Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones

Nas
Nas performing in Paris in 2014.
Background information
Birth name	Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones
Also known as	Nasty Nas, Nas Escobar
Born	(1973-09-14) September 14, 1973 (age 44) Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Origin	Queensbridge, Queens, New York City, New York
Genres	Hip hop East Coast hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter record producer actor entrepreneur investor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Columbia (1994-2007) Def Jam (2006-Present) Mass Appeal (2014-Present) Sony Ill Will (1999-2008) Aftermath (1996-1998) Interscope (1996-1998)
Associated acts	AZ Bravehearts Damian "Jr Gong" Marley DJ Khaled DJ Premier The Firm The Game Kelis Mary J. Blige Mobb Deep Pete Rock will.i.am
Website	nasirjones.com

Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones (/nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas (/nɑːz/), is an American hip hop recording artist, rapper, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. The son of Olu Dara, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He is also an entrepreneur through his own record label; he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and is the owner of a Fila sneaker store. He is currently signed to Mass Appeal.

His musical career began in 1991, as a featured artist on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque". His debut album Illmatic (1994) received universal acclaim from both critics and the Hip-Hop community and is frequently ranked as the greatest Hip Hop album of all time. Nas's follow-up It Was Written debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, stayed on top for 4 consecutive weeks, went Double Platinum in 2 months, and made Nas internationally known. From 2001-2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with Jay-Z. Nas signed to Def Jam in 2006. In 2010, he released Distant Relatives, a collaboration album with Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His 11th studio album, Life Is Good (2012) was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.