Earlier this week, rapper Nas revealed to a group of high school students that getting his high school diploma is one of his goals right now. He also expressed his resent for dropping out of school at a young age.
Pittsburgh’s the Post-Gazette reports that Nas spoke to the students at the Boys & Girls Club of America’s annual National Keystone Conference in Pittsburgh.
“The reality of it is, you need to keep educating yourself, and I wish I had stayed in school,” Nas revealed to the group of high school students.
Nas, who dropped out of school in eighth grade, also spoke on leadership and his personal life.
“This is an incredible message, to have someone who succeeded so much in their life, but there is still a void,” said Frank Sanchez, the vice president for corporate and partner relationships for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
NBA player Bob Lanier and R&B singer/producer Ne-Yo also spoke to student’s at the annual conference.
Damn.
Man com on, banks the “W” and for Mariah Carey everything 2 Marshall
that made no fucking sense.
lol what
Looks like Ceazar needs more than his diploma…. smh
U drunk?
how u gonna drop out in 8th grade son!…he didnt even give high school a shot
“The school dropout. Never liked the shit from day one”
about time Nas do ya thing playa!
I can’t even comment on this shit. The 8th grade????
he was busy sneaking uzi’s in his army jacket lining
Yes the 8th grade. But even so, look how smart he turned out to be! Thats taking a lot of courage for him to go back and get his high school diploma especially being the age that he is.
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_videos/659615?sel_song_id=3407393&autoplay=1
He needs to pursue his rap carrer
LOL the dude has like 7 platinum selling albums including one widely considered the best hip-hop album of all time. I think his career is none of your concern.
i guess nas is trying to be the black billy madison.
didnt billy madison go back to the first grade?
i bet he can just buy his high school diploma if he can scrounge up some cash kelis didnt take
Can’t hate on him trying to better himself. So, is he just going to take some tests and get his GED or what?
SInce ya’ll obviously don’t know, Nasty dropped out of school to take care of his family and his mom. And he’s smarter than 98% of the rappers out there anyways.
I was actually just thinking about this today, which is weird, but good luck to Esco.
symbolically this is good.
I’m a former educator with a Master’s degree but . . .
If I were in his shoes I would talk to them about the importance of thinking for yourself, learning about issues from a neutral point of view, and questioning everything put in front of you. I’d emphasize reading about things you might not like, learning skills that can make you well rounded and able to program a computer, fix a car and participate meaningful in intellectual debate.
School is designed for indoctrination into consumerism, Western ideologies, and how to become another piece of the machine. Yes, you generally need to finish it to excel economically — but don’t mistake institutionalized education for intelligence or knowledge.
I also have a Master’s degree, taught in schools for over a decade, and I COMPLETELY concur…
I’m no educator, but I am currently in college and fortunate enough to spend time with people and professors who are helping me become more well rounded. I also totally agree. Education is important, but it’s important you educate yourself.
I have an Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree and working on my Law Degree. I agree with everything you just said. Get the institutionalized education use it for your benefit financially, but educate yourself on the true meaning of life and the world and make decisions based on your true education.
I Applaud this posting right here. Well stated man.
I completely agree as well… I just hope that Nas follows through with this because now that kid that was thinking of dropping out is now looking at Nas and saying “if he can do it so can I” but if Nas doesn’t follow through that child looking up to him may not follow through either and I think thats the most important thing. Being good role models in every facet of life to the young ones, because its way too easy to be bad and cowardly these days.
Good look Nas – be consistent though!
School is designed for indoctrination into consumerism, Western ideologies, and how to become another piece of the machine. Yes, you generally need to finish it to excel economically — but don’t mistake institutionalized education for intelligence or knowledge.
Thank you.
I was just listening to NaS earlier today and was thinking about the new album with Mr. Marley. That’s gonna be a big one for our community. I respect NaS, and I respect you too, Haroon. God bless you.
School is designed for indoctrination into consumerism, Western ideologies, and how to become another piece of the machine. Yes, you generally need to finish it to excel economically — but don’t mistake institutionalized education for intelligence or knowledge.
Thank you.
I was just listening to NaS earlier today and was thinking about the new album with Mr. Marley. That’s gonna be a big one for our community. I respect NaS, and I respect you too, Haroon. God bless you.
