Illmatic was a critically acclaimed bestseller and is widely considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time. He married R&B singer Kelis in 2005, they have one son together, and she filed for divorce on the 29th of April 2009. Nas was also a part of hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.
In the years following the release of Illmatic, Nas pursued a more commercial direction, which resulted in wider success but decreased artistic credibility among critics and hip-hop purists. Furthermore, Nas' increased commercial success was accompanied by stylistic changes that fostered accusations of "selling out". Nevertheless, the LP Stillmatic is often credited for restoring Nas' credibility among fans. Since the success of Stillmatic, Nas continues to maintain a high profile within the hip hop community, and has pursued a decidedly progressive and personal aesthetic. While Nas' current artistic direction differs greatly from his most successful work, it has ensured that he remains one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary rappers.
1973–1992: Childhood and early career
Nas was born in Brooklyn, New York, as the elder of Olu Dara and Fannie Ann Jones's two children; his brother Jabari (nicknamed "Jungle" because he was born in the Congo) is the younger of the two. The family lived for a time in Brooklyn, before moving to Queensbridge, the largest public housing project in the United States. Olu Dara left the household in 1986, when Nas was 13, and Ann Jones raised her two boys on her own. Nas dropped out of school in the eighth grade and began selling drugs on the streets of New York. He educated himself, reading about African culture and civilization, the Qur'an, the Bible and the Five Percent Nation. He also studied the origin of hip hop music, taping records that played on his local radio station. As a child, Nas had wanted to be an instrumentalist (at the age of three, Nas played his father's trumpet on the step of their Brooklyn home) and also a comic book artist. Shortly after his parents separated, Nas began to write short stories as he immersed himself deeper into hip-hop culture.
By his preteen years, he had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willie "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. Nas and Graham soon met hip-hop producer and Flushing Queens resident Large Professor, who introduced Nas to his group, Main Source. In 1991, Nas made his on-record debut with a verse on "Live at the BBQ", from Main Source's LP Breaking Atoms. 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.
1992–1995: The recording and release of Illmatic
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. Nas made his solo debut on the single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the film Zebrahead. 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 in his upcoming album, amid immense anticipation. Hailed as the second coming of Rakim, his rhyming skills attracted a significant amount of attention within the hip-hop community. However, many were concerned that Columbia, being a major label, would try to dilute his New York based style.
In 1994, Nas' debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the premier rap albums ever created, Illmatic featured lyrics that portrayed stunning visual imagery and production courtesy of several producers . The album featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip (of A Tribe Called Quest) and DJ Premier, as well as guest appearances from Nas' friend AZ and his father Olu Dara on the song "Life's a Bitch", Illmatic was immediately hailed as a masterpiece by critics, and is still highly regarded as one of the definitive hip-hop albums of all time. Notable songs on the album included "NY State of Mind" (produced by Premier), "The World Is Yours" (produced by Pete Rock), "One Love" (produced by Q-Tip) and "It Ain't Hard To Tell" (produced by Large Professor and featuring a sample of "Human Nature" by Michael Jackson). However, due in part to extensive bootlegging, the record sales fell below expectations.
Following Illmatic, Nas appeared on AZ's Doe Or Die album, and collaborated with his Queensbridge-associates, Mobb Deep, on their album, The Infamous. One notable achievement during this period was Nas' verse on "Verbal Intercourse" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. After this appearance, Nas received a Source Quotable as he had the distinction of being the only non-Wu-Tang Clan member to be featured on one of the group's solo albums.
1996–1998: From It Was Written to The Firm
Columbia began to press Nas to work towards more commercial topics like the rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who had become successful by releasing street singles that still retained pop-friendly appeal. 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. It Was Written, chiefly produced by Poke and Tone of Trackmasters Entertainment, was released during the summer of 1996. Two singles, "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees) and "Street Dreams" (a remix features R. Kelly) were instant hits. These songs were promoted by big-budget music videos directed by Hype Williams, making Nas a common name among mainstream hip-hop. Other notable tracks on the album included "The Message" and "I Gave You Power," which tells a story from the perspective of a gun. It Was Written also featured the debut of The Firm, a supergroup consisting of Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. The album also introduced Nas's Mafioso-inspired character "Nas Escobar", who lived more of a Scarface/Casino-esque lifestyle. On the other hand, Illmatic, which, while having numerous references to Tony Montana and the theatrical hit featuring Al Pacino, was more about Nas' life as a teenager in the projects, hustling and smoking marijuana.
