Nas ( September 14th 1973 in Queens , New York as Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones) is an American rap musician. His career started in Queensbridge , a social focal point in New York, which has a high crime rate. Illmatic , his debut album in 1994 and is now regarded as a milestone in the hip-hop scene.

In the years Illmatic Nas had often criticized for its commercial success to plug. After the album Stillmatic was released in 2001, he was again seen as credible. Nas is part of the Lyricists and sees himself as a modern poet . Nas is both an abbreviation of his given name Nasir and for “N IgGa A gainst S ociety” and “N ot A ll S urrender. He is, on account of his political thinking, and his achievements for the hip-hop’s most important contemporary rappers.

Childhood and early career (1973-1992)
Nas His parents gave him the name of Nasir, which in Arabic translated as “the helper and protector” means Sun Jones family spent the first five years after Nas’ birth in the Crown Heights, a neighborhood in Brooklyn. His father, Olu Dara was jazz musician and his mother, Ann Jones was post -civil servant. Nas has a younger brother named Jabari, nicknamed ” Jungle got “, because in the Congo came to the world. A short time later the family moved into a residential block to Queensbridge to. Olu Dara left his wife in 1986 when Nas was 13 years old. Ann Jones pulled the two sons of that time alone great. Shortly after the separation of his parents, he immersed more in the African culture and wrote stories about it. Nas broke an eighth-grade from the school and began to sell drugs on the street. He learned self-taught on Africa and its civilization, the Koran , the Bible and the Five Percent Nation . He also dealt with the origin of rap music and listened to New York hip-hop radio stations.

From that time rap stars such as Rakim and Kool G Rap inspired, he developed a desire for a career as a rapper. He received his neighbor and best friend Willie Ill Will Graham to his DJ . Nas was at first known by the nickname Kid Wave before he eventually renamed Nasty Nas. Nas and Graham soon met the producer and Queens resident Large Professor , the two boys with his group Main Source made known. In 1991 he got the chance, the Main Source album Breaking Atoms, and could participate in some guest verses for the song Live at the Barbeque as rap. Despite the enthusiasm present in the immediate environment was Nas from all major labels rejected and did not get a record deal. Nas and his partners began working together again, but it was not permanent, as Graham on 23 May 1992 in Queensbridge, was shot in the street by a stranger.

The recording and release of Illmatic (1992-1995)
Middle of 1992, Nas met MC Serch of 3rd Bass know who his manager and he was in the same year on Columbia Records was able to procure a record deal yet. Nas made his solo debut with the single half-time to the soundtrack of the film Zebrahead. Nas rose in his performance and he got another appearance in the song Back To The Grill by MC Serch solo album, which is the interest for Nas upcoming album greatly increased. Nas’ talent in dealing with words and rhymes impressed the entire Hip-Hop community in New York and the surrounding area.

In 1994 it was ready – Illmatic was released. The album is now regarded as a milestone and the criticism came from those days, also mainly positive. By many it was masterpiece or even “Blue Print” considered, so the example pattern rapper is meant for others. Illmatic includes texts that reflect the stunning images, as in the form never before has this been her. At the controls were only the best producers of the time, these include Large Professor , Q-Tip , Pete Rock , DJ Premier and LES , a longtime friend and companion. There were only two guests on the album on, in the song Life’s a Bitch, on Nas’ friend AZ the first part takes over, and his father Olu Dara, who plays the trumpet plays a few. Besides Halftime Illmatic appeared three more single releases. Due to the small commercial market Illmatic was initially not a blockbuster, but for over a million records sold later decorated with platinum.

After Illmatic Nas retaliated for AZ, calling him on his debut album, Doe or the support. He started well, with other rappers to make contact first and worked with the rap duo Mobb Deep on The Infamous and Raekwon’s album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … together. Nas was the first MC out of the Wu-Tang Clan , which is a member of a clan album rapped on. All three projects in which Nas and 1995 involved was 1994, including his own work, received from The Source five mics, the highest award for albums, which are in the rap music, and to this day a total of only 43 time was given. The guest appearance on Raekwon’s debut was the launch of its “Escobar” phase, in which he himself as a mafioso and presented to the Colombian drug baron and multi-billionaire Pablo Escobar named.

