About

Known credits:
50
Birthday:
1973-09-14
Place of birth:
Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Website:

Nas

Overview

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper and businessman. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.

The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Jones's musical career began in 1989 as he adopted the moniker of "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was a featured artist on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque" (1991), also produced by Large Professor. Nas's debut album Illmatic (1994) received universal acclaim upon release, and is considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time; in 2021, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. His second album It Was Written (1996) debuted atop the Billboard 200 and charted for four consecutive weeks; the album, along with its single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill), catapulted Nas into international success. Both released in 1999, Nas's albums I Am and Nastradamus were criticized as inconsistent and too commercially oriented, and critics and fans feared that his output was declining in quality.

From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with Jay-Z, popularized by the diss track "Ether". It was this feud, along with Nas's albums Stillmatic (2001), God's Son (2002), and the double album Street's Disciple (2004), that helped restore his critical standing. After squashing the feud, Nas signed to Jay-Z's Def Jam Recordings in 2006 and went in a more provocative, politicized direction with the albums Hip Hop Is Dead (2006) and his untitled 9th studio album (2008). In 2010, Nas released Distant Relatives, a collaboration album with Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His 10th studio album, Life Is Good (2012), was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. After receiving thirteen nominations, his 12th studio album, King's Disease (2020), won him his first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards; he then followed it by releasing his 13th studio album, King's Disease II (2021), as the album's sequel. In the same year, his 14th studio album, Magic, was released on Christmas Eve.

In 2012, The Source ranked him second on their list of the "Top 50 Lyricists of All Time". In 2013, Nas was ranked 4th on MTV's "Hottest MCs in the Game" list. About.com ranked him first on their list of the "50 Greatest MCs of All Time" in 2014, and a year later, Nas was featured on the "10 Best Rappers of All Time" list by Billboard. He is also an entrepreneur through his own record label; he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and the co-founder of Mass Appeal Records. Nas has released fourteen studio albums since 1994, ten of which are certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum in the U.S.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Nas, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting

2025 Victory Actor Nas N/A
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2024 TMZ Presents | The Downfall of Diddy 2: The Indictment Actor Self (archive footage) 58
Average
2024 Wu-Tang Clan & Nas: NY State of Mind Tour at Climate Pledge Arena Actor Self N/A
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2023 Amazon Music Live: Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and De La Soul's 'N.Y. State of Mind Tour' Actor Himself 58
Average
2022 Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues Actor Self 59
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2022 B.I.B.L.E. - The Documentary Actor Self N/A
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2021 You're Watching Video Music Box Actor Self 58
Average
2021 Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 Actor Self - Performer 59
Average
2021 Monster Actor Raymond 'Sunset' Green 59
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2020 David Blaine: The Magic Way Actor Self 59
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2018 Nas: Live from the Kennedy Center Actor Himself 59
Average
2017 Word is Bond Actor Self 58
Average
2017 Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G. Actor Self 59
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2016 Alicia Keys - Here in Times Square Actor Self - Singer 59
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2016 Black America since MLK: And still I rise Actor N/A
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2016 Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Actor Nas 63
Fair
2016 The American Epic Sessions Actor Self 59
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2015 The Game: The Documentary 2 Actor Self N/A
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2015 Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives Actor 59
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2015 Fresh Dressed Actor Self 58
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2014 Nas: Time Is Illmatic Actor Self 60
Fair
2013 Black Nativity Actor Street Prophet (Isaiah) 58
Average
2010 One Night in Vegas Actor Self 59
Average
2009 DJ Juice: The King is Back Mixtape Blend DVD Vol. 70 Actor Self (archive footage) 59
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2009 DJ Cinema Presents: Masterpiece Theater Blend Dvd Actor Self (archive footage) 59
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2009 DJ SWB Volume 6 | This Is How We Do Actor Self 59
Average
2006 Jay Z: Live at the Royal Albert Hall Actor Self 59
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2005 The MC: Why We Do It Actor Self 58
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2005 The Notorious B.I.G BET Official presents Actor 59
Average
2004 Murda Muzik Actor N/A
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2004 And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop Actor Self 58
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2003 Uptown Girls Actor Celebrity 65
Fair
2003 Beef Actor Self 59
Average
2003 Nas: Made You Look - God's Son Live Actor Himself N/A
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2002 John Q Actor Nas 68
Fair
2002 Hype Williams: The Videos Vol. 1 Actor 58
Average
2001 Ticker Actor Det. Art 'Fuzzy' Rice 54
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1999 In Too Deep Actor Drug Dealer on Street Corner 59
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1998 Belly Actor Sincere 59
Average
1997 Rhyme & Reason Actor Himself 59
Average
1996 Fugees: Live at New Pop Festival 1996 Actor N/A
N/A
Let God Sort Em Out Actor N/A
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Directing

2021 You're Watching Video Music Box Directing Director 58
Average

Writing

1998 Belly Writing Story 59
Average

Production

2022 Supreme Team Production Executive Producer 69
Fair
2021 Monster Production Executive Producer 59
Average
2018 Nas: Live from the Kennedy Center Production Executive Producer 59
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2014 Shake the Dust Production Executive Producer 58
Average

Sound

2024 Space Dogg Sound Music N/A
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2022 The Park Bench Sound Music Supervisor N/A
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