Tag Archives: Nas

Nas Celebrates 30th Anniversary of his Iconic ‘Illmatic’ LP With Limited-Edition Collaboration with Umbro & Nicholas Daley

November 19, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

GRAMMY-Award winning rap legend Nas, celebrates the 30th anniversary of his revolutionary album, Illmatic, while on tour in London. Known as a pivotal release in hip-hop history, Illmatic is more than an album; it’s a cultural milestone, reflecting the grit, soul, and resilience of New York City. To commemorate this major milestone, Nas has joined forces with UK- based brands Umbro and Nicholas Daley on a limited-edition soccer jersey celebrating Nas’ impact on music and style over the three decades.

The limited-edition design combines Umbro’s deep-rooted connection to sport culture with Daley’s distinctive approach to heritage-inspired fashion. Paying homage to the spirit of Nas’ NYC upbringing and the influence of Illmatic, the design is imposed with Nas iconography resulting in a truly unique piece. Together this design blends British craftsmanship with streetwear sensibilities celebrating Nas’s multi-decade influence and seamlessly bridges sport, music, and fashion.

“Nas and Illmatic represent a transformative moment not only for music but for culture as a whole. Collaborating with Nicholas Daley to capture that essence in an Umbro shirt allows us to celebrate Nas’ legacy with a piece of sportswear that speaks to fans worldwide,” states Umbro.

The Nas x Umbro x Nicholas Daley football Jersey is more than a fashion piece; it’s a wearable homage to an artist who has redefined storytelling in hip-hop and a testament to the lasting impact of Illmatic on global culture.

“Curating this exclusive NAS 30th anniversary Illmatic style in collaboration with Umbro has been a true honour for one of Hip Hop’s legendary icons. Illmatic is one my favourite albums off all time and the impact it has had both musically and culturally is so evident today. The collaboration is celebration of hip-hop and the legacy of Illmatic, whilst incorporating the heritage of Umbro in a collection which I wanted to feel both classic and forward-looking,” states Nicholas Daley, designer and founder of Nicholas Daley.

Matt Young, President of Bravado, states, “This unique collaboration has been a true melding between Umbro and Nicholas Daley shining light on one of the most revolutionary hip-hop albums, Illmatic, and Nas’ impact musically and globally. We’re excited for this limited-edition design to reach music, fashion and sport enthusiasts alike.”

This limited-edition piece is now available on nicholasdaley.net, making it a coveted addition to the wardrobes of music, fashion, and sports enthusiasts alike.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: The Firm Released ‘The Album’ 27 Years Ago

October 21, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

On this day in Hip-Hop History, New York-based supergroup The Firm released the sole studio album, The Album. As a collaborative effort made by Nas, Aftermath label-head Dr. Dre and marketing genius Steve Stoute, The Album was designed to boost the commercial and mainstream appeal of four of New York’s most prolific emcees: Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Cormega (unfortunately Cormega and the rest of those involved never saw eye-to-eye and he was swiftly replaced by Queensbridge Nature prior to finishing The Album).

Around the time of the group’s formation, its future members were at a pivotal moment in their careers. Nas, who had recently released his prolific debut Illmatic, was not receiving his due respect as one of the greatest active rappers of the time. Of course, he was in great standing with the actual rap community (he was the first non-Wu Tang member to appear on a Wu-Tang track), his fame among the public was disproportional. This disparity forced Nas to hire Stoute as his manager in an attempt to change his commercial approach.

Ironically, this was the second collaborative project of East Coast and West Coast artists involved in the coastal beef of that era. The first being the late Tupac Shakur and the Boot Camp Clik’s 1996 One Nation project.

Simultaneously, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Cormega were all experience a momentous rise in success. Foxy Brown’s work from 1995 with Jay-Z’s hit “Ain’t No Nig*a” in 1996 lead to her becoming one of the most coveted female emcees in New York. Her popularity in the industry led to a bidding war for her contract, won by Def Jam Recordings. AZ was coming off the success of his 1995 debut LP Doe or Die and Cormega was just released from serving a bid in prison. It would seem that the stars had aligned so that this project could take place.

This first time the quartet appeared on a single was Nas’ “Affirmative Action” on his sophomore LP It Was Written. The group’s chemistry and the single’s critical and commercial success made coming together as a supergroup a no-brainer for all involved.

Both the group’s name and the title of the album are an illustration of the 1991 John Grisham legal-thriller novel The Firm.

Commercially, the endeavor as a whole was a mass success. The Album debuted at #1 on both the Billboard 200 chart and Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. It sold 147,000 copies in its first week and went on to sell 925,000 in the United States. The record also had international success charting in Canada (where it sold 50,000 units), France, and the Netherlands.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Released His Debut Single ‘Halftime’ 32 Years Ago

October 13, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

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On this date in 1992, “Nasty” Nas dropped his first single for an otherwise unknown movie soundtrack.

