Nas’ widely lauded classic debut, Illmatic, is now an achievement a half a lifetime in the rear view as the Queensbridge rapper turns 40 years old today (September 14). Illmatic, which quickly characterized the best aspects of New York City Hip Hop for many fans and critics alike, was released in April of 1994 when Nas was only 20 years old. Nearly two decades later, the rapper, who first made his recording debut on Main Source’s “Live At The Barbeque” in 1991, took some time to reflect on his career and growth at a Hennessy-sponsored birthday party.
Speaking with Hot 97 radio personality Miss Info, Nas both shrugged off and praised the milestone. “I just take it all in stride,” he said. “It really feels like—man, I always grew up around older people. I always talked to older people. So, some of my friends turned 40 a couple of years ago, so they mess with me like I don’t know what it’s like. Now, it’s one of the best feelings I ever had. I’m just blessed. It’s a miracle. I’m so blessed.”
When asked whether or not his age has affected his perspective as an artist and lyricist, Nas first alluded to his maturity as a young rapper. “No I wouldn’t say [I’m] ‘more thoughtful,’” he said. “I think I was thoughtful back then when I was younger. The speed changes, when it comes to trying to get on and then once you’re on you have to adjust your life with it.”
He continued by explaining that occupying new spaces and adopting new identities is something that has led to some change. “When you adjust your life it means you got new things in your life happening,” he said. “You move, you become a businessman, a father. That matters. That weighs in.”
Nas recently embarked on a new business relationship with the popular-within-Hip Hop brandy maker Hennessy. In a previous interview with Miss Info, the emcee spoke at length about the venture and his visiting the Cognac region of France where Hennessy is produced. Earlier this year, Nas also invested assets in the Brooklyn-based Mass Appeal Magazine. In years past, he has acted as an official spokesperson for the sneaker and apparel company Fila and has also more recently been a public partner of the annual and ever growing Rock The Bells festival.
While Nas’ first child was born just months after his debut, he has recently shared a more intimate portrayal of fatherhood with songs like 2012’s “Daughters,” a track that served as the third single for his eleventh album, Life Is Good. That song, which received two Grammy nominations, offered an honest look at his daughter Destiny Jones and his own positioning as a father.
When asked if his taste in culture has changed and developed with his age, Nas responded “a lot.” Still, he also referenced wanting to have nice things and dress older as a child. “But I was always this dude trying to be up in some fly silk and stuff like that,” he said. “I got pictures of myself at like 12 years old with cool silk shirts and all of that, it was just a natural thing.”
With regard to his skill as an emcee, Nas distinguished his older self as “more relaxed” but no less skillful. “As far as intensity of rhyme,” he said, “when you’re young and on fire, there’s nothing like that feeling. So, where I’m at now is just a more relaxed place, but you know, I think it’s still in me when I need to get crazy. I know it’s still here.”
It has now been more than a year since the release of Life Is Good, an album that marked the end of his contract with Def Jam Recordings, where he was signed in 2006. On the Def Jam imprint alone, Nas has released albums 2006’s Hip Hop Is Dead, Untitled and a collaborative album with Damian Marley in 2010. Prior to his signing with Def Jam, Nas released material on Columbia Records.
Earlier this year Nas announced that he was working on his twelfth studio album. When asked about the title in this recent interview, the rapper alluded to a release with little lead up. “I was ready at one point to announce the title,” he said, “but too much was happening and I couldn’t…my bad about that. I’m not saying nothing. It’s just gonna drop.”
This faggot has a pink tuxedo. You dont see Gucci walking in a pink tuxedo. Probaly Nas had a after party with Mr. Cee!
Nah you see a ice cream cone tatted on his face.
SHUT UP BITCH
Glad you brought that up, I almost didn’t even notice he was wearing a pink tux. IMO, kinda makes Nas cooler that he can pull off ANY color and still look gangsta… I look odd in any color but black and dark blue, maybe grey.
u dumb as fuck. cant u differentiate btn pink nd peach
RUB MY NIPPLES YO PRAISE JA RULE
Nas is a legend. Been in the game for 20 years. Gucci is a 2 dollar rapper that will be forgotten a year from now.
Your dad had an orgy with Mr. Cee and Elton John ya bish
Happy Born Day to the G.O.A.T. Looking forward to the next project, and hopefully some more work with SOSA
yo fuck this fake ass nigga
you mean ur dad.
the GOAT. fuck dentaldamboy!!!
Cosign. Fuck that YMCMB fake ass so called dream accountant
So he got an album ready to drop… with no promotion? Great. Now I’m gonna be checking the internet EVERYDAY for this sudden release. lol
happy bday Nas! much love and respect
Hiphop also turned 40 this year. I think it’s cool how Nas was born the same year this whole thing started.
happy Bday Nas!!! He’s one of the greatest.
haah nas 40 and still rapping
so problem?
Jay z is 48 and still tying to rap..
nas 40 and still trying to dress..
^ Weirdo why the fuck you watching how another man dresses EFFEMINATE freaks like you are so funny
UGGGGH! Lol!
2 chainz is 51
^ 54.
why is nas and cormega not cool? would be dope if they did some shit together
cormega has never been credited for his writing on illmatic and iww.
