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.
1973โ1992: 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.
1992โ1995: 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 Serchโs solo album is released later in the year, Nasโ 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.
1996โ1998: 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.
1998โ2000: 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.
2000โ2001: 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."
2002โPresent: 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 Koะฏn'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, Nasโ 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..
It Wasn't You
Nas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Intro: Nas]
Uh huh, a love story, but not your ordinary love story
Not hardly, you heard
Get into this shit right here, check this shit out
You know, check it
As we turn the corner, I count down his name
I felt so ashamed, when it wasn't you
[Nas:]
Companions, commitments, relationships
They can be so nice in days picnics, advance slow nights
You start to miss it all when you got no wife
Seeing couples, walking, holding each others hands, talking
Like everything around them don't exist
And yo they stop before crossing the street so they can kiss
That remind me, my love for this 'lil mami
A slim body from Saudi Arabia probably (uh, huh)
We met five day into her stay, a thirty day visit
Her second time in the usa
But my first time to gaze at her
And wave at her was at knicks game
Islamic name hard to spit game
My thug look made nervous, her Secret Service
The floor seats next to Spike Lee, I had to purchase
Later we met on Tavern on the Green and after we dined
I said "I got to have you just one time", she said
[Chorus x2: Lauryn Hill]
[Nas:]
Seduced her fast, surprised me, laying beside me
Rolling in my satin sheets, flexible body
Hair, black and long, Indian skin completion
Eyes, nose and lips resemble the Egyptian
It's against rules to make conversation, with anybody new
Which was strange in our situation, that admired her more
Everyday I gave her a tour
Of New York streets, the parts that remained hard-core
It was coming to the day when she had to depart
When she left I felt the butcher knife stabbing my heart
Without a number to dial, continent near by the Nile she reside at
She said she would write, so she could fly back
Private airplanes, been a year, letters never came
In the short time we were together it never rained
Just sun shine when our tongues climbed
Each others body, wish I can see you one time, 'cause now
[Chorus x2: Lauryn Hill]
Nas's "It Wasn't You" is a love story about a man who falls in love with a woman from Saudi Arabia while she's visiting the United States. The song has a slow, rhythmic beat that adds to the emotional weight of the lyrics, especially Lauryn Hill's haunting vocals on the chorus. Nas's verses are full of vivid descriptions that create an immersive picture of their brief relationship.
The song's chorus repeats the line "As we turn the corner, I count down his name / I felt so ashamed, when it wasn't you." This line embodies the feeling of regret and longing that the entire song revolves around. Nas's love for the woman from Saudi Arabia was intense and passionate, but it was also fleeting. When he sees other couples together, he wishes that it was her he was holding hands with, but he knows deep down that he may never see her again.
The second verse reveals that their relationship was complicated by cultural and political differences. As a Muslim woman, it was hard for her to make conversation with someone she had just met, especially someone with Nas's "thug look." But Nas was so attracted to her that he couldn't help but give her tours of the city and spend as much time with her as possible. When she leaves, Nas is devastated, and he waits for her letters to come, but they never do. The song ends with him still longing for her, unable to forget the "tongues climbing" and the "flexible body" of the woman he loved.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh huh, a love story, but not your ordinary love story
The following tale is about a romance, but it's not a cliche one.
As we turn the corner, I count down his name
As Nas approaches his lover's location, he eagerly anticipates seeing her.
I felt so ashamed, when it wasn't you
After realizing that the person he spotted was not his lover, Nas was disappointed and embarrassed for even expecting it to be her.
Companions, commitments, relationships
Here, Nas lists out the various types of romantic connections a person can have.
They can be so nice in days picnics, advance slow nights
In the early stages of romance, it can be wonderful to enjoy simple moments and take things slow.
Seeing couples, walking, holding each others hands, talking
Nas observes happy couples in public, which makes him miss being in a relationship himself.
That remind me, my love for this 'lil mami
Seeing all these couples made Nas think of his own love interest.
A slim body from Saudi Arabia probably (uh, huh)
Nas describes the physical qualities of his love interest, including her nationality and slim frame.
