Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones,better known by his stage name Nas,is an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop,he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara,Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas",and recorded demos for fellow East Coast rapper Large Professor. He was later featured on the 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque" by his group,Main Source.
Stillmatic is the fifth studio album by American rapper Nas,released on December 18,2001,by Ill Will and Columbia Records. In contrast to his previous work's gangsta rap themes,the album contains socially conscious and philosophical themes similar to that of his 1994 debut Illmatic. Nas' lyrics address topics such as ghetto life,American politics,and his feud with rapper Jay-Z.
God's Son is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on December 13,2002,by Ill Will and Columbia Records. Production took place during 2001 to 2002,and was handled by several producers,including Salaam Remi,Chucky Thompson,Ron Browz,Eminem,and The Alchemist. Partly inspired by the death of his mother in early 2002,God's Son covers lyrical themes such as religion,violence,and his own emotional experiences. It has been recognized by critics as some of Nas' most personal work.
"Ether" is a diss track by American rapper Nas,from his 2001 album Stillmatic. The song was a response to Jay-Z's "Takeover",released earlier that year. "Ether" has been called a "classic" diss track and the "wildest" in hip hop history by music publications.
The Lost Tapes is a compilation album by American rapper Nas. It was released on September 23,2002,by Ill Will Records and Columbia Records,who wanted to capitalize on what was seen in hip hop music as Nas' artistic comeback the year before,and compiles previously unreleased tracks that were discarded from recording sessions for the rapper's previous studio albums I Am... (1999) and Stillmatic (2001). It features production by L.E.S.,The Alchemist,Poke and Tone,and Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie,among others. With low-key,sparse sounds and observational lyrics about urban life,the songs are largely autobiographical and nostalgic,departing from the thug persona of Nas' previous records.
"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" is a song by American rapper Nas featuring American singer and rapper Lauryn Hill. It was released as the lead single from Nas' second studio album It Was Written on June 4,1996,by Columbia Records. Produced by Trackmasters,with some uncredited input by Rashad Smith,it is based on the 1985 hit of the same name by American rapper Kurtis Blow and samples the beat of "Friends" by Whodini. Lauryn Hill's verse interpolates the song "Walk Right Up To The Sun" by The Delfonics. The single marked Hill's first musical appearance outside of the Fugees.
"One More Chance / Stay with Me (Remix)" is a song written and recorded by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.,Three versions of the song exist:An original,lyrically explicit version prefaced by an answering machine performance featured on the album,and two versions released as singles,of which both contain identical lyrics by B.I.G. despite differing instrumentals and choruses. The first of which is an upbeat hip hop remix that samples Marley Marl's "Droppin Science",and the second is a sultrier R&B remix parenthetically labeled the "Stay with Me Remix",which samples the namesake 1983 song by the band DeBarge. The lattermost remains the most popular,and features backing vocals and harmonies performed by his wife Faith Evans,as well as an uncredited appearances by Mary J. Blige and Bad Boy Records label boss Puff Daddy—who also produced the version with Rashad Smith. It received platinum certification by the RIAA by July 31,1995 and has sold 1.1 million copies.
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas,released December 19,2006,on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label,it was co-financed by Nas's previous label,Columbia Records,which once distributed for Def Jam. The album's title was inspired by Nas's view of the music industry and the state of hip hop music at the time. The album features appearances from Nas's then-wife Kelis,Def Jam label-mates Kanye West,Jay-Z,and Chrisette Michele,as well as will.i.am,Snoop Dogg,and The Game,among others.
The discography of Nas,an American rapper,consists of seventeen studio albums,one collaborative album,one group album,five compilations,four mixtapes,one extended play,and seventy-nine singles. Nas has sold over 20 million records in the United States alone,and 35 million albums worldwide.
"I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" is a song by American rapper 2Pac. It was released as the first single from the posthumous album R U Still Down?. The original version,titled "I Wonda if Heaven's Got a Ghetto",was released as a B-side on the 1993 single,"Keep Ya Head Up".
"Got Ur Self a Gun",also known as "Got Ur Self A..." for the clean versions of the album and single,respectively,is the second single from the 2001 album Stillmatic by the American rapper Nas. The song is produced by Megahertz and samples The Sopranos theme song "Woke Up This Morning",performed by Alabama 3. It reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"One Mic" is a song by American rapper Nas,released April 16,2002 on Columbia Records and distributed through Ill Will Records in the United States. It was issued as the third single from his fifth studio album,Stillmatic (2001). The single peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100,making it Nas's third top-fifty hit on the chart.
"Made You Look" is the first single from Nas' 2002 album,God's Son. Built around several samples lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache",the single was important in establishing Nas' direction following his battle with Jay-Z and the Stillmatic album in its reliance on intricate lyricism and an old-school aesthetic. The song reached much commercial success,on the level of "I Can",and it was a sizeable hit among urban audiences and remains one of the more popular tracks on the God's Son album. It is his third highest charting single to date.
From Illmatic to Stillmatic:The Remixes is an extended play by Nas. It includes six remixed versions of songs from the earlier Nas LPs Illmatic,It Was Written,and Stillmatic. It was released by Columbia Records on July 2,2002. It features AZ,R. Kelly and Foxy Brown.
"Dead Presidents" is a 1996 song by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released as the first promotional single for Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt,though it did not directly appear on the album:a different version of the song with the same backing track and chorus but with different lyrics called "Dead Presidents II" appeared on Reasonable Doubt. "Dead Presidents II" was voted number 16 in About.com's Top 100 Rap Songs and number 42 in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Jay-Z Songs.
"Thugz Mansion" is a song by 2Pac,released as a posthumous single with two known popular versions both released on the 2002 album Better Dayz. It was nominated by the Source Awards for Single of the Year.
"Hip Hop Is Dead" is the first and title single taken from Nas' 2006 album of the same name. It is produced by and features will.i.am. It peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,as well as number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 31,2007,the music video for "Hip Hop Is Dead" appeared at number 93 on BET's Notarized:Top 100 Videos of 2007 countdown,even though the video was released in December 2006.
"Make Me Proud" is a hip hop song by Canadian recording artist Drake,released as the third single from his second studio album,Take Care,featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released as a digital download on October 16,2011 and impacted rhythmic radio on October 25,2011 in the U.S.
It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas,released on July 2,1996,by Columbia Records. After the modest commercial success of his debut album Illmatic (1994),Nas pursued a more polished,mainstream sound for It Was Written. Produced largely by Trackmasters,it departed from the debut's raw,underground aesthetic and embraced mafioso and gangsta themes. The recording also marked the first appearance of Nas's short-lived supergroup The Firm,featuring the rappers Foxy Brown,AZ,and Cormega.
"Street Dreams" is a 1996 single by American rapper Nas. The song was It Was Written's second single,following "If I Ruled the World ". "Street Dreams" contains an interpolation from the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams " and a sample from Linda Clifford's "Never Gonna Stop". A remix,including an appearance by R. Kelly,was released shortly after the original. It featured samples from The Isley Brothers' "Choosey Lover" along with some elements from Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me." The remix version was performed live on an episode of the Nickelodeon series All That in February 1997.
