Nas
Nas performing on BET's 106 & Park in 2006.
Background information
Birth name	Nasir Jones
Also known as	Nasty Nas
Born	September 14, 1973 (1973-09-14) (age 34)
Origin	Queensbridge, New York City, New York, United States
Genre(s)	Hip Hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper, songwriter, record producer, executive producer, actor
Years active	1993 present
Label(s)	Ill Will/Columbia, The Jones Experience/Def Jam,
Associated acts	AZ, Nashawn, Kelis, Nature, Jay-Z, Chrisette Michele, Bravehearts, The Game, Foxy Brown
Website	DefJam

Nasir Jones (born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas, formerly Nasty Nas,^[1] is an American rapper. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Queensbridge Houses is the largest Public housing development in North America. The City of New York New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music The Jones Experience is the Def Jam imprint of Rapper Nas. He launched his imprint in autumn 1999 as The Ill fated Ill Will Records Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper Def Jam Recordings is a United States based hip-hop Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972 in East New York Brooklyn, New York) better known as AZ, is an American Rapper currently Nashawn Jones also known as Millennium Thug is an African-American East Coast Rapper, cousin and Protege of fellow rapper Nas Kelis Rogers-Jones (née Rogers, born August 21, 1979) better known as Kelis (pronounced kuh-LEECE is a Grammy Award-nominated American Jermaine Baxter (born September 15, 1979) better known as Nature, is an American Rapper, best known for his association Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982) known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is a Grammy-nominated American R&B Bravehearts are an East Coast hip-hop group from the Queensbridge Housing projects in New York City. Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29 1979 better known by his Stage name The Game, is an American Rapper. Inga Fung Marchand (born September 6, 1979) better known as Foxy Brown, is an American rapper known for her solo work as well Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. A stage name, also called a screen name, is a Pseudonym used by Performers and Entertainers such as The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas is well known for his 1994 debut album Illmatic. Olu Dara (born Charles Jones III in Natchez Mississippi on 12 January 1941) is an American Cornetist, Guitarist ^[2] This album established Nas as one of hip-hop's most profound lyricists, introducing his signature poetic style. A lyricist is a Writer who specializes in Song Lyrics, usually paid for by a band to write a custom song(s He has since then been regarded as one of hip-hop's greatest MCs [2]. Raised in the notorious Queensbridge housing projects in New York City, he represents a continuation of a hip-hop tradition in Queensbridge that has spanned through early hip-hop, including the Juice Crew, Mobb Deep, and MC Shan. Queensbridge Houses is the largest Public housing development in North America. The City of New York The Juice Crew were a hip-hop collective in the mid to late 1980s founded by producer Marley Marl and housed by the label Cold Chillin' Records Mobb Deep is a hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. Shawn Moltke (born September 9, 1965) is an American rapper who uses the stage name MC Shan.

Early life

Nas, whose given name Nasir means "helper and protector" in Arabic, spent the first years of his life in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City Borough of Brooklyn. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ^[3] His father, Olu Dara was a jazz trumpeter and his mother Fannie Ann Jones was a Postal Service worker. He has one sibling, a brother named Jabari who assumes the alias Jungle. Bravehearts are an East Coast hip-hop group from the Queensbridge Housing projects in New York City. While in Brooklyn, Nas would listen to his father's trumpet in his house's stoop at age four. ^[4] The family soon after moved to the Queensbridge Houses, the largest public housing project in the United States. Queensbridge Houses is the largest Public housing development in North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Olu Dara left the household in 1986, when Nas was 13, and Ann Jones raised her two boys on her own. Nas soon dropped out of school in the eighth grade. ^[5] He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, 120° Lessons, the Bible,^[6] and the Qur'an. The Culture of Africa encompasses and includes all cultures which were ever in the continent of Africa. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran ^[7] He also studied the origin of hip hop music, taping records that played on his local radio station. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Nas interests moved away from playing the trumpet as a child to being a comic book hero artist. ^[8]

Career

Nas had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willy "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. The Jones Experience is the Def Jam imprint of Rapper Nas. He launched his imprint in autumn 1999 as The Ill fated Ill Will Records Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas^[9]. Nas and Graham soon met hip-hop producer and Queens resident Large Professor (William Mitchell), who introduced Nas to his Toronto-based group, Main Source. Large Professor also as Large Pro and Xtra P,(born William Paul Mitchell on March 21, 1972) in Harlem, New York Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Main Source was an innovative acclaimed Toronto and New York -based hip hop group comprised of Toronto natives Sir Scratch K-Cut and Queens In 1991, Nas made his on-record debut with a verse on "Live at the Barbeque", from Main Source's LP Breaking Atoms. Breaking Atoms is the debut album of hip hop group Main Source, released on July 23 1991 through Wild Pitch Records Despite the substantial buzz for Nas in the underground scene, the rapper was rejected by major labels and was not signed to a recording deal. Nas and Graham continued to work together, but their partnership was cut short when Graham was shot and killed by a gunman in Queensbridge on May 23, 1992. Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar)

