Why He's No. 75

Nas proved that he was one of rap's fiercest lyricists when he released his critically acclaimed debut album, Illmatic, in 1994. More than a decade later, he's still on top of his game. "What I'm doing has hardly ever been done," he boasts. "Usually artists don't make it this far. It's never been seen that a street artist go as far as I've gone -- keep consistent without wanting to do a bunch of ventures outside of music to keep my face out there."

Back Stage

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones was born on September 14, 1973, in Queens, New York. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas grew up in the Queensbridge housing projects, where he was surrounded by the beats of hip-hop luminaries like Marley Marl and the Juice Crew. Not surprisingly, the music that was created in his 'hood appealed to him more than his school’s lesson plan. Nas dropped out in the eighth grade to immerse himself in the world of hip-hop. From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a widely publicized feud with rapper Jay-Z; both rappers verbally attacked each other in their songs. The two formally ended their rivalry through duet performances at concerts sponsored by New York City-area hip-hop radio stations. In 2006, he was listed number five on MTV's 10 Greatest Emcees of all time.[3] Also in 2006, he signed to Def Jam, releasing his albums Hip Hop is Dead in 2006 and an untitled album in 2008. His work has influenced, and been admired by many, including Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, 50 Cent, The Game, Lil’ Wayne, Young Jeezy, T.I., and Jermaine Dupri. His lyricism has also earned him the respect from rap pioneers such as KRS-One, Rakim and Big Daddy Kane. Nas had settled on pursuing a career as a rapper, and as a teenager enlisted his best friend and upstairs neighbor Willy "Ill Will" Graham as his DJ. Nas first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas[8]. 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. In 1994, Nas's debut album, Illmatic was finally released. Critically acclaimed and widely regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, Illmatic was the first album awarded Five Mics from The Source magazine.[10] It also featured production from Large Professor, Pete Rock (one half of legendary group with C.L. Smooth), Q-Tip (frontman for A Tribe Called Quest),

Forcaste

Nas has made a career of telling it like it is. Whether he's addressing racism or life in the 'hood, this eloquent street disciple has an uncanny ability for keeping it real.