The Firm signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label, and began working on their debut album. 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. The Firm's The Album was finally released in 1997 to mixed reviews and lackluster sales and the members of the supergroup 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. During the same period, Nas co-wrote and starred in Hype Williams' 1998 feature film Belly, which also featured DMX, Taral Hicks, and T-Boz of TLC among its cast.
1998–2000: I Am... to Nastradamus
In 1998, Nas began work on a double album to be entitled I Am...The Autobiography, which he intended as the middle ground between the extremes of Illmatic and It Was Written. The album was completed in early 1999, and a music video was shot for its lead single, Nas Is Like, produced by DJ Premier and featuring vocal samples from "It Ain't Hard to Tell". However, much of the LP was leaked in MP3 format onto the Internet, and Nas and Stoute quickly recorded enough substitute material to constitute a single-disc release.
The second single for I Am was "Hate Me Now," featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs (now "Diddy"), was used as an example by Nas' critics for moving towards commercial themes. Hype Williams shot an allegorical video for the single, which featured Nas and Puffy being crucified in a manner similar to Jesus; After the video was completed, Combs, a Catholic, requested his crucifixion scene be edited out of the video. However, the unedited copy of the "Hate Me Now" video made its way to MTV, and was premiered on April 15, 1999 on TRL. 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. Stoute pressed charges, but he and Combs settled out-of-court that June.
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, decided Nas should record an entirely new album for release. 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, the Timbaland-produced "You Owe Me," featuring R&B singer Ginuwine. The only pirated track from I Am... to make it onto Nastradamus was "Project Windows," featuring Ronald Isley. 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 collection saw decent sales and received glowing reviews.
2000–2001: The Nas vs. Jay-Z rivalry and Stillmatic
The highly publicized rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z began as a rivalry between Nas and Jay-Z's protege, Memphis Bleek. On his debut album Coming of Age, Bleek made a song entitled "Memphis Bleek Is", which was similar in concept to Nas' single "Nas is Like". On the same album, Bleek recorded "What You Think Of That" featuring Bleek's mentor Jay-Z, which 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 a reference to "What You Think Of That". The lyrics state, "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 a diss, and therefore dissed Nas on the lead single for his The Understanding LP, My Mind Right".
QB's Finest was a compilation album that featured Nas and a number of other rappers from Queensbridge, including Mobb Deep, Nature, Littles, The Bravehearts (which included Nas' younger brother Jungle among its members), and Cormega, who had briefly reconciled with Nas. The album also featured guest appearances from Queensbridge hip-hop legends Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, and Marley Marl. Shan and Marley Marl both appeared on the lead single "Da Bridge 2001", which was based on Shan & Marl's 1986 recording "The Bridge". "Da Bridge 2001" also featured a response from Nas to Memphis Bleek, in which Nas called out most of the Roc-A-Fella Records roster, including Bleek, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel, and Jay-Z.
Jay-Z responded to Nas' songs with an onstage swipe during the 2001 Hot 97 Summer Jam concert in New York City, when he premiered his song "Takeover." Initially, the song was to only be a Mobb Deep diss, only including one line about Nas near the end. Nevertheless, Nas recorded the "Stillmatic Freestyle," an underground single which sampled Rakim and Eric B.'s "Paid in Full" beat, and attacked Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella label. On his 2001 album, The Blueprint, Jay-Z rewrote "Takeover," dedicating half of the song to dissing Nas, claiming that he had a "...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", the track begins with gunshots and a repeated, slowed-down sample of Tupac rapping "Fuck Jay-Z." (taken from Tupac's "Fuck Friends") In "Ether," Nas accuses Jay-Z of stealing ("biting") lyrics from The Notorious B.I.G. and brown-nosing Nas and other rappers for fame. Ether was included on Nas' fifth studio album, Stillmatic, released in December 2001. 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 debutted at #7 on the Billboard album charts and featured the singles "Got Ur Self A..." and "One Mic." In terms of commercial success, Jay's The Blueprint was certified double-platinum, while Stillmatic went platinum.