School is designed for indoctrination into consumerism, Western ideologies, and how to become another piece of the machine. Yes, you generally need to finish it to excel economically — but don’t mistake institutionalized education for intelligence or knowledge.
Thank you.
I was just listening to NaS earlier today and was thinking about the new album with Mr. Marley. That’s gonna be a big one for our community. I respect NaS, and I respect you too, Haroon. God bless you.
This nigga raps with a razor, keep it under my tongue
The school drop-out, never liked the shit from day one.
Cause life ain’t shit but stress fake niggaz and crab stunts
So I guzzle my Hennesey while pullin on mad blunts
The brutalizer, buddahsizer, accelerator
The type of nigga who be pissin in your elevator
Somehow the rap game reminds me of the crack game
Used to sport Bally’s and Gazelle’s with black frames
Now I’m into fat chains, sex and Tecs
Fly new chicKs and new kicks, Heine’s and Beck’s
Yeah I know. It makes your favorite rapper’s raps look like shit.
Represent, represent!
That’s a classic right there. Illmatic was IMO the greatest album in my lifetime (I’m 19)
Shit, I was 15 when Illmatic came out. I still aint seen or heard a better rapper period.
yo yall gone hate but ive read this like 5x to see if im missing something. i dont think i am, if so enlighten me. if thats the bars you choose to highlight his level of intelligence pls go back to the drawing board. if anything your “lifestyle” just resonates with those bars but there’s nothing there that says intelligence… im not hating, im just stating the truth. nothing about that goes with this article…..
@BLACTRS78
“THE SCHOOL DROP OUT,NEVER LIKED THE SHIT SINCE DAY ONE”
And you still can’t figure out why the nigga posted a verse from “Represent”?
Jay-z and Em are HS drop outs but Nas is smarter than some a with college degree!
I cosign that comment 100% dude. Nas is one of the smartest cats out there.
Shit… the slang he uses upsets college professors, more knowledge then webster dictionary
obituary colum
fake nigga murdered for rhymin the jig is up
how is he smart? im assuming you’re going off of his lyrics. they had him as a guest on one of these “political leaning” shows and he seemed very unintelligent. i cant remember the name but he disappointed and so did mos def. being able to express yourself on wax doesnt necessarily make you intelligent and i’ve seen him in interviews. he doesnt speak in the same manner that he raps (in an intelligent manner). now im not saying he’s ignorant but i’ve been less than impressed when it comes to hus interviews and such. tupac was a much better teacher and communicator.
Shut the fuck up yuppie
tupac didn’t speak with much intelligent himself. He was nigga who talked alot of shit and then in the end paid for it. But the nas interviews i’ve seen he does come off as intelligent indiviual.
Nas is intelligent in his interviews. He just has a hard time trying to get his words together sometimes.
Nas and Mos are both smart dudes but I’ve heard em say some dumb shit on tv too. But Nas dropped out in 8th grade to take care of his fam and still got rich and now wants to finish school. can’t knock that
TUPAC WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE BUT HE SPOKE WITH ARROGANCE AND ANGER A MAJORITY OF THE TIME ESPECIALLY TOWARDS THE END OF HIS LIFE.TUPAC ALLOWED SUGE KNIGHT TO TURN HIM INTO A TICKING TIME BOMB THAT WAS SET AND JUST WAITING TO EXPLODE AT ANYTIME AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.HE EXPLODED AND SUGE KNEW THAT TUPAC COULD EXPLODE AND THAT’S HOW HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF TUPAC MENTALLY SO IF PAC WAS SO SMART THEN WHY COULDN’T HE MANAGE TO CONTROL HIS ANGER? WHY WAS SUGE SO SMART ENOUGH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TUPAC’S ANGER AND PUT TUPAC IN SOME FOUL,VIOLENT, FUCKED UP SITUATIONS THAT HE KNEW HIMSELF HE SHOULD HAVE NEVER EVER BEEN IN? LIKE FOR INSTANCE THAT FIGHT AT THE MGM THAT PAC HAD NO BUSINESS INVOLVING HIMSELF IN…THAT