Nas | |
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Nas performing in Paris in 2014.
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Background information | |
Birth name | Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones |
Also known as | Nasty Nas, Nas Escobar |
Born |
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York |
September 14, 1973
Origin | Queensbridge, Queens, New York |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, entrepreneur |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1991 - present |
Labels | Columbia, Def Jam, Mass Appeal |
Associated acts | |
Website | nasirjones |
Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones (/nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas /ˈnɑːz/, is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. The son of jazz musician 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 Records.
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 No. 1 on the Billboard 200, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, went double platinum in two months, and made Nas internationally known. From 2001-2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicised feud with fellow New York rapper Jay-Z. Nas signed to Def Jam in 2006. In 2010, he released Distant Relatives, a collaboration album with reggae musician Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His eleventh studio album, Life Is Good (2012) was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.