In mid-1992, Nas was approached by MC Serch of 3rd Bass, who became his manager and secured Nas a record deal with Columbia Records the same year. MC Serch (born Michael Berrin on May 6, 1967) is an American hip hop MC and former member of 3rd Bass. 3rd Bass was an American Hip-hop group that rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was notable for being one of the first successful Interracial Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead and became part of the chang gang productions with Freshy C. Zebrahead is a 1992 Film, directed by Anthony Drazan and starring Michael Rapaport (in his first film role and N'Bushe Wright The single increased the buzz surrounding Nas and when MC Serch's solo album is released later in the year, Nas’ standout appearance on "Back To The Grill" only intensified interest. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim,^[10] his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community. Rakim (pronounced Rah-KIM (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin Jr

1994: Illmatic

In 1994, Nas's debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, receiving a Five Mics award in The Source magazine. The Source is a United States -based monthly full-color Magazine covering Hip-hop music, Politics, and culture, founded in ^[11] Illmatic featured lyrics that portrayed stunning visual imagery. It also featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock (one half of legendary group with C.L. Smooth), Q-Tip (frontman for A Tribe Called Quest), L.E.S. and DJ Premier (one half of Gang Starr) as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara. Large Professor also as Large Pro and Xtra P,(born William Paul Mitchell on March 21, 1972) in Harlem, New York Pete Rock (born Peter Phillips, June 21 1970 in Bronx New York) is an American DJ, Record producer, and Pete Rock & CL Smooth were an influential rap group from Mount Vernon, New York. Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis, April 10, 1970, in Harlem New York) is an American hip-hop emcee, Singer, Actor A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip-hop group formed in 1988 Leshan David Lewis, better known as LES, is a hip hop producer commonly associated with Nas. Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966) better known as DJ Premier is an American Record producer and DJ, and Gangstar redirects here For the video game see Gangstar Crime City. Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972 in East New York Brooklyn, New York) better known as AZ, is an American Rapper currently Aside from Halftime, three moderately popular singles were released in order to promote Illmatic. However, due to widespread bootlegging and a lack of corporate appeal, the album did not do well in terms of record sales.

Following Illmatic, Nas appeared on AZ's Doe or Die album, and collaborated with his Queensbridge associates, Mobb Deep, on their album, The Infamous. Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972 in East New York Brooklyn, New York) better known as AZ, is an American Rapper currently Doe or Die is the debut album by New York emcee AZ. Released in 1995 (see 1995 in music) AZ was introduced to the world on Nas 's Mobb Deep is a hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The Infamous is the second album by Queensbridge hip hop duo Mobb Deep. One notable achievement during this period was Nas verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Corey Woods, known by his stage name Raekwon, is an American East Coast Rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. It earned Nas a Source Quotable, and gave him the distinction (at the time) of being the only non-Wu-Tang Clan member to be featured on one of their songs. The Source is a United States -based monthly full-color Magazine covering Hip-hop music, Politics, and culture, founded in It also continued his "Nas Escobar" persona, in keeping with the Mafia-theme of the album (the alias was introduced on Mobb Deep's "Eye for an Eye" from "The Infamous" album. The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a Sicilian Criminal Secret society which is believed to have first developed in the mid-19th century Mobb Deep is a hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The Infamous is the second album by Queensbridge hip hop duo Mobb Deep.

1996–1998: It Was Written & The Firm

Columbia began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics, such as that of the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again Nas traded manager MC Serch for Steve Stoute, and began preparation for his second LP, It Was Written, consciously working towards a crossover-oriented sound. Steve "The Commissioner" Stoute is an American record executive, most famous for being Rapper Nas 's off-and-on manager It Was Written is the second Studio album by rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 in the United States, Canada It Was Written, chiefly produced by Tone and Poke of Trackmasters, was released during the summer of 1996. It Was Written is the second Studio album by rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 in the United States, Canada The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke (Jean-Claude Olivier and Tone (Samuel Barnes sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, perhaps best known Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Two singles, "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" using the same sample as Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me base track and a remix with R. Kelly were instant hits. " If I Ruled the World (Imagine That " is a 1996 hit hip hop single by Nas featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees. Lauryn Noel Hill is a Grammy Award -winning American Singer, Rapper, Musician, Songwriter, producer, and The Fugees were a critically-acclaimed New Jersey hip hop group that rose to fame in the mid-1990s whose repertoire included elements of soul and Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper All Eyez on Me is the fifth studio album and a Double album by U Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) better known by his Stage name R These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. Harold "Hype" Williams (born 1970 in Queens New York) is an American music video and Film director of African-American Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with It Was Written featured the debut of The Firm, a super group consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and at the time Cormega. Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972 in East New York Brooklyn, New York) better known as AZ, is an American Rapper currently Cory McKay, better known as Cormega, is an American emcee noted for his vivid and poignant narratives about Inner-city life The album also expanded on Nas Escobar persona, who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. ' Scarface' is a 1983 Crime film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana Casino is an Academy Award nominated 1995 Crime drama Film directed by Martin Scorsese. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Tony Montana and the theatrical hit featuring Al Pacino, was more about his life as a teenager in the projects. Antonio "Tony" Montana is a fictional character in the remake of the 1932 film Scarface portrayed by Al Pacino. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning ^[5]