Jay-Z responded to "Ether" with a freestyle entitled "Supa Ugly." going into detail about how he had sex with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter Destiny. Nas dismissed the track by claiming that he was no longer with Bryan during the time the affair took place. In a recent interview, however, New York radio station Hot 97 settled the battle taking votes comparing "Ether" and "Supa Ugly," and Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. By 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."
2002–Present: From God's Son to Street's Disciple and beyond
In December 2002, Nas released the God's Son album. and its lead single, "Made You Look". The album debuted at #18 on the Billboard charts despite widespread internet bootlegging. Time Magazine named his album best hip-hop album of the year. Vibe Magazine gave it 4 stars and The Source gave it 4 mics. The second single, the inspirational "I Can", which reworked elements from Beethoven's "Fur 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. God's Son also includes several songs dedicated to memory of Nas' mother, who died of cancer in 2002. In 2003, Nas was featured on the Korn song "Play Me", from KoЯn's Take a Look in the Mirror LP.
Nas released his seventh studio album, the critically acclaimed double-disc Street's Disciple, on November 30, 2004. 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, Lenny Henry, Tiger Woods, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. of neglecting their heritage and background in favour of white values. 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.
Nas was featured on Kanye West's album Late Registration on a song titled "We Major". 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" (which also featured newcomer The Game in the video, widening Nas' still growing universally appreciated raps) and several other songs such as "Death Anniversary" and "It Wasn't You" (featuring Lauryn Hill). In addition, Nas was most recently married to the R&B singer Kelis, who is mostly known for her work internationally, but nonetheless released great hits in the U.S. The couple wed on Jan. 8, 2005 in Atlanta, GA, after a two-year engagement.
During this time, Nas announced that his next album would be entirely self-produced and feature no other rappers, and would be titled Nasir, and later that the project would feature other producers after all and would be called Nasdaq: Dow Jones. Neither of these albums ever materialized.
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!" In response, 50 Cent included a stab at Nas by speaking negatively of his wife Kelis on his single "Piggy Bank," implying that Kelis was promiscuous and calling Nas a "sucker for love." Nas was quoted as saying that he feels no obligation to retaliate, remarking "[50 has] got a good five to six more albums before I can really respond to him." Nas eventually decided to retaliate, and in July 2005 released "Don't Body Ya Self (MC Burial)", 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." 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.
In January 2006, Nas signed a label deal with Jay-Z's Def Jam, further emphasizing the Jay-Z/Nas truce and raising expectations for a collaboration even higher. His album due in fall of 2006 will come out in a joint deal with this imprint and Columbia Records. He recently announced to MTV News that his album is to be named, "Hip Hop is Dead...the N," the N being a play on the word the "end." The title is supposed to reflect what some would term the current low quality of rap music. The highly anticipated album is due out in December 19th, 2006.
Musical style and Technique
Nas has long been famed for his creativity and storytelling prowess, which has earned him acclaim from both the hip-hop community and critics. In his early stages, from his first appearance on the Main Source's Breaking Atoms and throughout the recording of Illmatic, he was perhaps best known for his street-oriented topics, complex lyrical schemes (which often incorporated multi-syllabic internal rhymes), and witty phrasing and imagery. As he progressed and matured, Nas began to branch out into different subjects and developed a richer voice and slower rapping technique.
Following Illmatic's release, Nas developed a penchant for hyper-visual storytelling and topical creativity. For instance, "Undying Love" (featured on I Am...) is a tale of his wife's betrayal told in first person, "Rewind" (featured on Stillmatic) is a narrative in which a story is recited backwards, while on "I Gave You Power" (featured on It Was Written), Nas assumes the role of a gun who recounts brutal tales of murder and violence. Over the years Nas' style has changed significantly. In contrast to his previous work, Nas’ most recent material is distinctively socially aware and often politically inflammatory. Songs such as "I Can" (featured on God's Son) convey moral messages of black youth empowerment, while "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)" accuses several African-American celebrities of being Uncle Toms. Furthermore, controversial songs such as "My Country" and "A Message to the Feds (Fuck The Police II)" (which are featured on Stillmatic and Street's Disciple, respectively) question the conduct of the American government. Nas' views in his lyrics throughout his career have made references to Islam and the Five Percent Nation..
