Nas

Nas, born Nasir Jones, is an American rapper and entrepreneur renowned for his lyrical prowess and impactful contributions to East Coast hip-hop. After making his recording debut on Main Source’s song ‘Live at the Barbeque’ in 1991, Nas signed with Columbia Records in 1992 and released his groundbreaking debut studio album, ‘Illmatic,’ on April 19, 1994. Featuring production from Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, LES, and DJ Premier, ‘Illmatic’ quickly established him as a significant voice in hip-hop, earning induction into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, widely regarded as a foundational hip-hop album. He followed this success with his second album, ‘It Was Written’ (1996), which debuted atop the Billboard 200, selling over a quarter-million units in its first week, and included the mainstream hit ‘If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)’ featuring Lauryn Hill.

He also formed the supergroup The Firm with AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. Throughout his career, Nas has released seventeen studio albums, with ten achieving gold, platinum, or multi-platinum certification in the U.S. Nas continued his musical legacy with albums including ‘I Am…’ (1999), ‘Nastradamus’ (1999), ‘Stillmatic’ (2001), ‘God’s Son’ (2002), and ‘Street’s Disciple’ (2004). He signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2006, subsequently releasing ‘Hip Hop Is Dead’ (2006) and a collaborative album, ‘Distant Relatives,’ with Damian Marley in 2010.

His entrepreneurial reach also includes a co-ownership stake in New York City soul food restaurant Sweet Chick (2015). A significant win came in 2018, when he reportedly received $40 million from Amazon’s acquisition of Ring Inc. and PillPack, both previously backed by Queensbridge Venture Partners. Recent years have seen Nas achieve continued musical success and groundbreaking collaborations.

His involvement in Resorts World NYC’s casino proposal received unanimous Community Advisory Committee approval, solidifying his broad influence across entertainment and business.