From It Was Written (1996-1998) of The Firm
Columbia Records called on to Nas, from now on to make music that more profit could be achieved on the market, such as The Notorious BIG , who was successful because by publishing singles that are still suitable for the charts were . Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute his one and started getting ready for his second album It Was Written , which is not aware of mixed style was applied. The album was mainly by the Trackmasters production and publication took place in the summer of 1996. The two singles If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) by Lauryn Hill of The Fugees and Street Dreams, a remix with R. Kelly was immediately hits. For the songs was a large budget available and the corresponding video clips were from Hype Williams shot.

The album Nas is reflected in his role Escobar resist as where he lives like one as Scarface , leads with cigars , beautiful women and lots of casino visits. Illmatic, however, is often the time of Nas in the housing projects as a teenager in connection do and Scarface compared with the period when he was a dishwasher and not a drug lord yet. It Was Written was also the birth of The Firm , a group consisting of Nas, Foxy Brown , AZ, and Cormega .

The Firm was from Dr. Dre’s label Aftermath Entertainment , markets and work on the upcoming album took its course. During the production Cormega was thrown from the crew of Steve Stoute and Nature replaced, as Cormega no record deal was. Queensbridge colleague accused Cormega Nas for not having intervened and counted from that date to his main opponents. There followed a veritable Diss wave of pages Cormegas where Nas, Steve Stoute, and Nature, were attacked. After The Firm: The Album was released in 1997, and October in the sales figures achieved poor, were all members of separate ways, concentrating on their solo careers. 1998 Nas played in Hype Williams movie Belly, the main role, in which among others, DMX , Method Man and T-Boz of TLC represented. In the same period, Nas signed a promotional contract with the fashion brand, Willie Esco , the 2000 year was disbanded because Nas with the terms and conditions no more approve of.

I Am From … to Nastradamus (1998-2000)
1998 Nas started work on a double album that has the name I Am … The Autobiography will bear. It was intended to reunite the two characters from his previous albums from true-Street-Hop and the latest club bangers with each other. In early 1999 work was completed for the album and a video clip of DJ Premier-produced single Nas Is Like was also filmed. A large part of the tracks from I Am … were illegally file sharing web service, and what his manager decided Nas, substitute as individual singles record and publish these songs. the attributes common Songs include Amongst Kings, Blaze A 50, Drunk By Myself, Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive, U Gotta Love It, Find Ya Wealth, Project, Windows, fetus, Want to Play Rough, Sometimes I Wonder, Daydreamin and Stay Scheming.

The album contained a jam-packed guest list with Aaliyah , Scarface , and DMX, to name a few artists. The second official single for I Am … with was Hate Me Now Puff Daddy selected. Nas in the song credited to all those starting with that accuse him of having lost his credibility, and he is in the associated music video symbolically, similar to Jesus Christ crucified. After the video shoot Diddy demanded for unknown reasons, removed his scene during the crucifixion. Ultimately, the video clip but uncut on MTV and aired on 15 April 1999 TRL awards. According to Sean Combs headlines to upset a few bodyguards stormed his office in Steve Stout to it with a champagne bottle have beaten on the head. Nas’ manager Stoute Combs sued for damages , but the matter could be resolved in June, but out of court.

Columbia Records and Nas have agreed to, by I Am … as a separate album under the name The Lost Tapes until 2002 to release the pirated copies. Within months, it still managed to Nas, a completely new album, Nastradamus record, in November 1999 in the trade came. The only hit of Nastradamus was that of Timbaland produced song You Owe Me in collaboration with R & B singer Ginuwine . Of the original double album managed only Project Windows with Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers on Nastradamus. The album reached only low sales figures and was bombarded with negative criticism.

Studio Albums

• 1994: Illmatic
• 1996: It Was Written
• 1999: I Am Nastradamus
• 2001:Stillmatic
• 2002:God’s Son
• 2004:Street’s Disciple
• 2006: Hip Hop Is Dead
• 2008:Untitled