Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, IPA: [nɑːˈsiər], (born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas, IPA: [nɑːz], formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was born and raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in New York City. Although he dropped out of middle school, he attained a high degree of literacy that he would later use in his lyrics. His debut album Illmatic, was released in 1994 on Columbia Records. Illmatic was a critically acclaimed bestseller and would go on to be widely hailed a classic. Nas was part of hip-hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album.

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. 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.

Sources: Wikipedia.