AZ,khadafi and mega co-wrote illmatic let the truth be known
No, they didn’t.
Nope no they didnt.. Nas took 2 years to record illmatic.
Believe me, he wrote that shit. Dude
HOW DA FUCK WOULD CORMEGA CO WRITE ILLMATIC IF HE WAS IN JAIL AT THE TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He heard ‘One Love’ in jail somehow linked up with Nas. Cormega got ousted from The Firm cuz of Nas manager probly Steve Stout. Ironlically none of em fuck with Nas now
happy b’day, nas!!!
Nas won’t see this. Care to accept Ja Rule as your saviour?
faggot can’t dress for shit, still looking like he’s some bum on a corner in qb.
as Mario answered I am inspired that anybody able to earn $9239 in one month on the computer. did you see this site link——–> http://www.jobs47.com
To find a mountain path all by oneself gives a greater feeling of strength than to take a path that is shown.
MMLP > every Nas album
your’re smoking some serious stuff for you to actually think that illmatic, it was written and god son are classic albums
^ He has his opinion and those albums would stand up to 99% of the shit that has been released this year !
????
you don’t even believe that
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Nastradums > Em whole career
Is that a joke?
Looking forward to the Gawd getting crazy
I WANNA MAKE LOVE WIT NAS!!!! I SUCK IT FOR TRUKFIT!
n here I thought dentaldamboy & drake runs rap were fags……dude takes the cake
as Travis answered I am impressed that a student able to get paid $9540 in a few weeks on the computer. this page… http://www.Ucan3.Com
This faggot has a pink tuxedo. You dont see Gucci walking in a pink tuxedo. Probaly Nas had a after party with Mr. Cee!
if that dude making 9500 a week he ain’t a student TRUST ME
Congratulations on stealings Tragedy and Cormega’s writing for ILLMATIC!
is it so hard to admit that Tragedy and Cormega were co-writers? I love you Nas but come on. Give them some credit.
They never ghostwritten anything.
Shutup Cormega was locked up and Trag was still Intelligent Hoodlum GRand Grooving back then. Its not until Mobb Deep and Nas that Trag went the Thug route….
Ja Rules music is bringing peace to Syria as we speak.
booooooo nigga! FOH if you gon be funny make some fucking sense. That shit over there is getting worse
Ja Rule has wrote beautiful harmonies that could make satan cry.
Theres only two things that matter to Ja Rule
– Two for 20 appeitizers at applebees
– Laughing at 50 cent flopping
ja rule couldnt sell 7000 records in 2 years and you wanna talk about flopping?
nigga shut up PIL2 15 million sold
Renaissance Project projected to sell 50 million
50 cent worth: 350k
Ja Rules net worth: 1.2 billion dollars
#RuleTalk
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Kill yourself.
7,9?
It’s just gonna thud.
LOL, Dude was drunk.
Nas interviews make me cringe
for real for real.
dude make more sense rapping…
dude sounds fucking retarded in every interview. he should only talk into microphones whenever he hits the booth.
Ja Rule ass n taint taste marv
i just lost a few iq points reading some of these comments. majority of people who comment on hhdx are so immature. props to nas for turning 40. continued success my brother.
Gay-Z is wack, but Nas is even wacker. Two garbage ass rappers. Wayne is the GOAT. Point blank period.
Kill yourself, troll.
Nas celebrated his 40th birthday by giving Kelis 4k.
BOOOOOOOO!!
LOL, Nas officially admitted he lost to Jay-Z. They both are highly overrated illuminati puppets anyway. They fit in the worst rapper category with Eminem, Tupac and Kanye West as worst overrated rapper of all-time. Gucci Mane will murk all these niggaz along with Ross, Hopsin, Tyler The Creator and Scarface.
It’s Gucci Time!
you never see jay fans shitting on nas in every jay z post.. its always the other way round. jay fans got nothing to prove because jay is already highly regarded. on the other hand i cant even enjoy a new nas song on this site without reading some nas fuckboy saying some sideways shit about jay because nas gets somewhat over looked and they dont think jay deserves all the love her gets.
i think nas dickriders are just insecure about nas’ place in hip hop and the fact that jay, his rival, is more esteemed and celebrated by pop culture. so they are constantly talking down on jay on every blog to make nas look better. nas already top 5 DOA, yet his groupies despise jay’s success to the point where they become bigger haters of jay than they are fans of nas himself.
Wrong.
dude shut the fuck up, you’re the same guy i see replying to EVERY comment made by dentaldam and the other trolls
Jay-z is the best emcee ever. PERIOD! name another rapper that has lasted as long as him and still selling records… everybody looks at jay and says he sold out because he doesnt talk about the same stuff he did back in the reasonable doubt era or even the blueprint era. hes passed that, hes 40 years old and surrounded by money, yet he still recognizes that his words have an impact, you think watch the throne was all about money? did you even listen to murder to excellence? did you even listen to new day?
Hop off Jay’s dick.
get off Nas’ dick
Nothing on this site but a bunch of hatin pussies. stop hatin on the next man and try to succeed yourselves!