Hey Young World
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something I got from Slick Rick
Back in the days, hey young world
The world is yours
From the movie Scarface where, uh
His whole thing was the world is yours
He sort of bluntly said the world is
Yours out there in the sky
God telling him, you know
The world is yours
Yeah, yeah, yeah (It goes)
Hey young world the world is yours
Hey young world the world is yours
Young world young world the world is yours
Young wo ah huh huh huh-urld (It goes)
Young people are so special
It's so good what god blessed you
Death to unethical thoughts that surpress you
Like diseases
They conjure up inside the test tubes
To stress you, beaurcratic genocide
But maybe I'm a wreck loose
It's just my observation as a whole
Human extermination, population control
Assuming my generation is young
And out of control
But y'all don't understand this
Y'all out of touch and y'all old
I promise to stay in full
Try to stay on course
And right the wrongs of my
Father with my baby boy
Life is full of problems
Don't go away when ignored
Life is long it's important that
It's played like a sport
Every skyscraper you see started
Off as a thought
And Ricky Walters told me that
The world could be yours
So hey young world, yeah hey young world
The world is yours
Hey young world the world is yours
Hey young world the world is yours
Young world young world the world is yours
Young wo ah huh huh huh-urld (It goes)
You could have been arrested
Locked down doing 10 on a fed bid
But you home so your know you blessed, kid
But trust me
I know some people who are not as lucky
Cause on the small drug beef
Gone 15 years it must be
Conspiracy, a killer sees
No liberty or justice congress talk nonsense
It's consignment for us hustlers
There's no 401k retirement for us hustlers
It's one way, until death
We die young, it's bum luck
Young bruh, tell me why you want war?
Tote a gun for, whoever to pump forth
With tough talk, get done off
New York City streets they carry
The worst gun law
But still it's real, we do it with tools
It's ungod, under the code of hood
Play your role
And maybe you'll live to grow old
Kids and a wife and household
Slow your roll before your soul
Eject from your body and you turn cold
Take advice yo, take a higher road
Hey young world, yeah, hey young world, yeah
(It goes)
Hey young world the world is yours
Hey young world the world is yours
Young world young world the world is yours
Young wo ah huh huh huh-urld (It goes)
The lyrics of "Young World" by NAS feat. Baby Sham reflect on the power and potential of the younger generation. The song begins with references to Slick Rick and the movie Scarface, both of which emphasized the idea that the world belongs to the youth. NAS acknowledges the influence these cultural references had on him, as well as the feeling that the world is for the taking. He sees the young people as special and blessed by God, hoping to overcome unethical thoughts and societal pressures that may stifle their potential. NAS acknowledges the challenges faced by his generation, but he vows to stay on course and be a better father to his own child. He recognizes the importance of addressing problems and playing life like a sport, with every thought and dream having the potential to become something monumental. Ultimately, NAS encourages the young world to believe that the world is theirs for the taking.
