Nas

An American rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur, born on September 14, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York, to jazz musician Olu Dara and postal worker Fannie Ann. Raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, he developed an interest in hip-hop influenced by his neighbor Willie "Ill Will" Graham. Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas," recording demos with producer Large Professor. He made his debut appearance on Main Source's 1991 track "Live at the Barbeque." In 1994, he released his debut album "Illmatic," which received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Over the years, Nas released several successful albums, including "It Was Written" (1996), "Stillmatic" (2001), "God's Son" (2002), "Street's Disciple" (2004), "Hip Hop Is Dead" (2006), "Untitled" (2008), "Life Is Good" (2012), "Nasir" (2018), and the "King's Disease" series, with the first installment winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2021. In 2023, Nas released "Magic 3," concluding his collaboration with producer Hit-Boy. Beyond his music career, Nas is actively involved in business, investing in various startups and companies, including the Mass Appeal publishing house and the cloud-based audio mastering service LANDR. He also co-owns several technology and media companies. Nas continues to tour and release new music, maintaining his influential status in the hip-hop world.