, MC Serch of 3rd Bass approached him about contributing a track to the Zebrahead soundtrack. He eventually hooked up with Main Source in 1991 and laid down a verse on the group's song "Live at the Barbeque." The song became a New York favorite thanks to Nas' blazing rhymes and soon everyone began wondering who he was. When he wasn't hustling to survive, he was reading books on African culture, Western civilization, lessons from the Five Percent Nation, scriptures from the Qu'ran, and chapters from the Bible. 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, where he learned "street mathematics" and began emulating rappers like Big Daddy Kane,, and Kool G Rap. For better or worse, Nas was more his own rhetorical construction than a reality, precisely the reason why he was as criticized by his rivals as he was celebrated by his following. After all, Nas often showcased a flair for dramatic overreaching, his ego knowing no limits. Keep in mind, however, that Nas attracted a sizable share of critics as well, many of whom called him out for bluffing. Dre, Trackmasters, Timbaland - and put Queensbridge back on the map. In addition, he worked with countless legendary producers - DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Dr. Over the years, Nas went from being a young street hustler (Nasty Nas) to a boastful gangsta (Nas Escobar) to a self-proclaimed poet/prophet (Nastradamus) to a re-born encapsulation of himself (the "Stillmatic" Nas). Rivals and time challenged his stay at the top of the New York rap scene - one of the more notable challenges being his bout with Jay-Z in the early 2000s - yet Nas soldiered on, continually changing his style and stepping up his game. Nas was part of hip-hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.ĭespite his flair for dramatic overreaching, or perhaps because of it, Nas became New York's favorite rapper in the mid-'90s and remained near the top for over a decade. His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994 by Columbia Records, was critically acclaimed and would go on to be widely hailed a classic in the genre.
The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones was born September 14, 1973), and performs under the name Nas, formerly Nasty Nas.