Line by Line Meaning
The world is yours is something is, um
The phrase 'The world is yours' is a concept, um
Something I got from Slick Rick
Something I learned from the artist Slick Rick
Back in the days, hey young world
In the past, hey young world
The world is yours
You have the potential to achieve anything
From the movie Scarface where, uh
From the movie Scarface where, uh
His whole thing was the world is yours
The main theme of Scarface was that the world belongs to you
He sort of bluntly said the world is
He straightforwardly expressed that the world is
Yours out there in the sky
Yours, out there in the limitless possibilities
He looked at it, uh, something from
He observed it, uh, as a sign from
God telling him, you know
God conveying to him, you know
The world is yours
You have the power to shape your destiny
Yeah, yeah, yeah (It goes)
Yes, yes, yes (It goes)
Young people are so special
Young individuals are unique and remarkable
It's so good what god blessed you
It's marvelous how God has bestowed His blessings upon you
Death to unethical thoughts that suppress you
Eliminate negative thoughts that hold you back
Like diseases
Like diseases
They conjure up inside the test tubes
They originate within the confines of laboratories
To stress you, bureaucratic genocide
To cause you distress, a systematic extermination
But maybe I'm a wreck loose
Perhaps I might be a bit unstable
It's just my observation as a whole
It's merely my overall observation
Human extermination, population control
The deliberate elimination of humanity, controlling the population
Assuming my generation is young
Supposing my generation is youthful
And out of control
And lacking control
But y'all don't understand this
But you all do not comprehend this
Y'all out of touch and y'all old
You all are disconnected and old
I promise to stay in full
I vow to remain committed and devoted
Try to stay on course
Strive to stay on the right path
And right the wrongs of my
And correct the mistakes of my
Father with my baby boy
Fatherhood with my young son
Life is full of problems
Life is replete with challenges
Don't go away when ignored
Do not disappear when neglected
Life is long it's important that
Life is lengthy, it's crucial that
It's played like a sport
It's approached like a game or competition
Every skyscraper you see started
Each skyscraper you witness originated
Off as a thought
As a mere idea
And Ricky Walters told me that
And Ricky Walters informed me that
The world could be yours
You have the potential to make the world your own
So hey young world, yeah hey young world
So hey young world, yeah hey young world
You could have been arrested
You could have been apprehended
Locked down doing 10 on a fed bid
Imprisoned serving a 10-year sentence
But you home so your know you blessed, kid
But you are free, so you acknowledge your fortunate situation, young one
But trust me
However, believe me
I know some people who are not as lucky
I am acquainted with individuals who are not as fortunate
Cause on the small drug beef
Because of a minor drug-related dispute
Gone 15 years it must be
Sentenced to a 15-year imprisonment, it must be
Conspiracy, a killer sees
A scheme, a murderer perceives
No liberty or justice congress talk nonsense
Absence of freedom or justice, Congress talks nonsensically
It's consignment for us hustlers
It's a fate for us hardworking individuals
There's no 401k retirement for us hustlers
There's no retirement plan for us hustlers
It's one way, until death
It's one path, until death
We die young, it's bum luck
We perish young, it's unfortunate
Young bruh, tell me why you want war?
Young brother, explain why you desire conflict?
Tote a gun for, whoever to pump forth
Carry a firearm for, whoever wants to engage in violence
With tough talk, get done off
With boastful words, get killed
New York City streets they carry
The streets of New York City possess
The worst gun law
The most strict firearm regulations
But still it's real, we do it with tools
Nevertheless, it's genuine, we acquire weapons
It's ungod, under the code of hood
It's unholy, within the laws of the neighborhood
Play your role
Fulfill your part
And maybe you'll live to grow old
And perhaps you will survive to reach old age
Kids and a wife and household
Children, a spouse, and a family
Slow your roll before your soul
Decelerate your actions before your spiritual essence
Eject from your body and you turn cold
Depart from your physical form and become lifeless
Take advice yo, take a higher road
Listen to advice, take a more righteous path
Hey young world, yeah, hey young world, yeah
Hey young world, yeah, hey young world, yeah
Hey young world the world is yours
Hey young world, you have the ability to shape your future
Hey young world the world is yours
Hey young world, you have the power to achieve greatness
Young world young world the world is yours
Young world, young world, the world is yours
Young wo ah huh huh huh-urld (It goes)
Young world, ah huh huh huh-urld (It goes)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ricky Walters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
L-Mighty Effect
straight truth that 1st verse handz down!
Omaru Shakur
„Life is long its important to play it like its sport“
James
this is not on distant relatives, i own the album
Titus Alexander
every sky scraper started off as a thought...
Benjamin .Jacob
shits dope
Luke T
so dam goood
joseph nganga
Nas is nas period
TheSuirad
damn
Andretti Aerials
@solemnmusiq no its not
Bigtymer781
Detox