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Nas' legacy in the music industry stretches across three decades but the Queensbridge representor has been alive and kicking for nearly as long as Hip-Hop itself.
On September 14, 1973, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He's the son of jazz and blues musician Olu Dara and Fannie Ann, who later relocated the young Nas to the Queensbridge Houses in Queens. By the time he was 16, Nasty Nas was already recording demos with esteemed producer Large Professor. A couple of years later, Nas made his debut on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque." That's when MC Serch connected with him and helped him land a deal at Columbia Records in 1992.
In 1994, Nas released his debut album Illmatic. The 10-track album features production from a slew of talented beatmakers like Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, LES and DJ Premier along with assistance from his father Olu and AZ on "Life's A B***h." Not only was it viewed as the best rap album of the year, but its forever known as one of the most influential projects in Hip-hop history. Each song is considered a classic from "It Ain't Hard To Tell," to "N.Y. State of Mind."
Two years later, Nas followed up with It Was Written. Shortly after his second album's release, Nas' manager Steve Stoute, producers Dr. Dre and Trackmasters recruited Nas to join The Firm with AZ, Foxy Brown and Cormega. The group dropped its debut The Album in 1997, however, they disbanded after two years.
Nas went on to deliver quality street music on albums like I Am... (1999), Nastradamus (1999), Stillmatic (2001), God's Son (2002), Street's Disciple (2004), Hip Hop Is Dead (2006), his Untitled album (2008), Distant Relatives with Damien Marley (2010), and Life Is Good (2012). After 2013, Nas spent a lot of time preparing his 12th studio album. Although it was originally supposed to be a collaborative album with DJ Premier, Nas delivered Nasir, which was his final album on Def Jam, in 2018 with Kanye West as the executive producer.
In recent years, Nas has yet to loosen his grip on the rap game. In 2020, he teamed up with Hit-Boy for his 13th album King's Disease. The 13-track LP features Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Don Toliver, Lil Durk, Anderson .Paak, Fivio Foreign, ASAP Ferg, Brucie B and The Firm. "Full Circle," was the first song Nas, AZ, Cormega and Foxy Brown appeared on together since the group broke up. Dr. Dre also appears on the outro of the song.
Nas' King's Disease album went on to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2021. His chemistry with Hit-Boy was so strong that dropped off the sequel King's Disease 2 and a surprise project Magic all in the same year. He's currently on the road with the Wu-Tang Clan for their N.Y. State of Mind Tour.
Happy birthday Nas!