The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and began working on their debut album. Andre Romelle Young (born February 18 1965 primarily known by his stage name Dr There is also another similarly titled record label Aftermath Music, which is based in Norway. Halfway through the production of the album, Cormega was fired from the group by Steve Stoute, who had unsuccessfully attempted to force Cormega to sign a deal with his management company. Cormega therefore became one of Nas most vocal opponents, releasing a number of underground hip hop singles "dissing" Nas, Stoute, and Nature, who was Cormega's replacement in The Firm. Underground Hip-hop, Underground Rap, or Undie (to draw comparison to "indie" or independent rock is an Umbrella term for Hip-hop Jermaine Baxter (born September 15, 1979) better known as Nature, is an American Rapper, best known for his association ^[12]Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and lackluster sales (though still reaching platinum) and the members of the super group went their separate ways.

At about this time, Nas became a spokesperson for the Willie Esco urban clothing line, but had no other connection with the clothing line. He stopped promoting Willie Esco in 2000, dissatisfied with the company's operations. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. During the same period, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly

1999–2000: I Am… to Nastradamus

In 1998, Nas began work on a double album. Harold "Hype" Williams (born 1970 in Queens New York) is an American music video and Film director of African-American Belly is a 1998 movie the feature film debut of Music video director Hype Williams. It was to be entitled I Am…The Autobiography, which he intended as the middle ground between the extremes of Illmatic and It Was Written. It Was Written is the second Studio album by rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 in the United States, Canada The plans were for it to be a double album autobiography of Nas with each track detailing a part of his life. The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, "Nas Is Like. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics " Nas Is Like " is the first single from Nas ' third album I Am " It was produced by DJ Premier and contained vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell. Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966) better known as DJ Premier is an American Record producer and DJ, and " It Ain't Hard to Tell " is Nas ' second single and last track from his debut album Illmatic. " Much of the LP was leaked into MP3 format onto the Internet and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release. MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a Digital audio encoding format using a form of Lossy data compression The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks Those leaked tracks 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," "Wanna Play Rough," "Sometimes I Wonder," and "Daydreamin', Stay Scheming. "

The second single for I Am… was "Hate Me Now," featuring Diddy, which was used as an example by Nas critics of him moving towards commercial themes. " Hate Me Now " is a 1999 hit hip hop single by rapper Nas featuring Puff Daddy. Sean John Combs (born November 4 1969 known by his Stage names Puff Daddy, P Hype Williams shot an allegorical video for the single, which featured Nas and Diddy being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; after the video was completed, Diddy, a Catholic, requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. Harold "Hype" Williams (born 1970 in Queens New York) is an American music video and Film director of African-American Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV, and was premiered on April 15, 1999 on TRL. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Within minutes of the broadcast, a furious Combs and his bodyguards allegedly made their way into Steve Stoute's office and assaulted him, at one point apparently hitting Stoute over the head with a champagne bottle^[13] Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June. Steve "The Commissioner" Stoute is an American record executive, most famous for being Rapper Nas 's off-and-on manager Champagne is a Sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle Secondary fermentation of Wine to effect Carbonation.

Columbia had scheduled to release the pirated material from I Am… under the title Nastradamus during the latter half of 1999, but, at the last minute, Nas decided that he should record an entire new album for the 1999 release of Nastradamus. Nastradamus is Nas ' fourth studio album released under Columbia Records, and his first album to be released under his new imprint Ill Will Records Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Nastradamus is Nas ' fourth studio album released under Columbia Records, and his first album to be released under his new imprint Ill Will Records Nastradamus was therefore rushed to meet a November release date. Though critics were not kind to the album, it did result in a minor hit, "You Owe Me. "You Owe Me" is a 2000 single by Nas featuring Ginuwine, from Nas' fourth studio album Nastradamus. " It was produced by Timbaland and featured R&B singer Ginuwine. Timothy Z Mosley (born March 10, 1971) better known by his Stage name Timbaland, is an American Record producer, Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15 1975 better known by his Stage name Ginuwine, is an American R&B Singer and an occasional The only pirated track from I Am… to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. Ronald Isley (ˈaɪzliː (b May 21 1941, Cincinnati Ohio) is an American pop, rock A number of the other bootlegged tracks later made their way onto The Lost Tapes, a collection of underground Nas songs that was released by Columbia in September 2002. The Lost Tapes is a Compilation album by rapper Nas. Released shortly following his fifth studio album Stillmatic, the See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.

2001: Nas vs. Jay-Z and Stillmatic

For more details on this topic, see Nas vs. Jay-Z feud. The feud between hip hop artists Nas and Jay-Z received public attention beginning in 2001 and ended in 2005.