Not even Nasir Jones himself knew the magnitude of what his career would be when the “Halftime” single dropped on October 13, 1992. Appearing on Nas’ monumental Illmatic album as well as the the radar silver screen flick Zebrahead, Halftime was the smash single that put Nasty Nas in the position to be considered the “Second Coming” of lyrical pioneer Rakim by none other than The Source Magazine, who gave Nasty the coveted Five Mic rating for the landmark album.

Produced by Large Professor, who found his way onto Nas’ album through the LP’s other incomparable single, “It Ain’t Hard To Tell,” this song was the catalyst that launched the Illmatic project and Nas’ illustrious career.

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Today In Hip Hop History: ‘Nas: Time Is Illmatic’ Documentary Premiered 10 Years Ago

October 1, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

On this date in 2014, a One9, Erik Parker and Anthony Saleh-produced documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival celebrating the illustrious career of Queensbridge rap legend Nasir Jones titled Nas: Time Is Illmatic.

Dropping two decades to the date of the release of Nas’ incomparable debut album Illmatic, the doc dives into Nas entire childhood before the industry, including witnessing the death of his best friend and first DJ Willie “Ill Will” Graham, who Nas honored by naming his production company Ill Will Productions. Time Is Illmatic also explicitly explains the impact of Nas in Hip Hop culture coming from his peers such as Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip(who produced “One Love”) and superproducer Pharrell Williams.

Time Is Illmatic was considered by Variety magazine to be a likely contender to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, but did not receive a nomination. Nevertheless, Time Is Illmatic is a very informative and insightful look into one of the greatest minds Hip Hop culture has ever seen.

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Happy 51st Birthday To Queensbridge Rap King Nas!

September 14, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

Today marks the 51st birthday of one of hip-hop’s most treasured lyricists, Nas.

By many, Nasir Jones is number one on their top, 10, 5, and 3 lists of the greatest emcees to ever touch the mic in Hip-Hop history. Marbled as the prodigal, deep, and lyrically intellectual spitter, Nas’ coming into Hip-Hop owned multidimensional potency. Not only was he a dexterous battle rapper, but the Queensbridge emcee was also gifted with a melodic touch for wax.

His 1991 debut on Main Source’s “Live At the BBQ” was an impressive display of the young Nas’ lyrical dexterity on a collective track with ridiculous blows.

“Verbal assassin, my architect pleases/When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus,” Nas easily launched the most compelling debut of a Hip-Hop emcee.

The mesmerizing drop eventually leads to a deal with Columbia Records, where he cements a legacy.

Over the course of two years, Nas huddled some of the culture’s best producers of the time, Large Professor, DJ Premier, Q-Tip, and Pete Rock to mold the echo of his debut album, Illmatic. The 1994 gem gained the likes of Hip-Hop purists and the young black youth. Drawing up the panoramic narrative as the young black boy from Queensbridge on the quest for survival, the 10-track piece is considered to be the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time.

The lyrical finesse of Escobar season continued to sizzle throughout Hip-Hop’s most prominent eras with profiled classics such as his certified sophomore debut, 1996’s It Was Written, followed by I Am…(1999), Nastradamus (1999), Stillmatic (2001), God’s Son (2002), up to 2018’s NASIR.

Nas has truly made his way into the prestigious lines of Hip-Hop heights. As of 2018, Nasty Nas is respectfully heralded as rap royalty. His influential reach stands beyond his lyrical supremacy, but his unmatched spirit which is true to the art form of rap.

Happy Birthday to one of the greatest lyricists in Hip-Hop history, Nas.

The post Happy 51st Birthday To Queensbridge Rap King Nas! first appeared on The Source.

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[WATCH] Jay-Z, Biggie, Nas And “The Big 3” Left Out Of Top 5 Of “Family Feud” Best Rapper Survey

July 22, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

Labeled by many as the “Top 3” of all time, Jay-Z, Biggie and Nas, as well as “The Big 3” of rthis generation, J. Cole, Drake and kendrick Lamar, were all left off of the Top 5 list of best rappers of all time n a recent episode of Family Feud.

Only Biggie and Jay made it on the list of eight rapper, which made host Steve Harvey even comment that the top 100 people surveyed for that answer were obviously not Hip Hop fans.

A TikTok user shared the footage showing a member of singer Meghan Trainor’s team answers first to reply to Harvey’s question, “Who is the greatest rapper of all time?”, who swiftly responded, “J. Cole.”

See the Family Feud footage HERE

Cole’s name results in a strike, which resulted in a member of the opposing team, led by Tori Kelly, then suggests Kendrick, who was also left off the list. It wasn’t until the fourth answer was given and Kelly’s team answered Tupac, who appeared as number two on the board. Kelly’s father’s answer was B.I.,G., who appeared in the number eight slot.

