Heinz Hall

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, born on September 14, 1973, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and record producer. He is rooted in East Coast hip-hop and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas began his musical career in 1989 under the moniker "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos with the help of East Coast rapper Large Professor. He made his recording debut on Main Source's 1991 song "Live at the Barbeque." In 1992, Nas signed with Columbia Records and released his debut studio album, Illmatic, on April 19, 1994. The album has been inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry and is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums. His second album, It Was Written, released in 1996, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over a quarter-million units in its first week. The album's lead single, "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)," featuring Lauryn Hill, contributed to Nas's mainstream success.