The highly publicized feud rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z started when Nas failed to show up to a scheduled recording session to record the hook on Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt track, "Dead Presidents. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Reasonable Doubt is the debut album of East Coast Rapper Jay-Z, released June 25 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States "Dead Presidents" is the debut single released in promotion by rapper Jay-Z 's from his debut album Reasonable Doubt. "

Even though it was obvious to most hip hop heads that a rivalry existed between Nas and Jay-Z, the rivalry wasn't made known to the general public until a rivalry between Nas, and Jay-Z's protégé, Memphis Bleek. Malik Thuston Cox, better known by his rap persona of Memphis Bleek, is a New York Rapper currently signed to Roc-A-Fella Records. On his debut album, The Coming of Age, Bleek made a song entitled "Memphis Bleek Is," which was similar in concept to Nas single "Nas Is Like. Coming of Age is the debut album from rap artist Memphis Bleek. " On the same album, Bleek recorded "What You Think Of That," featuring Jay-Z. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella This contains the refrain, "I'ma ball 'til I fall/What you think of that?". In retaliation, "Nastradamus," the title track from Nas second 1999 album, featured the quote, "You wanna ball till you fall, I can help you with that/You want beef? I could let a slug melt in your hat. " Memphis Bleek perceived the reference on "Nastradamus" as an insult, and retaliated against Nas on the lead single for his next album, The Understanding. The Understanding is the second Album by rapper Memphis Bleek. That single, "My Mind Right," stated "And only a few fit in, your lifestyle's written/So who you supposed to be, play your position".

In 2000, QB's Finest was released on Nas Ill Will Records. Nas and Ill Will Records Present QB's Finest is a 2000 collaborative album the second release from Rapper Nas ' new Ill Will Records imprint The Jones Experience is the Def Jam imprint of Rapper Nas. He launched his imprint in autumn 1999 as The Ill fated Ill Will Records QB's Finest is a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge projects, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Capone, the Bravehearts, Tragedy Khadafi, Millennium Thug and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. Queensbridge Houses is the largest Public housing development in North America. Mobb Deep is a hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. Jermaine Baxter (born September 15, 1979) better known as Nature, is an American Rapper, best known for his association Capone-N-Noreaga ( CNN for short is an East Coast Hip Hop duo that consists of Capone (Kiam Holley born February 2 1976) and Bravehearts are an East Coast hip-hop group from the Queensbridge Housing projects in New York City. The Juice Crew Percy Chapman, (born August 18 1971, in Queens New York, USA) known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi Cory McKay, better known as Cormega, is an American emcee noted for his vivid and poignant narratives about Inner-city life The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shanté, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Roxanne Shanté, PhD (born Lolita Shanté Gooden on November 9, 1969) is an American Hip-hop pioneer Shawn Moltke (born September 9, 1965) is an American rapper who uses the stage name MC Shan. Marlon Williams (born 1962 in Queens, New York City) better known as Marley Marl, is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001," which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge. See also Musical groups established in 1986 Record labels established in 1986 Events January "

"Da Bridge 2001" also featured a response from Nas to Memphis Bleek, in which Nas retaliated with "Oh you didn't, wanna know whose life was written/The life I'm livin" and "Jaws is broke, your whole crew is coffin bound/Your ho, your man, lieutenant, your boss get found".

Jay-Z responded to Nas songs with an on stage swipe during the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert in New York City, when he premiered his song "Takeover". WQHT, more commonly known as "Hot 97", is a high-profile Rhythmic Radio station in New York City under the corporate ownership of Summer Jam is the annual hip-hop fest held at Giants Stadium and sponsored by New York based radio station Hot 97FM And also by a Boston based radio station Jam'n 94 The City of New York "Takeover" is an Album track recorded by Jay-Z for his 2001 hip hop album The Blueprint. Initially, the song was to only be a Mobb Deep diss it only included a single line about Nas near the end. Nevertheless, Nas recorded the "Stillmatic Freestyle", an underground single which sampled Eric B. and Rakim's "Paid in Full" beat, and attacked Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label. Eric Barrier ( Eric B) and William Barrier Griffin Jr ( Rakim) were a hip-hop duo known as Eric B Rakim (pronounced Rah-KIM (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin Jr Paid in Full is the debut album by hip hop duo Eric B & Rakim, released on July 7 1987 through 4th & B'way Records. On his 2001 album, The Blueprint, Jay-Z added a third verse to "Takeover" dissing Nas, claiming that he had ". See also 2001 in music (UK Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels The Blueprint is the sixth Studio album by Rapper Jay-Z. It was released on September 11 2001 (a week earlier than planned Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella . . one hot album every ten year average" record (referring to Illmatic), that his flow was weak, and that he had fabricated his past as a hustler.

