Nas

 Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (/na:'sI@rborn on September 14, 1973) popularly known as his stage name Nas (/na:z/), is an American rapper from the United States. He is considered to be among the most influential rappers of all time as he was raised in East Coast hip-hop. The son of the jazz musician Olu Dara, Jones's musical career took off in 1989 when he began using the name "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was later featured on the single "Live at the Barbeque" by Main Source. Nas's debut album, Illmatic (1994), received acclaim from all quarters upon its release, and is widely regarded as one of the best hip-hop albums ever made. in 2021 the album was added into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. His second album It was Written (1996) debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and charted for four weeks straight and the album, together with the single "If I were the King of the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill), catapulted Nas into the world of success.Both released in 1999 the albums I Am and Nastradamus were criticized as inconsistent and too commercially oriented in their approach, and both critics and fans were concerned that his work was declining in quality.