MADE HIM LOOK LESS INTELLIGENT WHICH IS WHY TUPAC IS NO LONGER WITH US…NAS WAS ALWAYS WAY TOO SMART AND INTELLIGENT FOR SHIT LIKE THAT…NAS DIDN’T HAVE THE UNCONTROLLABLE,MISMANAGED ANGER THAT TUPAC HAD WHICH IS WHY NAS IS STILL ALIVE TODAY…NAS WOULD NEVER LET SOMEBODY LIKE A SUGE KNIGHT GET IN HIS HEAD,TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIM MENTALLY, OR HAVE HIM DOING FOOLISH THINGS HE SHOUDLN’T BE DOING…NAS ALWAYS THOUGHT FOR HIMSELF AND NEVER HAD A BOLD FIGURE LIKE A SUGE KNIGHT OR A P.DIDDY STANDING BEHIND HIM TO CORRUPT HIS MIND…THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH TUPAC WAS HIS ANGER WHICH LEAD TO THE IGNORANT SHIT THAT WAS COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH THAT PUT HIM TO BED…HE NEVER REALLY WATCHED SOME OF THE STUFF HE SAID BECAUSE SUGE PUT TUPAC IN THE MIND OF SAYING SOME CRAZY SHIT WHICH STEERED PAC FROM SAYING THE KNOWLEDGEABLE SHIT HE WAS USE TO PREACHING TO HIS PEERS AND HIS COMMUNITY…SUGE DISTORTED A LITTLE BIT OF TUPAC’S MIND SET THAT KEPT PAC OFF COURSE FROM WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE DOING…AND YOU CAN’T BE INTELLIGENT WITH ALOT OF THAT MISHANDLED ANGER IN YOUR BLOOD AND PAC HAD SO MUCH OF THAT ANGER TOWARDS THE END OF HIS LIFE…HE JUST GOT ANGRY IN THE WRONG SITUATIONS INSTEAD OF THE RIGHT ONES THANKS TO SUGE FUCK KNIGHT! IGNORANT ANGER ON THE WRONG TERMS WILL GET YOU KILLED HOMIE! ONLY THE CALM,HUMBLE,FOCUSED,WISE,AND THE INTELLIGENT ONES SURVIVE AND THAT WOULD BE NASTY NAS AKA NASIR JONES…
since u dnt remember d name of d programme, i take it dat you got a fish brain. nuff said.
better late then never
hes trying to better himself,that’s good,the quest for knowledge should be an insatiable one.Any teacher who tries to put disclaimers on education just proves the point that its not the education that makes you smart but the choices you make after you’ve acquired the knowledge.Nas is a poet and expresses himself very well in rhyme,but has difficulty getting his point across when there is no beat.I never saw him as exceptionally smart,just a deep thinker and smarter then most other rappers(which isn’t saying much).Its funny how the detractors of education on this site start there rant by giving their education credentials which is suppose to give weight to their argument!lol.If for no other reason get educated so the educated who don’t care about the truth cant get away with telling people lies.
totally agree. take kanye or diddy – if your a successful rapper, everyone buys your music, you’ve made a whole lot of money, you can get any girl you want and have all the friends you want – the only thing left to do in life is to educate yourself.
all rappers who’ve made it – go to college
damn that last sentence hit home. thats some truth for yo azz…they lie bc we dont know the truth…education is a gift, social consciousness is a gift as well but they are equal imo….
Ollie, college isn’t necessary to educate yourself. Granted, if you want to enter certain professions, college is a necessity, but education doesn’t start or end in school. You can learn so much shit through books, internet, or other people as well.
suprised if this doesnt become a reality show
Wow, that’d be horrible
I agree with Haroon and the 3 that repiled. Book smarts even though I have them doesn’t make a person smarter than another. Social consciousness is always an sign of intelligence which Nas and he has street smarts to be able to safe, know your enviorment and survive.
I Love to see my people closing chapters of their life.. After That On To The Next One…Salute
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smarten up Nas
schools for pussies
McDonalds is for you
You better not fuck my order up either HomoHill, I’ll throw them fries in your pimpled face.
education is a good thing; whether formal (ie. school/ college/ university)…or informal (ie. doing your own reading, in your own space/ time).
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I think yall meant his REGRET at not getting his diploma (?)