Nas responded with Ether, which begins with gunshots and a repeated, slowed-down sample from "Fuck Friendz" of Tupac Shakur rapping "Fuck Jay-Z. " Ether " also known as " Ether (Fuck Jay-Z "is the 2nd track on hip hop artist Nas ' 2001 album Stillmatic Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16 1971 &mdash September 13 1996 also known by his Stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper " In "Ether," Nas accuses Jay-Z of stealing ("biting") lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G., getting the name "Blueprint" from a previous KRS-One album of the same name, and brown-nosing Nas and other rappers for fame. Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969 better known as Jay-Z, is an American Rapper and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again Lawrence Krishna Parker (born August 20 1965) better known by his stage name KRS-One, is an American Rapper. Ghetto Music The Blueprint of Hip Hop is the third album from Boogie Down Productions. Nas also claimed that all of Jay-Z's raps on The Blueprint were inferior to the one guest verse on the album (Eminem's on "Renegade"): Eminem murdered you on your own shit. Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17 1972 known as Slim Shady and his primary Stage name Eminem, is an Academy Award -winning Ether was included on Nas fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. Stillmatic is the fifth Studio album by East Coast rapper Nas. Stillmatic managed to be not only a critically-acclaimed comeback album, but a commercial success as well, albeit not on the level of It Was Written and I Am…, the album debuted at #7 on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry " One Mic " is a single by rapper Nas, and the third to be released from his fifth album Stillmatic. "

Jay-Z responded to Ether with a song entitled "Supa Ugly," going into detail about how he had sex with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas daughter Destiny. This wasn't the first time Jay-Z alluded to his relationship with Nas daughter's mother in the song "Is That Your Chick" the lost verses addition was said to be all about Jay-Z, Carmen and Nas. Nas dismissed the track by claiming that he was no longer with Bryan during the time the affair took place. ^[14] In a recent interview, however, New York radio station Hot 97 settled the battle taking votes comparing "Ether"/"Stillmatic" and "Takeover"/"Supa Ugly," and Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. ^[15][16]

Jay-Z also responded to Nas on Jay-Z's 2002 album, The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse on the track named "Blueprint 2. The Blueprint² The Gift & The Curse is Rapper Jay-Z 's seventh studio album released in 2002 " On that track, Jay-Z says that no matter what happened in the battle, he's never been phony and that Nas is hypocritical for recording songs like 'Black Girl Lost" and then turning around and taking advantage of those same lost black girls on tracks like 'You Owe Me'. Jay-Z also claims that he single handedly revitalized Nas career by dissing him in the first place.

Nas spoke about the battle once more on the track "Last Real Nigga Alive" from the album God's Son. God's Son is the sixth Studio album by Hip hop artist Nasir Jones better known by his stage name Nas. On this track Nas breaks down how the battle went down. He raps about coming up in the game with fellow artists like the Wu-Tang Clan, The Notorious B.I.G. and others. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21 1972 – March 9 1997 popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a Gangster in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again Nas raps how Jay-Z came in the mix with this line: "Jigga started to flow like us, but hit with 'Ain't No Niggas'", how Jay-Z tried to attack when Nas and his mother went through a difficult time: "I gave it all up so I can chill at home with mama/She was getting old and sick so I stayed beside her/We had the best times, she asked would I make more songs/I told her not till I see her health get more strong/In the middle of that, Jay tried to sneak attack/Assassinate my character, degrade my hood/Cause in order for him to be the Don, Nas had to go". And on the track Nas had claimed victory, "I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo/It hurt me when I had to kill him and his whole squad for dolo".

By October 2005, the two rappers had eventually ended their feud without violence or animosity. During Jay-Z's I Declare War - Power House concert, Jay-Z announced to the crowd, "It's bigger than 'I Declare War'. Let's go, Esco!" Nas then joined Jay-Z onstage, and the two then performed "Dead Presidents" together, which Jay-Z had sampled from Nas song "The World Is Yours". " The World Is Yours " is the third single from rapper Nas ' debut album Illmatic, released a month after the album The two also collaborated on a song called, "Black Republican" which can be found on Nas most recent album, Hip Hop Is Dead. ^[17]

2002–2005: From God's Son to Street's Disciple

Nas performing in 2004.

In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album including its lead single, "Made You Look" which utilized a pitched down sample of the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache". God's Son is the sixth Studio album by Hip hop artist Nasir Jones better known by his stage name Nas. The Incredible Bongo Band, also known as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, was a project started in 1972 by Michael Viner, a record artist manager and executive The album peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts despite widespread internet bootlegging. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop Albums based on sales compiled by ^[18] Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe gave it four stars and The Source gave it four mics. Vibe is a Magazine, launched 1993 by founder Quincy Jones and funded by Time Inc The Source is a United States -based monthly full-color Magazine covering Hip-hop music, Politics, and culture, founded in The second single, "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Für Elise", became Nas biggest hit to date during the spring and summer of 2003, garnering substantial radio airplay on urban, rhythmic, and top 40 radio stations, as well as on the MTV and VH1 music video networks. " I Can " is the second single from the Nas album God's Son. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. " Für Elise " ( German for " For Elise " is the popular name of the bagatelle in A minor WoO 59 marked poco moto Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music Radio format that The Top Forty or Top 40 is a music industry shorthand for the currently most-popular songs in a particular genre. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas mother, who died of cancer in 2002, including "Dance". Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from Korn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP. Korn, occasionally typeset as KoЯn or KoRn, is an American Nu metal band from Bakersfield California, and is often credited with popularizing Take a Look in the Mirror is the sixth album by the band Korn. Also in 2003, a live performance in New York City, featuring Ludacris, Jadakiss, and Darryl McDaniels (of Run-D.M.C. fame), was released on DVD as Made You Look: God's Son Live. Jayson Tyrone Phillips (born May 27 1975) also known by his Stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper. Darryl "DMC" Matthews McDaniels (born May 31, 1964) is an American musician Run-DMC was a pioneering hip hop group during the 1980s founded by Joseph "[The Reverend] Run" Simmons, Darryl "D

Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. A double album is an audio Album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold (especially records and Compact Discs. Street's Disciple is a double Album by Rapper Nas that was released on November 30, 2004 by Columbia Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The album's first singles were "Thief's Theme" and "Bridging the Gap", which features his father Olu Dara on vocals. The album also includes "These Are Our Heroes", which accuses prominent sports stars and actors such as Kobe Bryant and O. J. Simpson of not setting good examples for the kids that look up to them and neglecting their heritage and background in favour of white values. Kobe Bean Bryant (born) is an American All-Star Shooting guard Orenthal James "O J" Simpson (born July 9 1947 who has also been called The Juice, is a retired American football player, The videos for "Bridging the Gap" and "Just A Moment" received moderate airplay on MTV and BET. Although the album went platinum, its commercial profile was relatively low compared to the rapper's previous releases. ^[5]

Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. Late Registration is the critically acclaimed second studio album by Chicago hip hop artist Kanye West. West said the song was Jay-Z's favorite on the album, but West was unable to get Jay-Z to record a vocal for the final mix of the song. He also appeared on Damian Marley's song "Road to Zion" and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill). Damian Robert Nesta "Junior Gong" Marley (born July 21, 1978) is a three time Grammy -winning Reggae artist and is the second " Road to Zion " was the 2nd US single to be taken from Damian Marley 's Welcome to Jamrock, while " The Master Has Come Back In addition, Nas married R&B singer Kelis on January 8, 2005 in Atlanta, Georgia, after a two-year engagement. Kelis Rogers-Jones (née Rogers, born August 21, 1979) better known as Kelis (pronounced kuh-LEECE is a Grammy Award-nominated American Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

At a free concert in Central Park, New York, Nas made a statement regarding the quality of 50 Cent's music; "this is the real shit, not that 50 Cent shit!"^[19] 50 Cent responded on his single "Piggy Bank" by speaking negatively about Nas’ wife, Kelis; implying that she was promiscuous and calling Nas a "sucker for love. " Nas eventually decided to retaliate, and in July 2005 released "MC Burial (Don't Body Ya Self)", a song which taunts 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew, stating that 50 was "a sucka for death if I'm a sucka for love. G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City. " and "They say Jada defeated him, Joe too street for him/What's next? I guess it's for Nas to ether him" also, "Niggas don't want beef, they vegetarian/Scared of pussy, you climbed out of cesarean/I'll push your grown ass back in your mother's womb". However, despite all of this, Nas still claims to "have a lot of love towards 50", claiming 50 didn't understand his moves when they both were together at Columbia Records.

After rap duo Mobb Deep signed to G-Unit, they decided to diss Nas since G-Unit had beef with Nas. Mobb Deep is a hip hop duo that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. They released a diss song targeting Nas and the Bravehearts sometime in 2005 titled "It's That. . . "^[20]

2006: Hip Hop Is Dead

Nas performing in Ottawa, 2007. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality.

In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Def Jam, emphasizing collaboration over competition with former rival Jay-Z. Def Jam Recordings is a United States based hip-hop Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island ^[5] Nas original title for his next album was Hip Hop Is Dead. . . The N^[21] (shortened to Hip Hop Is Dead), though the UK release features a bonus track at the end called "The N. " The album featured production from will.i.am, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, and NBA All Star Chris Webber, as well as longtime Nas collaborators L.E.S. and Salaam Remi. William James Adams Jr (born March 15, 1975 in Los Angeles California, USA) better known by his Stage name will Kanye Omari West (ˈkɑnjɛj born June 8 1977 is a ten-time Grammy Award -winning American Rapper, Record producer and Singer. Andre Romelle Young (born February 18 1965 primarily known by his stage name Dr Scott Storch (born December 16 1973) is a Canadian Record producer. Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) better known as Chris Webber and nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired Leshan David Lewis, better known as LES, is a hip hop producer commonly associated with Nas. Salaam Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player known for his association with Nas and his Reggae A street single named "Where Y'all At" was released in June 2006. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. It was produced by Salaam Remi^[22], and contained a sample from Nas "Made You Look,"^[23] but it did not make the final cut for Hip Hop Is Dead. In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording " Made You Look " was the first single from Nas ' 2002 album God's Son. ^[24]