JAY-Z came in as the 8th and final most popular answer, while Nas and Drake, both suggested by contestants, didn’t make the board at all. Ice Cube was also offered as an answer, but a wrong one.

“We in Rhode Island again, where we at?,” said Harvey. He later tells Tori Kelly, “You’re thinking as a Hip-Hop head. I don’t think that’s who answered these questions.”

The final list, according to those who answered Family Feud‘s poll were, in order from first to last: Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Eminem, Dr. Dre, LL Cool J, B.I.G., 50 Cent, and Jay-Z.

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Today in Hip-Hop History: Nas Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘It Was Written’ 28 Years Ago

July 2, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

On July 2, 1996, Nas unleashed the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut, 1994’s Illmatic, entitled It Was Written. The album featured production from DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, and Havoc.

This time, the fresh-faced, 22-year-old Brooklyn-born emcee consciously pushed the album in a more mainstream direction, hoping to secure a broader fan base. It worked.

The album became Nas’ most commercially successful release, debuting at #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Music critics view it as one of Nas’ strongest records, and it remains his best-selling release, with over four million copies sold in the U.S. alone.

One of the album’s standout singles, “If I Ruled the World,” featured Lauryn Hill, who (at the time) was riding the wave of her recent success with The Fugees. Other guests included Foxy Brown, Dr. Dre, and Mobb Deep.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Nas Dropped His Sophomore Album ‘It Was Written’ 28 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

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Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Dropped “If I Ruled The World(Imagine That)” Single Feat. Lauryn Hill 28 Years Ago

June 4, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

On this date in 1996, Nas released the monumental “If I Ruled The World” single featuring the illustrious Lauryn Hill, which appeared on his sophomore album It Was Written on the Columbia label. If I Ruled The World was a remake of Kurtis Blow’s 1985 hit with the same name, which spawned from the Krush Groove movie soundtrack.

Produced by Trackmasters, If I Ruled The World was sampled directly from Whodini’s “Friends” song and was actually the very first song that Lauryn Hill performed outside of The Fugees camp.

Commercially, If I Ruled The World was a mainstream success, reaching number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while it also peaked in the top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. In total, the single reached the top ten in eight countries. It received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards. “If I Ruled the World” also became Nas’ first platinum single, receiving its certification in June 2021.

Salute to NAs, Ms. Hill, The Trackmasters, Hype Williams for the video, and everyone else responsible for helping make this a piece of Hip-Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Nas Dropped “If I Ruled The World(Imagine That)” Single Feat. Lauryn Hill 28 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

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Today in Hip Hop History: Nas and Damian Marley Dropped Their ‘Distant Relatives’LP 14 Years Ago

May 18, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

On this date in 2010, Queensbridge king Nas and reggae royalty Damian Marley dropped their collaborative album Distant Relatives on the Universal Republic/Def Jam imprint.

This Hip Hop/reggae collabo album was the first of its kind, with its release coming after Nas’ controversial Untitled album and Marley’s landmark Welcome To Jamrock LP. The production was very organic and exempt of super producers except for Jr. Gong and Stephen Marley, having Marley explain , “We’re trying to have a sound that’s reminiscent of both of us, but not exactly like either… A lot of charity albums come off corny. We want this to be something you’d play in your car.”

The album did daily well commercially, entering the Billboard 200 at number five and selling over 125,000 in its premiere month. Distant Relatives also served as a refreshing alternative that was a vehicle of consciousness to younger listeners captivated by the more popular gangster-themed music. Features boasted the likes of Joss Stone, Junior Reid, Lil Wayne, and others.

Salute to Damian and Nas for this pivotal piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today in Hip Hop History: Nas and Damian Marley Dropped Their ‘Distant Relatives’LP 14 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

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Ghostface Killah and Nas Unite And Cause “Scar Tissue”

May 4, 2024 ItsHipHop Leave a comment

Ghostface Killah, the Wu-Tang veteran, and Grammy Award-winning rap icon Nas have teamed up for a monumental collaboration that transcends three generations of hip-hop excellence. Their latest track courtesy of Mass Appeal, “Scar Tissue,” sees these consummate artists effortlessly riding atop a sinister beat with unparalleled precision.

Excitement peaked earlier this week when Ghostface took to Twitter to announce his forthcoming album, “Set The Tone,” set to be released under Mass Appeal. The news spread like wildfire online, with the viral tweet unveiling “Scar Tissue” as the album’s lead single. Fans couldn’t contain their anticipation, flocking to the comments section to share their enthusiasm. And with good reason – when legends collaborate, the result is nothing short of genre-defying.

Ghostface Killah has solidified his status as one of the most culturally significant artists across generations, with a legacy that speaks for itself. Yet, the legendary rapper continues to raise the bar for hip-hop with each verse he delivers.

Source: UndergroundHipHopBlog.com

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Ghostface Killah and Nas Unite And Cause “Scar Tissue”

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