Nas

Name: Nas (Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones)
Date of Birth: September 14, 1973
City: Queensbridge, Queens, New York
Country: United States
Genre: Hip-Hop, East Coast Rap
Band/Group Members: Solo artist
Roles: Rapper, songwriter, producer

Bio:
Growing up in the shadow of Queensbridge Houses, where the air hummed with jazz from his dad's trumpet and the streets whispered stories of survival, Nas turned those echoes into verses that cut like glass. Born to Olu Dara, a Mississippi-rooted cornet player, and Fannie Ann Jones, a postal worker from North Carolina, he soaked up blues and soul alongside the raw pulse of New York hip-hop, emerging as Nasir Jones with a voice that painted poverty's grit and dreams' quiet fire. His 1994 debut Illmatic landed like a revelation, tracks like "N.Y. State of Mind" mapping the project's maze with poetic precision, produced by legends like DJ Premier and Large Professor—raw beats that feel like walking home at dusk, heart pounding.

That album didn't just drop; it reshaped the game, earning platinum status and a spot as hip-hop's holy grail, while Nas navigated feuds—like the epic clash with Jay-Z that birthed "Ether"—and collaborations that bridged worlds, from Damian Marley's roots-reggae fusion on Distant Relatives to nods with Lauryn Hill and DJ Khaled. Hits like "The World Is Yours" or "One Mic" carry that weight of resilience, lyrics unpacking identity's tangle in a city that chews up hope. Now, at 52, with over 15 million records moved and ventures like his Mass Appeal label keeping the culture alive, Nas just wrapped a Mumbai show in April, linking with Indian rappers like Divine amid Illmatic's 30th anniversary glow. His words still hit that spot where street wisdom meets soul-searching, a reminder that in the noise, real stories endure. If life's got you reflecting on the paths not taken, cue him up—he'll walk you through it with grace.