The title record and first single was produced by will. i. am, and contains the same melodic sample ("In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida") as Nas' 2004 single "Thief's Theme. " Thief's Theme " is a single from Nas' double album Street's Disciple. " The album debuted on Def Jam and Nas new imprint at that label, The Jones Experience, at number one on the Billboard 200 charts, selling 355,000 copies—Nas's third number one album, along with It Was Written and I Am…. The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard ^[25] A music video for "Can't Forget About You" premiered on February 5, 2007, the song featuring Chrisette Michele and sampling Nat King Cole's song "Unforgettable". " Can't Forget About You " is the second and final single from Nas ' 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead, released on January 23 Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982) known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is a Grammy-nominated American R&B Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17 1919 &ndash February 15 1965 known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician "Unforgettable" is a popular Song written by Irving Gordon. ^[26] Another video, Hustlers, featuring The Game, would follow. Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29 1979 better known by his Stage name The Game, is an American Rapper. ^[27] Also, Nas has stated in an interview with MTV that a video for "Black Republican" featuring Jay-Z is also underway. A reality series on MTV entitled Me and Mrs. Reality television is a genre of Television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations documents actual events and usually features ordinary MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. Jones will feature the lives of Nas and Kelis, with Vibe magazine has reported that the show will premiere in 2008. Vibe is a Magazine, launched 1993 by founder Quincy Jones and funded by Time Inc ^[28]

The title of the album generated controversy, as many fans and artists (particularly those of Southern origin) began to debate over the actual state of rap music's vitality. The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive With this album Nas became an unofficial leader of the "Hip Hop Is Dead" movement. Ghostface Killah, on his album Fishscale seemed to agree with Nas and cited Southern crunk and snap music as the primary reasons for why hip-hop was "dead". Dennis Coles, better known by his Stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. This article is about an album entitled fishscale Information on the scales of a fish can be found at fish scale. Crunk is a type of music which originated from Southern hip-hop and EDM in the late 1980s early 1990s. Snap music is a type of music that emerged from Atlanta Georgia. Many Southern acts, such as rappers Big Boi from Outkast, Lil Boosie, Young Jeezy, Dem Franchize Boyz, and D4L took offense to the title, taking it to be directed at their region in particular. Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975 in Savannah Georgia) better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American Outkast (typeset as OutKast) is a Grammy Award -winning American hip hop duo based out of East Point Georgia, a city Torrence Hatch (born November 14, 1983) known by his Stage name Lil Boosie, is an American rapper from Baton Rouge Louisiana Jay Jenkins (born October 12 1977 better known by his Stage name Young Jeezy, is an American Rapper. Dem Franchize Boyz is a hip hop group from Atlanta signed to So So Def Recordings. D4L is an American Rap group best known for their song " Laffy Taffy. ^[29].

Nas worked on a song called "Shine On 'Em" for the film Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, which opened in US theaters on December 8, 2006. Blood Diamond is an Academy Award nominated 2006 adventure Drama film co-produced and directed by Edward Zwick and Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11 1974 is a three-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning American film actor. Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964) is a two-time Academy Award -nominated Beninois Actor. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1609 - Biblioteca Ambrosiana opens its reading room the second public library of Europe. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. His song "Thief's Theme" was featured in one of the scenes in the Academy Award-winning movie The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese. " Thief's Theme " is a single from Nas' double album Street's Disciple. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Departed is a 2006 crime thriller Film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, ^[30]

2007: Bill O'Reilly/Virginia Tech controversy and Greatest Hits

Nas performed at a free concert for the Virginia Tech student body and faculty on September 6, 2007. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech, is a public land grant polytechnic University in Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Nas was joined by John Mayer, Phil Vassar, and Dave Matthews Band. John Clayton Mayer (; born October 16 1977 is an American musician Phil Vassar (born May 28 1962 in Lynchburg Virginia) is an American Country music artist Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is a United States -based rock band originally formed in Charlottesville, Virginia ^[31] When announced that Nas was to perform, Bill O'Reilly and Fox News Channel denounced the concert and called for the removal of the rapper citing "violent" lyrics on songs including "Shoot 'Em Up", "Got Urself A. William James O'Reilly Jr (born September 10 1949 is an American television / radio host, Author, Syndicated columnist, and . . ", and "Made You Look". During his Talking Points Memo segment for August 15, 2007, an argument erupted in which O'Reilly claimed that it was not only Nas's lyrical content that made him inappropriate for the event, but claimed repeatedly that Nas also had a "gun conviction" on his criminal record. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history generally used by potential employers lenders etc ^[32] . In the midst of his debate with author Bakari Kitwana ("The Hip Hop Generation"), who defended Nas, claiming that Fox News had "cherry picked" select fragments of the songs to make their case, O'Reilly shouted, "Even in his personal life, man, he's got a conviction for weapons, all right? He's got a weapons conviction, sir! On his sheet! This is a school that had a mass murderer with a pistol gunning down people—this guy has got-a-a-conviction for weapons, and you say he's appropriate? Come on!" O'Reilly repeated the claim another four times before cutting the segment short. Cherry picking may also refer to the process of Collecting erroneous Coins Cherry picking is the act of pointing at individual cases or ^[33]

