Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones
Background
Nasir bin Olu Dara jones was born September 14, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Olu Dara, is a jazz and blues musicians of Yoruba descent from Natchez, Mississippi. His mother Fannie Ann (Little) Jones, was a postal service worker from North Carolina. He has one sibling named Jabari Frett, better know as "Jungle" from the hip hop group Bravehearts.
Background Continued
As a child is family relocated to Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. His neighbor Willy "ill Will"Graham, influenced Nas's interest in hip hop by playing him records. His parents divorced in 1985, and he dropped out of school after the eighth grade. He educated himself about African Culture through the Five Percent Nation and the Nuwaubian Nation. In the early years he played the trumpet and began writing his own rhymes.
Contribution to Society
Nas has been praised for his ability to create a devastating match between lyrics and production as well as creating "a potent evocation of life on the street" (Peter Shapiro). Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde explains that Nas does not always have to make words rhyme as he is charismatic, Nas is also described as having a densely packed flow, with compound rhymes.
Positive Imact
Nas gave the hood a voice when rappers at the times main focus was females. He doesn't just wrap he invokes ideas, forcing you to the think. His metaphoric verses made listeners interpret his lyrics. Nas content was ground-breaking. The urban representation he presented highly contrasted the laid back style of west coast rap; it commanded people to think in a more worldly view.
It ain't hard to tell
It ain't hard to tell, I excel, then prevail/The mic is contacted, I attract clientele/My mic check is life or death, breathing a sniper's death/I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps/Deep like The Shinin', sparkle like a diamond/Sneak a uzi on the island in my army jacket lining/Hit the Earth like a comet, invasion/Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazing/Cause in my physical, I can express through song/Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong/I drank Moet with Medusa, give her shotguns in hell/From the spliff that I lift and inhale, it ain't hard to tell
Nas feat Lauryn Hill - If I Ruled The World