This is an amazing story. A true legend, entertainer extrodinaire, and he is going to go back to school? Incredible actually. What I hope is that he continues to further educate himself, goes on to get a masters or doctorate or something, and becomes Tha Teaxher Part 2 to carry on KRS’s legacy of being the voice of the underprivaleged and hip hop community. Nas is very intelligent, and has a lot of self-taught knowledge; you actually would think he may have gone to college. It just shows how he had a rough childhood and pulled himself up from out the PJ’s. This is just a beautiful thing for our people man. Seriously. I don’t think I’m overstating this. People talk a lot of ish about Nas, saying he contradicts himself, but I don’t buy it. We’re human= we’re a walking contradiction!
Big up Nas, I really hope he goes beyong a HS diploma, because he is a greatmind. Dudes like him are geniuses. He’s like the modern day Langston Hughes yaearme?!
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lol@Nas riding the bus to school ’cause Kelis & the IRS got his bank on smash!
lol@Nas walking around the school with his schedule out trying to find his classes
lol@Nas getting harassed by hall moniters
lol@Nas getting styled on in lunchroom freestyle cyphers
lol@Nas teachers being the some of the same cats that was in 8th grade with him
lol@you if you really think that Nas would be taking high school classes the same time of day as students. Not to mention he can just take a GED test, so going to high school wouldn’t be necessary. So I’m hoping your comment was satire.
And it is pretty crazy that Nas doesn’t have his high school diploma with the lyrical content he’s created. But I do know that Nas reads ALOT in his freetime.
It’s only jokes …. be easy …..
lol@Nas joing band and playing the triangle!
lmao. i love nas but thats funny.
lol@Nas getting jumped for being the new kid
lol@Nas getting tutored by another student 20+ years younger than him
lol@Nas sitting in the back of the class to keep it real
lol@Nas getting detention for being late
lol@Nas actually doing this in this modern society. respect+
HIS BROKE ASS NEED 2 GET IT SO HE CAN PAY ALL DAT DAMN CHILD SUPPORT
true lol
go get a life son and move out of ur mama’s basement.
Nas aint broke he pullin in over 100K a month
Lol… Crazy comments but Nas whats Hawt from Day one, Lava Spitta!!
Go get yah Diploma, ROLE MODEL
Fuck NeW ShiT!
oNlY BuMp OlD SHIt!
YOU ALREADY MADE IT. don’t need school.
wish i was in a class with him tho, ha
what the fuck is nas doing. what you goin to school for?
gettin gassed off that cokehead cutie pie in 8th grade was the best move nasir ever made.
it got him played and paid. maybe he wants to get lost in some books for a while. cant blame him, baby moms is bleeding him out.
best move nas made = dropping out of school
worst move nas made = wifing up industry cum bucket kelis
stay up nasty. drop some heat and go into hiding.
Yo, that stay in school message was for you bro! Lol! If more young cats was educating themselves, they would realize some of the bullshit rappers are spitiing that y’all dudes call dropping science. I laugh all day at that shit!
True Nas has had a great amount of success in his life but at the same time I don’t knock him for going back to school, especially if it is going to encourage younger kids to keep getting educated instead of dropping out and trying to live the streetlife becuase the REAL truth is that EVERYONE can’t quit school and turn out like say a Jay-Z or Nas, that is very rare
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NAS IS A DEADBEAT BUM!!!!!!!!!!!
How da fuck he anit got a damn diploma well i guess da hood money iz wat it iz grindin anit hard an its not easy just a lot of sense
no wonder why i never seen his high school class pics
It’s amazing to me that he was able to create lyrics on illmatic and pre-illmatic of that quality and depth with only an eighth grade education. He may have dropped out in eighth grade education. He may have dropped out but you can tell he has always been a smart dude. – Haasim, The Black Art Depot
My nigga NaS is still def though and he still got a mad crazy vocabulary for someone that hasn’t recieved his high school diploma
yo Nas is almost most the most prooped role model in the hip hop industry eith all those hard lyrics in stillimatic and illimatic, this dude got the game.
wat yo niggas think nasri want xul for? nuting absolutely nothing
thisdude just wants to encourage the lil niggas to stay focused coz they may get smoked in the streets b4 they get to the God damn top.
agreed
thats wat u call a real nigga!
is anyone else finding this hilarious on some level? sheeit…..
RESPECT. Nas is sick period. Damn that vacab…Damn. And he’s a good guy with wisdom, intelligence, living in the streets probably made him smart.
I did not know this.