On September 6, 2007, during his set at "A Concert for Virginia Tech," Nas twice referred to Bill O'Reilly as "a chump", prompting a few members of the crowd to cheer in agreement. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. However, during his performance, several students also boycotted by sitting or leaving the stadium area. About two weeks later, Nas was interviewed by Shaheem Reid of MTV News, where he criticized O'Reilly, calling him uncivilized and willing to go to extremes for publicity. ^[34]

Responding to O'Reilly, Nas in an interview with MTV News said:^[35]

He doesn't understand the younger generation. MTV News is the news division of MTV, the first and most popular Music Television network in the U He deals with the past. The people he represents are Republican, older, a generation that has nothing to do with the reality of what's happening now with my generation. . . . He's not really on my radar. People like him are supposed to be taught and people like me are supposed to let niggas like him know. I don't take him serious. His shit is all about getting ratings or whatever. I wouldn't honor anything Bill O'Reilly has to say. It just shows you what bloodsuckers do: They abuse something like the Virginia Tech [tragedy] for show ratings. You can't talk to a person like that.

Nas' former label, Columbia Records, released his Greatest Hits album in November. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Rapper Nas released through Columbia Records on November 6 2007. This compilation features 14 songs: 12 from his seven first studio LPs under the label and two newly recorded songs. One of the new tracks, "Less Than an Hour," features Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley. Goodie Mob is a hip hop act based in Atlanta Georgia. Members Cee-Lo ( Thomas Callaway) Khujo ( Willie Knighton Jr Gnarls Barkley is an American musical collaboration between Multi-instrumentalist and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton from New The track is a new take on the theme of the hugely successful Rush Hour film trilogy starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, and will appear on the upcoming Rush Hour 3 soundtrack as well. Christopher "Chris" Tucker (born August 31, 1972) is an American Actor and Comedian most widely known for his roles Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE (born Chan Kong Sang, 陳港生 on 7 April 1954 is an Actor, action choreographer, Film director Rush Hour 3 is a 2007 martial arts / action - comedy Film, and the third installment in the Rush Hour ^[36] The other new track, "Surviving the Times," contains biographical lyrics about Nas' career and features production by Chris Webber. Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) better known as Chris Webber and nicknamed C-Webb, is a retired

2008: Untitled

Main article: Untitled (Nas album)

On May 24, 2008 at a Toronto Concert Nas anounced that his new album will be released July 1, 2008. On May 19, 2008, it was confirmed that Nas changed the name of the album and it would no longer be Nigger . Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[37] The album was originally scheduled for a February release. The Nigger album will be Nas' second album with Def Jam, in conjunction with his own imprint, The Jones Experience. In response to the former album's title, Nigger, many of the most famous names in the entertainment industry have expressed a sense of trust in Nas using the controversial term for his next full-length LP.

Reverend Jesse Jackson criticized him, saying:

The title using the 'N' word is morally offensive and socially distasteful. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr (born October 8 1941 is an American Civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Nas has the right to degrade and denigrate in the name of free speech, but there is no honor in it. Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation. Radio and television stations have no obligation to play it and self-respecting people have no obligation to buy it. Many wish he would use his talents to lift up and inspire, not degrade. ^[38]

Def Jam was rumored to be considering dropping Nas if he doesn't switch the title of his upcoming album but later went on to deny this. ^[39]

During an interview at the 50th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2008, while promoting his new album, Nas was asked which candidate he would be supporting in the upcoming presidential election. The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10 2008 starting at 8PM EST. Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Nas responded, "Whoever can abolish this thing that doesn't allow black people to vote after twenty three years. "^[40] Bloggers and other fans speculated that Nas was referring to the expiration of the temporary provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965^[41] and various internet urban legends surrounding their expiration. Background See also [[Disfranchisement after the Civil War]] The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865 after the Civil War, abolished and prohibited These rumors have been previously dispelled by groups such as the NAACP. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is one of the oldest and most influential Civil rights organizations

A track titled "Be a Nigger Too" was leaked to the internet on April 21, 2008. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[42]

On June 5 2008, Nas released a track titled "Black President", in which he addressed Barack Obama and various issues surrounding his campaign, as well as the artist's own cynicism over the whole process. ^[43] This song would be on the "Nigger Mixtape", with Nas and DJ Green Lantern. On May 19, 2008 a new song leaked titled "N. I. G. G. E. R. "^[44]

On the 6th of June the official single off of Nas' Ninth Studio Album titled 'Hero' was released the song features R&B singer Keri Hilson and is produced by Polow Da Don. On June 10, 2008 Nas has called the album Untitled. ^[45]

Filmography

Discography

Main article: Nas discography

Studio albums

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

References

External links

• Official site
• Nas at MySpace
• Nas at the Internet Movie Database