We met five day into her stay, a thirty day visit
Nas met his love interest towards the beginning of her 30-day trip to the US.
Her second time in the usa
This was Nas's love interest's second trip to the United States.
But my first time to gaze at her
This was the first time Nas had laid eyes upon his love interest.
And wave at her was at knicks game
Nas saw his love interest for the first time at a Knicks basketball game and waved to her.
Islamic name hard to spit game
Nas had trouble approaching his love interest because her Islamic name made him feel nervous and unsure of how to talk to her.
My thug look made nervous, her Secret Service
Nas's tough appearance made him feel uneasy around his love interest's team of security guards.
The floor seats next to Spike Lee, I had to purchase
Nas had to buy expensive court side seats in order to be near his love interest at the basketball game.
Later we met on Tavern on the Green and after we dined
Afterwards, Nas and his love interest had dinner together at a restaurant called Tavern on the Green.
I said "I got to have you just one time", she said
Nas expressed his physical desire for his love interest, but her response is unknown at this point in the story.
Seduced her fast, surprised me, laying beside me
In a surprising turn of events, Nas and his love interest had sex quickly after their first date.
Rolling in my satin sheets, flexible body
Nas describes the experience of having sex with his love interest in great detail, including the softness of his satiny sheets and the flexibility of her body.
Hair, black and long, Indian skin completion
Nas describes his love interest's physical features, including her long, black hair and Indian skin complexion.
Eyes, nose and lips resemble the Egyptian
Nas says that his love interest's facial features resemble those of people from Egypt.
It's against rules to make conversation, with anybody new
Nas and his love interest were not supposed to talk to each other due to the rules of her visiting delegation.
Which was strange in our situation, that admired her more
The fact that they weren't supposed to talk only increased Nas's admiration for her.
Everyday I gave her a tour
Nas showed his love interest around New York City every day.
Of New York streets, the parts that remained hard-core
Nas took his love interest to see gritty, authentic parts of the city.
It was coming to the day when she had to depart
Nas knew that his love interest's trip was coming to an end.
When she left I felt the butcher knife stabbing my heart
After saying goodbye, Nas was deeply heartbroken.
Without a number to dial, continent near by the Nile she reside at
Nas didn't have a way to contact his love interest after she left, but he knows that she lives somewhere close to the Nile River in a different continent.
She said she would write, so she could fly back
His love interest promised to write to Nas and return to the US.
Private airplanes, been a year, letters never came
Despite promising to return and keep in touch, Nas never heard from his love interest again.
In the short time we were together it never rained
Interestingly, it never rained during the small amount of time that Nas and his love interest were together.
Just sun shine when our tongues climbed
The weather was pleasant when they were together, despite the figurative storm of heartbreak that came after.
Each others body, wish I can see you one time, 'cause now
Despite moving on, Nas still has fond memories of being intimate with his love interest and wishes he could see her one more time.
[Chorus x2: Lauryn Hill]
The chorus, sung by Lauryn Hill, repeats throughout the song, highlighting Nas's desire to see his lost love once more.
Contributed by Jayce O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Christopher Reed
One of my most favorite songs! Nas storytelling is incredible! Makes you think about that person you vibe with and never saw again
Kingb
Most underrated Nas song ever
Scorpio Lyte
@Jari van Lennep "Film" comes to mind.
V L
Not your ordainiry love song...
Stefan Tosic
Nas is crazy for not putting this kind of BOMBS on his albums. The saddest things is this isn't the only one, nas you are crazy :(
Christopher Johnson
@Willie Makeit On point. I remember this period well too!
Willie Makeit
@HungryHippo this wasnโt for Hip Hop Is Dead. This was released as a white label in 2004. I remember that time very clearly.
HungryHippo
this was def for Hip Hop Is Dead
Jay Ro
Itโs probably due to label restrictions
GRAND
In regards of this particular track, it mustโve been sampling issues between Nasโs label and Laurenโs. She had a lot of issues with her last label, so it was probably legalities. Same thing with that โTake It Slowโ John Legend sample great used